Ive just done silverstone with f events and found i lost attention in the briefing ( not a good idea in all honesty) did seem to drag on a bit but did cover all the things you need to know. there was also far too many people in the groups ( 70 at a time ) but the 2 out at a time was good although by the time i had completed my first lap i was passing people just leaving the pits so it still got a bit cramped on track.

think my next one will be a no limits day at donington so will see what the difference is

Phil (otherwise known as the little Hitler) at Tracktime doesn't get a good word very often, I've done plenty of days with TTP over the years, but the briefing is a royal pain as he does try and put the fear of god into everyone, not too bad if you've been around a track before, but if it's your first time I can imagine you'd be making a few visits to the toilets :)

There was a recent thread on the throttle monkeys site about a recent weekend run by TTP and the riding standards and how Phil seems to be more talk than action, as he didn't seem to do anything throughout the day to route out the idiots and make the day safer for everyone concerned

I thought Focused Events breifing was very good at Cadwell recently. In fact the whole day was very professional in my opinion. Very few offs (if any) which was very different to other track days i've attended.

1 thing that Focused do which i think makes a difference to the number of offs is they put a board on your bike just as you leave the pits "WARM UP YOUR TYRES FOR THREE LAPS" everyone gets it.

ESS were good - transponders giving laptimes and then making groups of 3/4 who are similar speed / each group with an instructor - worked for me. my next was at BH indy with FE and was average event, but with lots of bozo's in the inter group, no one took notice of the yellow - second session to last this guy come wobbling outta control past me - let him go i said - he was on a faster bike, but slower in the corner speed and follow him into the long right onto the straight (momentary lack of knowledge) where he dives up the inside of another guy and takes his backwheel out !! i luckily had adecent space to watch (slow motion) and slide past without hitting either of them or bikes - result - 2 trashed bikes and one busted collarbone DOH! considering the number of "offs" earlier i wasn't surprised - just lucky.

I think the problem here is the clamp downs by the police, local governments on the biking community, thus the only way to have any fun is to do it on a track, something many people wouldn't of thought about 5-10 years ago, but as the police net covers more and more of the UK where else can anyone go?

So people turn to track days, or even club racing and rather than have the odd muppet here and there they'll be 5 maybe 10 of them at each event, but as I've seen and unfortunately more people seem to be experiencing also, it only takes one to ruin someone's pride and joy and the possibility of much much more

[Edited on 6-9-2005 by JPM]

Very good points JPM, especially your first about muppets not being routed out on TD's, which is what I was getting at really.
I think if I was as agrived again I'd be going to the organiser / session instructor and having a quiet word about who to watch.

Cheers for the comments everyone - all appreciated.

Frank

Presumably, yes - if you have to send your licence in if you get banned. Not sure, never been banned (touches wood). You have to show your licence at all the MVS circuits, every time, so no licence = no ride.

But I presume you could still go and get a race licence if you wanted to do TD's THAT badly - even if most organisers would shove racers in the fast group (I imagine ???)

Frank

Organisers would try to move racers into the fast group, but you choose which group to go in when you book. THe first TD I did had racers in the Novices to begin with, because it was a New Era weekend an on the Friday they took any remaining TD spaces that were left.

a lot of TD companies want a DVLA licence, even if you have a race licence