dylansmall
New Member
Hi there. I joined N2 last year after moving from CO where I rode with Legion Moto for my first few track days. If you get the chance, please look them up as they are a really great group of riders and High Plains Raceway, Pueblo Motorsports Park and Pikes Peak International Raceway are super fun tracks. They share a similar group structure and are really strict (in a good way) with parallel and away from passing in N and I groups. I haven't done an intro on here yet and thought I should share a cool story from Pitt Race this past Saturday as I know it was kind of a tough day with the red flags and safari rides and what not, so here's some positivity--check this out.
I pit a little TOO far into karting territory Saturday morning so was reasonably asked to move. It was 7:30am and most the bike paddock was pretty dang full. The closest spot for me to squeeze into is a small corner spot next to a Koala hauler that might've actually been to Australia and back over the past 2 decades. Guy waves me in next to his fully track prepped R1. We introduce ourselves while setting up and turns out it's this 55 year old's first time back on a bike at the track in a little over 2 years and some surgery. Bad ass I thought. Didn't catch his name but if I'm riding in A group in another 20 years I think I'll be pretty freakin pumped with life.
Meanwhile like half the paddock is stopping by to say high to this guy in the morning. Even the guys in the carts picking up the trash cans, who were literally just bitching about stuff in the trash, look up to see who it is and do an instant 360-- they could not be happier to see him. I'm standing there acting like I don't notice, wondering who the F is this guy.
After the 2nd or 3rd session he parks his bike and is obviously feeling it a bit, just kinda leaning over his tank taking a moment. His lady asks if he's OK but we couldn't hear a response so I get up to check on him.
Soon as I get beside him he kinda snaps out of it and puts the bike on its stands. We talk a little more about riding and tires and what we used to do and he asks me what group I'm in and when I go out. Intermediate on the 40's I tell him. "Wanna go out together?" Hell yea I responded before thinking wait, he can't change groups and plus I don't want him putting more stress on that shoulder than he needs to in between his own sessions. Turns out none of that mattered. "I'll be right back" he says. Hops on this scooter with a faded starry/galaxy windscreen that looks like it might've originally came with the koala hauler.
"OK I let them know!" he said and pulls out his older orange CR vest and re-introduces himself as Mannix, not that that meant anything to me at that time. We get up to pace after a warm up lap and this guy is draggin knee up turn 5 while simultaneously looking over his shoulder at me while waving me to get closer and gapping me out of the exit at the same time. I'm 5'10' 150 lbs with gear on a panigale V4. He's like 6 foot something 200 some odd pounds. I'm feeding the throttle in up that hill and it was like I was standing still. He stays out with me the entire session alternating lead follow and showing me good lines and body position, where I can break later for longer and turn in tighter. And more than that he just rode with me ya know, staying close and showing me clean passes at speed and then waving me back by that really made riding that session super fun.
So a huge shout out, welcome back and thank you to Mannix and N2. I swear almost every time I go to these things I meet some random person that makes the day better. And plenty of other CR's have been super helpful and kind in the past too. You gotta know it makes all the difference. Thanks to all the riders in I group for the clean parrallel and away from passes out there. That little bit of extra patience and work to setup a clean diverging pass instead of blocking into converging lines goes so far to keep the fun going all day. Fun and community is what riding bikes is all about!
I pit a little TOO far into karting territory Saturday morning so was reasonably asked to move. It was 7:30am and most the bike paddock was pretty dang full. The closest spot for me to squeeze into is a small corner spot next to a Koala hauler that might've actually been to Australia and back over the past 2 decades. Guy waves me in next to his fully track prepped R1. We introduce ourselves while setting up and turns out it's this 55 year old's first time back on a bike at the track in a little over 2 years and some surgery. Bad ass I thought. Didn't catch his name but if I'm riding in A group in another 20 years I think I'll be pretty freakin pumped with life.
Meanwhile like half the paddock is stopping by to say high to this guy in the morning. Even the guys in the carts picking up the trash cans, who were literally just bitching about stuff in the trash, look up to see who it is and do an instant 360-- they could not be happier to see him. I'm standing there acting like I don't notice, wondering who the F is this guy.
After the 2nd or 3rd session he parks his bike and is obviously feeling it a bit, just kinda leaning over his tank taking a moment. His lady asks if he's OK but we couldn't hear a response so I get up to check on him.
Soon as I get beside him he kinda snaps out of it and puts the bike on its stands. We talk a little more about riding and tires and what we used to do and he asks me what group I'm in and when I go out. Intermediate on the 40's I tell him. "Wanna go out together?" Hell yea I responded before thinking wait, he can't change groups and plus I don't want him putting more stress on that shoulder than he needs to in between his own sessions. Turns out none of that mattered. "I'll be right back" he says. Hops on this scooter with a faded starry/galaxy windscreen that looks like it might've originally came with the koala hauler.
"OK I let them know!" he said and pulls out his older orange CR vest and re-introduces himself as Mannix, not that that meant anything to me at that time. We get up to pace after a warm up lap and this guy is draggin knee up turn 5 while simultaneously looking over his shoulder at me while waving me to get closer and gapping me out of the exit at the same time. I'm 5'10' 150 lbs with gear on a panigale V4. He's like 6 foot something 200 some odd pounds. I'm feeding the throttle in up that hill and it was like I was standing still. He stays out with me the entire session alternating lead follow and showing me good lines and body position, where I can break later for longer and turn in tighter. And more than that he just rode with me ya know, staying close and showing me clean passes at speed and then waving me back by that really made riding that session super fun.
So a huge shout out, welcome back and thank you to Mannix and N2. I swear almost every time I go to these things I meet some random person that makes the day better. And plenty of other CR's have been super helpful and kind in the past too. You gotta know it makes all the difference. Thanks to all the riders in I group for the clean parrallel and away from passes out there. That little bit of extra patience and work to setup a clean diverging pass instead of blocking into converging lines goes so far to keep the fun going all day. Fun and community is what riding bikes is all about!
