Jennings Track Days 4/19-4/20
 

So, finally got back to the track after last years wreck, and after the initial nerves and hysteria, (yes, I said it, I got just a tad panicked about getting out there), it was AWESOME!!!

Saturday was a ladies only event, there were 21 riders and about 4 control riders, we got to do 20 minute sessions in 3 groups: Race, Intermediate, and Novice. Had a few actual female racers who also ran control for us, they were awesome, and only 1 was over 5 feet tall (she was 6'), so for those that complain about height being a deterrent from riding, there is no excuse!! I got to meet some incredible women out there, from the lady with the prosthetic ankle tearing it up to the 15 yo racer who won 2 championships last year!! I learned alot from watching and chatting with the ladies and worlking with them one on one and will most def recommend a ladies only day for those that are nervous about riding with the guys!! On a side note, we completed a whole day with NO RED FLAGS!! :dthumb:

Sunday was a free for all, men and women, and it was alot of fun as well. One of my local shops hosted the day and many of the control riders were guys I ride with on a weekly basis so it was very comfortable having them there to offer their advice and get real track experience from them, as many have raced or currently do! I had a great time, and while we did have a couple of crashes, no one was seriously injured!

Everything is so technical and detailed, I'd love to share everything I learned and practiced, but theres too much!!

Here are some pics from this weekend, dont have Sat. yet, but these are just from the pro photog on Sunday...

My buddy Joe, a current licensed racer, watching me go round...
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http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n...r/DSC_9816.jpg

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n...r/DSC_9671.jpg

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n...r/DSC_9616.jpg

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n...r/DSC_9848.jpg

Congrats. Looks like a great time.

Great pics Rae. Your body positioning is much better than last year.

Isn't it great when it all starts to "click"?

Yes!! I finally got it once I told the control riders to go help someone else and let me practice what they were teaching me!! (All personal acquaintances of mine, I wouldnt recommend telling someone you dont know that!)

By far the best was actually incorporating the usage of throttle, lean and weighting the outside peg coming through the turns to really spin to the outside and follow the race line...never felt more incredible on a bike!! And getting off the seat even more mid turn to increase lean and improve exit was beyond exciting!!!

Very nice rae, looking good out there rockin your new cowhide. You are going to have to make it to a track day with us one of these days.

Agreed... body positioning looks much better! Well done!

She is still a little centered, that is my problem as well. You really need to hang off a lot more, it takes awhile to get use to, but it feels so much better once you start feeling it.

Yeah, but she's not making the bike do all the work any more... I still have a lot to do in that regard myself...

Lookin good out there, Rae!! I hear you met Acalliste finally? She said you're very sweet. :D

Who all was control riding this weekend?

yeah, she has started the transition in body position. It's getting your head out there that is the hardest part. It wants to fight it and stay centered with the bike, but that counteracts what you are doing with your butt. I was finally getting it yesterday where I was kissing my hands pretty much. Felt a lot cleaner through turns and felt like I was really making some progress from where I was at before the wrecks instead of just trying to rebuild what I lost.

all this talk of track is killing me... is it nashville time again?

For me it was developing confidence in the bike and it's capabilities. I think you gain more and more confidence each time you participate in the trackday events....

The 6' tall gal was at the Buell Inside Pass trackday event down in Homestead on March 10. She rode in the novice class and went down once. I'm glad to see she's doing well.

For me on the street I am able to get my top down lower and off when practicing, but I have my mirrors to use as reference...not that I am breaking any sound barriers on the street, but we play around a bit to practice, like full lean hanging MotoGP style when riding in a perfectly straight line...:lol: The facial expressions are priceless...

with no front end on my bike I have nothing really to reference other than getting my boob to the side of the tank...but hopefully next track day i'll have plastics that fit!!

Diana is the tall woman, she was cool as all get out, and I loved her Buell!!! She was in great shape, nothing holding her back either Saturday or Sunday!

I did meet Acalliste, :lol: she was pretty cool, we didnt meet till the afternoon, but we kept looking at each other thinking, "dang, she looks familiar"...i dont think she figured I would be so dang short!!

On that note...the funniest part of the weekend was Sat morning, I climb outta the truck to sign in, in a black and pink running suit, and the lady asked Mari "how old is the lil boy?!"

soldering iron + eye works for every situation. :lol:

great pics.. sounds like a great time.. its awesome to have a day red flag free.. that's the worst sight i can think of when you are on the track getting into your grove and you have to ease up and peel off..

Sunday was very much the learning experience on finding and sticking to the groove, there seemed to be some lack of communication between what people were told and what they actually did...had a few almost ass packings in front of me..people getting on in a blind turn...and then not pitting, and those who haul ass in the straights but then brake hard and lose all momentum, and those that decide to pit, while still in the race line, brake hard and cause the 5 people passing them to fly off in all directions...

learning experiences all...:wink:

Glad to hear you had two great days. Great pics. Maybe it's just the corners you were in, but it looks like you hang off more on the left side than the right. :idk: Glad to see you're getting body positioning in line, though!!

The dangers of novice, but you still get those asshats that can gun it in a straight line and not take a turn in intermediate as well.

Wow Rae, I see a huge improvement since the photos from your previous TDs. Great work! I find that pics and vids are the most helpful thing for me in gauging what I need to work on.

Hello all!
I was one of the instructors/control riders on Sunday. I wanted to give kudos to Rae. She has improved a LOT since the last track-day!:dthumb:
The pictures are great but don't do her justice. Rae was actually hanging off quite a bit but you can't really tell in some of the pictures.
Myself and the other control riders were very impressed and pleased when Rae told us she wanted to go out by herself and practice what we had been teaching her all day.:rockout:
Good job Rae!!! I had a great time with all the local crew, I can't wait till we all do it again:rockwoot::rockwoot:

PS That yellow bike in your signature looks familiar.... but the numbers are backwards! :wink:

Lookin good girlie:rockwoot: Now I am gonna have to watch myself before I know it you are gonna be faster than me:rockout:

Sweet good to see we got a control rider here. Sorry about the delay on approving your post.

MY PEOPLE!!!!

Runnin into ya'll all over the net this morning!!

Thanks babe, that means more than you know, especially coming from you!! Got a line on a better day than Barber tho, when I see ya tonight we'll talk...

Guys, FYI, this one is up there with OTB and No Worries, when he bothers to speak, LISTEN, you learn alot!!

Jess, dont make me laugh, until you see me coming up in your mirrors, you dont have anything to worry about...for the next week or so...:lol:

I hear a challenge.:rockwoot:

nah, she can kick my ass any day of the week, Im lucky if I can keep her in sight for more than a few minutes!

Stop blowing up my head. You'll make me crash again.......hahaha. Please you are not slow by any means. Just wait with every track day you just get better and better. It wont be long missy and you'll be draggin a knee.:rockout: