Racing makes you faster?

[justariot66]

Just curious about a couple of things. People like to say racing makes you faster, or ups your game, but why? Is it the money you spend and the desire to get a better return? Is it simply the desire to pass the guy infront of you? I mean I want to pass a guy on the breaks at the top of the roller coaster at a track day but choose not to because of the danger, why would I disregard that if I was "racing"?

Also how many of you have tried it and found out it didnt help you?


OK just a side note: none of this a flame or judgement I actually want reasoned discussion.


Thanks Dave

 

[Bluenvy]

for me i dropped time because i stopped being a courteous rider. in a trackday if a pass was iffy id back off and wait. in a race i would just stuff it in there. plus i was chasing faster riders so i was braking later, getting on the gas sooner in an effort to catch up so i went a few seconds faster.

I mean I want to pass a guy on the breaks at the top of the roller coaster at a track day but choose not to because of the danger, why would I disregard that if I was "racing"

because its racing and not a trackday.

 

[rob92]

I certainly can't speak for everyone and I'm sure you'll get a number of opinions. Short answer (at least for me), I've only started racing and I did start to see times drop (nothing drastic though). I'd argue that racing makes you think differently about your "ride" and it's not so much about better times.

For me personally, I found that passing someone has more of an "immediacy" factor and you do find yourself doing things you may not do in a track day. It doesn't necessarily mean you're making more dangerous moves, but the motivation is different. For example, let's say I'm coming up on a rider at T10 at beave and they're 3 ft off the apex. I'd see no reason to go inside (depending on the rider). But in a race, that's a perfectly usable 3ft that I only need a portion thereof so I'm going through (but I'm going through with some sense of civility and knowing that we both have some idea of what we're doing and we're going to hold our lines, etc.).

I think you'll also find that you change your lines slightly (some to cover less ground, some to position yourself more defensively). But in the end, the clock is running and the only thing that matters is where you finish. The adrenaline is a flowing, your heart is pounding, and you'll hear a lot of people say that at track so-and-so I do x:xx times, but at race pace I do x:xx-(some small amount). I'm a racing noob, but I feel the environment just brings out the competitive nature in all of us ultimately driving us to do just a little bit better.

 

[stow]

Racing breaks you out of the track day comfort zone. Do it enough and your comfort zone moves and you become a faster rider. Just like Bluenvy sad, you are chasing faster riders which makes you push harder.

 

[GIZMO]

I think racing or any form of track sport makes you better because it gives you a controled/relatively distraction free environment to focus on the basics. When the basics become more like second nature you can now focus on the items that make you a better rider.

Keith Code actually writes about this in Twist of the Wrist and how your attention gets divided up.

 

[rotorblade]

It may or may not make you faster, but it will certainly make you broker.

 

[Clarus]

For me [novice level racer] my laptimes drop drastically because I am surrounded by people that are 10% faster than me everywhere at all times. Having a carrot just in front of me to chase motivates me to push that extra little bit. It also becomes much easier to follow a faster guy around and get that extra 10% in a race because I'm not stuck behind a liter bike dogging it in the corners. Similar equipment at least in the lightweight classes... well except those damn buells.

 

[rk97]

simple adrenaline should account for something too. Competition is inherently motivating (no one goes out and tries to be last), and the physical effects of being mentally "psyched up" are undeniable.

when I ran competitively, our coach used to yell at us to slow down for the first two miles (of a 5k). If our target pace was 6:00/mile, we'd invariably run 6:05 in practice, and 5:30 on race day. In shorter races, target splits were more like 1:01 and 1:03, but when the guy in front of you pulls a :56 out of his ass the first lap, staying with him is a lot more important than maintaining your 'planned' pace. It also yielded a personal best for me in the 400 (first lap) AND the 800.

I don't see why the same theory wouldn't apply in a track situation.

 

[Chad Dupree]

stow;110352 wrote: Racing breaks you out of the track day comfort zone. Do it enough and your comfort zone moves and you become a faster rider. Just like Bluenvy sad, you are chasing faster riders which makes you push harder.

good post. I usually run 1-3 sec slower during a trackday vs a race.

 

[NCDave]

I've never raced motorcycles, but in other forms, I've always found that being in a competetive situation always ups the performance. As mentioned, you get more comfortable with a better pace.

 

[Matt H]

stow;110352 wrote: Racing breaks you out of the track day comfort zone. Do it enough and your comfort zone moves and you become a faster rider. Just like Bluenvy sad, you are chasing faster riders which makes you push harder.

Also agree this is a great post. And as others have said/alluded to, you do risk a little more racing. It's competition, and it matters in that environment. You don't do anything stupid; but where during a trackday session it's about having fun, during a race it's about finishing in front of the guy ahead of you. You definitely don't need to be as "courteous" (but you hope everyone is still trying to be "safe"). I have always wished that every track rider would do a race at some point - just to understand the difference between a trackday and racing. The distinction can be lost on those who use a trackday as their competitive outlet. Do a race, and it becomes clear.

 

[Chad Dupree]

it's just something about a green flag drop that makes you push alittle harder.

 

[Todd Stinson]

In racing, I don't have the concern of being "nice" with passes versus a trackday. It is perfectly acceptable to block pass and force the issue a little bit, within reason of course. So absolutely you might perform a pass in a race that while reasonably safe at a trackday, wouldn't be courteous. I run two seconds faster at "race pace" compared to a trackday, but that is also usually on new tires.

 

[Rick Johnson]

I think most do get faster racing. You will definetly push harder, make closer passes, and also learn you can go faster then you have been.

 

[Emerson]

For me it wasnt that i got faster, but more consisntent with my fastest time.

 

[RandyO]

I have raced for a lot of years...

I never met a racer that did not desire to go faster (I think that is the reason for the "race" in the first place)

A guy that does not go faster or quicker or want too? should not be racing anyway.. (he is ready for retirement)

Track days on the other hand? much more relaxed, not anything like "racing" IMHO... it is about self improvement rather than kicking some azz...

In many respects, track days are a lot more fun for me...

not anywhere near the level of stress of heads up competition, it is all about the fun.. I was never so relaxed while racing.. sure it was a lot of fun and "beating" someone has a different thrill attached..

Track days? seem to me, more about just getting better at technique and having a good time... (and it is a lot cheaper too)

 

[Danboy]

I think racing helped me to push my comfort zone as I've done things in a race I will never do on a track day. Time wise it helped me come down some but I have turned the same times at a trackday.

 

[Katie785]

rotorblade;110375 wrote: it may or may not make you faster, but it will certainly make you broker.

+10000000000

 

[Slitherin]

I came to this conclusion when I thought about it over the winter this year. Racing has given me the outlet over track days that track days gave me over the street. I was pushing harder and harder on the street before I did a track day. Then after doing a TD I realized that the street was no place to be that aggressive and kept that type of riding for TD's. I was pushing harder and harder at TD's until I tried the racing thing. Then I realized that if I wanted to become more aggressive in passing etc, racing was the place to do that and not a TD. TD's to me now are about learning multiple lines, trying different things out and learning tracks all while improving my body position etc. You cant "work" on any of that at a Race. It's game on from the moment you pull onto the grid. I love that. I also Love to do TD's because of the track time and people involved. Best of both worlds.