mac99 .. track day write up please

[anna]

.. So I get a txt telling me how great it is.. now I want the full write up and pictures.. there will be trouble if you didnt take any

OK, a write up.
First I went to Quarry Corner & turned right, then to the esses, jinked right then left, down to Tower corner, turned right, through the chicane at Bobbies etc etc. Ha ha ha ha.

This was the trackday at Castle Combe we were originally going to do in July. I'd postponed it till the 6th of September, but only remembered about it last week. . But for a a £20 rearrangement fee they moved it till today. Which was very nice of them.

The joining instructions were to get there by 8:00am. I got there bang on the dot of 8:30.
I've never done a track day before, so didn't know what to expect, and have nothing to compare it to, but it seemed very well run. 20 minute briefing followed by a sighting lap where you follow an instructor round at a sensible pace. There were 5 groups, of I think 12 people each. Unlike most other places, the groups were not divided by ability, but mixed ability depending solely on when you signed in. I was in group 5. . This sounds like it would be a problem, with the racers buzzing the newbies, but it wasn't for me nor any of the other first timers I spoke to. I got done on the inside a couple of times in my first session but they were a couple of yards away, it's not like we were swapping paint or anything. Didn't feel pressured or intimidated at all. You have the option of wearing a fetching blue vest with 'Track Day virgin, please be gentle' or words to that effect written on the back. I kept mine on all day, though I sure some people saw it as a point of honour that they had to get past, even if it was on the last corner after the checkered flag.
Instructors are available for free, you just have a word before the session starts, mention anything in particular you want to work on, and they show you round. I took advantage of this for one session, as I couldn't work out how to do the new chicane just before Camp Corner. His words to me were 'Don't worry, nobody can' . Which is true. Every other corner has an obvious line that all of the good riders at least stick to. This new artificial chicane (bybrook? , overbrook?) was only put in recently at the request of I think he said Michael Rutter, and no two people handle it in the same way. Even the racers and instructors enter it at widely differing angles. But I digress.

I can't remember how many sessions we got, I think it was 6. Sessions seemed to be 10 minutes in the morning and slightly longer in the afternoon. By the end of the day a lot of people had gone home early and the groups were under capacity. So they let you go out again with another group if you wanted. This meant that the final session of the day was basically everybody who was left. I really liked this as it let you ride with some different people, and more importantly let me know that I wasn't really slow, I was average. I'd just had a lot of very fast people in my group.

Originally Posted by anna

now I want the full write up and pictures.. there will be trouble if you didnt take any

Sorry, didn't take any pictures as I'm rubbish at riding one handed, and I find it difficult to press the shutter with my cold weather gloves on. There was photographer there, and he was very good, but he wanted £5 per picture on a CD, with a minimum of 4. I asked if I could just have all of my shots on a CD for £20, and he said no. So he lost £20. I didn't look very cool in my blue vest anyway.

Here's a shot of my rear instead . This doesn't really capture its full glory as I'd ridden the 25 miles back home, and it was taken in the dark with flash. But still, this is what you'll get if mess with me, you damm dirty chicken strips!


So overall, I thoroughly recommend a track day at Castle Combe. There's one left this year I think, but we got very lucky with the weather today, late October may be pushing it.

Nice one mac99, if you'r doing another one ... probably next year I might give it a go... on what ever I'm riding then

[anna]

Thanks for the write up not that you were bullied into it or anything however if you will say the words "I am the worlds greatest rider" please expect to be picked on

hahaha you didnt think I would quote you did you

pleased to hear that your day went well. .. I'm not at all jealous

[_Stretchie_]

Originally Posted by mac99

Here's a shot of my rear instead

Err... Nice rear mate....

Look no hands... And you thought you'd heard the last of that one..!!!

I'm well jealous, sounds like you had a great day. I was GUTTED when you sent me that text