Ducati Sporting Club UK > Sport > Trackdays & Race Schools > Brands Hatch today (5th Oct)

[RickyX]

What can I say...fan-fakkin-tastic day!

Brilliant brilliant day with loads of luvverly people!

Managed to get a 55.5 (apparantly) which I was completely gob smacked to hear...the time was assisted by the two club racer guys on the 999 Demo bikes. They were certainly riding them "like they weren't theirs"...and I was trying to keep up!

Downer was my mate Scott overcooking it into Druids on the penultimate session..a trip to the medical centre followed but he's at work today !

Great to meet everybody old and new...bad to be "played with like a toy" by Steve "Elvis" on the 999RS - hey at least I got past you once!!

Thanks to Monty and Chris and not Lizzie (she was late and she only had to travel 15 miles!!) for organising a superb day and at such a cheap price!

Let's do it again!

R X

[Edited on 6-10-2005 by RickyX]

[RedMist]

Agree with all that's gone before on a FANTASTIC day. Thanks to all who organised. Managed to get round in 57" - that was until I joined the Clearways club

Still, with a load of offers of help from all around the paddock, and with invaluable input from Yeti, the steed was quickly patched up and back out again but with me travelling at speeds I could actually cope with the next time

Brilliant time all round, roll on TA6.

from a spectators point of view i didn't think anyone was really in the wrong group and all the overtaking was done in a very considerate way ....

as always it was excellent to see my DSC mates even if I wasn't riding ....

was also odd watching my bike going round, and round, and round .....

and its always good to see Nelly .... you looked really chuffed with your days endeavours mate .....

[yeti]

Originally posted by DIBBLE

and its always good to see Nelly .... you looked really chuffed with your days endeavours mate .....

The boy done good, that 748 of his is no slouch!

[Henners]

Originally posted by Dibble
from a spectators point of view i didn't think anyone was really in the wrong group and all the overtaking was done in a very considerate way ....

.. fair comment - but from a beginners point of view it was intimidating. I was in that group plodding round and I can understand what they mean, there were some seriously fast guys in the novice group. Two of the guys I took there on their first trackday are saying they won't do another.

[yeti]

Originally posted by Henners
but from a beginners point of view it was intimidating. I was in that group plodding round and I can understand what they mean, there were some seriously fast guys in the novice group. Two of the guys I took there on their first trackday are saying they won't do another.

Here we go again.........

Sadly this is inevitible. There will ALWAYS be faster guys out there regardless of which group you are in.

I went out in EVERY single novice session, primarilly to police it as we had so many complaints from last TA. Yes, there were some bandits in the group, and I and my other instructor/marshalls were ruthless in moving them up. I personally moved three guys after the first session alone, and kept my eye on a few others.

I quite deliberately left two guys alone that "could" have been moved. After speaking to them and discovering they were both on in line fours for the first time, I decided to leave them and kept an eye on them in the other sessions. Without exception they were extremely respectful and did most of their overtakes along the back and front straights where it was more than safe.

Track days will attract all sorts from the seriously fast road rider who has never been on track to the absolute beginner and as such we have to try to cater for all tastes. We do not have the luxury, or the funds, to run a novice only day, but it may be a consideration for next year, but until then we just have to do our best.

I have done more TD's than I care to remember, and without exception, the DSC days are far and away the best, safest and most user friendly available.

I am really sorry your mates have caled it quits, but if they would like to reconsider, I perosnally will try to help them out because much of it is simply the psychology of being passed fast and close, whilst not dangerour per se, is still very un-nerving.

[Henners]

That's good Yeti - you'll remember them as the ones you guys had to ask not to keep looking back ...

[misterpink]

great day thanks for organising - hey already done that in person to monty, but to everyone who helped - thanks. Inters group was pretty good i thought - most inters groups are full of axe murderers on revvy IL4's - just the right amount of runners to get some space to concentrate on riding as well as run with some other guys with greta taste in bikes - and it seemed the novice group were OK too??? i guess the problem is sometimes when novices have fast bikes, but have never been on track they are fast in some parts(straights) and wobbly in others(not so confident) and so get other novices who are OK on corners, or may have done a TD, but never been on THAT track or THAT bike or are a bit rusty etc etc who mug them on the kinky bits (ooohh err!) anyway why take it so seriously?? trackdays are meant to be FUN and i didn't see anyone spoiling anyone elses - wish i knew what lap time i was doing and can't wait to see some pics

[ak47]

I was in the novice group, it was my first trackday and found it very well organised. Everyone was very well behaved, except me but I got repremenanded for passing too closely and didn't do it again. I haven't done any other days so I can't compare, but I thought it was fine. I will be doing loads more next year!!!!!!

FYI Picman have started adding pages from yesterday....keep you eye out.

[KP]

Originally posted by misterpink
novice group were OK too??? i guess the problem is sometimes when novices have fast bikes, but have never been on track they are fast in some parts(straights) and wobbly in others(not so confident)

I was one of those, if not that person! To justify myself I had done one track day in July at Brands, then went to Jerez, low sided quickly at angel nieto on the first morning which swung my confidence-o-meter from a small +ve to a fair -ve.

I then booked TA5 determined to build my confidence.

It was a great day with good people around me, plenty of friendly advice and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The size of the novice group sorted itself out after a few sessions and had no problems or incidents - thank goodness. And unofficially, by the end of the day, I had knocked 15secs a lap off my time.

You could argue that I could only improve on my time - but I did and went home a happy bunny.
Thanks to all those involved in the organising.
BTW about that £20...