What's your 2010 schedule shaping up to look like?

[Sean]

Originally Posted by shmike

We have a few douchebags like that too. More often than not they got handed a CR spot because they are "someone". I've had to say something to get some to chill out. The owner of the org has asked more than one not to come back.

Pace is relative. What may seem to be "hauling-ass" in Nov/Int B/C/etc. may still be way off someone's "fast" pace.

Some people are better at "flipping the switch". I'm more of a dial guy. It takes me a few sessions to dial up to 100% after running at 40-80%.

BTW, I ran BT003's in my last race and at the last trackday: Loved them. Have you tried a set of the race compund yet?

Edit: sorry for the "egregious" use of "quotes."

It's "ok".

I think they pick the really fast guys with a level head for CR and just let them at it. I know a couple of the guys and they're good, safe riders...but it seems to me the whole point of groups is to reduce the speed differential. I've ridden A group so I have a feel for what the pace there is...and I rode C while I was filming my then-GF and they were bombing past us like we were standing still. I seem to be the only one who has issues with it so I'll just STFU.

I ditched the 003s quick and put on a set of D209 GP-As. They're 190s, which I probably won't do again, but have grip for days. I'm slow as fluck so I've still got them on there but I'll probably run a 180 something for the season opener in March. The GP-As kick ass though! I'd run them again in an second if I had a 5.5" rim, but as it is the profile is a bit flat.

Here's one incident I had. That's a Graves R1, he probably had 60hp on me. I'd bet he came flying down the straight before and was committed before he could react. Their track exit policy leaves, uh, something to be desired.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48nI_fT4YUk

[shmike]

Originally Posted by Sean

I ditched the 003s quick and put on a set of D209 GP-As. They're 190s, which I probably won't do again, but have grip for days. I'm slow as fluck so I've still got them on there but I'll probably run a 180 something for the season opener in March. The GP-As kick ass though! I'd run them again in an second if I had a 5.5" rim, but as it is the profile is a bit flat.

Here's one incident I had. That's a Graves R1, he probably had 60hp on me. I'd bet he came flying down the straight before and was committed before he could react. Their track exit policy leaves, uh, something to be desired.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48nI_fT4YUk

I'm getting an error on the vid.

I was torn between trying the 209 GP-A's and the B-stones.

Most recently I'd been using the D211's but they are just too expensive to burn through. The GP-A's were cheaper but 1/2 a second slower according to the Dunlop rep.

The B-stone race compounds feel very similar to the 211's in feel and grip. I don't know about the GP-A's but in the 211's you get two choices for rears: 190 and 200. No 180's to be had.

[Sean]

GP-As are 190 only IIRC

Vid was just uploaded, it should be GTG now.

Are you limited to where you can get DOT race tires? We can't buy them in shops, only specialized distributors that are passed around like drug dealers. I got my GP-As out of this guy who sells a few sets at a time out of his garage.

[OreoGaborio]

Originally Posted by Sean

Funny, the beginner / intermediate control riders just bomb around in B and C at fast A group pace. I bet they don't have issues getting back up to race pace. I've had them almost take me out a couple of times and exchanged words.

Yup.... Some control riders want to go out there & show the newbies how badass they are where as others, like myself, actually want to help people with their riding. We weed out the jokers that are there for thrills & boosting their egos. That's the difference between control riders at a mickey mouse organization and ones at a reputable one.

I go from doing 1:18-1:20 a lap during a race weekend to LITERALLY as slow as 2 minutes a lap or more working with the beginner group at a track day. Imagine riding 50-60% and trying to show someone proper technique... it's a lot harder than it sounds!

[tommymac]

Originally Posted by OreoGaborio

Yup.... Some control riders want to go out there & show the newbies how badass they are where as others, like myself, actually want to help people with their riding. We weed out the jokers that are there for thrills & boosting their egos. That's the difference between control riders at a mickey mouse organization and ones at a reputable one.

I go from doing 1:18-1:20 a lap during a race weekend to LITERALLY as slow as 2 minutes a lap or more working with the beginner group.

I liked that at the day I did with absolute this past year. It was my first and only day and at first wa srusty as hell but was all over the place. A coach got infront of me and had me follow him. helped me get back online and saw a few different things. We spoke for a good 20 minutes after the session on a few things and it was very helpful.

he buzzed me later in the day and gave a thumbs up so I thought that was cool that he remembered or was keeping an eye on me.

At another track day a few yrs back A coach woul dfollow me then wave me ahead and we did that for several laps. I went into the pits and asked how I was doing and got the looking good and that was that. I couldnt be doing that good since i was a midpack beginner level rider at the time

[OreoGaborio]

Yeah, I love helping someone out, seeing them improve, then seeing a big smile under the faceshield when I pull up along side & give them a thumbs up

We actually two kinds of staff members out on the track during any given session:
Control riders - who are there to observe everyone, make sure they're following the rules, aren't making any glaring mistakes & show people the racing line if needed
and Instructors - w do the same thing as the CR's, with the added responsibility of doing actual instruction and coaching on & off the track, as well as leading the classroom discussions.

So basically the INSTRUCTORS will focus on helping you improve as a rider, while the CONTROL RIDERS main function is to keep things running smoothly.

[tommymac]

Originally Posted by OreoGaborio

Yeah, I love helping someone out, seeing them improve, then seeing a big smile under the faceshield when I pull up along side & give them a thumbs up

We actually two kinds of staff members out on the track during any given session:
Control riders - they're there to observe everyone, make sure they're following the rules, aren't making any glaring mistakes & show people the racing line if needed
and Instructors - we're there to do the same thing as the CR's, with the added responsibility of doing actual instruction and coaching on & off the track, as well as leading the classroom discussions.

So basically the INSTRUCTORS will focus on helping you improve as a rider, while the CONTROL RIDERS main function is to keep things running smoothly.

TPM started doing that 2 yrs ago also. Seemd to work a little better they would help keep guys online and woul dpull people off the track if they did somethingunsafe/stupid.

Even witnessed it first hand when i guy made an inside pass on me then was offline and almost ran of fthe track. It realy didnt mess me up since it was inside but I wasnt stuffed or anything. But a CR shot past me on the next turn and pulled him in. Seems to me some may jus tneed a lil kick in the butt or a refresher of the rules and I know some def need to be sent home.

[OreoGaborio]

Yeah, something like what you experienced above, where he put both you and him in danger, I probably woulda pulled that dude in as well to ask wtf was going on..

Generally, if I see someone break a rule once I'll keep an eye on them till the end of the session, then remind them of the rules when we get in the garage. I don't wanna pull them in for something minor & kill their track buzz... Twice, depending on the infraction, I might pull them in... Three times, you're definitely coming in & getting spoken to even if it's a minor infraction.


And as with instruction, CR's and Instructors have different responsibilities when it comes to that stuff.

[tommymac]

Originally Posted by OreoGaborio

Yeah, something like what you experienced above, where he put both you and him in danger, I probably woulda pulled that dude in as well to ask wtf was going on..

Generally, if I see someone break a rule once I'll keep an eye on them till the end of the session, then remind them of the rules when we get in the garage. I don't wanna pull them in for something minor & kill their track buzz... Twice, depending on the infraction, I might pull them in... Three times, you're definitely coming in & getting spoken to even if it's a minor infraction.


And as with instruction, CR's and Instructors have different responsibilities when it comes to that stuff.

Thats prety fair, a guy could be a good safe rider but make one mistake where he kinda has to make an inside pass or something but saw/acknowledged he made a mistake. I have had guys make a bad pass and i would get the my bad wave but if its a regular thing then they def need a talking too. A lot of it depends on the circumstances as well.

[OreoGaborio]

Yup, fo sho... I respond according to what I see and how the rider reacts/responds, not simply what rule gets broken.


Hell, I had one student who COMPLETELY EFFED UP our pit-out procedures as we were going out for some 1-on-1 time and it VERY EASILY could have resulted in a MAJOR incident. Luckily no one was coming, so there was no harm, no foul... I very well should have pulled her in right away, but at the same time I knew that SHE knew right away what she did wrong, so there was no sense in wasting time telling her and I also wanted to see how she would respond to and recover from the situation.

And she did alright... She blended out onto the track as safely as possible, given where she was on the track, settled down and we spent the rest of the session riding around. Then after the session we talked about everything, from her completely blown pit-out procedure to her riding technique. It turned a ginormous fuck-up into a positive experience.