Blog Title: Rx3
Trackday with Pro6Cycle @ Calabogie Motorsports Park [8.25-27.2008] : DAY 2
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Posted 09-17-2008 at 07:18 PM by Rx3
Monday night was spent patching my radiator with a waterproof epoxy that did the trick. I also changed all the fluids that night. Started her up, and it held pressure up to 194 degrees F.
Woke up early Tuesday morning, ready to see where I could find some more time on the track. Tuesdays morning sessions were a bit fustrating. I had gotten to the point where I was passing almost everyone in Yellow Group, and running up on traffic was affecting my rhythm. My times went down another 2 seconds, but I was constantly catching traffic and being balked by liter bikes that would tear down the straights, then take erratic, slow lines through the curves.
Hairy moment #2 occured just before lunch, going into T3, After being passed by another 1000cc bike on the front straight, I set myself up through the kink and braked hard and late going into 2. Setup the turn perfectly as we were rolling uphill to the blind crest of T3, and in my excitement for reeling him all the way back in through this turn complex, I put on a little too much throttle... Cresting turn three, the rear end slipped to the left, then QUICKLY zipped to the right. Somehow I instinctively rolled off the throttle slightly, let my arms go loose, and slid my chest up on the tank as I pulled the bike back down to the left to make Easy (T4), and get onto the straight without going off course. The bike wiggled violently the whole way through Easy and halfway down the straight on the far right edge before it mellowed out! I slowed down and put up my hand to give myself a chance to catch my breath and restart my heart.
The corner work at turn 5 had the yellow flag tucked under his arm and was clapping as I went by. Lucky for me he didn't need the flag that time.
It took me until Tempation to start getting back up to speed, and then the checkered was out.
I was in the 2:27s, and averaging 2:29s at lunch, so I decided with some encouragement from some of the guys to bump up into the Red group. At least there I wouldn't have to slow down, and I could try to string some laps together. Also being able to observe any faster riders passing me might give me some tips to lower my times.
So off I went after lunch in Advanced, riding with my buddies Mac, Dave, Jack, and Rob. Immediately following them around I realized that I was going too slow entering the corners. As some of the other guys passed, I realized I should be just diving in there banging a gear down, no brakes. Not sure I was ready to do that just yet everywhere, but I did try on some of the corners and it did work out. I found myself getting more of a workout as speed increased. Now that I was in the advanced group, I had no time to rest (due to slow riders). It was GO-GO-GO-GO all the time. Lots of fun. There were a few times where there would be a group of 8 or 9 guys going the same speed, so I'd latch on to the 2-wheel express and hold on to the train as long as I could. By the second to last session, I hit 2:24.46, then towards the second to the last session, 2:19.
The last session of the day, we headed out. After two laps of yellow/no-passing, I was coming up out of Wicked into Wilson. I was a bit off of my desired line but tried to make the best of the turn. As I dipped the bike over to the left, I was suddenly sliding across the ground. It happened that quickly. I remember everything: realized I was sliding, pushed the bike away from me with my right foot .... flipped over to my back while keeping my head up, looking over at on coming traffic.. seeing 2 bikes coming up, and then throwing my self back to the left to tumble faster out of the way....
Got up off the ground, looked around and another rider's bike was wedged in between my rear tire and my exhaust pipe. I signaled to the corner workers I was ok, checked on other rider (who flew OVER me and my bike), he was awake but moving slowly. Ran back over, unwedged his bike and got it back upright so that I could push it off the line and out of the way in case someone else crashed. Then got my bike up and pushed it further away from the track. The EMTs were out to take care of us. We both started our bikes and rode off on our own.
And so ended Tuesday's session. My first crash ever, street or track in about 13 years of riding.
Well, it was bound to happen sometime, as the saying goes.
To Be Continued....
DAY TWO TIMES:
Fastest: 2:19.58
Average: 2:29.32
__________________
Woke up early Tuesday morning, ready to see where I could find some more time on the track. Tuesdays morning sessions were a bit fustrating. I had gotten to the point where I was passing almost everyone in Yellow Group, and running up on traffic was affecting my rhythm. My times went down another 2 seconds, but I was constantly catching traffic and being balked by liter bikes that would tear down the straights, then take erratic, slow lines through the curves.
Hairy moment #2 occured just before lunch, going into T3, After being passed by another 1000cc bike on the front straight, I set myself up through the kink and braked hard and late going into 2. Setup the turn perfectly as we were rolling uphill to the blind crest of T3, and in my excitement for reeling him all the way back in through this turn complex, I put on a little too much throttle... Cresting turn three, the rear end slipped to the left, then QUICKLY zipped to the right. Somehow I instinctively rolled off the throttle slightly, let my arms go loose, and slid my chest up on the tank as I pulled the bike back down to the left to make Easy (T4), and get onto the straight without going off course. The bike wiggled violently the whole way through Easy and halfway down the straight on the far right edge before it mellowed out! I slowed down and put up my hand to give myself a chance to catch my breath and restart my heart.
The corner work at turn 5 had the yellow flag tucked under his arm and was clapping as I went by. Lucky for me he didn't need the flag that time.
It took me until Tempation to start getting back up to speed, and then the checkered was out.
I was in the 2:27s, and averaging 2:29s at lunch, so I decided with some encouragement from some of the guys to bump up into the Red group. At least there I wouldn't have to slow down, and I could try to string some laps together. Also being able to observe any faster riders passing me might give me some tips to lower my times.
So off I went after lunch in Advanced, riding with my buddies Mac, Dave, Jack, and Rob. Immediately following them around I realized that I was going too slow entering the corners. As some of the other guys passed, I realized I should be just diving in there banging a gear down, no brakes. Not sure I was ready to do that just yet everywhere, but I did try on some of the corners and it did work out. I found myself getting more of a workout as speed increased. Now that I was in the advanced group, I had no time to rest (due to slow riders). It was GO-GO-GO-GO all the time. Lots of fun. There were a few times where there would be a group of 8 or 9 guys going the same speed, so I'd latch on to the 2-wheel express and hold on to the train as long as I could. By the second to last session, I hit 2:24.46, then towards the second to the last session, 2:19.
The last session of the day, we headed out. After two laps of yellow/no-passing, I was coming up out of Wicked into Wilson. I was a bit off of my desired line but tried to make the best of the turn. As I dipped the bike over to the left, I was suddenly sliding across the ground. It happened that quickly. I remember everything: realized I was sliding, pushed the bike away from me with my right foot .... flipped over to my back while keeping my head up, looking over at on coming traffic.. seeing 2 bikes coming up, and then throwing my self back to the left to tumble faster out of the way....
Got up off the ground, looked around and another rider's bike was wedged in between my rear tire and my exhaust pipe. I signaled to the corner workers I was ok, checked on other rider (who flew OVER me and my bike), he was awake but moving slowly. Ran back over, unwedged his bike and got it back upright so that I could push it off the line and out of the way in case someone else crashed. Then got my bike up and pushed it further away from the track. The EMTs were out to take care of us. We both started our bikes and rode off on our own.
And so ended Tuesday's session. My first crash ever, street or track in about 13 years of riding.
Well, it was bound to happen sometime, as the saying goes.
To Be Continued....
DAY TWO TIMES:
Fastest: 2:19.58
Average: 2:29.32
__________________
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