[skidlids]

I have found my racing has helped restore my confidence on the road as it has allowed me to explore the limits of my own abilities and those of the bike and tyres in a fairly safe enviroment.
After decades on the roads I have built up a good awareness of what is happening around me, but following a few accidents, one resulting in a broken fema and another in fractured and crushed vertabrae I found my confidence had taken a knock. This really highlighted itself when out riding with the same mates that I had been riding with for the past 15 years, suddenly I wasn't prepared to follow them through corners at the same speed as I use to prior to the accidents and found I was getting in the way of those following behind me to the point where I would wave them through. They were all very understanding and never moaned about having to wait for me.
It was myself that wasn't happy with the way I was riding so I decided I needed to do something about it. As I was already spannering for a couple of them at Club races it made sense for me to have a go myself. My first race meeting I did 4 races finished last in 3 of them and next to last in the other thanks to the guy in front running of the track and rejoining behind me. I am glad to say that I have improved since thenbut still do not consider myself fast on the race track as my survival instinct governs my corner speed although I do get it wrong sometimes and up up on the floor but at least I can put my finger on why I crashed, more often than not I made a mistake usually riding beyond my limits.
All this has restored my confidence in what a bike is able to do so when coupled with my experience of decades of reading the roads it allows me to ride the roads faster than I did a few years back, althogh I still believe I'm not as fast as when I was a reckless teenager, thankfully there was know where near as much traffic around in those days so all the silly crashes on roundabouts etc I walked away from ( would have been less if they had folding footpegs in those days and if Avon SMs had more grip)

So yes riding on the track can help your road riding, but there are a lot of differences between the two and certain elements have to be seperated out. As I have explained to people just starting racing they know how to ride a bike they now have to learn to race and as Weeksy found out this can be a painful lesson, it took me a while and one day I may get it right.
Main thing is ride safe and enjoy yourself no matter where you ride or what your riding

Kev