my first track day at donnington...

[Tomcat]

Well I have finally booked for my first track day, on Saturday 27/10/07, and after all this lovely weather it has forcast rain, great!

Still excited though :D:D:D

[G]

Have fun, your braver then me lol

I'm waiting until i have gauranteed weather for my first proper bike trackday.

Donnington is supposed to be super sticky in the dry but in the wet a bugger because of the unburnt fuel from the landing flight path above......all speculation from what others have said, no first hand experience of it.

[Skip]

I did a trackday at Donington a couple of weeks ago - it really is a mind blowing circuit! Only corner you really need to have your wits about you is Coppice - loads of people went off there as you need to have tipped the bike in before you can see where the corner is going! :eek: Take the first session nice and slow so you know where everything goes - by the end of the day you will be totally in love with it as I was!
:smt060

[Tomcat]

Have been watching stuff on u tube, but have decided to leave that alone now and just concentrate on enjoying it and learning it when I'm there! Have been checking my bike over, everything is fine, except I am fitting new rear brake pads tomorrow, will have to bed them in on the way up there!

Hoping to sort out a video so I can be a sad cow and watch it at home (and show the kids!), be nice to put my bike (and me) through its paces without worrying about something pulling out on me! :D

[Skip]

I hunted high on and low on YouTube etc for a video that conveys the elevation changes and nothing will prepare you for it! Coming down the Craner Curves you see bikes in front of you almost disappear! :eek:

[weazelz]

donington is fantastic - you'll have a blast I guarantee :D

[stewie]

Hey Esther, how,dya get on at Donnington then ?

[DanAbnormal]

Cool. I really must do this track. My first track day was on the Nurburgring in the p*ssing rain. Still, the way I see it everything else will be easy now! :rolleyes:

[dirtydog]

I hunted high on and low on YouTube etc for a video that conveys the elevation changes and nothing will prepare you for it! Coming down the Craner Curves you see bikes in front of you almost disappear! :eek:


Oh yeah! I did Donny in september and it was awesome!

[Tomcat]

Abosolutely fantastic day. Very greasey to start, got some nice jiggles off the cbr. Then dried out nicely. My average lap time was 2.30 over the full circuit, which is not bad for a first time on a bog standard cbr600f (IMHO!) Video camera failed and pictures not great, but will post the few I got.

Loved it, nice to be aggressive without thinking about trucks!

Other half is sick of hearing about it now ... poor him, I am going to go on for days and days and days ....... thumbs up to him though, pit man, caterer, physio, and best mate :D:D

[dirtydog]

Favourite corner?
Least favourite corner?

come on you know you're dying to tell us all about it! ;)

[Tomcat]

ok!

First: Redgate .... lovely, sweepy, Love love love the craner, old hairpin and that whole section ... Mcleans is a bit naughty ..... coppice once you get the feel is sweet, dunlop straight is shorter then I expected and with the foggarty esses straight from that you have to brake really hard ( gear changes were exciting at this point also!) The Melbourne hairpin took a few laps to suss, but was fun every time .... again hard on the brakes, be brave to get down the gears, and kick ass out of it! Then finally through goddards, again a tricky corner but great for hanging off! Will post pics this afternoon.


I loved every second, but the first season was naughty, very very greasy and a couple of binned bikes for some unlucky souls!

My bike did me proud, and it was a real thrill to hear it screaming out for more! !!! :winner:

Anyone thinking about it just do it .... once you are out on your bike, nerves leave you behind and you just want to blast it:smt118

[Tomcat]

As I say video didnt work, which I was gutted about, and the professional photographer never turned up ... so all in all phtographic evidence is sparce!!

Before the first outing, very excited

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h192/tomcat_photos/donnington271007060.jpg

[Tomcat]

Wet lap at first, but certainly exciting:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h192/tomcat_photos/donnington271007062.jpg

Drying out nicely and I'm coming out of melbourne hairpin:

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h192/tomcat_photos/donnington271007073.jpg


Through the straight before Redgate:

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h192/tomcat_photos/donnington271007080.jpg


:winner::D

[Blue_SV650S]

Congrats :smt023

Donny is nasty in the wet (unless it has had a good soak and washed the avgas away already) ... anyhoo, sounds like it dried out for you though as the day went on!! 8)

So when is your next one?!? :riding:


I want to do Silverstone GP next week, but no one will be my friend* and go too :smt012


*as I have done a few trackdays, there is little novelty of just going round, so for me it is always more fun if someone I know is RIDING too! :smt087 So I can burn them up!! :D

[lukemillar]

*as I have done a few trackdays, there is little novelty of just going round, so for me it is always more fun if someone I know is RIDING too! :smt087 So I can burn them up!! :D

You wish!

I'm doing Eastern Creek, Sydney on the 8th December if you fancy it.

[Blue_SV650S]

You wish!

I'm doing Eastern Creek, Sydney on the 8th December if you fancy it.

How cool would that be!!! :smt023

Managed to find someone who wants to go now ... so gonna book nearer the time 8)