Rockingham trackday this sunday (21st)

[Stormin Ben]

Anyone else going?
If so, pop along and say hello to the duck

Ben

PS Anyone got any handy hints for Rockingham
PPS And the first smart-butt to say 'don't fall off' gets a slap

[cupasoop]

Yeh, dont hit that big concrete wall.

[Obzey]

This was 1 of the 2 I was looking at doing(14 or 21st), But didn't bother booking,Cos I did Brands Hatch on Tuesday(16th). One day I'll meet you on the track so you can show me how it's done.

Dave (the slow one)

Hows the little one (Elle, I think thats right) Old age/Bad memory(thats me)

[Stormin Ben]

This was 1 of the 2 I was looking at doing(14 or 21st), But didn't bother booking,Cos I did Brands Hatch on Tuesday(16th).

How'd ya get on? Pictures amn, we need picture. Or at least a write up!!

One day I'll meet you on the track so you can show me how it's done

a) what makes you think I know?
b) Looking at doing a Cadwell on end of sept -possibly
c) Or definitely Oulton sat 19th nov -£85. Bargain

Hows the little one (Elle, I think thats right) Old age/Bad memory(thats me)

Close, Ellie (Mrs Stormin wouldn't let me get away with Elle, for the same reason she vetod Kylie and Claudia )
She is brilliant.
And heavy!
And I can't believe we've only had her 41/2 months, seems like forever
Shes on solids now and enjoying it (eating it more than wearing it now) and sleeping through the night (put her down at 7pm and wake her up at 7am)

Thing we got lucky there

How's yours?

Ben

[Obzey]

How'd ya get on? Pictures amn, we need picture. Or at least a write up!!

Not much to say,First trackday this year,so bit rusty.Most of our (novice) sessions were uneventfull, untill last of the day(ain't they always). First was a cbr1100 (I think) Bottom of paddock hill give it some welly the back tyre smoked up (Slipping) he came out the seat a little, but didn't come off,,,,he slowed down after that...
Second and the one that stopped the session, Was an R1, came round Clearways onto the start/Finish straight, R1 came past me and an RGV 250 into Paddock hill at bottom of it, give it some welly (as cbr) this time back tyre smoked up kicked him a little higher, unable to control the bike, into the kitty litter bike went down,flung rider off,he tumbled twice,(but was ok)...

a) what makes you think I know?

Ummm you've done more than me, and you know how to increase power with the "PAIR".

Close, Ellie (Mrs Stormin wouldn't let me get away with Elle, for the same reason she vetod Kylie and Claudia

Whoops but I was close.

And I can't believe we've only had her 41/2 months, seems like forever
Shes on solids now and enjoying it (eating it more than wearing it now) and sleeping through the night (put her down at 7pm and wake her up at 7am)

4 1/2 months yep is does go quick, ours is still on the Breast the wife will keep it up now till the 6 months then stop. He has only the 1 (8oz) bottle before bed which has seamed to help him go through the night like yours does.Eating more than wearing it....oh yes we know it well, are oldest is now 2y 4m, and been thinking in 2 more years he will be off to school, now thats a bit wierd, as you say time has Flown....

[Stormin Ben]

OK, for anyone who’s interested here goes

Went to Rockingham on Sunday for my first trackday of the year, on the national circuit
Despite a dire weather forecast during the week the weather on the day was fabulous –almost too hot

Looking round the garage and I see another Storm (fully track prepped though) so I go over to say hello. Its FreshFunkMeister off this list who I didn't even know was going!
Nice to meet you mate, hope to see ya again soon

First session sees me slope out at the back of my fast group
Into the first corner and . . oh bugger –badly warped front brake disk
Hey-ho its only a learning session anyway so make the best of it
Get passed by a few people on the brakes coz I’m having to brake gently and come off them before tipping in

Initial impressions of the circuit
-Some interesting corners but not no real ‘sections’ to challenge
-And very hard on the legs coz you’re hung off the right side of the bike continuously for a good 40 seconds followed by 30 seconds hung off the left
-And its quite featureless making it hard to pick a braking point


Back to the garage to swap the disk I think is the warped one
Test ride it round the paddock and it feels ok so I head out for

Second session
Woosh into the first corner and . . daka daka daka
Dammit, it must have been the other bloomin brake disk 
Hoon round anyway, passing a few people in the corners and nearly holding my own on the brakes
Then a muppet on a green ZXR takes himself and someone else out going into the first left hander
Red flags come out and I shoot off into the pits.

Its not til I’ve got the wheel out (again!) that I realise they’ve cleared up really quickly (recovery van is quick!) and my group are back out agin
Hey-ho at least I’ve got plenty of time to do the disk 

Third session
Into the first corner and . . . .wahey! normal brakes 
Into attack mode and start passing people who I’d been able to catch up to but couldn’t get past safely
Not doing people on the brakes (coz I’ve not got enough speed on the straights and I don’t really agree with ‘stuffing it up the inside’ on a trackday!!) but closing right up on them so I can turn in later and get them on the exit 

Lunch comes not a moment too soon!!

Fourth session
Compulsory 2 laps behind an instructor to ‘get us back into the swing of it’
However on lap 2 (still behind the instructor) the red flags are out again.
Its that pillock on the ZXR again who’s lost it into the same corner. I don’t normally laugh at people crashing their bikes but for him I made an exception. So he went home with a damaged bike and a sore jaw (bloke he took out in session 2 had planted one on him) Apparently he’s going to Silverstone on 2nd Sept so anyone going KEEP OUR EYES PEELED

By this point the recovery van is getting close to the lap record!  SO we get out for the rest of the session, just sorting out braking points and taking it easy after lunch

Fifth session
Now starting to really wind up the pace.
I’ve got markers for all the corners but it’s a measure of how featureless the track is that they include a mark where someone’s locked the front, two tall weeds and even a dandelion for the apex of the last right which is slightly crested and therefore blind!!
The one I’d sorted for the penultimate right has had to be changed coz what I thought was a lighter mark on the track turned out to be a reflection off the marshal’s post. Eek, found that out the hard way!! :-/
Got some good laps in. After passing one group of four bikes (RSV, CBR6 & 2 GSXR’s all on slicks) I’ve got clear track for 5 laps while chasing the next group and put in consistent mid 1:22’s.
Tyres are sliding a bit but they were cast-offs when I bought them and they’ve done 3 days since (Rennsports -pic to follow)
Line through the chicane gets the bike squirrelly but as I’m taking large chunks of both kerbs and braking in between I’m not bothered

Back in the pits I check tyre pressures when hot and the rear is a bit high (40psi) so I let a couple of psi out

Last session
Skip this one? Nah
Take it easy? Nah
Fuel light comes on on first lap –doh
Good session, tyres feel better with less sliding –apart from when I run fractionally wide on the first corner and hit the patch of dust about a foot in from the kerbing.
Finally work out that the best way through the hairpin is looking back over my shoulder (yes really, looking right round to beyond the exit as I turn in)
Just get past an R1 & Blade and the bike starts to splutter out of corners, followed by chiming back in with a bang so I put my hand up at the hairpin and pull in. Going into pit lane I notice the chequered flag is out so I’ve only lost a lap anyway

The bike has done 168km from full to the brim to gasping empty (28mpg!!) which is a vast improvement from last time I ran it virtually dry at the Nurburgring and got 72 miles! (Filter and dyno-setup roolz!!!)


Thoughts from the day
Circuit is ok but I wouldn’t rush back
Facilities are excellent though
Tyres are awesome, can’t imagine what new ones must be like
Brand new Carbone Lorraine A3 brake pads have been faultless. Now to try them on the road coz the SBK3’s were hopeless
Lap time of 1:22 I’m happy enough with. Only bikes to come past all afternoon were 2 instructors, a new Blade and a GRX-R 750.
Modified footpegs did the business and nearly kept my feet off the floor all day
Penske rear shock is lovely

Can’t wait for the next one (probably Cadwell with an Oulton one in november)


And if you’ve got this far you’ve got too much time on your hands 


Ben

[sirch345]

I must have to much time on my hands

Very well described and interesting Ben, I really enjoyed reading that
Sounds like you enjoyed yourself

Cheers Chris.

[Little Hairy Welshman]

I have only done one trackday and that was at Rockingham last year (on my Fazer). Have to say I enjoyed the circuit, it's just corner after corner. I enjoyed it so much that I managed to grind a nice angle into my right hand crash bung. Had to change my riding style as ANdy Ibbot pointed out that the bike would pivot on the crash bung and sent me down the road. Will be taking the bungs off and milling them so I have a bit more clearance and they'll still do their job.

Looking forward to getting Loretta (vtr) onto a track sometime.