Nickelii said:
I am getting ready for my first trackday and was wondering on how a typical day goes, i have heard that there are several different groups and that i should ride in the novice and move up when i feel comfortable. Is it pretty much like follow the leader? Do most people view as a race? what should i expect? Any comments on Supercorsas(which compound) or H2s?
it depends on the organization you do track days with.
team promotion did like this:
tech your bike (you have a ducati, tires are cheap, please mount fairly new ones, take off's aren't the best idea first time out)
rider's meeting. everyone stands around and they talk about track conditions that may be of concern. it helps to have a track map with you.
hopefully, as a newbie, you'll have classroom time. they'll talk about do's and don't's.
this will also give you an opportunity to ask questions. most people act tough here, like they're ready to win a superbike championship. don't have a crappy attitude, it's a great chance to pick up something basic, that 3 years from now you will forgot, but may become the thing that's holding you back. if it's quiet, ask the question about trail brake or late braking, the answer will be an eye-opener.
first session will be stupid slow (hopefully). the reason why it's slow is you're supposed to be learning the track. looking for braking markers on the ground (they'll be blown away by the end of the day, but useful in the morning).
second time around, will likely be more follow the leader.
track days never run on time because the riders don't seem to interested in getting on the track, so you'll probably be breaking for lunch. sorry, pet pieve, get your bike to tech and let's go. i always get my bike to tech first. if it fails, you have time to fix. if it doesn't the tech guy is usually bored for quite sometime and is usually a pretty smart guy and will have advice for ya.
they usually open things up more.
remember, it's okay to be slow and/or nervous.
it's not okay to forget helmet, boots, leathers, gloves, back protector (not the foam in the suit), duct tape and water.
tools are a good idea as well.
also DISCONNECT your lights. nothing worse than someone's brake lights shining through tape.
if you're doing it soon in michigan, i would use a street compound tire with threads on the sidewall.
it'll be cold, race tires don't heat well, and unless your in the 5% that can heat up race tires real easy, it'll make for a bad day. the reason for the thread, is it may rain. fyi, rain riding is a good teacher (i wish i could learn the lesson an easier way).