Thill in April

[RenoRider75]

Awesome - good to hear my fears aren't totally unfounded.     It sounds weird, but I'm okay with my bike getting totaled as long as I get to walk away from an accident.  I've heard from several seasoned track riders that you can't be afraid of crashing your bike - that fear, more often than not, causes you to "pucker up" in a tense situation and makes crashing more likely.

I pushed it a bit on the truck route last night.  Being relaxed and repeating in my head "trust the tires, trust the bike" over and over seemed to help more than I thought it would.  I'll try to remember the same thing on the track.

Accident potential be damned, I'm really looking forward to my first track day!  I think it's going to be a lot of fun and a great learning experience.

[RedLeader]

RenoRider75: Look me up when your at Thill.. I would be more than happy to tow you around, that's what we instructors are for. My name is Morgan. Ill be in one of the orange vests with the # 75 on the back (if they dont get changed this year) and on the SV with the #89 Yellow Corona Suzuki fairings.



To touch on your concerns about people passing you mid corner; no one should be passing mid corner (inside or outside) in c group. passes are only to happen on straights, with at least a 6 foot "bubble" around you. As mentioned before, if anyone is making you uncomfortable by passing inappropriately, or riding erratically please report them to any Precision staff. We will go out and assess the person and have a "one way conversation" if necessary. This subject is covered pretty extensively in the morning meetings, and even more so in the free C classroom sessions.
Also, I heard this mentioned in this thread as well so I though I would talk about it as well. If you hear one or a group of riders coming up behind you DO NOT try to move out of the way, or adjust your line to let them through. People pass other riders by observing their current lines and predicting where they will be so they can pass around them. If you are trying to get out of the way, you will be riding erratically and the riders behind you will have no way to judge where you will be at x point in time and be able to pass you safely. Often I will be following someone on the track and see them swerving all over the place. When I pull them off track and talk to them they often say they were just trying to let riders by.
If you have any questions, message me or post up here. Ill try to keep checking this thread.

[RedLeader]

PS- does anyone have opinions on "old" slicks? I have my set from last year's ttrc event. Basically they have one track day on them then I stowed them away in my closet away from sun and extreme temperatures. They should be good for another two days or so yeah?

RR- Should be fine. I've ridden slicks much older than that. Major concerns to think about with them are
1. how may heat cycles did they have? Slicks/race tires have a set amount of times the tire will heat up/cool down before it starts getting "slippery". Some tires will be "cooked" long before the tread is gone just from too many heat/cool cycles. One day should be fine though.
2. how much tread? Check the dots on both sides of the tire, middle doesn't matter. One side will probably have less tread than another. You can always flip slicks, as there is no directional tread patterns like on street tires. I want to say Thill is a left handed track (more left hand turns) so you would want more tread on the left side of the tire.

[dub]

If you have any questions, message me or post up here. Ill try to keep checking this thread.

Yeah, I have a question.

Where did you get that FUCKING AWESOME BODYWORK!?

[RedLeader]

It came originally from this guy:



It was used on the AMA Corona Suzuki GSXR 600 race bike in 04 or 05. I stumbled on a auction over the winter where Hotbodies was selling off some of their old back stock of race bodywork. It took a bit to mount it up. New fairing stay and custom side brackets and a bit of welding, but it all works.

[RenoRider75]

RenoRider75: Look me up when your at Thill.. I would be more than happy to tow you around, that's what we instructors are for. My name is Morgan. Ill be in one of the orange vests with the # 75 on the back (if they dont get changed this year) and on the SV with the #89 Yellow Corona Suzuki fairings.

Awesome!  Thanks for the advice on keeping my line as people approach - that's not something I'd thought of.  I'll definitely find you there. 

You mentioned free classroom sessions for the C group - how do those work?

[dub]

It was used on the AMA Corona Suzuki GSXR 600 race bike in 04 or 05.

Pretty boss.

[RedLeader]

You mentioned free classroom sessions for the C group - how do those work?

It will be announced and described a little better during the riders first thing in the morning, but basically it's made up of two components: classroom instruction and on track coaching.
The classroom instruction is free and is usually the first 20 min after each session ends. One of the head instructors will go over a different topic each time, or can focus on specific things is someone if having trouble with it. Some things that usually get covered are: Track layout, good lines to take around the track, how to apex corners, How to pass/get passed, how to enter/exit the track, body positioning, counter steering, weighting the pegs, and several other topics. It sounds like a lot but it's really not that bad. A lot of the times, either the instructor will give you a goal to work on, or you can set a goal for yourself from the stuff you just covered or something earlier in the day and then go and work on it on the track.
The on track coaching is provided is also free. Coaches will hang out at the grid off to the side and wait for riders. If you want a coach to follow you make sure you either go up to one of them and let them know, or talk to whoever is at the front letting people out on track. Either way, if you're working on something let the coach know. Usually after that the coach will follow you around the track once or twice and then pull in front and lead you around for a lap. Then the coach will pull you in and debrief with you. They usually ask what you though, and then give feedback on what they saw. Then you are free to go back out and practice some more what you and the coach just went over.
It might sound a little intense, especially for a new track rider, but it really isn't. One nice thing about the Precision family is everyone is really laid back and easy going. You can go to the classroom and/or get a coach to follow you as much or a little as you want. I always suggest trying to get as much coaching as possible, but if you just want to go out and do a session with some friends and ride, by all means go have fun! Also, if you find an instructor that you really like to work with; you can find them in the pits and ask them to work with you. If they are free that next session they can usually work with you a bit.
Hope this helps. As always let me or Dub know if you have questions and we will try to answer them.

[dub]

RR, I might be interested in taking the #4 ticket off your hands.  PM me the cost. 

[RocketRider]

Way behind Dub, just got GM's spot confirmed tonight  .

We're still a month out but let's setup a caravan/rides! It's good to travel with a partner in case something bad happens, or you're just plain exhausted! Post up if you need a ride or have a ride!

I tow a trailer with my Camaro...really that means room for one bike and a small gang of crap...I CAN tow two bikes but it puts me over the recommended tow limit...I prefer not to do that, at least not through the mountains.

If someone has room for a spare bike (mine) I would like to do support transport; carry EZups, chairs, gas, gear, etc. Technically have room for 3 bodies, realistically just one adult would be comfortable.

I plan on running every session, so if anyone is planning on leaving early don't buddy up with me 

[dub]

niiiiccceee

[RenoRider75]

EDIT:  I wanted to add that everyone here has been very helpful - I'm not nervous as much as I am excited now.     I can't wait - thank you all for being helpful and encouraging!

We're taking my wife's truck down there on Saturday with the bike in the back.  I bought a 4' wide, 9.5' long loading ramp and a brace for the bikes that bolts into the truck bed.  I haven't tried loading two bikes into it yet, but it does have the provisions for it if anyone else needs their bike hauled down / back.

I'm thinking about hanging out in Chico on Sunday night and coming back on Monday.  That gives me time to enjoy the Sierra Nevada brewery after the track day and not worry about driving home tired.

[GreenMachine]

That's very nice of you RR75!  I know Dave is looking for someone to shuttle his bike to from.  He has Brian of SPL and myself as options, but if your truck is bigger (mine is the light-duty Colorado), he might be taking you up on it.  His is a GSXR-750.  I sent him a txt asking him if it would be okay for me to haul his two-up on my truck bed.   

I or he will let you know.

[GreenMachine]

Who will be down there Saturday night? 

Do we want to get together for dinner or a drink the night before?

[dub]

I would definitely be down to meet ya'll at Casa Ramos for dinner/drink on Sat night. I imagine I'll get into Willows around 7pm or so.

I'm not nervous as much as I am excited now.     I can't wait

Ahh, that nervous excited feeling of a trackday newb. I wish I could go back in time and experience it all over again.