Methodologies to Start Racing

[domarena33]

Im hoping to specifically get some feedback from WERA expert guys and gals, maybe even some prior or current moto america race participants on the small chance they are on here and see this post.

I'm posting this as my 1st trackday season is at its end. I know a former WERA expert level racer who told me if you want to be a successful racer, it would be more beneficial to hold off racing your 1st and 2nd year. Spend your time and money getting a lot of seat time with track days and fine tune your fundamentals, as well as getting to know the tracks you'll be racing on. When you finally get out there you'll kill it. But, I also know that racing is racecraft too and I'd imagine you can't learn and practice that unless you're actually racing.

I just wanted some other racers additional thoughts on whether I should get into it (WERA Novice) at the beginning of this coming year or wait another year?

 

[rpm894]

I just started racing, and this is my second full year of trackdays. Look at race lap times on My Laps. Are you fast enough to be racing with anyone? You don’t need to be at the front, but are there a few people to compete with? I don’t think you can learn race craft if everyone quickly leaves you behind.

 

[MK3Brent]

I just started racing, and this is my second full year of trackdays. Look at race lap times on My Laps. Are you fast enough to be racing with anyone? You don’t need to be at the front, but are there a few people to compete with? I don’t think you can learn race craft if everyone quickly leaves you behind.

Good call, Ryan.

Dom,
For reference, here are some times from CMP where you recently did your ATP course.
Will need to look up what all classes these are. Looks like a couple riders are medium weight superbike.

 

[tdelegram]

Expert CCS/WERA racer here. I started racing seriously in 2019, and got serious about track days in 2018. I was a CR when I started racing and my fundamentals were solid and I gained 2 to 4 seconds everywhere. I agree with the first post, spend 1-3 years doing track days, more bang for the buck, if you want to dip your toe into racing look into the endurance series, again more bang for thr buck. If $'s are not an issue, take the 2 day champ school to make your fundamentals sound or know what needs developed and build those skills/habits. When you do your first race you will be in muscle memory mode chasing people so the fundamentals become even more important. If you're at NC bike this weekend find me and we can discuss at length.

Tom

 

[mdhokie]

CCS/WERA racer here too. I think the advice you were given was good. Seat time is very important, and track days are the cheapest way to do that. There's no sense in mounting up slicks and riding over your head when you're still at Novice pace and you're going to finish in the back being lapped at speed. However, once you have the basics down and can circulate a race track at a good speed safely and predictably, racing will give you the motivation to focus harder and improve quickly. I had been doing track days for a few years, and was making progress lowering my lap times every year, but only doing 6-8 track days a year, which had me progressing at a fairly slow rate. I started racing when I was at the fast end of intermediate group, and when my lap times were better than the slowest times I saw in the WERA race results. I was near the back of the field in my first couple races but that's about what I expected from my lap times. I did a full amateur race season though, with 7 or 8 rounds plus a few extra track days, more than doubling my seat time from previous years. I made a dramatic improvement, dropping 7-10 seconds at every race track over my previous year's times by the end of the year. That got me to Expert after a single year, and it's very cool to now be able to compete with the faster guys that I had no hope of keeping up with not all that long ago.

I find a good mix of track days and race weekends to be the best, preferably doing a track day a week or a few weeks before racing at the same track, and/or attending the practice day on the Friday before the race weekend, so I have a good amount of time to work on improving my lines, body position, turn-in points, braking markers, etc. without pressure. Then when it's race day my mind is freed up to be focused on the race and the bikes around me and the rest is muscle memory.

 

[domarena33]

Good call, Ryan.

Dom,
For reference, here are some times from CMP where you recently did your ATP course.
Will need to look up what all classes these are. Looks like a couple riders are medium weight superbike.

As far as lap times are concerned, i've looked at the WERA LWT superstock novice class race times before as im on a more-less stock SV650. Using best lap times, at CMP, im 4 seconds behind (1:54) the fastest guy at the WERA LWT SS Novice race (1:50) from June 10th, 2023. At Road Atlanta I was actually 1 second faster (1:52) than the guy with the fastest lap (1:53). I'm very consistent with my lap times as well. I'm also on S22's and would assume these guys are on slicks. Im assuming i'd pick up more time with slicks.

 

[domarena33]

Great Feedback guys, thank you

 

[mmmfishrighton]

If you're on an SV you should go racing next year. Sounds like your times are good. Take the N2 race school and go for it. Riding in a class with all LW bikes will be a ton fun.

 

[domarena33]

If you're on an SV you should go racing next year. Sounds like your times are good. Take the N2 race school and go for it. Riding in a class with all LW bikes will be a ton fun.

I think im going to hold off. I've Still never even been to roebling road or summit point, probably don't need to be learning the tracks while im dicing it up with other bikes. Heard they're great tracks though

 

[rpm894]

I think im going to hold off. I've Still never even been to roebling road or summit point, probably don't need to be learning the tracks while im dicing it up with other bikes. Heard they're great tracks though

Sounds like a reason to do the N2 race school at Summit. You still get to ride every session of the trackday with the school in between sessions until lunch.