First time riding Gunther in 2019!!
CHANGES SINCE LAST YEAR:
- tire warmers (O.M.G.)
- generator for tire warmers
- back to stock gearing
- new helmet
- new leather suit
Tecnicomoto’s friend invited us to a trackday at BlackHawk Farms Raceway while he got used to his new motorcycle (a sexy shmexy new Duc), so we decided to use this trackday as a warmup before our first race of the year at New Jersey Motorsports Park with AHRMA.
Conditions were a little chilly in the morning and the track was a little slippery, but it turned into a glorious day in the afternoon as the track heated up and the moisture evaporated.
Blackhawk is a pretty short track, so Tecnicomoto wasn’t really happy about not being able to get on the power of his 848 for very long… but Gunther loves short tracks like this.
This particular track day was also the ChiVin Vintage Track Day, so there were quite a few riders from the Chicago vintage community out there riding- many of them were sorting out their bikes for racing, but many were also doing their very first track day ever! (awwwwwww <3) Because of this, the normal grouping was a little off- the group that would normally be Advanced riders as actually the Vintage riders. That left two intermediate classes to ride in. I chose the slower of the two Intermediate groups, while Tecnicomoto chose the faster.
I normally choose an intermediate group when in a trackday setting because I’m worried about the speed differentials. Basically, I’m scared of bikes behind me being much faster and hitting me because they don’t realize that I’m slower- but I’ll probably start choosing an Advanced group soon. Because as it turns out, I’m really not slower where I was always worried I’d get hit… I’m usually faster in turns and get passed like a little leaf on a straight.
After the first session, a couple coaches came by and asked me if I wanted to be bumped up to the faster group. It’s really nice to be complimented on my passing skillz (which I’m working really hard at!), but I declined. At a track, it’s SO MUCH easier it is to have someone else help you with taking off tire warmers and getting the bike off of the stands. (And turning on my lap timer, and giving me a thumbs up before I ride away…) If I was in the same riding group as Tecnicomoto, I’d lose my helper!
Things I need to work on:
- passing (as always, gotta learn to get closer)
- brake less into T1
- listening to track coaches when they say not to pass on the inside
- avoid the weird mile-high kerbing at T6
- loosen up my inside shoulder, drop the inside elbow, drop my head more
Things I did pretty OK at:
- passing into T3 and the exit of T5
- remembering to turn on my lap timer
