Famous at last... kind of.

[Paul the 6th]

Yes, my time has come, I'm now a published rider. Except I'll be going under a pseudonym..... Paul Wilton, instead of Paul Wilson. Muppets!

Page 65 & 67 of November 2010 edition of Bike magazine. It's on sale in the shops next week - pm me if you want to arrange a signed copy.





Still, managed to get half an a4 page with me as the main attention whoore

I shall buy a copy and post it to you for signage! Lol

You better become famous now!

Is it just me that finds this whole Reclaim the Track thing very amusing.

First of all, road bikes can't reclaim the track because it was never their's. They can claim it, but not reclaim it.

Next, the whole idea of a Track bike is to change the bits that are
A) shortcoming for the track and
B) remove the expensive road bodywork, lights, indicators etc. and replace it with cheaper track stuff so its not expensive to fix if it goes down the road.

Its called common sense!

I'd have loved to go along just to laugh hysterically at the idots who'd binned it with their expensive road kit still in place Pointing out repeatedly that they should have taken it off until they got really mad and threw their toy out of the pram.

Not you Paul, obviously, you're famous. I don't want to upset you, you're bigger than me!

[Paul the 6th]

Fatter doesn't = bigger carl, just wider lol..

I think alot of regular trackday riders & club racers have gotten quite upset at the 'reclaim our tracks' feature - it's not about taking the tracks back (FREEDOM!!) or even having a pop at regular trackday addicts, it was just a day for people who haven't been so keen on the idea of attending a trackday because everyone else will be faster/more advanced..

By making it road bike only, there were no trackbikes with slicks or tyre warmers so everyone was on the same song sheet at the start of each session. Alot of people did take their numberplates and bodywork off once they'd been noise tested and signed on - you didn't HAVE to keep the bike in full road trim, it just had to be of road going spec in order to attend.

Also, my first and only track experience prior to this one was a track evening at cadwell. The 'fast group' was full so all the fully race prepped bikes with slicks & tyre warmers went in the novice group. I didn't enjoy it one bit because:

a) I was a complete novice with super fast riders passing VERY closely to me on the inside & outside before/during/after corners
b) all the track bikes were packed tightly together and saw me as an obstacle to pass at all costs
c) a nob-end on a ducati nearly had me off as he passed me on the apex and then slammed on, all because he was trying to keep up with his mates - how I missed his back tyre I'll never know
d) Everyone was racing. I could have understood if were competing for a trophy or prize money but we weren't being timed or having our positions in the group logged..

Also, on the track evening, when everyone was stood round preparing their bikes they all had this mean looking 1000-yard stare in their eyes while they rev'd their bikes once every 2 seconds for about 20 minutes, because that's what they do at BSB on Eurosport and I think they were indulging in the fantasy that they were running their own team or something maybe?

On the bike magazine day, everyone was stood around chatting giving advice how on how the fastest guy in novice was carrying so much speed/turning in points/how we were all shatting our pants over the mountain etc... it was a very friendly and supportive atmostphere.

Regular trackday = visordown style forum full of idiots....
Reclaim our tracks trackday = just like the org with a great atmosphere.

If you don't like it you can f*** off.

[dizzyblonde]

Page hogger. Its just me me me me

I don't recognise that. Thats not how its been on the track days I've been on but then I'm usually not in novices. Hell, we do more standing around chatting and taking the micky in the race paddock than we ever did in the Track day paddock.

I understand the newbie hesitation/overwhelmed/imtimidated thing and I sympathise. It can be a daunting thing going on the track for the first time and you don't need nutters out there at the same time. For me, the staff should be timing the laps and anyone thats going far faster/has a smaller knob that needs enhancement by passing loads of newbies etc., should be bumped up a group, whether they like it or not.

If its perfectly clear they should be in thew group above then they should be moved to the group above.

Were tyre warmers banned?

I would really fancy getting the Bucket Daytime MOT'd and getting on one of these days with the (road) number plate still on it in the fast group!

Me and Mad Tony hatched a plan to get both our race bikes MOT'd and head up to Hartside together and take on anyone that fancied it. They'd take one look at the bikes, the tyres, the sliders and the pegs and shrink back for another coffee Something to keep us occupied in the off season

It'd be a bloody good day out but we'd probably get stopped a dozen times by the plod, there and back!

C

[Paul the 6th]

Originally Posted by Berlin

........

If its perfectly clear they should be in thew group above then they should be moved to the group above.

Were tyre warmers banned?

C

yeah that's the way I thought it would be on my track evening but I think the organisers didn't really care tbh.

The only requirements were that your bike had lights and a numberplate - but that didn't stop people turning up and then taking their numberplate/indicators off. Some people even turned up with their roadbikes in the back of their van with a generator, paddock stand, tyre warmers etc... they still had a headlight and that seemed to be enough. If you could cover up your imaginary headlights with headlight shaped gaffa tape patches then I doubt they'd notice tbh..There's another one on 15th october at cadwell www.clubmsv.co.uk/bikemagazine


One thing I have noticed is that ALOT of regular trackday goers have kicked up a massive fuss about the name 'reclaim our tracks' - 3 of these events have been run this year, in comparison with hundreds of normal trackdays taking up the rest of the calendar. It's not like the regular trackday format is being erroded for everyone else, these are just some one off days for people who don't want the added pressure associated with normal td's

Its all about Psychology and Marketing. Who would sign up for a trackday for riders "too carp to be in the novice group"? (and thats not what I'm saying it is, that's what Bike Mag. is not saying it is. If that makes sense ? )

So they name it "Road Riders" only and ban track day bikes, Use the word "Reclaim" to make it a Gladatorial victory for the absolute beginner over seasoned veterans and get more sales. Someone who has never been near a track getting one over on someone who's never away from it. Its Ego reversal.

I love Marketing In other passtimes and sports they are called "Introduction days" or events. That way the person who is nervous about attending has the Opt out of saying "I didn't like it" without a loss of face. They don't have to face up to the fact that they were carp, especially in front of others and they can just melt away.

This is why regular track day riders are getting all heated about it. Their Egos have been reversed. They have been knocked off the top spot by Bike magazine. Now they want Their Gladatorial victory back.

... and the Club racers just laugh at them. Want to see how big your cahunas are boys? Come racing!

I got the biggest slap in the chops I think I've ever had when I jumped from running well in the fast groupt to my first outing on the track! The pace was absolutely gobsmacking! 20% faster than I'd ever considered in the fast group on a track day!

I remember one guy at Cadwell on a CBR600RR who was absolutely wiping the floor with everyone and 10% faster than any other bike there (including the thous'). I went to talk to him and he was an "Ex Racer" who wasn't on the pace any more (from a serious back injury) and had dropped back down to the fast group. And he was eating everyone for breakfast!

Reality check!

C

Sorry for the derail BTW.

Can I have your autograph? .. on a cheque? Just leave the rest blank. I'll fill that bit in

[BIGSTEVE]

Arrived in post today, thought I recognised that baby face