My first track day

[couchflyer]

I just precipitated in my first track day. This was organized by TrackAddix http://trackaddix.com/ I was driving my Ducati ST-3 at Brainard International Raceway (BIR).



We were on the old track which has the fastest turn in North America. The new track is shorter and bypasses the long straight away. This is a summary of one lap on my fifth time out that day. I am heading down the long straight to turn one, the straight is a 4700 foot long. Turn one is banked, I pass the NHRA 1/4 mile markings, accelerating. It seems funny that when you are on the long straight away, going wide open, it takes forever to reach turn one. However you do get to turn one. You are in 6th gear going as fast as the bike goes and the banked corner seams huge as it comes up to you, fast. You pick your line, just before I enter the corner I slow down a bit, the thought about being launched over the edge at 150 mph makes your throttle close a bit. On to turn two you keep your speed up, a 80 degree sweeper, the setting sun makes a reflection in my sheild. I have to remind myself - eyes on the track. I hang off the right side of the bike, the wind blasts me as I corner. After the corner, you glance at the speedo it says 119. Turn three is a 130 degree turn. Heavy break, down shift to third, you're hang off the right side of the bike don't mess up here or it will throw your timing off on the next few turns. Going 50 around this turn seems slow. Past your apex on three you open the throttle the Ducati pulls hard, you almost want to shift to fourth, however turn four is coming fast. Turn four is the first left hander, 100 degree turn, you get on the left side of the bike, start breaking. You start to lean left and you look to turn five, a quick 90 degree right turn. Third gear seams to be a good choice. Quickly you get on the right side of the bike, through the apex on turn five, you feel the front tire sliding, loosing its grip just a little. I think that I'm glad I am not going faster. Through the turn, open the throttle on to turn six, a 90 degree left turn. As you near the breaking marker you wish you had 500 more RPM before red line. Leaning left, break hard, it is a wide corner so I open her up at the apex. Out of the corner it goes down hill on to seven. Turn seven is a 45 degree offset that sets you up for turn eight. A 75 degree right hander. Shift to the right side, I have to remind my self to look down the straight to get threw it smoothly. Lean right, open her up to turn nine, heavy breaking, down shifting. Turn nine is a square corner, 80 degrees. In second gear through the corner, open her up, under the bridge, through all six gears to turn ten, a 120 degree, slightly banked right turn. Speedo says 121. I know I'm not to look at the speedometer, but the ST-3 has big digital numbers, it is too easy to look. Heavy braking, down shifting to third, leaning right. For some reason this is my hardest turn, all day I have been uneasy through here, not sure why. Onto the apex, a wide turn, open her up and I am on the long straight onto turn one, past the NHRA drag strip markings. BIR is a great time, a fun track. It is as fast as you want and wide turns to help learn how to ride a track.


This is what my rear tire looks after the track day




This is my front

[Kramer]

Fun times! Lucky you. Now go get some tires...

[BAZ_777]

Couchie - what tyre pressures were you running that day? - and what was the air temperature roughly?

Baz

[EricT]

Nice. Judging by the tires, you rode with enthusiasm. They don't look too beat up though. What kind are they?

[butch]

Sounds like a great day. I love track days. Oh yeah quit looking at that speedo- 150mph is like 160 feet per sec, a quick glance could cost you lots of braking distance. I always tape over my speedo to keep myself from looking.

Post up some more pics if you have them.

[Kevin313]

Originally Posted by couchflyer

I just precipitated in my first track day. This was organized by TrackAddix http://trackaddix.com/[FONT=&quot][SIZE=2] I was driving my Ducati ST-3 at Brainard International Raceway (BIR).

Ahem, you precipitated? Scared yourself wet in dem leathers?

Welcome to the addiction. Nice write-up.

[couchflyer]

BAZ_777 - I was running 30 lbs per tire. It was about 80 degrees out that day.

EricT - They are Continental Road Attacks. These are tires have so much more wet and dry grip than the Pilot Rods. However I get about 2500 miles on the rear and 5000 miles on the front (no track days).

butch - I have a few but they are from turn 10. I'll post them this weekend.

Kevin313 - Thanks, it is an addiction, I cannot wait for the next one.

[racerboy]

Cool beans. Did you remove your centerstand? If not, did it drag?

[jneglia]

Couchflyer --


I was up there also on my "new" yellow 1999 900SS. I didn't see your ST3 there or would have found you. I was very close to the "Home Depot" sign near the track gate with another guy riding a yellow 900SS.

You're right that it is one fast track. Not "technical", but quite the experience coming into turn one at 120 (thank god the SS doesn't go much faster). The tires on the SS look a a lot like yours and were even balling up little bits of rubber on them.

The new road course will be more suited to my bike and style. Seemed a lot of the people I passed in the turns went flying by on that long straight.

For some local stuff look at www.ridingcourse.com. They ride the 1 mile track at Dakota Technical College in Rosemount. No where near as fast or as large as BIR, but very easy to get to.

Joe

[couchflyer]

racerboy - I did remove the center stand, I glad I did.

jneglia - I have a Red St-3 that was in the back of my Dark Blue F-150. I parked under the trees by turn ten. I saw a yellow SS that was trailered. I think there were a total of three 900 SS'.

Here is a pack going around turn 10



Here I am getting ready for a session.