Experience required for trackdays??

sul10

Hows it going lads? Im very interested in getting involved in trackdays for a bit of craic and i was just wondering if anyone can advise on the level of experience needed before giving it a go.

I looked up the mondello page and see they offer training etc which will allow you to ride with just your provisional license, but being realistic would you want months or years of riding behind you before you could go out there and ride hard without being a danger to yourself or others.

Last thing i want to do is head up to a track day and end up riding around at walking pace cause i havent the skills to give it a good go....

Cheers

BrokenArrows

Ive never done a track day but i would expect that you can go at any level once you are not going to be a danger to other riders on the track.

Go at your own speed on the track and done feel forced to go beyond your skill level just because other riders are passing you.

Please Kill Me

If you have a provisional licence, you HAVE to do the track training day. It's a full day event which is a good bit of classroom stuff in the morning, then outside to do things like emergency braking, figure 8's, riding around cones etc. Then there are stints on the track and the instructors lead so you can follow their lines, then they give everyone else a go in front so the instructors can follow and they'll correct you on your lines etc. Even if you never do a track day, this event is well worth while doing anyway.

Anyway, once this is passed you can then go and do a track day. If you are nervous as a person and rider, it might not be a good idea, but it really is a fantastic experience. You could go and give it a try, and if after a few laps you don't like it, just leave it. Maybe for your first proper track day, just do a morning session. No point paying for a full day and after a couple of hours you don't like it.

BrokenArrows wrote: »

Ive never done a track day but i would expect that you can go at any level once you are not going to be a danger to other riders on the track.

No, they won't let you out in advanced if it's only your first track day, you need to prove yourself before they let you go up the ranks as it were. I know a lad who wasn't as good as he thought he was, went out in inters and was pulled in after only a few laps and told to go back to novice.

sul10

The track day training sounds like its got good stuff in there and I just have a provisional so Ill be doing it

Any idea what the standard is like in the novices? cornering speeds, straight line speeds and the like?

Im guessing after the track day training if your good enough they will let you ride in the novices and if your not they will tell you straight up to go get more time on your bike before giving it another go.

blu3r0ri0n

My experience last year was exactly as "Please Kill Me" descrived in his post above and it was brilliant. You will get all calibers of riders doing it so its a good way of finding out where you stand. I suggest that you speak to the marshall that will be escorting you around the track and explain that you want to get in to doing trackdays and he will give you some great advice on how to proceed with it etc.

Unfotunately I was only able to do two trackdays due to other commitments and the cost of it, if I could afford to and had a track bike I would be at it all the time!

kaimera

Novices is ok.

Pace can be a bit slow depending on how you're feeling.

I did the kearys bmw charity trackday a few months back in the lashings of rain. My first proper day (i'd done the track training the year before and well worth it).
Was a bit quick for the novice and was told I should go inters next time round. Wasn't up to trying it out in the rain that fell that day!

The instructors are top notch and sound out at mondello.

Defo worth going imo.

Please Kill Me

sul10 wrote: »

Any idea what the standard is like in the novices? cornering speeds, straight line speeds and the like?

Everybody will be different. You'll have lads in novices who have done a few track days but aren't ready for inters yet, and you'll have complete newbies. The thing is in the novice group, nobody is allowed overtake on the corners, only the straight. And at that, they have to give 6-8 feet of a gap. I'm in the novices myself, done 4 or 5 full days, and there are lads who are like mobile chicanes and others I can't keep up with. There are all levels out there.

sul10 wrote: »

Im guessing after the track day training if your good enough they will let you ride in the novices and if your not they will tell you straight up to go get more time on your bike before giving it another go.

Yeah, pretty much as they can't have you being a danger to everyone. Having said that, they won't send you packing either, ask for Aidan or Darren or Jay or any of the marshals there, they're more than happy to help you out.

kaimera wrote: »

The instructors are top notch and sound out at mondello.

Defo worth going imo.

Yeah, they're good lads in fairness.

Kido Fazer 1

Go to Kirkistown & forget all that red tape crap. Pay your money & out you go. No need to have any License.

Hotblack Desiato

That's what Mondello used to be like about ten years ago. You had twats on race bikes who were only supposed to be on track during the advanced session, going out with novices who'd never been on track before and scaring the s**t out of them :mad: