Road Atlanta Sportbike Tracktime track footage : Suzuki GSX-R Motorcycle Forums: Gixxer.com

Moto_Joe · 06-22-2009, 10:00 PM

A few vids I put together from this weekend at Road Atlanta

I was lead instructor for Novice saturday, so later in the day I went out in Intermediate to get up to speed. It was hot, and I was tired, and didnt feel like getting in the way of Advanced... not to mention I was going to be coaching intermediate sunday, so I could get an idea of the pace.

then sunday afternoon, while coaching Intermediate something scary happened. Toejam and I were both coaching, but didnt have a rider needing help at the moment, so we were just circulating seeing if anyone needed help. We came up on a rider in T5, and apparently he missed a shift and went to a false neutral. Rather than go UP a gear (which is what you should do) he tried to go down again, and went down one gear too far. This effectively stopped his forward progress, and stepped the rear out. ............ Toejam missed him. I did not.

Neither of us crashed though, and damage was minimal

Later in the day, I decided to go out in advanced, and see what I could do. First part we all get in one warmup lap, then start to pick up the pace, I blow T3... shit happens....... then at the end of the second lap, Red flag.

after the redflag I go back out and do some battle with some liter bikes......... damn things kill me on the straight, but I hold my own. By now though I have been on track for about 40 minutes, and am tired..... so I go in after about 3-4 laps I think.

Taht is basically all I have. But I did put together a little fun clip, of some passes on Toejam

. To be fair he had no idea I was coming

, and was not running hard, since he was coaching at the time. But it still was funny, especially since I wheelied past him on the rumble strips on one of them

. I actually did it to him in the SAME spot about 4-5 times

. Only got two on video. But like I said, he was not running full pace either.

**Elfling** · 06-22-2009, 10:15 PM

God, that just looks- and sounds- amazing.

**used2Bfast** · 06-22-2009, 10:28 PM

Thanks. Brings back lots of memories.

Course still looks about the same cept the big chicane where Gravity cavity was. At least the way you were running it.

**WJGSXR** · 06-22-2009, 10:29 PM

Looks like a fun weekend.

**Lil4cyl** · 06-22-2009, 10:49 PM

Joe,

Got a couple of questions.

1) Which camera setup do you use and mount?

2) I cannot wait to do my first track day when I heal up. I have been riding 3 yrs, and in my opinion, can ride pretty decent on the street(lat ride to the mountains, had edges of tires peeling a little).. So I am using all my tires. Question is, I have heard that Novice is very limited on speed etc, and may not be that fun riding wise. With a few year under my belt, would Intermediate be a good class to start? Or would I have to be paced by an instructor to determine where I could start? I was planning on going to Road Atlanta this summer before the accident... out of commision another 3 months or so, but would love to try to make a September event if my ankle heals up good enough.

Thanks in advance for your advice!

**TerribleONE923** · 06-22-2009, 11:02 PM

that makes me want to do a trackday so bad

**jlizardo08gsxr600** · 06-23-2009, 12:30 AM

ohhhh the sound!

**Countryboy** · 06-23-2009, 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lil4cyl

Joe,

Got a couple of questions.

1) Which camera setup do you use and mount?

2) I cannot wait to do my first track day when I heal up. I have been riding 3 yrs, and in my opinion, can ride pretty decent on the street(lat ride to the mountains, had edges of tires peeling a little).. So I am using all my tires. Question is, I have heard that Novice is very limited on speed etc, and may not be that fun riding wise. With a few year under my belt, would Intermediate be a good class to start? Or would I have to be paced by an instructor to determine where I could start? I was planning on going to Road Atlanta this summer before the accident... out of commision another 3 months or so, but would love to try to make a September event if my ankle heals up good enough.

Thanks in advance for your advice!

hes using a gopro hero wide and it apears he moved the mound to the front.

2)you will start in novice. the track is a whole new ball game. if you are fast enough to be bumped up the instructors will let you know

**Ernie1060** · 06-23-2009, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lil4cyl

Joe,

Got a couple of questions.

1) Which camera setup do you use and mount?

2) I cannot wait to do my first track day when I heal up. I have been riding 3 yrs, and in my opinion, can ride pretty decent on the street(lat ride to the mountains, had edges of tires peeling a little).. So I am using all my tires. Question is, I have heard that Novice is very limited on speed etc, and may not be that fun riding wise. With a few year under my belt, would Intermediate be a good class to start? Or would I have to be paced by an instructor to determine where I could start? I was planning on going to Road Atlanta this summer before the accident... out of commision another 3 months or so, but would love to try to make a September event if my ankle heals up good enough.

Thanks in advance for your advice!

using "all your tires" on the street is in no way an indicator that you belong in any specific group at the track... if u have never been on a track, for the safety of everyone involved (all other riders there) start out in novice...

from my experience there is no limit to how fast u can go in novice, the only difference is passing, and that is up to the organization hosting the track day...

besides, u get a feel for the track, and an instructor can show u the proper lines, because the track is actually built around a specific line and i guarantee that u wont know it without some help... if u belong in intermediate group u will be bumped up... but dont think of it as a bad thing if it doesnt happen on ur first track day... just have fun and dont worry about what group ur in to start

**denso1** · 06-23-2009, 02:47 AM

Sweet videos Joe. Thanks for sharing with us.

**soysauce021** · 06-23-2009, 02:52 AM

damn I want to ride that track now

awesome vids Joe

**ant f** · 06-23-2009, 04:43 AM

that is a nice flowing track although it looks kind of dangerous going under that bridge and that corner onto the victory straight. Nice wall on the outside there!

rear ended by an instructor!!! think id be asking the organisation to foot the bill for my repairs!!

anyway nice vids thanks for posting Joe!!

Moto_Joe · 06-23-2009, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by used2Bfast

Thanks. Brings back lots of memories.

Course still looks about the same cept the big chicane where Gravity cavity was. At least the way you were running it.

yeah, we ran the "old" config, which is what there was after the cavity was removed.

In the first advanced vid, where I run off in lap two, they normally use that chicane now, and if you look pay attention on pit out, that is what they normally use for T12, it is a 90 degree turn at the bottom of the thill now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lil4cyl

Joe,

Got a couple of questions.

1) Which camera setup do you use and mount?

2) I cannot wait to do my first track day when I heal up. I have been riding 3 yrs, and in my opinion, can ride pretty decent on the street(lat ride to the mountains, had edges of tires peeling a little).. So I am using all my tires. Question is, I have heard that Novice is very limited on speed etc, and may not be that fun riding wise. With a few year under my belt, would Intermediate be a good class to start? Or would I have to be paced by an instructor to determine where I could start? I was planning on going to Road Atlanta this summer before the accident... out of commision another 3 months or so, but would love to try to make a September event if my ankle heals up good enough.

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Speed has nothing to do with it. You need to learn track etiquette, lines, proper fundamentals etc. Sign up in novice your first weekend. I guarantee you will learn more in your first trackday about how to pilot your bike than you have the entire time you have been riding.

**budlightnmyhand** · 06-23-2009, 06:17 AM

That looks like an awesome time!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do you have to do anything special besides tape up your headlight and tail lights to do a track day?????

Moto_Joe · 06-23-2009, 06:54 AM

For the "novice" group, not really. Tape or remove the mirrors, Tape all lights and reflectors, tape wheel weights, and have good tires and a bike in good mechanical shape.......... have full leathers (two piece must zip all the way around) gauntlet gloves, tall boots and helmet. Back and chest protector are not mandatory I dont think, but highly suggested.

**Lil4cyl** · 06-23-2009, 10:30 AM

Thanks for the replies guys. Good points in all of them. Can't wait to be able to make it to a track day. I guess the closest ones to me would be Road Atlanta or CMP.

**gpmotoparts** · 06-23-2009, 10:54 AM

wow the second video is pretty nuts...glad you guys didn't crash. looks like the camera is ok

Moto_Joe · 06-23-2009, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gpmotoparts

wow the second video is pretty nuts...glad you guys didn't crash. looks like the camera is ok

yeah, the camera survived just fine.

. Im glad too, it is brand new basically

.

i wish the heat would have held off so I could go out and burn some laps in advanced more. But I just did not have the energy for 40min sessions, which is what I have to do. I HAVE to be in whatever grup I am coaching.

njracer · 06-23-2009, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ant f

rear ended by an instructor!!!

He does bat for the other team......but I always thought he liked to catch.

Moto_Joe · 06-23-2009, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ant f

that is a nice flowing track although it looks kind of dangerous going under that bridge and that corner onto the victory straight. Nice wall on the outside there!

rear ended by an instructor!!! think id be asking the organisation to foot the bill for my repairs!!

anyway nice vids thanks for posting Joe!!

That is why they dont use that config anymore usually. where we are pitting at, is the way the new T12 goes, Straight down the hill to a nearly 90 degree turn at the bottom with no walls.

As to the impact. There was no damage to his bike. But even if there were, "you" would have no leg to stand on with the video evidence of what happened. It is clearly HIS fault. Just because I am an instructor, doesnt make me some god that can magically beam my bike from behind you, to beside you in a situation like that. There simply was nowhere to go..... I dont care how talented a rider.