Why do you guys do it?

[boyoboy]

why? its the right thing to do. no cops, controlled environment, pure concentration, mental and physical competition, the adrenaline rush. if you want to go fast...go to the track.

if you have a friend riding hard on the street...direct him to the track, you may be saving a friends life.

oh, and my kid likes to call me a show-off......he sure has my number.....

[GECKO]

I started on a dare when I was turning 40. As one other member said you can go as inexpensive as you want, or the sky is the limit. It does take money to win and obtain championships, however I see many spending money on "comfort" things rather then necessity items. I.E. clip ons, rear sets, and other aftermarket items don't make you go faster. It all depends on each persons budget, many of us vary, and if you have it and want to spend it - why not?

FUN - gotta have fun no matter what as if you're not doing track days or racing for fun then best pack up and go home. Even if you race and don't do well, you should still be out there having fun, and you are still a winner if you finish the day in once piece and can pack up and go home.

It's safer then street riding and racing allows you to perfect skills that you never thought or knew you had - these can be transferred to your street riding and car driving. Watching Nascar (imo) is boring going round and round - but, to appreciate the closeness of the cars at the speeds they drive you have to respect the talent each of them has. No different on the race track in any class of race. The only difference is the faster you go the faster things happen with less time for reaction. It's amazing how quick you can change direction when a body is flying through the air and lands in front of you (right Donovan?)

Race for yourself, not for others as if you beat your best time in a race and you come in 12th, you still did your best for that day and should not be disappointed.

Have fun, get out on the track but careful - VERY addictive.

[havin_fun]

FUN - gotta have fun no matter what as if you're not doing track days or racing for fun then best pack up and go home. Even if you race and don't do well, you should still be out there having fun, and you are still a winner if you finish the day in once piece and can pack up and go home.

Fun is fun, but there's still that little thing about being fast enough to race. If you have the talent and a fairly aggressive mindset, I'm told racing is "fun". I have neither of the above, so it was anything but "fun" for me. Only took me a couple decades to stop thinking I wanted to try racing, but back then trackdays were just races without trophies.

Your lap times should be within 115% of what the front runners are doing (that works out to about 120% of whatever the class record is) or you're going to be lapped twice per race by the leaders, and probably 1/2 the field. So if not, and your idea of "fun" is having the fast guys blast past you on the straights with inches clearance (you can't hear them coming) at nearly 1/3 faster than you're going, and have them stuff you wherever in all the corners, then go for it.

And don't think vintage or "amateur" is any different. Most racers race to win or at least beat the rider next to them, and if you're between them and the finish line, a racer will try to get past you by whatever means it takes. No modern trackday "after you, Alphonse" here.

Racers will tell you otherwise, especially the fast ones, because they have probably never been at the slow end of things for long. That's why they race, 'cause they're good at it. The backmarkers are another story... I have no idea why they do it, but empty grids means no racing, so good thing there's people who enjoy consistently finishing 4th to last.

True, racing is the only place you can truly test your absolute limits, even if only against your personal best.

That's racing. Enjoy.

[fiddleguy]

^
I like yer style there Mr. H. Fun.


.

[GECKO]

Yes, but that's why there's a novice class..........not everyone can be "fast", but even the slowest out there deserve to be there and in their mind - they are "racing" with other equally caliber racers. Some race and never win or even podium and blow a ton of money too boot.

Yes, some race and win and that drives them - but at the end of the day and unless they are a Factory Pro, they are going nowhere like the rest of us......jsut fun! Then you get the McCormacks and Christie types and they start to blow away the factory guys at 16 - ha, good on them and hopefully Jodie will move up as fast as Brett did.

BTW - Brett's in the Daytona, so should be interesting to see if he can get pointers from Duhamel while he's practicing.

Now vintage.........that's another story!

[franz131]

Racers will tell you otherwise, especially the fast ones, because they have probably never been at the slow end of things for long. That's why they race, 'cause they're good at it. The backmarkers are another story... I have no idea why they do it, but empty grids means no racing, so good thing there's people who enjoy consistently finishing 4th to last.

I appreciate your point but you make the learning process sound like a life sentence.

When I started out I was the faster than any of my friends on the street and I got my a** handed to me on the racetrack. Every racer (OK, almost every) has the same story because that's the normal path of progression. The recent growth of private trackdays has allowed riders to progress further along before going prime time, but the path is unchanged.

Slow is only a stop on the ride to fast, unless you give up on learning.

[havin_fun]

I appreciate your point but you make the learning process sound like a life sentence.

When I started out I was the faster than any of my friends on the street and I got my a** handed to me on the racetrack. Every racer (OK, almost every) has the same story because that's the normal path of progression. The recent growth of private trackdays has allowed riders to progress further along before going prime time, but the path is unchanged.

Slow is only a stop on the ride to fast, unless you give up on learning.

My point is that racing takes a certain level of skill and competitiveness, otherwise you are not racing, you're riding. If all you want is to improve your riding and don't crave being involved the competitive aspect, then do trackdays and trackday-oriented schools.

The argument that racing is more fun than riding trackdays because racers love it is circular at best. That's like saying AAA baseball is more fun than local mixed fun-league because the AAA players say it is.

I have learned over 30 years of riding that FOR ME the only person I'm interested in competing against is myself. Add in I know I'll NEVER be fast enough to place better than last in any class. That makes racing, what I thought I wanted/needed to do for 25 of those 30 years, a moot point and a fool's errand. Points, standings, laptimes and championships are not any part of why I ride track. But if there is anyone in the world who loves to track ride more than me, I'd like to meet him/her. I also like the rest of how I live, so I'm on a budget, but don't mistake available cash for enjoyment or dedication to learning.

Every time I go to Turn 2 event, George (now how many years of racing experience is there behind THAT smile?) takes one look at me and says, "You're having the most fun of anyone here, aren't you?" I am, and so my handle...

Racers believe they have found the "ultimate high". Fine, whatever floats your boat. But I'm here to say you can have just as much fun, maybe more, without ever owning a racing license.

[kneedragger88]

Racing for me came as an accident. After many years as a marshall with the CRCA I was given a free school. After that I just wanted to track ride and this was before the days of trackdays so there was only one option. Build a bike and go racing.
That was 20 years ago now and I still love it. Racers have become my family and even though my best years racing are gone I cant say goodbye to the sport I love so I started my own series.
Having Fun you raise some good points and by all means racing is not for everyone. Just as you stated Franz's point of view is tainted as he is a racer (and a very good one, but shhhhh dont tell him I said that) so is yours. Being that you have not tried it can you really say its not for you? You may be right but over the years I have met more than one person who races even though they never thought they had it in them and absolutely love it.
There is no way to get the most out of your skills without competition. Chasing that carrot in front of you (even if its for second from last) will always bring out that extra 5% you will never reach even in a trackday situation.
I dont even want to think of how much money I have spent over the years. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Racing people are some of the best people I know. This forum has quite a few very accomplished racers on it. Franz Walker, Shawna Aron, Craig Atkinson Donovan Paige, John "Bic" Bickle, Alan Robb etc. There is a wealth of knowledge and talent here.
I for one am just glad to see so many people taking it to the track be it racing or track days.

[GECKO]

Don't forget KEN McADAM -

EVERYONE OWES YOU FOR PUTTING TOGETHER SOAR, the ard work and dedication is something most don't know about but will benifit from. KEN, you can still dice it up with the best of them be it vintage, old guys (soon to be old people). :>)))))))

[patronftw]

I have the final answer

[reciprocity]

This one is better.

[patronftw]

lol

[Y2KR1]

Funny I made one of these a while back and posted it at my office

[havin_fun]

Being that you have not tried it can you really say its not for you?

There is no way to get the most out of your skills without competition.

There is a wealth of knowledge and talent here.

I for one am just glad to see so many people taking it to the track be it racing or track days.

I actually did try the racing environment a couple times, separated by about 15 years, so can speak that it is not for me. I also volunteered and did some pit-crew duty for racer friends, so am no stranger to the "other side" of racing. During that time I met many others who would have loved to track ride, but did not want to race.

My riding has improved far more since being able to focus on trackdays and intellectually give up the idea of racing. I now focus on my riding the way I enjoy it, rather than working on merely trying to get to and through the next corner faster than the rider next to me. This is not a small point. Once the competitive aspect is removed, you are free to ride and learn as your abilities and inclination allow. I'm not looking to find my absolute limits, just keep on improving at my own pace.

I have certainly gained from the wealth of knowledge that is available at schools and more recently at trackdays. But racers ride to win where I ride to enjoy the ride. Both are valid pursuits. Think yoga vs karate. Learning to ride is a "life sentence"... a most enjoyable sentence, as far as I'm concerned. You can spend your entire life learning how to performance ride and still never learn it all. Even Rossi says he's only ever done one "perfect lap".

I share your view that this is probably the best time EVER to take up track riding OR racing. Without a doubt, for those who have the skill and competitive bent to enjoy it, there is nothing better than racing. But I'm betting there are far more riders who will enjoy non-competitive track riding just as much.

I'm just making sure any prospective track riders don't get the impression all track riding is focused on the goal of going racing. Like it was before the trackday industry as we now know it was created.

My caption for your excellent pics?

"Tracks... not just for racing anymore."

[eastcoast_gsx]

I do it because the members of my country club looked at me oddly when I started wearing leather.

******... the mental image of you standing outside a wrought iron gate clad in full leathers, head hanging, pouting about just receiving the boot made my friday afternoon... thanks once again man... LMFAO.

[Hellbound]

Hate to revive a slow breathing thread...but I will hehehe!
I did race in the late 80's early 90's (the era when Mercier beat the 750's on a 600 Katana, Crevier was just trying too hard, Goodfellow was still here with his Don Knitt, Mike Taylor went from red to black #'s, and YZR500's and WERA came to Canada, and BEN G was Coopers guy! ). Tom Douglas was my licensing instructor on a FZR750RR.
I spent a TON of my money, and quite a bit of sponsors as well. I crashed quite a few times, and too many of them were far too hard for my own good. I will never let Belleville General operate on me EVER AGAIN!
But I kept it going for a few years, because there was always the next challenge, the next tenth of a second, and the next position to get. The next rush.
I worked my butt off everyday asking for any OT, and worked a full serve gas pump on off-season weekends open to close to get the cash to go again. I had no life outside of the seat of my motorcycle, but a great life in it.
It didn't matter if I had the worst work day/week from hell, because as soon as I entered the gates of Shannonville and said Bonjour! to those PQ military dudes posing as security guards, I was all smiles! I was doing what I really REALLY loved to do!

I now have nothing but memories and a few plaques and pictures of my experience. But HOT DAMN I did it and have the scars to prove it - because we all know chics dig scars LOL! And not to mention the rolling of the eyes from the wife when I get to bench race - those are priceless!
I'll do it again once the youngsters are old enough to take care of themselves or become part of the vintage team pitcrew! My three year-old found an old sponsor shot in a box in the basement and has it hanging above his bed. He asked for it, believe me and my heart melts!!

And now at 41, I have just gotten myself a 99 GSXR-600 after almost 18 years of not riding/racing. My heart rate picks up the pace just thinking about the next time I am able to twist the throttle!
Adrenaline is my drug of choice my friends, and I am happily addicted.

And would I support my son if he decided to do the same thing? With fatherly caution, yes. But it won't be the way I did it - blind. "If only I knew then what I know now" is how the saying goes - ain't it the truth.

[rocketrc51]

Niiice

[hondacbrf3]

I really want to try a track day... I guess it's the same reason why we stunt.. something to do. I love when people say motorcycles are not expensive to maintain......

[TwistedKestrel]

I really want to try a track day... I guess it's the same reason why we stunt.. something to do. I love when people say motorcycles are not expensive to maintain......

Maintenance and repair are two seperate things... :P