Track day conflict.

I know many have experienced track days and others plan to participate at some time in this activity. The link I have placed below might provide some food for thought and see some alter their mental chip a little. It is a thread that goes on for a few pages with a rather disputed incident at the root of it all.

Be interesting to see what you think.

http://www.ducatisportingclub.com/sh...ad.php?t=54221

250 rider sounds like a prze tw@. it sounds like highly questionable riding on a regular trackday lap - let alone on the slowdown/chequered-flag lap

[G]

DAMN IT, only got through reading the first page before my works lunchtime slack period of internet policing switched off at 2pm.

Sounds like he was taking some big risks, I have only ever taken part in car trackdays where generally you dont overtake in corners, you indicated and let faster cars by on straights etc etc.

Nowt like reading that to put you off your first bike trackday though.

Also sounds alot like 'mine is bigger than yours' arguement

I dont really see why such a big deal was made of the bikes driven. The old Duc vrs Jap head being reared again there.

As I saw it, there were two bikes, and one apex. And both of them wanted to be there. Your man on the 250 was going quicker through the corner, thought he could make it, and clipped the Duc on the way passed, who went down on your man's rear wheel.

That is clear.
If he came down on the front wheel (as some were claiming), 250 would have been laid out on the tarmac too.

But regardless of 250 / Duc996, the fact of the matter is, no matter what you are driving, two people do not fit into the same apex.
Guy on the Duc was probably taking it handy, last lap and all that, guy on the 250 was driving the bollix out of it, cause he saw Duc, tried to squeeze through, screwed it up, knocked your man off.

It is really almost completely 250s fault, no matter what he was driving he does have control of what he was doing.
In (slim) defense of the 250, I would say that your man on the Duc was easing up, but holding his lines still, not expecting some guy to try squirming up the inside. Not surprisingly.

As for a "yawning 2 foot gap", that really is rubbish. Its a track day. Not a race. Idiots like that are what keeps people away from tracks. A bike is say 4 foot high, leaned over a two foot gap has them touching. 6 foot, like the rules say, is a reasonable track day gap.
250 clearly broke the rules, also drove like a muppet it seems, and was rightfully blamed.
Shame about the carnage.

trackday rules are also, usually, no overtaking on the final, chequered flag lap. I think MSV run that rule

in any case, regardless, trackday rules are "no stuffing it up the inside"

I only read the two main posts (by the two concerend) none of the follow up, so I might have missed some of the stuff ... anyway ... Mr Duke is disillusioned if he things a 250GP bike is no match for a Duke rund cadders ... he looses major marks for antagonising Mr 250 by calling his bike 'a little 250' ... what a twonk!! an x-BSB 996 .... for trackdays ... belittling GP250s ... Is this a classic case of small genitalia, large wallet??

Anyway, if it was the slowdown lap, Mr 250 was in the wrong, its pretty simple. He should have got a stern warning/telling off from the TD company ... if he is a repeat offender ... indeed ban him, if he isn't the slap his wrist, anyone/everyone can get carried away in the moment and make a mistake (once).

However this constant 'its not a race' thing is boll0x ... if you got taken out on the cooldown lap at a race meet that is still inexcusable ... why would that be ok??? ... so I don' see the relevance ...

If you do trackdays, you have to accept you might crash, be it through your own actions or those of others ..

A slowdown lap incident is going to sting a bit though ... Mr Duke has reason to be peeved ... but Mr Duke needs be brought down a peg ... if he really is that experienced/fast, this can;t be the first time he has been taken out ... be peeved, but sort it out dude!! Mr 250, learn from this and after the flag give people a bit more room ... simple ...

Mr 250, It was on the cool down lap, apologize and eat humble pie ... if it was on a 'proper' lap, then he could argue more if it was 'too close' or not .. cooldown lap ... its a no-brainier ... he has done wrong ...

Blue you really should read more of the thread, there is a lot more relevant info that gets mentioned. Particularly the fact that the Ducati had overtaken the 250 on the same lap but had then slowed down so as not to pressurise a bike in front of him.

I'm not sure he looks down his nose at the 250 as after all anyone that questions the cornering speed of a 250 race bike compared with anything bigger is a fool. The main reason Moto GP bikes are faster today is their straight line advantage and not their cornering advantage over the 250's.

I think the Ducati guy is an experienced and non BS kind of guy tbh. Did you alos note the 250 rider looked back immediately after the corner in question? And that he was explaining quite strongly to marshalls what he believed had happened?

My point to start thsi thread originally was more to allow people to consider their own actions and maybe speed when attending track days. Many go at the sessions like wanna be racers when track days are NOT for that at all.

Sounds like the guy on the 250 was reckless and should admit responsiblity.

However, isn't it true that one of the risks of a trackday is that you could come off and trash your pride and joy and even worse do yourself some damage. I don't think it's right that somebody should protest too much when their bike gets trashed and they are injured, no matter who was to blame.

Yeah, the Duc guy was not at all snotty to the 250 guy about his bike, or was he really questioning that they were quick around the bends. A few of the other lads in the thread were pulling rank on him a bit, but the driver seemed pretty matter of fact about it. He seemed like a very reasonable guy.

mr Duke

"You may have been riding a “250 GP bike” but I was riding an ex factory 996RS and trust me, it’s the faster bike and I can’t believe it’s that much slower in the corners."

"I am also at a complete loss as to why you thought that your 250 bike would be any match for a full blown factory 996"

"Does your little 250 give you a feeling of inferiority?"


Hummm ... am I the only one that saw those comments???

Remember ... I agree, it was the on the slowdown lap 250 was 'at fault', that is not in question .. he should hold his hand up not try and explain it away (it is less clear cut if it was during a proper lap - we would have had to have been there to judge properly), tail between legs time!! ... but who the hell does Mr Duke think he is?

Like I said if he has been around that much, then he should - sure be peeved - but you have to shrug it off ...

Basically I need to get out there and learn them both Blue_ styleee on my sh1tty SV650!!!

p.s. I don't need to read the rest of their thread to get the gist of what happened ... well I certainly don't care enough to do so!!