Hi All,
New here, and would appreciate some advice. I recently bought a GSXR600, with the intention of roadracing, no street riding anymore.... Do you feel it would be wise to take a race school, such as Learning Curves, then do some track days, before competing? Or, do the track days, then a school. In other words, would the school first be 'jumping the gun'; should I just get some laps in first?
I'm very familiar with a racing enviroment, as I have raced MX, and Supermoto (some), for 20+ yrs, but want to learn roadracing the right way. Safety is my #1 concern.
Thanks in advance for advice on this question, or any other words of wisdom you can give a (once again) green horn!
I never took a track day before I raced. I personally wouldn't "waste" the money doing trackdays if you really want to race.
If you want to be ultra competitive when you start, then I guess doing a year or two of nothing but trackdays will get you there.
JE, welcome, I hope yer slow, it'll help my points 8). Anyhow, I jumped right into race school without track days, key is, get saddle time in the track environment, the race school will give you the foundation to get the most out of track days, then you can enter the races when ya feel ready. You chose a great bike, get good gear, and talk to folks at the track for good advice. Art.
I didn't do trackdays either. I think running track days is beneficial but not necessary. Learning Curves was the first time I was ever on the track. I took it in the fall on my R1 street bike and then sold the R1 over the off season to buy a R6 race bike. I went straight to racing with about 25 miles experience on the bike. I'm not a seasoned vet but this is just my experience.
Learning curves was the first time I was on a track as well. This is the way I would recommend also. It's a safe environment and they step you up through out the day. I would just stick away from racing mixed class races, by this I mean Am/Ex races your first couple of races. My second race was a combined race, you don't need to worry about experts taking you out, but the first time I was lapped by an expert was a little bit of a shocker. It was a clean pass but there was about 8" from his rear tire and my front tire in the carousel. It will just catch you off guard.
Just my $.02
I think it depends on how comfortable you are on the bike. I would say be comfortable on the bike, then do at least one track day to be adjusted to the track atmosphere. After you are comfortable with that go take your school of choice and you can focus on what they are saying and teaching you and not just adjusting to the fact that you don't have to right on the right side of the track. :)
Quote from: jerdman852 on June 17, 2007, 10:30:09 PM
I'm very familiar with a racing enviroment, as I have raced MX, and Supermoto (some), for 20+ yrs, but want to learn roadracing the right way. Safety is my #1 concern.
Thanks in advance for advice on this question, or any other words of wisdom you can give a (once again) green horn!
Ok, where are you from? I'll start there.
With safety being your primary concern, I would definitely recommend *SCHOOLS*.... Not necessarily track days, but racer educating schools. They're all over the place, Keith Code, Freddie Spencer, Jeff Wood, etc etc etc... There are tons of them. Ask around before you attend one to make sure you're going to get what you need out of it.
Track days are a great way to learn a track, but if you don't know what you're doing to start with all you're going to do is learn bad habits (and perfect them!). Start out on the right foot and take the schools...
Just my $.02.
Not the cheapest method, but it will likely be the most beneficial.
you have to take a school of some sort to get a license anyway so do that first it may also help to race at the track you went to school at that way you will already know the race line and won't be lost looking for pit in and pit out. the good thing about track days there is a lot less pressure while your trying to learn the track.+if you screw up no one knows who you are Marc
This is my first year racing but I've been track riding for years. I coach with TPM, and put in thousands of track miles before ever racing. I can see clear advantages and disadvantages to going this route. I'm sitting third in the points in three classes, have one win, a couple of seconds, and a bunch of thirds. I'm very comfortable at speed on the track and my coaching has given me kind of a sixth sense about what the guy in front of me is going to do three turns before he does it (survival tool when coaching). The flip side of that coin is that I'm pretty timid about making passes because I've been conditioned to make nothing but "friendly" passes. So unless I'm gridded toward the front, or get a killer start, I'm pretty much dead in the water after lap one.
Quote from: jerdman852 on June 17, 2007, 10:30:09 PM
Do you feel it would be wise to take a race school, such as Learning Curves, then do some track days, before competing? Or, do the track days, then a school.
Do some trackdays, 2 or 3, then just go get your licese with Learning Curves. Their licensing clinic will give you an idea that very weekend whether you are ready or not, and you actually have that option to race on Sunday if you want to.
I'm partial to Keith Code for schools. However, you have some supermoto background, so it's not like you're a complete newb. Look me up if you want some free direction/advice. I'm usually pit up on the front row, near pit out area at the silo for Blackhawk Farms.
+1yetidave I trackdayed for 3 years sold tires at the track one year so was there every weekend. the worst habbit i have is passing this year i had it conqured then crashed out for the season after 3 wins and leading in points in the old farts class get to start over next year.
If you want to race, take a race school and race. Trackdays are cool too, but are a different thing all together. I raced after 3 track days and 2 race schools. I still felt I wasn't ready, but I don't know if there's ever a time you feel "ready." Racing, as you will learn, is trial by fire. Nothing can really prepare you for some of the stuff you will see/do. Thats why it is so much fun
I say do a race school on the track you plan to race. You will have enough to think about, you don't want to worry about learning the track on top of everything.
I personally went from the street directly to racing at the start of '96 after taking the Learning Curves Licensing School at the end of the season in '95, track days were not an option for me since they didn't exist back then. When I went racing I had no prior race experience of any kind, but I did have many years of aggresively riding 3 & 4 wheel ATV's, snowmobiles, stand-up & sit down Jet-Ski's, and 5 years of street riding motorcycles. I think that type of experience can be extremely beneficial in going road racing since you already know the controls of the bike and know what 'synergy' is between you and a personal motor vehicle. I like the fact that you already have experience, I think that will greatly help you adapt and advance quickly.
With the availability of numerous schools and personal instructors available today I like the idea of getting on the track for the 1st time in an environment that is teaching you things correctly from the very beginning, that way (as Jeff said) your not developing and perfecting bad habits or doing things that will only be a hinderance to you in an actual race environment (like the developed passing issues the guys mentioned already). I think spending an equal amount of money on actual racing based schools and/or personalized 1 on 1 instruction from someone reputable would be far more beneficial to someone actually looking to get into racing than doing laps at Track Days that are not focused on what is best in an actual racing situation. I'm not saying there are no Track Days out there that don't offer this, but make sure and check ahead of time into what your going to be getting for your money if you choose to do Track Days prior to racing.
I personally would like to see more actual 'Racer Prep' sessions at Track Days taught by reputable racing instructors or in conjunction with existing racing schools so they can focus on teaching techniques that are specific to racing. I think that would help more people to make the 'jump' into racing by educating them about actual racing and better preparing them for what they are really getting into. :thumb:
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+1
Thanks you all for your advice. I've decided to the LCR school @ Blackhawk first. As one of you mentioned, it may help not to learn / perfect 'bad habits'. Track days will follow, and begin racing in 08. Hey, I can't bankrupt the household all at once :lmao:!! If there is a shop in the Milwaukee area for parts & supplies, that is better than others, let me know. Look forward to it all, and once again, thank you for the advice.
JE, I guess my question is going unnoticed, but seeing you're going to Blackhawk, it pin points your location.
CCS licensing programs are great safety schools. You have to have that for your CCS license.
Should you need something to link what you do in supermoto/MX to road racing, my school program can do that for you. I taught CCS licensing schools from 1993 to 2000, but started our independent riding program, versus the licensing safety school, to develop new and experienced racers in addition to new and experienced track day riders.
I've worked with a few road race teams and some pretty well known dirt trackers too. With Supermoto and MX experience, you've got some very solid tools that can be put to use in road racing. Be careful to make sure that you use some of that rather than follow some of the more common ideology of what gets passed around in road racing.
I know everyone is different, but I can't imagine going out racing without a good amount of track time first.
With 20 years of racing MX and some Supermoto, the transition should be relatively easy.
Quote from: jerdman852 on June 19, 2007, 08:25:25 AM
Thanks you all for your advice. I've decided to the LCR school @ Blackhawk first. As one of you mentioned, it may help not to learn / perfect 'bad habits'. Track days will follow, and begin racing in 08. Hey, I can't bankrupt the household all at once :lmao:!! If there is a shop in the Milwaukee area for parts & supplies, that is better than others, let me know. Look forward to it all, and once again, thank you for the advice.
For your suspension work contact Ed K. at TrackSide Engineering. He has a website you can connect to through this Forum. Ed is in the Milwaukee area, will be at the BFR rounds in his bright orange EZ-Up, and will work with you on setting the machine's suspension. His service and dedication to this sport is great.
I did lots of Nesba track days before racing. You learn the tracks. Their control riders are top notch instructors! You'll learn lines, body position, throttle control and everything you never used on the street.
Come out to some days and see for yourself. Nesba riders typically do very well racing.
Now that I've said that.....
I've probably started another interesting post war.
Quote from: yetidave on June 18, 2007, 11:05:03 AM
This is my first year racing but I've been track riding for years. I coach with TPM, and put in thousands of track miles before ever racing. I can see clear advantages and disadvantages to going this route. I'm sitting third in the points in three classes, have one win, a couple of seconds, and a bunch of thirds. I'm very comfortable at speed on the track and my coaching has given me kind of a sixth sense about what the guy in front of me is going to do three turns before he does it (survival tool when coaching). The flip side of that coin is that I'm pretty timid about making passes because I've been conditioned to make nothing but "friendly" passes. So unless I'm gridded toward the front, or get a killer start, I'm pretty much dead in the water after lap one.
DAVE YOU SUCK :ass:
maybe try some track days just to see what you think of being on the track and spending the money on a race license
then of course if you want to race you need a school for your license and go from there
have some fun ride fast and take chances
Track days are like having sex with a rubber on, there alot of fun but not the Real thing.Good Luck
since my kids and I are spending the summer watching TV while I'm stuck in bed we finally ran across ex61 quote and had to laugh and was a good movie too thanks
Quote from: Ducmarc on June 19, 2007, 11:38:52 PM
since my kids and I are spending the summer watching TV while I'm stuck in bed we finally ran across ex61 quote and had to laugh and was a good movie too thanks
Hey you know, who doesn't like the smell of biscuits on a girl? Well, let me re-phrase that... :rollseyes:
Ok, someone is going to have to tell me what movie that's from.
rolling kansas. kind of a national lampoon type movie not for younger kids