First trackday on the Falco - Saturday 16-06
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- Falcomille
- Clubman Racer
- Posts: 338
- Joined: Wed May 23, 2007 4:12 pm
- Location: France - in the sun mate!
First trackday on the Falco - Saturday 16-06
Well... the weather was sh*te - infact it started raining just as we pulled into the paddock area at Donnington. Somewhat wisely, I decided to rent a trailer on Thursday as the weather forecast for the area (and Manchester) was decidedly dodgy!
Well, I guess I did the right thing, because I arrived dry and fresh, whereas most who rode to the track started wet. Not nice.
Arriving at Donnington, I was somewhat alarmed, as most of the world's best racers would be arriving in the same paddock this week. Boy - what a dump. Looked like I was driving into a council tip. Anyhow, that's a different topic.
After a bacon buttie and copious mugs of tea, we had our riders briefing, who told us that the novices group (us) would be first out at 08:45. So off to the garages to unload the bike and fettle. Get changed. Get loosened up. Then nothing. It rained, and rained some more. We were told at 10:00 that they would make a decision at 10:30. At 11:00 they told us they would make a decision at 11:30. At 11:45 they told us to take an early lunch and check at 12:45. And it kept on raining.
At 1:00 we were told to line up in the pit lane for our sighting lap. Out we went in the pissing rain.
I did two sighting laps, and one further lap and came in, deeming it too dangerous. Everybody else came in on the next lap as there were a number of casualties (bikes in the gravel). Anyhow, they carried on with the next groups.
Many people decided not to risk their machines (one guy in our garage with a particularly tasy RSVR with tyre warmers and custom everything, didn't want to risk his bike) and went home.
Then the sun came out, track dried, result... half the number of track day-ers on a shit-hot track, so I really enjoyed it in the end. Not enough laps, but brilliant fun. No photographs to take home, I didn't break my knee-down cherry (mainly because I'm too old to get it down), but the Falco did well and I did manage to pass other bikes on the track.
Can't wait for the next one!!!!
[/i]
Well, I guess I did the right thing, because I arrived dry and fresh, whereas most who rode to the track started wet. Not nice.
Arriving at Donnington, I was somewhat alarmed, as most of the world's best racers would be arriving in the same paddock this week. Boy - what a dump. Looked like I was driving into a council tip. Anyhow, that's a different topic.
After a bacon buttie and copious mugs of tea, we had our riders briefing, who told us that the novices group (us) would be first out at 08:45. So off to the garages to unload the bike and fettle. Get changed. Get loosened up. Then nothing. It rained, and rained some more. We were told at 10:00 that they would make a decision at 10:30. At 11:00 they told us they would make a decision at 11:30. At 11:45 they told us to take an early lunch and check at 12:45. And it kept on raining.
At 1:00 we were told to line up in the pit lane for our sighting lap. Out we went in the pissing rain.
I did two sighting laps, and one further lap and came in, deeming it too dangerous. Everybody else came in on the next lap as there were a number of casualties (bikes in the gravel). Anyhow, they carried on with the next groups.
Many people decided not to risk their machines (one guy in our garage with a particularly tasy RSVR with tyre warmers and custom everything, didn't want to risk his bike) and went home.
Then the sun came out, track dried, result... half the number of track day-ers on a shit-hot track, so I really enjoyed it in the end. Not enough laps, but brilliant fun. No photographs to take home, I didn't break my knee-down cherry (mainly because I'm too old to get it down), but the Falco did well and I did manage to pass other bikes on the track.
Can't wait for the next one!!!!
[/i]
I did a track day a few years ago at Sandown here in Melbourne in the rain.
It was like riding on marble covered ice, with oil and diesel on top. Once the riding line got cleaned up (by the end of the session) it wasn't too bad.
I did have fun seeing how long I could get the rear wheel spinning up as I hit the painted area on the main straight.
Then the hail storm arrived, and everyone got off the track pretty damned quick.
Photos here: http://teamrc17.net/members/trips/trackday.html
(OK, so it wasn't on an Aprilia... Shoot me.)
It was like riding on marble covered ice, with oil and diesel on top. Once the riding line got cleaned up (by the end of the session) it wasn't too bad.
I did have fun seeing how long I could get the rear wheel spinning up as I hit the painted area on the main straight.
Then the hail storm arrived, and everyone got off the track pretty damned quick.
Photos here: http://teamrc17.net/members/trips/trackday.html
(OK, so it wasn't on an Aprilia... Shoot me.)
- Falcomille
- Clubman Racer
- Posts: 338
- Joined: Wed May 23, 2007 4:12 pm
- Location: France - in the sun mate!
When I was watching the rain fall, a local rider from Nottingham (with an ace Duke 996 SPS) told me that the top end of the track between the old hairpin and coppice does get washed with jet fuel from the planes taking off at East Mids. It's like a thin coating of diesel aparently. Personally, I was riding like a girl in the wet up that end anyway. Also, watch the corner at coppice as there is a permanent wet patch just on the exit as you nail it. It can upset the traction a bit.Falken wrote:
I'm there on Monday, hope the weather is better than you had.
Just hope there is no one looking on from the GP on Sunday, they may want to sign me up, (in my dreams).
Any tips?
In Donington today also. It rained. Hope the Riders for Health day of Champs went well though.
Enjoy your day on Monday. I gather Stoner is hanging around looking for tips.....
- Falcomille
- Clubman Racer
- Posts: 338
- Joined: Wed May 23, 2007 4:12 pm
- Location: France - in the sun mate!
- Falken
- SuperSport Racer
- Posts: 653
- Joined: Wed Jan 17, 2007 7:54 pm
- Location: Chesterfield Derbyshire
Hi Falcomille,
Track day abandoned for safety reasons, after waiting around until 10am.
Three rivers running across the track and two big pools of standing water, also the gravel traps were full of water.
Got it booked again on 20th September.
Still looking forward to it, now i've dried out.
Adventure before Dementia.