Learning And Improving On New Tracks

[acebobby]

Hi guys n girls

In just over a week I will be doing my first trackday at Oulton Park, As always I want to improve my riding throughout the day, so I was thikning what would be the most productive way to do this?

I will have 7 X 20 minute sessions and level 1-3 drills up my sleeve to use and practice as required!

I was thinking on my first and second sessions I would get my visuals working and look for some lines that work well with throttle control rule #1, using light brakes and a couple of gears!

I am trying to write up myself a little track day schedule so to speak, rather than falling into that old trap of riding as fast as I can and not improving! So any idea's are welcome, maybe thoughts on how to spend my attention on the first 5 sessions, then have a bit of fun on the last 2 sessions!

Anyway Ideas welcome from all the forum!

 

Bobby

[stuman]

1) If they offer an orientation lap at the beginning of the day, do it. If you can go last and do sort of a modified change lines drill, ride around in the middle slow and take a good look around.

 

2) first session or two, turn points. Figure out your intended line and choose a good turn point for each corner. Full gears, light brakes. Don't push the pace yet.

 

3) Third session or so, start to up the pace a little, brake a little harder if you want. Make sure you have enough referance points then work on your "three step", keep your vision out in front of you.

 

4) Have fun the rest of the day. Maybe practice whatever skill you think you need to improve the most for a session. But really, take a session or three at least just to ride with your buds and rip it up!

 

5) back it down the last session or two, people tend to make more mistakes when they get tired. Don't push it at the end of the day and if you find yourself not fully concentrating when out on the track pull off. It only takes a momentary lapse of reason (yeah, I did slip a pink floyd reference in there) ......

[Jasonzilla]

I'd set goals in order and get as far as you can. I got to ride 2 brand spanking new tracks this spring, so there wasn't video or anything. One track in particular, Inde (WICKED TRACK), was hard to get the hang of. I had a hard time getting my TP's (learned the secret while I was at Chuckwalla a few weeks later), but if I had set goals for every session, I would have been set back and frustrated. Luckily I had two goals. TP's, apexes, RP's and faster lap times. At Chuckwalla I did a number of goals and advanced as I became comfortable.

[Cobie Fair]

Work on everything at once and try to go fast right from the start.

 

Or you could try Stuman's plan.

[Jaybird180]

I'd set goals in order and get as far as you can. I got to ride 2 brand spanking new tracks this spring, so there wasn't video or anything. One track in particular, Inde (WICKED TRACK), was hard to get the hang of. I had a hard time getting my TP's (learned the secret while I was at Chuckwalla a few weeks later), but if I had set goals for every session, I would have been set back and frustrated. Luckily I had two goals. TP's, apexes, RP's and faster lap times. At Chuckwalla I did a number of goals and advanced as I became comfortable.

How many goals? (LOL)

[Mike3000]

Hello AceBobby

 

I can't wait to hear your comments on Cascades. Lovely corner but I can't work out how the theory of Late quick turn (which I completely agree with and feel working) matches up with how fast riders go round there.

 

Have a look at a google image from above and then watch footage of the BSB boys.

 

Its the 1st left hander after the start finish straight.

 

Have just thought, maybe this should be a different thread?

 

Mike

[Cobie Fair]

I can't believe no one "took the piss out of me" for my post, guess I'll have to work on my forum humor more.

[acebobby]

I can't believe no one "took the piss out of me" for my post, guess I'll have to work on my forum humor more.

 

You mean you were joking, dam, sounded like such an easy plan to follow. Oh well I will go with Stuman's plan then, thanks for taking the time to put that up Stuman, it looks like a good fun way to pick up a new track!

 

Bobby

[Fajita Dave]

Work on everything at once and try to go fast right from the start.

 

Seems to work for me . Right until the point where I forget to brake.

[Jasonzilla]

I'd set goals in order and get as far as you can. I got to ride 2 brand spanking new tracks this spring, so there wasn't video or anything. One track in particular, Inde (WICKED TRACK), was hard to get the hang of. I had a hard time getting my TP's (learned the secret while I was at Chuckwalla a few weeks later), but if I had set goals for every session, I would have been set back and frustrated. Luckily I had two goals. TP's, apexes, RP's and faster lap times. At Chuckwalla I did a number of goals and advanced as I became comfortable.

How many goals? (LOL)

 

Haha. Just to clarify for the smarty pants on the site:

 

1. TP's, apexes, RP's (a line through the track to improve on).

2. Faster laptimes.

[jasonbw]

Heya Ace,

 

I think it might help to lay down the reason why Stuman's approach hit's it so perfectly. It's a common theme through nearly everyone's replies...

 

You're sure on the right track for vision, but without RP's, vision will have major barriers - so a quick rundown on the drills highlights the areas of focus:

 

Out of the 15 CSS drills nearly all require no changes for a new track bar the need to remember to do them,

e.g. Exercising good Throttle Control, Quick Steer, Rider Input, 2 Step. These are just the Level 1 ones.

 

However, some of the 15 drills do require some attention when getting to a new track:

e.g. Finding and using Turn Points, Ref Points and even a bit of a Changing Lines exercise.

 

So you could say, if you have the basic skill set working for you then the most efficient way to improve and learn a new track is to give attention to those three drills... which is great since you've done L1 and L2 already.

 

Make sense? Any other drills that I've missed out?

 

That'll take you to stuman's 4th point - remember why your there and just have fun - no need for those high expectations, a trackday can be great fun if you let it!

 

Over here in Aus we provide electrolytes on trackdays in the form of potassium and salt tables, if the day is hot, think Hydration, when wearing a full cow suit you sweat - a LOT more than you'd think... keep drinking and consider foods that provide good potassium and salt, i.e. sultanas, bananas, peanuts and unladen african swallow. Eat like a cat (no big meals that'll make you want to fall asleep) and BRING A CHAIR to sit on to relax!!!!

 

Enjoy buddy, hope to hear you had a ball!

[Bullet]

Work on everything at once and try to go fast right from the start.

 

 

I think this is a stunning plan, and one I see so often at trackdays and racing practice sessions. Often seems to end in crashes though for some reason, can't for the life of me think why.

 

Bullet

[Bullet]

 

Over here in Aus we provide electrolytes on trackdays in the form of potassium and salt tables, if the day is hot, think Hydration,

 

Jason,

 

Ace lives in Scotland. At trackdays there, they provide you with sleeping bags and thermal blankets after each sessions to keep you warm. The only fear he has of loosing any water is because he's freezing his nuts off, you know that feeling (well you probably don't with living in Oz), where you get so cold you just can't stop peeing, then, and only then will that be a big part of his problem.

 

When you come down to warmer climates Bobby, then you really need to give this some consideration.

 

Bullet

[acebobby]

Hay Bullet, you should know that we do have 1 or 2 days of sunshine per year up here, but the track in question was one quite local to you I believe, Oulton Park!

Anyway the TDO should have been handing out sleeping bags and raincoats for this event as it was pouring all day (yesterday 20th), and typically for me I had banked on a dry day so was running on pirelli supercorsa pro's. I did enjoy my day though and I especially like that track and on realising that its only a 6hr drive from my house to the circuit I think I will be trying to do days there quite regularly! Anyway as I said I really like the track, I know while your riding on track you shouldn't be admiring the scenery but this place has so much to look at its unbelievable! I did work on a few drills throughout the day as I wasn't going to be discouraged by the weather, I was using the pickup drill on the exit to most of the turns, and getting a few slides, I also worked on my throttle control and combined it with a few different lines basically in an effort to learn the track, and of couse I worked a bit on reference points and visual drills, oh and my old nemisis RELAX.

Mike3000 that corner you mentioned, I was using the start of a service road on the right hand side as my turn point but that may change in the dry and upping the pace a bit!

All in all I had a good day, would have preferred a dry track of course but its not worth letting the weather spoiling your day, and as an added bonus I was able to pass quite a few bikes that were wearing full wets, thanks to all you guys for the pointers and advice (decided not to listen to you Cobie, sorry) and I cant wait to get back to that track and hopefully get it in the dry cause there's a very cool photo opportunity where your taking the last corner and there's a cool looking sandstone building in the background!

 

Cheers guys

 

Bobby