| Jerez 21st - 24th September Report
What an awesome track, anyone going out with 100% who hasn't been to Jerez before is in for a real treat! Temperature was 31 -32 for all three days, and the track was sticky as ****. You could use kerbs just as if they were an extension of the track (which I suppose they are...but you know what I mean). Rumour has it that the grass was marginally less grippy, but fortunately, I didn't go there.
I just can't say anything to do justice to the track, it really is superb, every sort of curve you can think of, and a couple of brilliant combinations that have you laughing out loud if you get them anything near right (which is the nearest I ever get). No "747 Runway" straights, just two medium length ones to let you have a short breather...perfect.
As you'd expect plenty of facilities in the garages, my "fast" laps are similar to some people's tyre-warming laps, so I don't use warmers, but the track was so hot, even the fast blokes were only really taking it easy for a lap or so.
Top marks to Focused Events, there were only 30 of us in total, so open pitlane from the first afternoon onwards. There were some proper fast blokes (Spanish R1 champ, Norwegian 600 star etc, etc) but they all showed total courtesy to us "slow uns", and there were only 4 red flags in total. If I remember rightly, three were just people going into the gravel, but not even dropping the bike and one was a "hit gravel at speed, execute circus stuntman manouvre, hit ground hard, say ouch" type thing resulting in a trip to the medical centre and a complimentary sling.
I took a tuition option from a bloke called Woolsey Coulter, which was superb. Unlike the CSS etc he uses radios, so after he's showed you the lines, he follows you and tells you when to turn in, how hard to drive out of the corners, when not to brake ("DON'T BRAKE!...DONT BRAKE!!...DON'T BRAKE!!!) after a lap or so, the instructions dry up a bit as you start to get it right, and I have never ridden the bike so hard or felt so safe. I guess everyone learns in a different way, but I need to "feel" what is right rather than just be told, and this worked really well for me.
The tuition is expensive if you do it on a UK trackday (as it has to cover Woolsey's costs in getting over from Eire), but for anyone doing a Focused Spain trip next year, it is highly, highly recommended at £90 for a day, I'll definitely be doing it again.
Errrm, what else? Hotel was good, but 100% use a different one, so no insights there...Jerez is lovely in the centre, loads of Bars, Tapas places, restuarants.. Beer was reasonably priced, supermarket was unbeleivably cheap.
Anyway, brilliant three days...you'll all have a marvellous time in October, wish I was going again!  | 
27-Sep-2005, 23:16 
ooh did i mention were off there soon!
OOOOHHH it's gettin close!!!!!
Linear Mode
