Ducati Sporting Club UK > General > Idle Chat > WooHoo...1st Track day booked...

hi all,
I finally got round to booking my 1st ever track day and i cant wait.
Doing pembrey.Nice twisty track,should be getting all the info through 2moz.
Cant wait........:bou ncy:

any pointers from all you track day veterans?

[Desmondo]

Never been to Pembrey so can't give you any circuit tips. One thing I would say on your first trackday is to mind your speed. Sounds obvious at first but as the circuit is wider and more open, your sense of speed tends get thrown. You'd be surprsed how much slower it feels when you don't have hedges and trees flying past only feet away from you. This means that on track you may end up going in to corners faster than you think.

Apart from that, enjoy yourself

[uncle porry]

hope its dry for you mate, it chucked it down on my first td, didnt bother to go on track, so am still a track day virgin !!
good luck

Jewell,

Just nail it everywhere, no need to come off the throttle, ever, at all, for any reason, make sure you keep yer body bolt upright, dont lean off, its all a myth, increase yer tyre pressures front and back by at least 12psi and run with just enough fuel for each session ... makes the bike lighter ...

Hope all that helps mate ...



:P

[Ian]

realx and enjoy it, - its not a race, its a chance to learn.

[Backmarker]

Pembrey is a great circuit. Whilst it is flat it does have bits of everything.....hairpin after the long start/finish straight, fast sweepers and bits in between. Avoid putting oil all down the start /finish straight as it annoys your fellow track dayers.....I know from personal experience. I'm doing Pembrey again at the beginning of July. When are you off?
Take it staedy. Build your speed up slowly and get those tyres warm. If you feel tired pull in. Don't stuff yourself silly at lunchtime and drink plenty of fluids.
Most of all though, enjoy yourself.
Backmarker

[DJ Tera]

Originally posted by DIBBLE
Jewell,

Just nail it everywhere, no need to come off the throttle, ever, at all, for any reason, make sure you keep yer body bolt upright, dont lean off, its all a myth, increase yer tyre pressures front and back by at least 12psi and run with just enough fuel for each session ... makes the bike lighter ...

Hope all that helps mate ...



:P

And above all, make sure you have both feet on the pegs when you stall in pit lane :P

[Dion]

Went there last year - my one and only track day so far. Boo Hoo
It's nice and has a good mix of corners as mentioned.
Pointers - well I've nothing to compare it to I'm afraid - but a few general comments:
You'll use a lot more fuel than normal - there is a filling station in town but be aware you can only easily get in or out at lunchtime as the paddock is in the middle.
Don't forget to slow down when you leave! and there's a speed camera on the main road in town.
The way onto the track is not thro' the pits it's at the far end of the paddock (or at least it was)- don't ask me how I know!!!
Don't try to race anyone, at first you'll probably be very slow - it's very different from the road and most of the clues you use are missing - hedges, signs, lamposts etc.
Someone WILL fall off, try not to let it be you (warm up your tyres!) - and don't run over them when they do!
Don't get too close to other bikes - I almost followed someone off thro being 'sucked in' on a dodgy line.
I found it odd - sometimes you're in the middle of a group of bikes - sometimes totally on your own, like everyones left.
You'll get tired - it's very intense.
Watch out for the flags - they get really ****ed off when you don't stop at the end of the session!
Above all it's brilliant fun and I learnt soooo much - it's also very addictive.

[skidlids]

I've raced there quite a few times and went with a couple of mates to a Phil Bevan trackday, If its one of their trackdays that you are doing you will find them well organised, with the use of turn-in, apex and exit markers, use these correctly and you can put avery smooth lap together.
Very low gearing works well at Pembrey, make sure your brakes are in excellent condition as Hatchetts hairpin at the end of the start/finish straight will really test them. There are no power outlets in the paddock so allow for that.