2026 Racer5 – Stage 1 – 3day introduction to Track Motorcycle Riding
Grand Bend, Ontario at Grand Bend Motoplex
** I have no affiliation with racer5 other than being an attendee and enthusiast **
TLDR: This is an amazing program for any motorcycle enthusiast to get an introduction to the track experience. You WILL ride better at the end of this and will understand motorcycling better after this. Track riding is not cheap; but this is an incredible VALUE proposition for the amount of coaching, track time and equipment you get.
I wanted to provide a quick summary as I just came back from an amazing 3 day experience with Racer5. This is a passion project and it is great value for someone that wants to get into track riding. It is a guided program that is well organized and thoughtful program that introduces riders to everything that they need and if you do want to ride track; will provide you with a race licensing certificate (even though I personally would not feel comfortable actually racing until I’ve done the further progression courses although more confident riders felt they were ready to move on to track days).
First off, this program is run currently by Chris and Jen Roth. Throughout all 3 days; they emphasized safety, were watchful of all riders and assisted everywhere. The value proposition is that for the price of $1349; you get 3 packed days of track riding. You will NOT feel lacking for track time and by the end of the day; some of the participants actually chose to sit out due to fatigue! That includes coaching in a small group (6 person pod) by a professional racer for the 3 days; fully serviced motorcycles / equipment and the exclusive use of the track by the program for 3 days. They were even thoughtful enough to provide water and granola bars/apples so that you could stay replenished!
It’s costly simply because track time is expensive. There are marshalls (?3-4), mechanics, ambulance staff, the pro-racers/coaches, track rental, gas, motorcycles, etc…. EVERYONE has a day job but these are enthusiasts that want to grow the community to keep racing alive in Ontario by supporting new / young riders.
Shout out to Melanie Newman for being my coach and providing us with truly amazing instruction. She was patient, intelligent and a true race/instruction professional.
Day 1 – Check in and suit rental (optional)
The equipment was in good shape and they had a large selection of sizes and equipment. My rental race suit, spine protector, gloves and boots were a good fit. I’d say that about half the participants rented (a very reasonable $60 / day) for stage 1
We started out with a track walk where the lines were pointed out to us. Visual markers / pylons have been placed at all the turns to assist you in focusing / orienting.
Each day starts with a rider’s orientation at 8:30 with safety reminders, goals and updates for all. Then, you literally suit up and jump in.
Pods go out in groups of 6. The first day, we are following the lines of the instructor. You are getting used to the equipment and the track…. After each round (usually 15 min on track); you come back to the pit and you debrief.
Also, you rotate position in the pack so that you can follow the instructor and the speeds you start with are very manageable.
Each half-day you get between 3 and 4 sessions out and it’s a LOT of riding. No one ever complained about a lack of track time and some wisely sat out sessions if they were fatigued.
Day 1 is to introduce you to riding the line to maximize efficiency and speed.
Day 2 – Body positioning and Riding strategy
The day starts similarly although there is a short 1 hour introduction video to race / riding strategy. Led by an instructor so you have time to ask questions.
Emphasis is now placed on body positioning, visual focus and you are taking turns leading the pack (followed by the instructor as the chase bike in position 2) by the afternoon.
It’s a lot more difficult when you are trying to find the race lines yourself.
Once again, you have approximately 15 min ride sessions followed by debriefing / recovery.
Day 3 – Practice and Passing
On the final day, you basically start off with 2 groups (12 riders) on track at once. It’s a big track so it never felt crowded.
The instructor would rotate following/debriefing 2 riders at a time and the rest of the group could either follow or stagger out and ride their ride
However, for the faster riders, there is now the option to pass (only on straightaway and only if safe and clear) so you’re now getting rewarded for better lines/race form.
There wasn’t a lot of passing since these bikes are all so equal. Maybe once or twice per session but the faster riders were…. Faster.
However, if you still just want to work on your lines and your race form; you can do so at your own pace.
What experience level is this for?
Everyone with motorcycle experience can benefit from this program. I do think that some basic level of fitness would be helpful as you are shifting seat positions and trying to hang off the bike if you want to chase higher speeds.
Having said that, my pod had riders with 2 to 30 years of experience. 4 of us were track novices while 2 had some (or a lot) of track time but wanted to return to learn / solidify the fundamentals.
There were no egos. Lots of learner mindset in-play.
How are the bikes? Are they too small?
In short - the Honda CBR125 feels like the perfect fit for an introduction to the track and even the riders in my group that had previous track experience felt they were fun and appropriate.
We all thrashed the heck out of them and they just took the abuse.
They are lightweight, have a low seat height and give you everything you need to feel like you’re racing without the big risk speeds.
I had 2 run-offs but stayed upright / no harm done. It took 2 more sessions before I understood how my line was wrong (accelerating / visual focus on wrong place) for the first run off. For the second run off; it was once again not trusting in the machine to carry the lean and a lack of focus.
This is another reason why the downtime is so useful as you really need to let the adrenaline settle a bit. Fatigue at the end of the day also contributed to lazy body position. I was greedy for track time though so didn’t sit out of any sessions.
During our whole 3 day program, there were NO crashes / falls for our Stage 1 cohort. This is not necessarily typical and I think it depends on how hard you want to push yourself or the machine.
I was nowhere near maxing out the machine/platform for the turns/technical parts and the ONLY place it felt underpowered was if you are trying to pass someone on the back straight.
Which probably is appropriate anyways as it SHOULD require better technical ability to pass; not displacement dominance.
Program goals
This program is an enthusiast program of riders; for riders and if you have the means and interest; I think you should participate even if you’re not planning to track race.
I believe one of the main goals is to recruit new riders to SHARE in the cost of keeping motorcycle racing alive in Ontario. A portion of the recruits/participants will move on to actually race and participate in Home and without an intake program like this; it would die out.
Honestly, I am SURE that there are spouses / enthusiasts that have volunteered a LOT of time to make this event happen.
They have invested heavily into this program this 2026 year with the construction of a new outdoor pavilion as well as purchasing a bunch of new KTM RC390 bikes for stage 2 and higher level training.
I wish them all the best and everyone in my pod agrees that we would come back to this program to continue with the higher levels or just get some track time!
I encourage all those on the fence to sign up. This is not intimidating. They are beginner friendly and the emphasis is rider training, safety and building up the community. And who knows…. Maybe you’ll find your new calling in life!
Extra tips
One more thing
For Stage 2 => you can now choose to either go with CBR250 or the RC390 for the 2 day track training program.
Grand Bend, Ontario at Grand Bend Motoplex
** I have no affiliation with racer5 other than being an attendee and enthusiast **
TLDR: This is an amazing program for any motorcycle enthusiast to get an introduction to the track experience. You WILL ride better at the end of this and will understand motorcycling better after this. Track riding is not cheap; but this is an incredible VALUE proposition for the amount of coaching, track time and equipment you get.
I wanted to provide a quick summary as I just came back from an amazing 3 day experience with Racer5. This is a passion project and it is great value for someone that wants to get into track riding. It is a guided program that is well organized and thoughtful program that introduces riders to everything that they need and if you do want to ride track; will provide you with a race licensing certificate (even though I personally would not feel comfortable actually racing until I’ve done the further progression courses although more confident riders felt they were ready to move on to track days).
First off, this program is run currently by Chris and Jen Roth. Throughout all 3 days; they emphasized safety, were watchful of all riders and assisted everywhere. The value proposition is that for the price of $1349; you get 3 packed days of track riding. You will NOT feel lacking for track time and by the end of the day; some of the participants actually chose to sit out due to fatigue! That includes coaching in a small group (6 person pod) by a professional racer for the 3 days; fully serviced motorcycles / equipment and the exclusive use of the track by the program for 3 days. They were even thoughtful enough to provide water and granola bars/apples so that you could stay replenished!
It’s costly simply because track time is expensive. There are marshalls (?3-4), mechanics, ambulance staff, the pro-racers/coaches, track rental, gas, motorcycles, etc…. EVERYONE has a day job but these are enthusiasts that want to grow the community to keep racing alive in Ontario by supporting new / young riders.
Shout out to Melanie Newman for being my coach and providing us with truly amazing instruction. She was patient, intelligent and a true race/instruction professional.
Day 1 – Check in and suit rental (optional)
The equipment was in good shape and they had a large selection of sizes and equipment. My rental race suit, spine protector, gloves and boots were a good fit. I’d say that about half the participants rented (a very reasonable $60 / day) for stage 1
We started out with a track walk where the lines were pointed out to us. Visual markers / pylons have been placed at all the turns to assist you in focusing / orienting.
Each day starts with a rider’s orientation at 8:30 with safety reminders, goals and updates for all. Then, you literally suit up and jump in.
Pods go out in groups of 6. The first day, we are following the lines of the instructor. You are getting used to the equipment and the track…. After each round (usually 15 min on track); you come back to the pit and you debrief.
Also, you rotate position in the pack so that you can follow the instructor and the speeds you start with are very manageable.
Each half-day you get between 3 and 4 sessions out and it’s a LOT of riding. No one ever complained about a lack of track time and some wisely sat out sessions if they were fatigued.
Day 1 is to introduce you to riding the line to maximize efficiency and speed.
Day 2 – Body positioning and Riding strategy
The day starts similarly although there is a short 1 hour introduction video to race / riding strategy. Led by an instructor so you have time to ask questions.
Emphasis is now placed on body positioning, visual focus and you are taking turns leading the pack (followed by the instructor as the chase bike in position 2) by the afternoon.
It’s a lot more difficult when you are trying to find the race lines yourself.
Once again, you have approximately 15 min ride sessions followed by debriefing / recovery.
Day 3 – Practice and Passing
On the final day, you basically start off with 2 groups (12 riders) on track at once. It’s a big track so it never felt crowded.
The instructor would rotate following/debriefing 2 riders at a time and the rest of the group could either follow or stagger out and ride their ride
However, for the faster riders, there is now the option to pass (only on straightaway and only if safe and clear) so you’re now getting rewarded for better lines/race form.
There wasn’t a lot of passing since these bikes are all so equal. Maybe once or twice per session but the faster riders were…. Faster.
However, if you still just want to work on your lines and your race form; you can do so at your own pace.
What experience level is this for?
Everyone with motorcycle experience can benefit from this program. I do think that some basic level of fitness would be helpful as you are shifting seat positions and trying to hang off the bike if you want to chase higher speeds.
Having said that, my pod had riders with 2 to 30 years of experience. 4 of us were track novices while 2 had some (or a lot) of track time but wanted to return to learn / solidify the fundamentals.
There were no egos. Lots of learner mindset in-play.
How are the bikes? Are they too small?
In short - the Honda CBR125 feels like the perfect fit for an introduction to the track and even the riders in my group that had previous track experience felt they were fun and appropriate.
We all thrashed the heck out of them and they just took the abuse.
They are lightweight, have a low seat height and give you everything you need to feel like you’re racing without the big risk speeds.
I had 2 run-offs but stayed upright / no harm done. It took 2 more sessions before I understood how my line was wrong (accelerating / visual focus on wrong place) for the first run off. For the second run off; it was once again not trusting in the machine to carry the lean and a lack of focus.
This is another reason why the downtime is so useful as you really need to let the adrenaline settle a bit. Fatigue at the end of the day also contributed to lazy body position. I was greedy for track time though so didn’t sit out of any sessions.
During our whole 3 day program, there were NO crashes / falls for our Stage 1 cohort. This is not necessarily typical and I think it depends on how hard you want to push yourself or the machine.
I was nowhere near maxing out the machine/platform for the turns/technical parts and the ONLY place it felt underpowered was if you are trying to pass someone on the back straight.
Which probably is appropriate anyways as it SHOULD require better technical ability to pass; not displacement dominance.
Program goals
This program is an enthusiast program of riders; for riders and if you have the means and interest; I think you should participate even if you’re not planning to track race.
I believe one of the main goals is to recruit new riders to SHARE in the cost of keeping motorcycle racing alive in Ontario. A portion of the recruits/participants will move on to actually race and participate in Home and without an intake program like this; it would die out.
Honestly, I am SURE that there are spouses / enthusiasts that have volunteered a LOT of time to make this event happen.
They have invested heavily into this program this 2026 year with the construction of a new outdoor pavilion as well as purchasing a bunch of new KTM RC390 bikes for stage 2 and higher level training.
I wish them all the best and everyone in my pod agrees that we would come back to this program to continue with the higher levels or just get some track time!
I encourage all those on the fence to sign up. This is not intimidating. They are beginner friendly and the emphasis is rider training, safety and building up the community. And who knows…. Maybe you’ll find your new calling in life!
Extra tips
- Accommodation – I stayed in Exeter (20 mIn) away at Ranchhouse Inn. Other people rented an Airbnb and stayed at the Bluewater Motel (in Grand bend). There is an option for camping on site (free) but I wanted my own shower and comfy bed.
- As it is a resort town, book early or consider a longer commute to save on costs.
- Infrastructure and equipment - the new permanent pavilion that they built was excellent as a staging area between rounds. It kept us out of the sun and was large enough to fit us all.
- Food – there are quite a few fast food restaurants nearby as it is a resort town. IF you want something healthier, there is a sobey’s and a lot of people brought their own food. We ate in Exeter at the Honest Llama and Tasty Bites for dinner.
- Safety, crashes, run-off, damage – the small cc felt safer as a complete beginner. There is a maximum damage waiver but these bikes are dirt cheap to fix and they buy parts by the truckload. I don’t recall the exact pricing but they are not here to gouge you on repairs.
One more thing
For Stage 2 => you can now choose to either go with CBR250 or the RC390 for the 2 day track training program.
