First Track Day – Autobahn Race Track

1212 Views 12 Replies 7 Participants Last post by LEWNITIC, Sep 7, 2006

alexm

Discussion Starter · Sep 5, 2006

I had my first track day yesterday (September 4th) at Autobahn Race Track in Joliet, IL. It was so much fun!

The day started off very wet since it rained all night and early morning, but the Sun came out before noon and started drying things out so conditions where great for the rest of the day.

A lot of people went down, 2 people from my Novice group and camp went down, and a guy on a new R6 hurt himself quite badly. I almost had a fall myself going in too hot into a corner, so I stood the bike up and did a bit of landscaping, but the bike didn’t go down (phew). I was trying to chase an R1 in the straight and didn’t brake early enough. That kind of sucked since I couldn’t find my line for the next few laps, but started getting back into the grove of things before the end of the day.

I burned quite a bit of rubber and got very close to dragging knee but was freaked out by how much I was leaning off the bike. Then again, this is my first year of riding and first track day too, either way it was so much fun I will do a few track days again before the end of the year.

(I'll post pictures up as soon as I get them)

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OveRReV

· #2 · Sep 6, 2006

good show dude for saving yourself the ignominy of crashing on your first trackday, the point of a trackday is not about racing it's about discovering what you & the bike can & cannot do, takes more than a day to learn the track & more so with the controls & techniques associated with sport riding, don't worry about kneedragging & concentrate on getting smooth & you'll be fast, the kneedragging will come on it's own without you noticing it.

now put up those pics we wanna see you in action.

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Chest Rockwell

· #3 · Sep 6, 2006

Nice, I was on the North Course on Saturday. Love that track!

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ImhurdlerJr

· #4 · Sep 6, 2006

Yeah I have ridden in only 2 track days. The first was with TPM, where they make you do beginner course stuff. 0 incidents. Second was with a local shop sponsored day. No beginner instruction, just "there's the track have fun". 9 incidents. The first 2 sessions I felt like people were trying to kill me.

Congrats, hope you can get back out there soon.

Dusty

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alexm

Discussion Starter · #5 · Sep 6, 2006

Thanks all, I'm still waiting for the pictures from the track photographer. OveRRev you're right about the smoothness, I definatelly need to work on that, and I should have known better than to try and chase people around on the track.

The instructors where VERY helpfull, without them I'm sure there would have been a lot more incidents. I think what happened is the pace was very slow in the morning when the track was wet, but then it picked up so fast after the track dried up and people wheren't used to it yet.

I know everyone else says it, but the track really is like crack cocaine...I need to go back soon!

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LEWNITIC

· #6 · Sep 6, 2006

Chest Rockwell said:
Nice, I was on the North Course on Saturday. Love that track!

I was there that day too. Unfortunately I was the guy hobbling around on crutches supporting my crew. I would have been on the bike if it weren't for a foot injury and loss of wages for not being at work.

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alexm

Discussion Starter · #7 · Sep 6, 2006

Chest Rockwell said:
Nice, I was on the North Course on Saturday. Love that track!

+1 Very nice track indeed.

LEWNITIC said:
I was there that day too. Unfortunately I was the guy hobbling around on crutches supporting my crew. I would have been on the bike if it weren't for a foot injury and loss of wages for not being at work.

Sorry to hear about your loss, nonetheless just being there is a lot of fun! The intermediate and expert guys are totally nuts...

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dontuan

· #8 · Sep 6, 2006

Chest Rockwell said:
Nice, I was on the North Course on Saturday. Love that track!

What group/bike were you rockin? I was there on Saturday too running in "I".

Lewnitic- good seeing you out there man. Get that foot taken care of, so you can join in the fun next time.

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welldrilleRR

· #9 · Sep 7, 2006

alexm said:
I had my first track day yesterday (September 4th) at Autobahn Race Track in Joliet, IL. It was so much fun!

Which circuit did you run? North or south? I'm racing there this weekend and have never been there before. We'll be on the south circuit, I here it is very bumpy.

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Chest Rockwell

· #10 · Sep 7, 2006

Hey Alexm, does the track photo guy have a website? I wasnt able to check the pics out at the track. Thanks

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alexm

Discussion Starter · #11 · Sep 7, 2006

welldrilleRR said:
Which circuit did you run? North or south? I'm racing there this weekend and have never been there before. We'll be on the south circuit, I here it is very bumpy.

Mondays are full circuit, so we where running both of them. I personally liked the south circuit more, even though there are areas that are a little bumpy. I'm sure you'll have a good time either way though.

Chest Rockwell said:
Hey Alexm, does the track photo guy have a website? I wasnt able to check the pics out at the track. Thanks

I believe this is his website: http://autobahnevents.exposuremanager.com I have his business card and his email is bkozel AT kozdpi DOT com (don't want him to get spamed) and his # is 630 328 6804. He said it would take a week or so for the picture to be up.

Alex

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LEWNITIC

· #12 · Sep 7, 2006

dontuan said:
What group/bike were you rockin? I was there on Saturday too running in "I".

Lewnitic- good seeing you out there man. Get that foot taken care of, so you can join in the fun next time.

I'm due to head back to work on the 12th. I already bought my track plastix. Just need to get some new rubber. Catch up on some $$$ that I spent out of savings and We should be good.

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LEWNITIC

· #13 · Sep 7, 2006

alexm said:
+1 Very nice track indeed.

Sorry to hear about your loss, nonetheless just being there is a lot of fun! The intermediate and expert guys are totally nuts...

Thanks.

Some of those guys that were rockin in I and A are still really new to the track. They were just killing it. dontuan was just layin it down. You were incredible out there.

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