mixed up practice
 

Is it really necessary to mix up the practice groups- are we on our own, or say with 125cc's etc, a smaller group than the others?

It just seems logical to keep the bike speeds as compatible as possible- surely it can't be any better for the rookies on 600cc and 1000cc 4s being mixed in with us- must be much better for them to practice with the same guys they will be racing the next day. It does say in the small print that novices can book their own cc group if they feel their pace is appropriate. They are certainly going to learn much more towards the class they are racing there than tangling with our totally different type of riding.

Have there been any conversations with hottrax along these lines already?

Not sure who point you're making? Other than trackdayersthe bigger boys tend to be in their own session

The groups at booking say no novices in the 600 and 1000 groups (but then contradict that in smallprint at bottom).
At oulton it said acu license holders only, so who were the 4s screaming by on wets? (one of whom took chris clarke out from behind on friday, and he's far from the slow end our pace after all..)

So they ,mixed the groups again with DD and the axe murderers again? Or are they the novice vested guys on larger bikes? How would you like hottrax to sort it? Not sure there are enough Dd to fill a group on their own, so have to mix with someone

Well Put

At a track hire cost in the region of £20k for the day at Oulton Hottrax will need to maximise the amount of people per group. Each of the 4 groups needs to bring in around £5000.

I think its around 60 allowed per group so DD riders that took part in Friday's practice filled around 35% to 40% of the spaces available with probably 20 to 25 of us booked in. So less than half of what is needed to cover the Green groups costs.

So Yes it is necessary to mix others in with us and as the practice Schedule sheet said it should have been Rookies and other small capacity bikes.

So what the SBK guys were doing in the group I don't know and that goes for a few others also, a situation made worse when its sodden track and they're on Wets and we are on our Road based tyres

And from what I heard yes something was said about the situation

Group - ONE All bikes over 750cc (No Novices)
Group - TWO All bikes over 599cc and under 749cc (No Novices)
Group - THREE All Ducati Desmo Due, Novices and smaller capacity bikes

I just booked group three as it says all Desmo Due and I'm desperately trying to still be part of Desmo Due in 1C.
I would get raped in group one and cause the same efect to them, I could go in group two but says under 749cc.
My best Race time was 2:03 on a 996 ( all of us on full wets on a dry drying / dry track & all of us sufering from rear overheating slides )which is the same pace as Angry in DD class A
But if a load of you feel I'm in the wrong group let me know being an Ex A & B rider I give you the room and if your daft enough to follow me into a corner on wets then DUH. I dont want to crash anymore than anyone else.
My Wet time in race 2 was a 2:13 on full wets compared to Angry again on a 2:28

Craig

You're showing off now Craig ;)

Stay where you are mate, in the dry you're at about our pace....look at race 1 with Paul Baleta

Have to say I had no problems on the Friday at Oulton

Novice riders present no problem regardless of the capacity of their bike

And anyone on wets should have no problems getting by (in the wet)

I'd of been tempted to sling a pair on but I had to get used to the poxy road tyres :lol:

And you will always get the odd ******* regardless

Was that Chris at Brittens?

Guess that answers my question-I get that the books need to balance and don't know how many are in the other groups-which is why i mentioned the group sizes in the beginning-
I was guessing 40ish may have been a reasonable track group- which if we were all in and any others who feel comfortable with it as right pace wouldn't be so far off the mark-

Just thought it may be as relevant to safety as the wets discussions- and wondered what the story with it was. If our group is much smaller than the others it's unavoidable, but if it's not then the 4cyls may be better off if their own groups.