First track day after major high side

[bigt750]

I wanted to get any thoughts or encouragment on attending my first track day since 9/25 when at CMP I high sided in turn one and shattered my right ankle and going thru 2 surgeries and rehab, I have my bike prepared and really want to go to VIR but I have got to say I am little nervous, I ride in the I group and my ankle is still sore and likes to tightnen up some so I am concerned about my ability to perform at the I pace, I dont want to be a hazard but Im not sure how I will do till I get back on the saddle, my question to all of you that have had a major wreck and was badly injured is how to ease back into things or do you just jump right in.
Todd
#81

 

[D-Zum]

Line up on the right side towards the rear so you go out towards the back of the group..ride within your own comfort zone.

Let it all come back to you at your own pace. Work on being smoothe and predictable.

When you're ready..you'll know..baby steps.

 

[bmart]

Grab a CR early on. Tell them your situation. They will guide you around safely while you build some confidence back.

 

[bigt750]

I have spoken with John Dunham about going back out, and yes your are right I will let the CRs now what I am trying to do, and who knows it may come right back to me

 

[k38s]

I am a pretty dedicated lurker but would like to agree with D-Zum. Start slow and take your time, you will know when you are ready. Do a few sessions in the novice group and see how you feel. There is nothing worse than feeling like the only rabbit surrounded by hungry wolves. You dont need that stress coming off of a big injury. If you "think" you can hang in I group.......start with the novices and move up as comfort dictates. I bet you will be surprised at just how quickly you will get up to speed!!! Let us know how it goes, and good luck.

 

[noobinacan]

Hey man..first of all, glad you're still in it mentally. come back is mental more than anything...in my experience.
the question is: do you know why the high side happened ?
If you do, then you know what to fix...if you don't know why it happened, then just take your time to get back into it.

Also, IMO, this is all you...CR's not going to ride your bike for you, although DONE'em may just use his Jedi powers to do just that

take your time away from everyone else, even if the whole I field laps you..who cares. name of the game is 'getting back in' and ending the day upright is a big win.

also, depending on the day...watch pavement conditions and ambient temp. get on some fresh rubber.
take the whole morning...first three sessions as warm up. slowly increasing pace and finding feeling and getting your mind up to speed. cause you're brain's not up to speed for braking at marker 4...none of ours is after the off season.

my 2 cents...
am in Charlotte as well (North side) and if you need any help with loading or prep...let me know.

 

[stow]

You can't start in the beginner group unless you want an official bump down. With the bump down, you will have to earn the bump back to intermediate. I know we have bumped people down at their request due to similar circumstances. You will need John, Jeff, or Cal's approval for the bump back to beginner. If you are physically able to ride, then just start off slowly in the intermediate group and see how it goes. Now if you think you may have physical problems with riding all together, you might want to start riding on the street or dirt just to make sure you have no physical limitations. All of the CRs will be glad to work with you. Just find one of us at the track and we will ride with you and evaluate your riding.

And since you are already talking to John Dunham, just listen to what ever he is telling you. He will guide you in the right direction.

 

[Meat]

I would not bump down. If you had the skills to be a competent Intermediate rider before then you should still poses the skills now, your pace will just be slower for a bit.

I look at sports injuries as a part of all sports. So, I take my injuries as they come and try to get my conference back and move forward. Now, this is MUCH easier said than done but that is just my attitude when it comes to sports injuries.

 

[bigt750]

Thank you so much for the replies, to answer the question on why I high sided, well I can only speculate, I think what happened or at least what I remember is going out on the warm up lap at CMP the temp was kinda cool and we had some rain the night before and the track wasnt wet but damp, and I had just put a brand new Q2 on the rear, I did not use tire warmers and my tire pressure was set at 28psi so as I was going into turn 1 I shifted into second gear on a 03 GSXR-750 to bring the rpms down, because I didnt want to spin the tire, well I go into the turn like I have 100 or so times and as I was exiting the turn I rolled on the throttle and next thing I remember is the tach jumping way up and then all I felt was the seat moving under my butt and then Im waking up on the track, I ended up breaking my tib and fib in my anlke so now I have 2 metal plates and about 10 screws, I do not have a bike to ride on the street so my only seat time has been in a small parking lot doing figure 8s.
I have ridden with NESBA for a long time and have met a lot of the great CRs.

 

[madriders86]

As long as you can support your weight on that ankle and have good range of motion you should be good to go I think

I high sided back in may of 2010 and it was about 7 months i think before I got back on a bike. Broke a bunch of bones in my left wrist and still have limited range of motion and cannot support a lot of weight with it (forced me to really refine my braking technique and I do pushups on my fists only now). I went to road atlanta in october and with just one prior track day since my accident Dave P. gave me my bump

Just go have fun and work your pace up within your comfort zone. If you go out there and just have a good time you'll feel a lot better about your injury. Don't overthink it all. Everyone else will probably be off their usual pace a bit anyway as we are coming out of the off season.

 

[emry]

The only thing I have to add is when I am "getting back in the saddle" after a crash and riding off pace I like to leave some room on the outside of the track on entry and exit. This allows faster riders in the I group to get by you without issue. As you feel more comfortable and your pace quickens then start to use your normal lines. Glad to see you are getting back into it. Could you imagine what the story would be like if you broke your ankle mowing the lawn?

 

[madriders86]

id probably just use the same story