Clarkie
May 6th, 2011, 11:14 PM
About a month ago I decided I wanted to get back on the track again, not to race but just to see if I 'could' go around the track and find my rhythm again. I have been riding dirt bikes and street bikes a bunch so I was pretty sure it wouldn't be an issue, but I was still pretty nervous. I went to a STAR school as my girlfriend Lisa's "pit bitch" late last year which was cool, it was just good to be back at the track surrounded by the bikes, speed and noise you can only experience at the track. I have known Jason Pridmore for about 10 years now, more of a brief racing acquaintance and then a fan watching him race not only in the AMA series, but also keeping up with his World Endurance results. I sat in on most of the classroom sessions during Lisa's sessions and I was very impressed with not only his knowledge, but the way he explained it so all it made sense.
I decided 'if' I was going to get back on track, it was going to be in a controlled setting like at one of the STAR Schools. They not only have great classroom sessions, but their instructors that are out on track with you are awesome, giving every student some one on one attention. I had bought a CBR600RR as sort of a project bike I have been working on, a 'street' bike not a 'race' bike. I wanted to make sure I had a decent set of tires on the bike, the Dunlop Sportmax tires on the bike where still in great condition but I wanted something a little newer as they were over 4 years old, and for my first time back I wanted to make sure I had good rubber.
I raced for years of DOT Race tires so I had a good idea of what was possible with a DOT tire but I didn't want a 'race' tire as I would be doing 95% of my riding on the street. I had heard great things about the new Dunlop Q2 tires which again were a 'street' tire and not a 'race' tire, I though why the heck not try them as I knew I would be keeping the pace down for my first time back on the track. I know I keep going about how they are a street tire not a race tire, but I was really impressed at how far tire technology has come even in the last couple of years. Jim Cox here in Vegas is the local Dunlop race tire vendor and I have known Jim for over 10 years. He had a set of used Q2's and hooked me up with the tires which was awesome, had a bike, had great tires, game on!
We turned up to Chuckwalla Valley Raceway in Southern California and I was pretty nervous. I knew I could still ride a bike pretty well, I just wasn't sure about being on a track again after my big accident at the end of 2008. After 2 1/2 years away from the track I wasn't sure if I even could, let alone alone should, go out on the track again. We got signed up and went through Tech inspection with our bikes and gear, then had our first classroom session. Now the STAR School isn't a normal trackday, sure there are two groups on track with both the Street Group and the Race Group which a lot of trackdays have, but in-between each 20 minute track session they have classroom time with Jason going over each session, giving us tasks to work on for the next on track session and answering any questions you might have. Jason has not only raced and won at the top level here in the USA and overseas, he has also worked with Nicky Hayden, Ben Spies and Josh Hayes when they were younger and starting off, so yeah, he knows his stuff.
I was in the Street group as I wanted to go over everything from the start as he teaches a lot of fundamentals that over time become second nature, the problem is we all develop bad habits and it becomes hard to change them. My nervousness had subsided and while I was pretty excited to get on track, I was still pretty cautious. The first session was basically just learning the track as while a lot of people had ridden CVR before, there were a few of us who hadn't and it was a very technical track which is why a lot of the AMA Team's test there. While I was a little tense during the first session it was good to finally get out there again, ok it was awesome to get out there again. The next couple of sessions got better and better as I relaxed more, and got a few pointers from the STAR instructors who would pull you off track and give you advise on things you needed to work on.
The tires felt awesome, in fact I hadn't really thought about them until after lunch. I ask the STAR crew what pressure they ran their Q2's at on the track and I was told 31 PSI for the front and 30 PSI on the rear. All of the Suzuki GSXR's the STAR school use these tires and the bike are track only bikes, that says a lot about how good the tires are when they are on the instructor bikes. I started to relax, limber up my broken body, and then they changed the direction of the track we rode and I had to learn a 'new' track all over again, damnit LOL. CVR was built so it could be run either direction, has a lot of runoff, cool elevation, and most importantly NO WALLS!
Day 2 arrived and I was pumped, I had enjoyed the first day a heck of a lot and while my nervousness had gone I still wanted to get things to flow more, find the rhythm I missed so much. You know, when corners link easily and everything just seems to flow and come easy. We went out in the counterclockwise direction we had finished the first day on, there was one section I was struggling a little in, but it was ok and I just planned on getting the rest of the track right and just getting through the tough section. I was much more relaxed on day 2 and things really came together, the bike felt more like 'home' to me which was awesome. We rode 5 sessions the second day and the last session I sort of put my head down a little to see how it felt. Together with the classroom sessions and advice from the STAR instructors, things where clicking very well, heck they were awesome and to be honest I had gotten to the point in my riding a confidence I could have lined up on a grid for a race without a second thought. Don't get me wrong, I wont, I was going to retire for a reason and that reason hasn't changed, but I had found what I really wanted to find at the track doing the STAR School. My Rhythm and confidence.
It was 106'F around 3pm on the second day and I was done, happy, and tired. I had smiled more in the last 2 days than I did for the last two years I raced, I enjoyed the heck out of riding on the track and that is really what it is supposed to be about. I rode for two days on a set of used Q2 street tires and never felt them move even in the 106' outside air temperatures, not only was I impressed, I was honestly blown away as they were as good, if not better than some of the DOT Race tires I had used in the past. Even better is that they are a pretty cheap tires and you can buy them over the counter at a local motorcycle shop like Fay Myers.
As far as the STAR School goes, it doesn't matter how fast or slow you are, a street only rider, a new track rider or have been racing for years, if you don't get a lot out of attending a STAR School you have your head somewhere it shouldn't be. I am definitely going to attend more of the STAR Schools, there is this little track out in Colorado called High Plains Raceway that people say are pretty good I really want to ride, the STAR School just happens to be there August 15th and 16th so I might have to make the drive over the hill. You also might get the chance to ride with people like Greg White, Steve Rapp, or Josh Hayes and well as Jason Pridmore which is awesome.
http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n299/Clarkie49/cvr2.jpg
http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n299/Clarkie49/CVR1-1.jpg
I decided 'if' I was going to get back on track, it was going to be in a controlled setting like at one of the STAR Schools. They not only have great classroom sessions, but their instructors that are out on track with you are awesome, giving every student some one on one attention. I had bought a CBR600RR as sort of a project bike I have been working on, a 'street' bike not a 'race' bike. I wanted to make sure I had a decent set of tires on the bike, the Dunlop Sportmax tires on the bike where still in great condition but I wanted something a little newer as they were over 4 years old, and for my first time back I wanted to make sure I had good rubber.
I raced for years of DOT Race tires so I had a good idea of what was possible with a DOT tire but I didn't want a 'race' tire as I would be doing 95% of my riding on the street. I had heard great things about the new Dunlop Q2 tires which again were a 'street' tire and not a 'race' tire, I though why the heck not try them as I knew I would be keeping the pace down for my first time back on the track. I know I keep going about how they are a street tire not a race tire, but I was really impressed at how far tire technology has come even in the last couple of years. Jim Cox here in Vegas is the local Dunlop race tire vendor and I have known Jim for over 10 years. He had a set of used Q2's and hooked me up with the tires which was awesome, had a bike, had great tires, game on!
We turned up to Chuckwalla Valley Raceway in Southern California and I was pretty nervous. I knew I could still ride a bike pretty well, I just wasn't sure about being on a track again after my big accident at the end of 2008. After 2 1/2 years away from the track I wasn't sure if I even could, let alone alone should, go out on the track again. We got signed up and went through Tech inspection with our bikes and gear, then had our first classroom session. Now the STAR School isn't a normal trackday, sure there are two groups on track with both the Street Group and the Race Group which a lot of trackdays have, but in-between each 20 minute track session they have classroom time with Jason going over each session, giving us tasks to work on for the next on track session and answering any questions you might have. Jason has not only raced and won at the top level here in the USA and overseas, he has also worked with Nicky Hayden, Ben Spies and Josh Hayes when they were younger and starting off, so yeah, he knows his stuff.
I was in the Street group as I wanted to go over everything from the start as he teaches a lot of fundamentals that over time become second nature, the problem is we all develop bad habits and it becomes hard to change them. My nervousness had subsided and while I was pretty excited to get on track, I was still pretty cautious. The first session was basically just learning the track as while a lot of people had ridden CVR before, there were a few of us who hadn't and it was a very technical track which is why a lot of the AMA Team's test there. While I was a little tense during the first session it was good to finally get out there again, ok it was awesome to get out there again. The next couple of sessions got better and better as I relaxed more, and got a few pointers from the STAR instructors who would pull you off track and give you advise on things you needed to work on.
The tires felt awesome, in fact I hadn't really thought about them until after lunch. I ask the STAR crew what pressure they ran their Q2's at on the track and I was told 31 PSI for the front and 30 PSI on the rear. All of the Suzuki GSXR's the STAR school use these tires and the bike are track only bikes, that says a lot about how good the tires are when they are on the instructor bikes. I started to relax, limber up my broken body, and then they changed the direction of the track we rode and I had to learn a 'new' track all over again, damnit LOL. CVR was built so it could be run either direction, has a lot of runoff, cool elevation, and most importantly NO WALLS!
Day 2 arrived and I was pumped, I had enjoyed the first day a heck of a lot and while my nervousness had gone I still wanted to get things to flow more, find the rhythm I missed so much. You know, when corners link easily and everything just seems to flow and come easy. We went out in the counterclockwise direction we had finished the first day on, there was one section I was struggling a little in, but it was ok and I just planned on getting the rest of the track right and just getting through the tough section. I was much more relaxed on day 2 and things really came together, the bike felt more like 'home' to me which was awesome. We rode 5 sessions the second day and the last session I sort of put my head down a little to see how it felt. Together with the classroom sessions and advice from the STAR instructors, things where clicking very well, heck they were awesome and to be honest I had gotten to the point in my riding a confidence I could have lined up on a grid for a race without a second thought. Don't get me wrong, I wont, I was going to retire for a reason and that reason hasn't changed, but I had found what I really wanted to find at the track doing the STAR School. My Rhythm and confidence.
It was 106'F around 3pm on the second day and I was done, happy, and tired. I had smiled more in the last 2 days than I did for the last two years I raced, I enjoyed the heck out of riding on the track and that is really what it is supposed to be about. I rode for two days on a set of used Q2 street tires and never felt them move even in the 106' outside air temperatures, not only was I impressed, I was honestly blown away as they were as good, if not better than some of the DOT Race tires I had used in the past. Even better is that they are a pretty cheap tires and you can buy them over the counter at a local motorcycle shop like Fay Myers.
As far as the STAR School goes, it doesn't matter how fast or slow you are, a street only rider, a new track rider or have been racing for years, if you don't get a lot out of attending a STAR School you have your head somewhere it shouldn't be. I am definitely going to attend more of the STAR Schools, there is this little track out in Colorado called High Plains Raceway that people say are pretty good I really want to ride, the STAR School just happens to be there August 15th and 16th so I might have to make the drive over the hill. You also might get the chance to ride with people like Greg White, Steve Rapp, or Josh Hayes and well as Jason Pridmore which is awesome.
http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n299/Clarkie49/cvr2.jpg
http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n299/Clarkie49/CVR1-1.jpg