Chronicles of a Noob - My journey from Beginner to Advanced Rider

[Sklossmonster]

To those who understand what I said, thank you for the propers.

The last thing I have to say on the subject is for anyone who does have children and/or a wife who depends on them for the basic necessities of life, make damn sure your health insurance does not preclude club racing, as many insurance companies now do.

If your insurance doesn't cover "closed course competitive, timed events" as many now exclude, you can and should also investigate additional coverage. Brandon Parish is a racer and an insurance agent who has some kind of special racer insurance that may well be worth looking into.

Either way, make sure you're well covered, the medical costs in this game can be astronomical, even when you make a "full recovery" and although many insurance companies cover track day accidents, many do NOT cover club racing incidents.

Good luck and Godspeed.

 

[jigs]

:agree:

 

[Andrei]

Sklossmonster;115568 wrote: To those who understand what I said, thank you for the propers.

Everyone understood what you've said .

 

[Trent1098S]

That's really sound advice, Marshall. I'll make sure I have a good medical policy. I've covered my bases on life insurance, will, etc.. but didn't think about racing being excluded.

How much more frequent (roughly speaking), do you think, are crashes in racing compared to track days? You guys kind of make it sound like you're riding around with the grim reaper sitting on your shoulder the whole time you're out there.

 

[jigs]

Trent1098S;115609 wrote: That's really sound advice, Marshall. I'll make sure I have a good medical policy. I've covered my bases on life insurance, will, etc.. but didn't think about racing being excluded.

How much more frequent (roughly speaking), do you think, are crashes in racing compared to track days? You guys kind of make it sound like you're riding around with the grim reaper sitting on your shoulder the whole time you're out there.

I think it's just concern and being a little over cautious not because of you skill,just expierience.You're a good motorcycle rider for sure,you're just going to get feedback that's natural when one of our brothers/siters go's racing and not having any "A" group expierience....hell,you may go and grid up and like it,do OK,stay safe...but you have to expect a little concern is all.Nobody here want's to be in a siuation where we're going..."we should have said something".

 

[Trent1098S]

jigs;115614 wrote: I think it's just concern and being a little over cautious not because of you skill,just expierience.You're a good motorcycle rider for sure,you're just going to get feedback that's natural when one of our brothers/siters go's racing and not having any "A" group expierience....hell,you may go and grid up and like it,do OK,stay safe...but you have to expect a little concern is all.Nobody here want's to be in a siuation where we're going..."we should have said something".

Ahhh put that way, it all makes a lot more sense to me.

For what it's worth, I don't get nervous at all anymore when bikes get close to me on the track, and I'll have 25 track days behind me when I grid up for my first race. So it's not like I just rolled off the street and said "gee, I think I'll race today."

If I were concerned about riding in close quarters I wouldn't sign up. Sure, getting bumped into and pushed off line might be a new experience, but as long as my tires are still planted and the bike is the right way down, whatever. I don't get panicky when unexpected stuff happens anymore, I stay calm even (for example) when I had to dodge parts of the bike that highsided in front of me at Barber. I deal with what's in front of me, find an out if I need to, and move on.

That mental state was a really strange feeling at first, "letting go", and something I've talked about on here before. It's the reason I got hooked and keep coming back. I love riding on the track because once I'm on the bike nothing else in the world matters, except maybe passing the next guy in front of me. I get to forget about all the stuff that normally keeps me a stressed out wreck of a human being for awhile.

As far as the track goes, no worries there, I can run Blackhawk laps in my head and still feel where all the bumps are.

I'll be fine guys, you all can sleep well at night.

 

[Sklossmonster]

hell,you may go and grid up and like it,do OK,stay safe...but you have to expect a little concern is all.Nobody here want's to be in a siuation where we're going..."we should have said something".
Exactly. And I'm not saying anything to you I haven't said to a lot of people before you, most of whom didn't listen either, but at least I know I did what I could if for any reason it does go wrong.

Truth be told, I could make a case for saying track days are too dangerous for family men, but as a firm believer in the same rationalizing philosophy most of us adhere to, I won't. Life is meant to be lived, I just prefer to manage the risk. And I don't have kids.

How much more frequent (roughly speaking), do you think, are crashes in racing compared to track days?

It's not so much about the frequency, especially in these days of unusually light grids. It's more about the dangers inherent in the environment, and how different the attitude is.

For example, CCS is prone to combine Expert and Amateur races. At the front of the Experts you've got guys like Brian Hall turning 1:09 flat at Blackhawk, three tenths off the lap record. The slowest Amateur may be doing 2:00 laps.

Now put all the Amateurs and all the Experts on the track at the same time.

Some of the stupidest, most hairball, dumbass shit I've ever seen in my life on a race track, was at a race weekend. Most race orgs actively bash trackday riders, encouraging anyone with a bike and a $150 to "get your license on Saturday and race on Sunday!"

Many of these people have never been on a racetrack in their lives.

You, Trent, are infinitely more prepared and skilled than many of the Amateur club racers in the world, but just remember some of those same unskilled unqualified newbies may well be gridded up all around you. And most of them think they can win.

I need a smilie of a bowling ball smashing into a bunch of bowling pins shaped like bikes.

The race weekends have gotten a lot less insane over the last few years, but it's still racing.

And don't kid yourself, there are plenty of riders out there who are willing to risk it all to be in front of you.

Just do me a favor and get your insurance, especially your disability policy, in order. Think of it as wearing a seatbelt on the highway. Better safe than sorry.

 

[jigs]

Cool,by the way....I suggest pitting with some expierienced riders for a number of reasons,especially in the morning,you're so pumped up that it's really nice getting some hand holding through registration and tech,don't forget to order a transponder pouch and have it mounted under your tail section,above rear axle.You may already have you pit sorted out,if not you're welcome to pit with us.We are usually pitted across from the shack where they let you on to the track.There are many other terrific NESBIANS that I'm sure will extend the offer,it get's full by us as there insn't much space behind,but we'll make it work,just though I'd throw that out...just want to make sure you know your back's covered.Either way,most of the people there are eager and willing to help,we've all been there.

You mentioned the "rush"....let me tell you,there is no rush like looking at your first grid spot,then your first "first call" over the PA,then your first out lap and lining up for your first start.Then the 3 board then the 2 board,then the one board....you gonna get your rush...I guarantee it.:wow:

 

[tofstfouru]

Just started reading this thread and some very interesting points were stated for both sides. I have never ridden with you Trent but you sound fairly level headed. There is a ton of experienced race advice being given to you from many guys who have raced and still do. Not everyone is going to agree with you view point and that is what makes us all different. I personally admire your drive to pursue a passion you have for racing and wish you the best of luck this year. I also grew up with a racing background and have dabbled in kart racing and have 2 track days under my belt. I share your desire to grid up one day and think it would be a great time to race to MY best ability. Take all the advice given from all the experienced guys on here and use it to your advantage and do what you want to do. Have fun and stay safe. In all reality this thread is just a bunch of fellow NESBA riders who want to see you do well but also be safe. Again best of luck to you and look forward to meeting you this year at BHF.

 

[Trent1098S]

I think this thread pretty much proves the whole "NESBA is a family thing", I feel like I just got "a talkin' to" by 15 older brothers that I never had growing up. Being the oldest son, and growing up without a father, I've gone through life having to figure everything out on my own, so taking advice... it's all kind of a new experience for me. With 5 kids at home and employees at work, I'm used to being the one that has to dish out advice, not the one that has to sit down and listen.

Anyway I do apologize if I have come off as cocky, arrogant, or stubborn. People have told me that I tend to have an abrasive, somewhat confrontational attitude towards others (especially when I think I'm right...) .. and this sometimes leaves me at a distinct disadvantage outside of work. At work, it gets shit done and puts money in the bank... in my personal life, it leaves me without any close friends.

Riding, in general, is one of those rare things in life that has taught me a lot over the last couple of years. It was so far apart from anything I'd done before, and my focus in life was so narrow and driven at work, that I really had to "learn to learn" over again, and learn to listen to others. In my trade, I'm entirely self taught, so outside of martial arts, I am rarely in the student mindset... so it's hard for me sometimes to take off the filters and accept that I may not know everything there is to know about a given subject.

Sure, it may be possible to become "self taught" in riding, but damn the path sure seems more painful than if you were to listen and trust others. When I teach myself technical stuff for work, I typically learn most by failure. On the motorcycle, learning by failure could leave a person dead. I've recognized that learning by mistake is not the best approach, but it's still hard for me to learn by a method I'm not accustomed to (listening to others).

I've learned a lot since I started riding - not just about how to ride, but how to think in order to learn a new skill that had no relevance to anything else I'd done. I've also had to learn to accept that people here have no ulterior motives beyond simply trying to help, and to not be quite so guarded. This is the polar opposite of my professional career, where things are more cutthroat, motives are often the reverse of what they seem to be.. the net result of which causes me to spend as much time and energy keeping the defenses up, reading between the lines, and holding people at arms length.

With the exception of maybe reading a book to relax, or other pursuits that are designed strictly to remove my consciousness for a bit to somewhere else (sleeping), I simply can't do something where skill is involved and not be competitive. I'm just not wired that way. If there's no one to compete against, I ultimately find that I compete against myself. It's kind of humorous in that even when mowing the grass outside in the summer, it becomes a challenge to beat my previous best time, and my stupid brain keeps trying to plot more efficient paths through my yard on the riding mower to finish earlier than I did the time before. I've got pretty good at it. And man ... do I sure get pissed when I gotta stop and pick up a branch or move a kids toy out of the path.

Racing is a good fit for my brain, but I will take your guy's advice, and if I even remotely find that I'm not up to it in May when I try it out, I'll step back and practice more before hitting a season seriously. I'm not going to settle for anything less than a regional championship win (in at least one class) when I make a real go at it, so if that takes a year longer to prepare.. so be it.

 

[Trent1098S]

Before I do my writeup I want to wish Jim a speedy recovery (red 1198S), he crashed out in Turn 7 today in the last session and was transported. I've been speaking with his wife Mary tonight, and although I don't feel it appropriate for me to post up any medical condition info, he was asking about his bike tonight. That's a good sign!

Positive thoughts going your way Jim, don't worry about your 1198S, your bike is in MUCH better shape than mine was after this weekend, so heal up soon!

Track Day 23
April 10, 2010
Blackhawk Farms

Once again proving I'm a noob.... Crashing sucks.

This trip to Blackhawk was interesting. I went over the Ducati after I got home.. and I'm believe me if my leg would bend right I'd be kicking myself in the ass. More on what I found later. First, the interesting stuff.

I've said it before, and I'm going to say it again. Compound mistakes hurt. My first mistake.. working 17 hours Friday THEN driving to Blackhawk and getting there about 2 AM. Second mistake, thinking that I'd be fine on limited sleep. Third, and most painful mistake, not doing proper bike maintenance and missing the easy stuff.

First session I was running a bit late for, and it got as red flagged while I was getting my gear on. Oil on the track, no more session. Second session I went out, and even though I was taking it nice & easy, my rear tire was sliding out on me a lot. Green track.. no biggie, right? Third session my tires started hooking up and I could carry some better corner speed, but my rear wheel was still sliding on me on turn in, skipping on me when I was on the brakes, and stepping out when I got on the gas. That's when I discovered Lake Blackhawk.

I tried to make a pass in 5, got next to the other rider mid corner and got on the gas.. front tire pushed hard - I could feel my bike changing direction. I rolled off the throttle and turned it in as hard as I could, but ran out of track. Right as my tires were hitting grass I stood it up, got up on the pegs, and started giving it some rear brake. That's when I noticed Lake Blackhawk approaching. "OH SHIT WHERE'D ALL THAT WATER COME FROM!!!!"

People said that I left a 15 foot rooster tail as I was splashing around through mud-filled tire ruts.

(Insert ha-ha Duc comments / jokes here)

I made a kick ass save, for hitting the water as fast as I did. Not as good of a save as I heard Alan Fedderson made, not even in the same league. But for me, it was a heroic moment and I really felt mucho manly. I'll leave out the part where I thought was stuck in the mud spinning up the tire trying to get back out of the swamp, when in reality it was just that the bike was in neutral.

Whoops.

Now at this point I should have toned it down. I did, but it lead to compound mistake #287 of the weekend. I decided that "I'm not going to pass on the outside in turn 5, when I can pass on the brakes going in to 6."

This worked the first few times. I was passing on the brakes a lot. I still couldn't get a drive for some reason, my rear was still stepping out on me progressively worse. (More on this in a minute)

Now the fun part. Gron4 got some photos of my Olympic Gymnastic routine when I tucked it in the gravel outside of turn 6. I got the wave by from Steve P - for a few laps he'd been passing me inside before the carousel, and waving me by in 6, trying to show me I'm slow as hell between 2-3. It's cool, I was working on it. Except the last time, I totally lost sight of 6. As I was passing Steve P on the outside in the braking zone of 6, the corner stayed on the other side of him and his bike - causing a really good optical problem. >
When I caught sight of the corner, I turned in WAY late. Tracked out to the gravel, tires started sliding, and after I went over the curbing I tried to stand it up. But.. Before I could get the bike stood up the front tucked. I had time to say "ahhhh F*** and then I hit shoulder first in to the gravel.

Now, I have said a lot of things about Ducati's. But I've NEVER said things about it like I did when that bitch landed on top of me. One part landed on my right leg ("ow"), then it rolled over and gouged me in the back with the Vortex peg ("sonofa"). Then, just to add insult to injury, the tail section laid the smackdown on me with a nice solid hit to the back of the head ("Ooh you m**** f****"). When my head bounced back up, I saw the bike was airborne and tumbling.

Then I was tumbling and the next thing I remember was getting up to my feet and falling back down because everything was spinning. Few seconds later I got back up and started walking over to the tire wall. About 10 steps in the pain set in and it felt like my knee and lower leg was on fire. Thought I'd busted it so I asked for a bus. While I was waiting the corner worker was nice enough to locate Andrei's lap timer, which was conspicuously missing from my tailsection.

The EMT's didn't know what it was, and asked me "are you texting on a cell phone??" and I said "no I'm looking at my lap times".. I had a string of 1:22's. She said "you know you guys really are nuts.."

Steve P was waiting at medical and helped me climb out of the bus. I wasn't in too bad of shape, all things considered. Hyper extended and bruised my knee, got the mother-of-all-charlie horses from the 400 lb Ducati landing on my calf, some bruises from the footpeg and other hard parts hitting me in the back, and (found this out while riding today) also a badly stretched tendon in my right hand. Other than that, just sore.

The bike.. not so good. When it caught and flipped it broke the left bar, bent the clutch lever - which I later broke trying to straighten, destroyed the magnesium fairing stay, busted up my bodywork, broke the turn signal / horn assembly (normally useless but I need it for my dash menu buttons), scratched the tank... not bad overall, but expensive.. that Brembo lever and magnesium fairing stay are costly.

Here's the maintenance part I mentioned at the top .. Today at the track I noticed my chain on it was was WAY loose. Now I first thought I'd bent the frame or swingarm, but the swingarm bolts through the engine, and it showed no signs of being bent (no broken welds, dents, etc anywhere on the bike).

The chainw as so loose that idling in 1st gear on the stand, the chain would bind up on the front sprocket and it made really nasty sounds, cause the rear wheel to stop, then it'd grind and start again. I really thought I tweaked the frame.

Turns out on the Ducati 1098's single sided swingarm, there's two hefty pinch bolts that hold in the eccentric hub assembly. That's how you adjust chain tension on the bike, it's an offset axle hole inside of a larger diameter circle.

Looking over the 1098 tonight after I got home, I discovered the source of my sliding ass-end problem. At some point Saturday morning the rear swingarm pinch bolts came loose enough that the entire eccentric hub pivoted forward on the drive, loosening the chain by about 1.5". (I can see 6 teeth when I lift it up over the rear sprocket!!) The chain binding up causes my rear wheel to momentarily lock every 10-12 revolutions when being driven by the engine.

So it wasn't rear wheel sliding on power, it was the rear wheel skipping from the chain binding up on me. Has about the same effect as giving it a bit of rear brake. Explains the rear wheel skipping on the brakes, the rear wheel drifting out on turn in, and stepping out when I got on the throttle.

Proper Maintenance. Lesson learned.

If it screws in, it can rattle loose. Check your bikes over now and then. You can't just worry about the bolts you've recently put on, but get the torque specs for your model and really give your bike a good once-through periodically. Fortunately for me, I didn't break any sprocket teeth, snap a chain, or crack an engine case.

Although I did land on my head and break a bunch of stuff because A) I was stupid and turned in late, and B) my f*n bike wouldn't turn fast enough to let me save it.


Track Day 24
April 11, 2010
Blackhawk Farms

Gixxer lovin!

I feel SO much more comfortable on the gixxer now. The way the bike is set up, it simply does everything right. I don't have to fight it, don't have to think about it.. I look where I want to go, and it gets me there.

Only thing I noticed today is headshake when WOT on the front straight a couple seconds after shifting gears when the front wheel finally comes back down... can't believe this gixxer power wheelies in 3rd AND 4th gear when quickshifting wide open. It's soooo much fun! My ZX-14 doesn't even do that.

I only rode the afternoon sessions, but by the end of the day I was doing better than my normal pace and lovin it. The gixxer is so smooth at everything that time seems to slow down, even though I'm going a hell of a lot faster.

I still have my "bad Blackhawk habits" to break, going in to the carousel and not driving out of 5 properly. Everywhere else I was feeling great though, and by the end of the day I'd started sorting out the carousel problem.

I'm so used to riding the Ducati which turns in sluggish, that I skipped off the curbing in 6 and had a moment, but I kept my head down and shook it off by 7. But, by the end of the day I was putting my tires precisely where I wanted them to go. It's so predictable that I finally got my knee over the grass in 4 consistently, and it was pleasant not to run so wide on the gas out of 5.

Think I'll be riding the Suzuki a lot more this year. That bike flat out rocks the way it's set up. Especially with the new Brembo master.

Good weekend. Painful lessons, but a good weekend.

It was great seeing everyone again, and meeting a lot of new people for the first time. Glad you all enjoyed the "little campfire", and thanks for all the "how you feeling" comments today.

And... got a guilty conscience.. sorry to everyone I lied to about how my leg was feeling. But... nothing was going to stop me from riding today, short of a straight jacket.

 

[NickMcCoy]

Nice write-up, glad to hear you're doing okay, it could have been alot worse if that chain problem had highsided you. I had the same type of thing happen to me last year, the rear wheel was doing all kinds of crazy things and I didn't find out until after a whole race weekend that I forgot a spacer on the inside of the wheel. Thankfully it didn't get me hurt but it's very frustrating to know that a simple mistake screwed up your whole weekend and risked your body at the same time.

Out of curiosity, what kind of problems have you been having with the carousel?

 

[PETERS]

Good write-up, hats off for sticking it out....most would have packed it up and called it a weekend.

 

[beac83]

Trent,

Good if somewhat scary writeup. I never realized you can get to the swamp off of 5. Glad you made it through the weekend. Heal up and we'll see you in May.

 

[stkr]

Trent1098S;120344 wrote: The EMT's didn't know what it was, and asked me "are you texting on a cell phone??" and I said "no I'm looking at my lap times".. I had a string of 1:22's. She said "you know you guys really are nuts.."

^^^ Priceless Congrats on the 22's

Trent - glad you're okay, and glad you were able to get back out there Sunday.

It was good talking with you Saturday. Hope to see you at Road America.

 

[Trent1098S]

NickMcCoy;120354 wrote:
Out of curiosity, what kind of problems have you been having with the carousel?

After I exit two, I was swinging way too far to the left before entering the carousel, and not getting on the gas much at all between 2-3. I didn't even have to use the brakes before the carousel because I was coasting a long time. Leaves the door wide open. I tightened up the line in to 3 and got on the gas a lot more after 2 during the last session. Then I found out that yes, you really do have to brake for the carousel. It felt much better to enter with a planted front wheel from easing off the brakes as I turned it in.

I also started rolling on the gas in the middle of the carousel progressively until the left before the bus stop, holding it about half throttle on that left, then blipping a bit more gas before turning in to the bus stop. Same thing after the bus stop, although I'm still weak getting on the gas after the bus stop before the left kink before 4.

One thing at a time. I'll be working on those corners all year. Blackhawk is by far my worst / slowest track, I got in to a rythmn there when I first started riding the track and I'm finding it's hard to break my habits.

 

[Trent1098S]

PETERS;120362 wrote: Good write-up, hats off for sticking it out....most would have packed it up and called it a weekend.
Believe me, that, and a lot of other crazy thoughts like selling all my shit off, got in my head Saturday night and Sunday morning. Matt Granzow went out of his way and went out without a CR shirt on to give me a tow Sunday afternoon, that really helped. Steve Palella and Jesse also worked with me off and on all afternoon. Ian also gave me a pep talk right about the point I was going to pack it in, and helped screw my head on straight. They're all a great group of guys, couldn't ask for better.

beac83;120379 wrote: Good if somewhat scary writeup. I never realized you can get to the swamp off of 5. Glad you made it through the weekend. Heal up and we'll see you in May.

There's a watershed area between 5 & 6 and a ton of standing water. While you certainly don't want to run off anywhere, you decidely, definately, absolutely DO NOT want to run off the track exiting 5. Trust me. If you're going to run off anywhere, go straight out of 6. there's literally a landing strip worth of runoff there.

stkr;120391 wrote: ^^^ Priceless Congrats on the 22's

Trent - glad you're okay, and glad you were able to get back out there Sunday.

It was good talking with you Saturday. Hope to see you at Road America.

Thanks for dropping by and introducing yourself! I'm going to try to make it to Road America, but it depends on work, and whether I can make it to the airport in time.

The 22's were a bit of a disappointment. Obviously I was pushing it a bit the session I crashed, and I was a second and a half off my time from last August.

I'm not going to run a lap timer (aka crash clock) again. There's nothing a timer will teach me at this point. I'm much better off working on things a little at a time, making things flow together better, than worrying about what time I'm getting. Just one more thing I don't need to think about while riding.

 

[stkr]

Trent - I crashed at Blackhawk going into the carousel during a RAINY Learning Curves class. It ate at me for a while, until I realized that it was a sticking front caliper that caused me to go down. This sticking caliper was due to my own neglected maintenance as I was still in the B-group, and still learning how critical everything was. At least then I had an answer for the "why". Sometimes, people don't every truely know why.

Your crash will be replayed over/over in your head, but at least you know one of the underlying causes. Just like my calipers, I'll bet you will never go to the track without checking the pinch bolts again. We all live and learn. At least you were well enough to get back out there Sunday.

You've got the right idea about learning Blackhawk. It's one turn at a time, and don't worry about the lap timer. I chased a lap timer once, and my times actually dropped because I was trying too dam hard chasing those extra seconds.

Heal up, check your bikes over, and we'll see you out there soon.

 

[nickmick]

i think if you had good turn-in points picked out this would have been avoided.

you say the corner was out of view; what about blind corners? they're always out of view.

glad it wasn't as bad as you were sounding sat. night. it was fun riding with you on sunday.

we'll see you at road america!

 

[Trent1098S]

nickmick;120445 wrote: i think if you had good turn-in points picked out this would have been avoided.

you say the corner was out of view; what about blind corners? they're always out of view.

Very good points Nick. I didn't have any problems at Road Atlanta or Barber where there's blind corners, because I had points picked out to hit there. I need to learn to have alternate visual cues on every corner, so if there's bikes in the way of my vision I still know where I'm at. I get very uncomfortable when I'm behind a group of riders because I lose sight of everything past them and I get this horrible "I'm lost" sensation that makes me tighten up and get a bit apprehensive. I do NOT like simply following what the people in front of me do on pure faith, because then if THEY screw up, *I* also screw up.