Jump to content

R.a.c.e. School


Recommended Posts

Why is the Code R.A.C.E. School only at Streets of Willow Springs?...and only twice a year?

 

 

Personally, i find the curriculum of the school incredible...and i can't wait to take it next year. Granting this year goes ok, i plan on getting my license early next year and racing with WERA.

 

I would much rather attend the Code R.A.C.E. School and learn/pracitice all the things mentioned on the website than attend some other quick, 1-day "school" just to get a license.

 

With that being said, I want to use my own bike...but i live in East TN and don't even want to think about hauling my trailer over there.

 

Even if i do decide to use your bikes, the school is only twice a year. I work a steady rotating 28-28 schedule on an offshore oil drilling rig off the coast of Brazil. I am in Brazil for a month, then off for a month. Therefore i only have a 50/50 chance of being home for one of the schools.

 

(That is why i am not doing Level III at Barber until August, i couldnt fit a school date into my schedule).

 

Why is the R.A.C.E. School not held at say, VIR or Barber or Road Atlanta a couple of times a year?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Forgive me for replying off-topic here, I have no idea what the answer to your question is. I just couldn't resist asking about your job. I've always found the idea of offshore drilling intriguing, ie hi-tech, big machines, out in the middle of the ocean, etc. Anyway... I just assumed offshore oil platforms would be manned by more or less 'local' talent, ie guys working rigs in the Gulf of Mexico would be from or live near the coast of Texas or Louisiana, or somewhere they could conveniently hop a boat or helo. It never occured to me that someone who lives in the middle of the continental US, a thousand miles from the nearest ocean, would work on an offshore drilling platform ... much less a rig off the coast of Brazil!

 

Sorry for being so nosey. If you don't mind my asking ... what sort of job do you do and how did you get there?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why is the Code R.A.C.E. School only at Streets of Willow Springs?...and only twice a year?

 

 

Personally, i find the curriculum of the school incredible...and i can't wait to take it next year. Granting this year goes ok, i plan on getting my license early next year and racing with WERA.

 

I would much rather attend the Code R.A.C.E. School and learn/pracitice all the things mentioned on the website than attend some other quick, 1-day "school" just to get a license.

 

 

Chaos;

 

There was a post (from Cobie I think) in the forum some time ago why they only run CodeRACE at Willow so I won't offer any thoughts on that but I did want to respond to something you wrote in relationship to the CodeRACE program.

 

None of what I write may still be relevant but from my experience at CodeRACE in April '04, it was not like the School's regular cirriculum. You still have a coach assigned to you (2 students/coach) but their role is different from a regular School. The student/coach interface is different but it is harder to explain it any better than that.

 

As for the program, when we were discussing the day's events early in the morning of Day 1, I offered that I would like to try the no brakes drill for my first session to get a better feel for a track I had never ridden on before. I quickly learned that the first session was a timed practice session just like a CCS or WERA race weekend and although I was free to try the no brakes drill, the rest of the class would be running WFO. There was No 2 step; no wide view; no hook turn; none of the basic drills from Levels I - IV, and the only parade lap I remember was the sighting lap right before the race; like I said, it is just like a race weekend. The times are posted at the end of each session and you will see immediately how you stack up against your classmates - and you are gridded based upon your fastest lap.

 

I believe it was after the second or third practice session that we started some drills but they were tests of our abilities to adjust our lines through a corner and to make it more intense, we were timed with radar guns to see how quickly we could execute these turns under these conditions. We also practiced race starts in single file with both the 2 and 1 minute boards followed by the flag - exactly what you would see at a CCS/WERA or AMA race. We also ran part of the course in reverse started from T2 and accelerating thru T1 and then down the hill past start/finish where our braking and down shifting into the turn at the skid pad was actually mapped by computer so you could see (literally) how smooth or rough your mastery of the bikes controls were.

 

Now after all of this preparation and you are thoroughly jacked up, you get the first call to ride out to the grid, with the coaches gridded behind you with an open row separating you from them and yes - they are there to race you and your fellow classmates. If you think the Coaches are quick at a regular School - you will be stunned to see how fast fast really is.

 

It is different in more ways that it is similar to a regular CSS event but others on this Forum may have a very different take on it. One thing I learned was how big the gap is from track riding to actual racing - it is big as all outdoors.

 

Good Luck!

 

Kevin Kane

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Doing levels 3 and 4 will be an excellent set up and really it was designed for guys who had done just that. It is a hoot, we really love doing them. You'll get tons of riding, lots of personal help too.

 

Best,

C

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the information Kevin.

 

 

Like I said before, I attended the 2-day camp at VIR last year...Levels I and II and did several track days afterwards.

 

This year, I have 12 track days scheduled so far including CSS Level III at Barber in August.

 

But if i read Kevin's post right, the R.A.C.E. school isn't necessarily a "school" after all. He said that there was 1 "parade lap" and then it was WFO and times were recorded. He said there were a few drills later, but it appears they were more of a test of your skills rather than teaching drills. Then you were racing instructors.

 

I might have read it wrong, but it appears to me like the R.A.C.E. School isn't really a school and you should have race ability and be able to run race speeds before you ever attend the school.

 

Is that assumtion correct?

 

If that is the case, is it possible to fail the school?

 

Have their been cases when someone fully completed the "school" without crashing...but was not awarded a race license simply because they weren't fast enough?

 

If that is the case, when should someone consider themselves fast enough or "ready" to attend the R.A.C.E. school?

 

Should I judge my ability compared to other riders in Intermediate or Advanced Track Day groups as a guideline? Should I compare my lap times to the lap times of WERA races at the same track?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the information Kevin.

 

 

Like I said before, I attended the 2-day camp at VIR last year...Levels I and II and did several track days afterwards.

 

This year, I have 12 track days scheduled so far including CSS Level III at Barber in August.

 

But if i read Kevin's post right, the R.A.C.E. school isn't necessarily a "school" after all. He said that there was 1 "parade lap" and then it was WFO and times were recorded. He said there were a few drills later, but it appears they were more of a test of your skills rather than teaching drills. Then you were racing instructors.

 

I might have read it wrong, but it appears to me like the R.A.C.E. School isn't really a school and you should have race ability and be able to run race speeds before you ever attend the school.

 

Is that assumtion correct?

 

If that is the case, is it possible to fail the school?

 

 

 

Have their been cases when someone fully completed the "school" without crashing...but was not awarded a race license simply because they weren't fast enough?

 

If that is the case, when should someone consider themselves fast enough or "ready" to attend the R.A.C.E. school?

 

Should I judge my ability compared to other riders in Intermediate or Advanced Track Day groups as a guideline? Should I compare my lap times to the lap times of WERA races at the same track?

 

Chaos;

 

First and foremost - it has been four years since I attended CodeRACE so my comments have to be viewed through that lens.

 

You state/ask: "I might have read it wrong, but it appears to me like the R.A.C.E. School isn't really a school and you should have race ability and be able to run race speeds before you ever attend the school."

 

I'll offer this clarification: It is a School, it is just very different from their traditional cuirriculum. There is no pass/fail at CodeRACE and there are no certificates or licenses issued. The School is not a race sanctioning body so they don't issue licenses - those come from CCS; WERA; AMA; etc. As for speed, it is fast. It is very fast because you are RACING. You are racing against your classmates and the instructors because if you want to be schooled in racing, you need to race. The drills are race orientated, not as much cirriculum based as you may need to adjust your line to make a successful pass in a corner which is something that would not be taught in the regular school. If you remember, the Superbike School has a 6 foot passing rule and you are taught that you are responsible for the rider in front of you - and if you violate those rules you will be pulled into Course Control for a "talk". That doesn't happen in racing.

 

At the end of the practice sessions, your coach will still refer to your CSS training to help you make adjustments because it is still the language of ALL CSS events but your three practice sessions are focused on the competitive aspect of riding a motorcycle at speed and not technique per se.

 

The questions you ask about how you should judge your ability against your track day riding compatriots or against WERA race times may give you some sense how you compare but the only way you will know is to go race.

 

I recommend that before you race or go to CodeRACE, you finish LEVEL III at a minimum. The body position aspect of cornering is very significant and Level III is entirely focused on Body position. Not just how to set yourself properly on the bike but also how to change position with minimum disruption to the bike's stability. Level III is key to integrating all of the techniques the School teaches and the place where I finally felt it all come together. The video aspect of Level III is also eye opening about what adjustments you need to make that is IMPOSSIBLE to see any other way.

 

YRMV - Good Luck;

 

Kevin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

rgive me for replying off-topic here, I have no idea what the answer to your question is. I just couldn't resist asking about your job. I've always found the idea of offshore drilling intriguing, ie hi-tech, big machines, out in the middle of the ocean, etc. Anyway... I just assumed offshore oil platforms would be manned by more or less 'local' talent, ie guys working rigs in the Gulf of Mexico would be from or live near the coast of Texas or Louisiana, or somewhere they could conveniently hop a boat or helo. It never occured to me that someone who lives in the middle of the continental US, a thousand miles from the nearest ocean, would work on an offshore drilling platform ... much less a rig off the coast of Brazil!

 

Sorry for being so nosey. If you don't mind my asking ... what sort of job do you do and how did you get there?

 

 

You are correct, offshore rigs are manned my "local" talent for the most part. I used to live in Mississippi and working in the GoM. I worked my way up through the "Drilling" aspect of operations and i was selected for a trainee position on the Technical/Engineering side of it. After 2 years of training and multiple schools, i was assigned to a rig in the GoM as a Subsea Engineering Specialist.

 

Then i was put in charge of an Ultradeepwater upgrade project in Singapore. Singapore has a huge shipyard with excellent facilities (and cheap labor). We completed the upgrade and the rig went to work in Malaysia, i went with it. Then i was transferred to a rig in Indonesia as the Senior S.E.S.

 

That rig left Indonesia and went back to the GoM. When i started working in Singapore, i moved to TN. Obviously it is a long haul from TN to the GoM so i transferred to this rig in Brazil.

 

But back the original point. My company's main office is in Houston...but we have offices on every continent and rigs world wide. In order for us to drill in other countries, we have to employ so many people from that country. All of the "general laborers", lower level mechanics, catering crew etc are all Brazilian (or from the respective country each rig is working in). But the "key" Supervisory personnel are from the USA, the UK or Australia (we have huge offices in Aberdeen and Perth).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chaos;

 

First and foremost - it has been four years since I attended CodeRACE so my comments have to be viewed through that lens.

 

You state/ask: "I might have read it wrong, but it appears to me like the R.A.C.E. School isn't really a school and you should have race ability and be able to run race speeds before you ever attend the school."

 

I'll offer this clarification: It is a School, it is just very different from their traditional cuirriculum. There is no pass/fail at CodeRACE and there are no certificates or licenses issued. The School is not a race sanctioning body so they don't issue licenses - those come from CCS; WERA; AMA; etc. As for speed, it is fast. It is very fast because you are RACING. You are racing against your classmates and the instructors because if you want to be schooled in racing, you need to race. The drills are race orientated, not as much cirriculum based as you may need to adjust your line to make a successful pass in a corner which is something that would not be taught in the regular school. If you remember, the Superbike School has a 6 foot passing rule and you are taught that you are responsible for the rider in front of you - and if you violate those rules you will be pulled into Course Control for a "talk". That doesn't happen in racing.

 

At the end of the practice sessions, your coach will still refer to your CSS training to help you make adjustments because it is still the language of ALL CSS events but your three practice sessions are focused on the competitive aspect of riding a motorcycle at speed and not technique per se.

 

The questions you ask about how you should judge your ability against your track day riding compatriots or against WERA race times may give you some sense how you compare but the only way you will know is to go race.

 

I recommend that before you race or go to CodeRACE, you finish LEVEL III at a minimum. The body position aspect of cornering is very significant and Level III is entirely focused on Body position. Not just how to set yourself properly on the bike but also how to change position with minimum disruption to the bike's stability. Level III is key to integrating all of the techniques the School teaches and the place where I finally felt it all come together. The video aspect of Level III is also eye opening about what adjustments you need to make that is IMPOSSIBLE to see any other way.

 

YRMV - Good Luck;

 

Kevin

 

Thanks again Kevin.

 

What i meant by "fail" is that it states on the website that CCS/WERA etc recognize the R.A.C.E. school as an approved program. Obviously i will have to buy the license from them and attend theif flag briefing class...but they recognize the school as a race school. Since you don't actually provide the license, maybe "pass or fail" wasn't a good term.

 

I guess what i should have asked is "is completion of the school without crashing sufficient or have their been cases where somebody completed the school but were advised not to get their license because they weren't fast enough".

 

I am looking forward to Level III. By the time i do level III in August, I will have another 8-9 track days under my belt. Then upon the completion of Level III, i can simply ask the instructors where i stand and if they think i am ready or should take the R.A.C.E school.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The issue of speed hasn't really come up at the school, it's to the sanctioning body to determine/decide that point. A few years back I heard (but didn't confirm) that a local track required a certain lap time to race, if you couldn't make that time, you couldn't race. It's certainly the same in pro racing: if you don't qualify, you aren't going to race in that class.

 

We do prep riders for racing in this school, a totally different focus than our normal schools. We also race at the end of each day (always fun!).

 

It's not required that you have raced of course, that's the purpose of the school: to give you a taste of it, or to tune you up if you already are racing.

 

We have only ever kicked one guy out, he was just being a little to frisky with his passing, and making a bad pass when he had been specifically warned not to. That was long ago, and really the CODERACE schools have been a treat: lots of riding, lots of coaching (1 coach for 2 students--max), some excellent training that we just can't do anywhere else. Like the brake training drill: this shows exactly how good on the brakes a rider is, and we work on him in depth (complete with radar graphs of his braking, compared to our top dog that day).

 

There can be some fast guys, but most are in the middle somewhere. As I hinted at, we love doing them as much as the students.

 

Best,

C

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Cobie.

 

I will plan on doing the R.A.C.E. School next March. I am scheduled for 10 track days so far this year (including Level III at Barber) and will add at least 2 more so maybe I will be able to keep up with yall by the time next March rolls around.

 

If nothing else, I will get some good coaching and experience at the school. The school will give me a good idea where I stand and then I will either proceed with getting my license or take what I learned in the school and apply it to several more track days and go from there.

 

Thanks for the input.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Cobie.

 

I will plan on doing the R.A.C.E. School next March. I am scheduled for 10 track days so far this year (including Level III at Barber) and will add at least 2 more so maybe I will be able to keep up with yall by the time next March rolls around.

 

If nothing else, I will get some good coaching and experience at the school. The school will give me a good idea where I stand and then I will either proceed with getting my license or take what I learned in the school and apply it to several more track days and go from there.

 

Thanks for the input.

 

Chaos,

 

Just to verify, when you say "next March" do you mean '08 or '09? The '08 school is sold out though we do get cancellations. If you want to get on the wait list: 800-530-3350 or registration@superbikeschool.com.

 

For sure come and say hello to me!

 

Cobie

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cobie,

 

By "next March" I meant 2009.

 

I have a ton of track days scheduled this year, along with Level III. Then I will try to catch 1-2 track days in Feb of '09 and do the R.A.C.E. school in March.

 

Thanks,

Chris

 

Got it. To be honest, wish we could get you through L-3 before you had done a bunch of track days, but if it won't work due to logistics/time/money I understand.

 

C

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cobie;

 

I had the same recommendation for our buddy Chaos; Level III is such a key part of the whole cirriculum because it is so focused on how to maximize our connection to the bike. I remember leaving Watkins Glen after Level III thinking that my legs could not be any more tired than they were that day, more than if I had been downhill skiing for a week.

 

Kevin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kevin mentioned the same thing about Level III. I would LOVE to catch Level III first, but it just isn't possible.

 

I work a rotating 28-28 schedule (I am home for a month then down here in Brazil for a month). There is only 1 day between now and August when a Level III class fits in my schedule, but even it is the day after i get home...and it is on the other side of the U.S.

 

I compared my work schedule to the school schedule about 7 different times trying to figure something out and i simply cannot make any other school.

 

Grrrrr......................

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kevin mentioned the same thing about Level III. I would LOVE to catch Level III first, but it just isn't possible.

 

I work a rotating 28-28 schedule (I am home for a month then down here in Brazil for a month). There is only 1 day between now and August when a Level III class fits in my schedule, but even it is the day after i get home...and it is on the other side of the U.S.

 

I compared my work schedule to the school schedule about 7 different times trying to figure something out and i simply cannot make any other school.

 

Grrrrr......................

 

Got it. We just had a Brazilian racer up here at our school in Vegas. We actually did some schools down there, the local agent tried to have it be a regular thing, but didn't work out. It's a long flight up for sure.

 

C

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...