Fast Eddie
10-19-2004, 12:49 PM
I went to Barber Motorsports Park Sunday for my Class (Reg Pridmore, '70's Superbike Champion) on Monday. I ended up throwing my Boxercup in the back of the truck and blitzing down because of the weather. I could hardly sleep Sunday night at the hotel, actually went to bed around 9:30 pm so I would be good and rested. Monday I got to the track early, unloaded the bike, checked tire pressure, oil and my gear. Got through tech without a problem. Reg broke the class into two groups, A and B. He wanted all first timers in the B group which was OK with me. Each group went out on the track for 20 minutes while the other group had classroom lecture.
The first 20 minute track time was following one of the instructors on a sighting ride. Fairly slow pace. The track is in great condition and they said it was technical. I can't comment on that since I haven't been on any other track. On the next track session I was still looking for car traffic and couldn't get used to the idea I could use the whole track. I was getting passed by half the B group but still having fun. Those 20 minute flew by. By lunch time I had figured out my lines and was getting comfortable with bike, now I was only getting passed by about 3 riders. One of the instructors followed me for a while and then had me follow him into the pits. He told me I had great lines but that my feet were hanging to far down on the pegs and that I SHOULD NOT TRAIL BRAKE. So I went back out and just concentrated on keeping my toes on the pegs and staying off of the back brake. That took a while to get used to but by lunch I was getting the hang of it. Before lunch they set up a braking practice in the pit area and we practiced easing off the throttle and braking at the same time so that you would not upset the bike twice by letting off of the throttle and then braking. He also stressed to wait until the last minute to engage the clutch so that the engine would help to keep the rear wheel from locking up.
After lunch went back out on the track. They warned us that a lot of crashes happen after lunch since students are feeling over confident. So I started out slowly letting my tires warm and getting a feel for the track again. After a few laps I started picking up the pace and I almost broke my helmet smiling so much. By the end of the day I was not being passed by anyone. Reg followed me for a while and gave me the thumbs up and told me later I was doing great. That was the fasted day of my life, not only track wise but time was too since I was having so much fun.
The track is awesome. You start out of the pits into turns 1, 2, 3 and 4. It's a carosel that I was taking in 2nd gear. Out of 3 I would gas it into 3rd and take turn 4, an easy right hander and eccellerate to 4th. Turn 5 is a 180 left hander that I down shifted into 2nd and then eccellerated into 3rd for turn 6, a easy left hander and into 4th. Turns 7 and 8 is a chicane (sp) I took in 3rd and then downshifted into 2nd for the carrosel at the museum. Out of the carrosel I shifted into 3rd hard on the gas into the left right of turns 10 and 11 and then onto the straight away on the back stretch with full power in 4th. Turn 12 was a 3rd gear left hander setting up for turn 13 a right hander and turn 14 a sharp right hander which was second gear. You come down the hill out of 14 to a sharp left hander shifting into 3rd onto the front stretch at full boar. That was my lap around Barber.
The instructors were great. I was a fun atmoshere, although two guys crashed and one guy was cutting people off and actually broke off a guys turn signal. He had to go home. Thanks to Stephanie for buying this track day for me. I will definitely do it again, a two day session if possible.
The first 20 minute track time was following one of the instructors on a sighting ride. Fairly slow pace. The track is in great condition and they said it was technical. I can't comment on that since I haven't been on any other track. On the next track session I was still looking for car traffic and couldn't get used to the idea I could use the whole track. I was getting passed by half the B group but still having fun. Those 20 minute flew by. By lunch time I had figured out my lines and was getting comfortable with bike, now I was only getting passed by about 3 riders. One of the instructors followed me for a while and then had me follow him into the pits. He told me I had great lines but that my feet were hanging to far down on the pegs and that I SHOULD NOT TRAIL BRAKE. So I went back out and just concentrated on keeping my toes on the pegs and staying off of the back brake. That took a while to get used to but by lunch I was getting the hang of it. Before lunch they set up a braking practice in the pit area and we practiced easing off the throttle and braking at the same time so that you would not upset the bike twice by letting off of the throttle and then braking. He also stressed to wait until the last minute to engage the clutch so that the engine would help to keep the rear wheel from locking up.
After lunch went back out on the track. They warned us that a lot of crashes happen after lunch since students are feeling over confident. So I started out slowly letting my tires warm and getting a feel for the track again. After a few laps I started picking up the pace and I almost broke my helmet smiling so much. By the end of the day I was not being passed by anyone. Reg followed me for a while and gave me the thumbs up and told me later I was doing great. That was the fasted day of my life, not only track wise but time was too since I was having so much fun.
The track is awesome. You start out of the pits into turns 1, 2, 3 and 4. It's a carosel that I was taking in 2nd gear. Out of 3 I would gas it into 3rd and take turn 4, an easy right hander and eccellerate to 4th. Turn 5 is a 180 left hander that I down shifted into 2nd and then eccellerated into 3rd for turn 6, a easy left hander and into 4th. Turns 7 and 8 is a chicane (sp) I took in 3rd and then downshifted into 2nd for the carrosel at the museum. Out of the carrosel I shifted into 3rd hard on the gas into the left right of turns 10 and 11 and then onto the straight away on the back stretch with full power in 4th. Turn 12 was a 3rd gear left hander setting up for turn 13 a right hander and turn 14 a sharp right hander which was second gear. You come down the hill out of 14 to a sharp left hander shifting into 3rd onto the front stretch at full boar. That was my lap around Barber.
The instructors were great. I was a fun atmoshere, although two guys crashed and one guy was cutting people off and actually broke off a guys turn signal. He had to go home. Thanks to Stephanie for buying this track day for me. I will definitely do it again, a two day session if possible.