My first trackday!

Where do I start... the whole reason I bought my GSX-R600 was to get back on the race track and get that adrenaline pumping threw my veins again after 6 years absent of drifting in my 180sx. I bought my bike in May of this year having owned the exact same bike 3-4 years ago. Initially I wanted to get a Ducati 848 (still do) but opted for the Suzuki mainly because it was half the price but also because it made more sense to have less power and learn to ride this fast before increasing the power. This time I was buying the bike solely to do track days and learn to ride the bike around the track and fast around the track! I have kept the bike road registered so I can ride on the road and just have time on the bike to build comfort and confidence. 

Since I bought the bike in May I have done approximately 3000k's mostly threw the hills which has been great fun and very relaxing :) 

To get on the track its a must to wear full leathers (whether it be a 1 piece suit or 2 piece connected by a zip), leather gloves, boots and of course a helmet. I already had a leather jacket, gloves and helmet so I thought I would buy a 1-piece suit and some boots. Seeing as I was really happy with my jacket I kept to the same brand Dainese. After deciding which boots I placed a order only to be emailed saying they wont be available in my size until December :( and because I don’t want to downgrade on the style of boot I thought to myself I will just wait to get what I want but in the meantime get the 1 piece suit first (which they had in stock). The 3-week wait seemed like forever.... but when I had that box in my hot little hands it felt like Christmas. Obviously the first thing I did was put it on and boy did I feel like I was a MotoGP rider... and my fiancée was like your a dickhead lol.

Helmet, leathers, gloves, sneakers not a chance I’d be caught dead riding in that combination but being eager to get on the bike in my new kit I called my best mate Dim and asked him to bring his boots around!

After taking the bike out with my full kit on I was ready. Ready to hit the track again.

A bunch of friends and I headed down to Phillip island but this time I would just be spectating at the MotoGP.  In the expo they had a stand to book in the track day for the following weekend Saturday, Sunday, Monday & Tuesday were already booked out but Wednesday had 20 spots available and I have that Wednesday off work as imp about to blindly book it in Dim says "lets wait to see the weather before we book". Fast forward to Wednesday 1 week before the only available day I check the forecast. Rain at the island, not being to keen to ride first day in the rain (or any really) we try see if we can book in earlier with no luck.... but that wasn’t going to stop me! Straight away I look up champions ride days to check for availabilities at Broadford Road Racetrack bingo there is spots available. I get on the phone to Dim unfortunately he has to work (but I needed his boots so it worked out well for me) then I called another friend of mine Steve aka Stifla to see if he can come along yep he is in so I booked it and in that moment things changed...It was actually happening Monday the 5th of November I would be on track I was pumped...Stifla was pumped...Dim was not pumped (work has that affect on people)

The Saturday before ride my bike to Stifla's house we go for a ride just because then we go and load the bikes on the trailer. I should mention the Stifla got his knee down for the first time on this little ride ...Prick! 

6:00am Monday morning phones rings "Stifla" " I just left mine ill be there in 50mins" 

I jump out of bed (which is uncharacteristic of me) get my stuff ready go buy some rolls for lunch and grab my morning coffee just in time to get picked up. The journey to Broadford is about 1 and a half hours maybe a bit less. We arrive the van is about to explode from excitement or maybe from bouncing of the rev limiter in second gear to get over the hill as you enter the venue. We park and start to unload but because of the excitement we just bumping into each, we get the bikes off the trailer and ride them around to scrutineering all is good with both our bikes but get told off for riding without a helmet (ooops) we make our way to the pits and set our selves where there are 2 spots available. We introduce ourselves to the people around we meet Tim and Frasier both first time on track too. Tim is a middle aged man and Frasier should be retired not racing lol they tell me they are getting tuition from Wayne Maxwell so I decided probably a good idea Stifla is content with just doing the track day without the tuition anyway I’ll pass on any useful info I get from Wayne to Stifla anyway.

9:00am Rider briefing

We all walk up to the race track and have the safety briefing I wont bore you with the details but basically 1 on the guys running the day went through how the day would run and ran through the flags and session times etc. so there 4 groups yellow Fast, blue Moderately Fast, green Medium pace & red beginners/slow 

So 15-minute session starting with the yellow group. We quickly have our first session with Wayne and he tells us that for the first session take it easy and get familiar with the track. We get into our leathers and wait for the red group to be called up. 

Session 1

Finally we are called up, we start the engines zip up our leathers strap up our helmets and we are on our way. We are all lined up about to be let out on to the track in the direct sunlight the sweat start kicking and we are told we have to wait a bit longer as a rider from the previous group has just smashed (just bruises they told us later) but we wait another 15mins until the bike and rider are dealt with and the ambulance is back at its station ready for us. 

The time passes rather slowly but finally we are let on the track. The air running into suit instantly cools me down. The first 2 laps we are following an experienced lead rider the pace is a "cruising" which is much higher than I’m used too my knuckles must be white because I'm holding on so tight. Once the lead rider exits the track I increase the pace a bit its a real thrill but I don’t know what I'm doing adjusting my body position half way through the corner, I'm on the gas-off the gas-on the gas all the way through the corner, braking to early, braking to late just all over the shop. At lap 6 or 7 I feel like pulling in to the pits my arms are destroyed! But I decide to stay on track and take it a bit easier as I pass the start/finish line the marshal is waving the chequered flag session over...my arms are very relieved...I'm relieved I didn't smash my bike. We all roll back into the pits single file take our helmets off and everyone is smiling ear to ear a good first session. We check out our rear tyres only very small chicken strips left! (Maybe 5mm to 3mm) 

We go to debrief with Wayne his just shakes his head and says what the hell was that wrong lines turning twice in corners. He begins to explain the correct line on the white board and the correct way to use the throttle and tell us for the next session no brakes and no gears just get to 3rd and just slow and smooth into the corner smoothly roll the throttle on and out of the corner and repeat.

Session 2 

We get out with no delays this time for the first 2 laps again with the lead rider feeling a lot more calm this time don’t have to worry about braking or setting lap records just concentrating on the line the Wayne told us and the being so smooth with the throttle.

Coming into the corners the guys that weren't doing the tuition were blazing past me but by mid corner I was right on their tail with so much more pace and ready to move straight past them on the exit but I wasn't passing them just letting them go so I concentrate on the line and the throttle control. By the 4th lap I find this incredible rhythm the bike and I a flowing through the corner its just incredible I'm faster than session 1 and also smoother! By the second last lap I get my knee down on the only left hand corner on track I hear the plastic graze along the bitumen just for a tap. I feel like jumping off the bike so happy with my achievement. Once again I start getting fatigued and the chequered flag is waved and we roll back into the pits single file. We all jump off the bikes start checking our tyres no more chicken strips completely gone. I check my knee slider the smallest scrap but I'm still happy I got my knee down. Again we quickly have a snack and some water and make our way for the next lesson. He starts to explain body position and setting up prior to the corner, prior to getting off the gas so for the first right hand corner sliding over so one bum check is on the seat the other is off and the knee sticking out. So instruction for session 3 same as session 2 but set body position up prior to adjusting throttle.

Session 3  

We are called out once again zip up helmet on and back at it. Body position is my focus this time around I set myself for corner number 1 I take the line I was taking before and I find myself about to turn into the grass. Wow the bike turn much quicker like this so I need a heap more pace to run the correct line. I find after 3 laps my right leg I getting fatigued all my weight I being pushed down on my left side going around the right hand side. Left side feel good obviously because it only 1 corner on the left but I'm feeling comfortable turning left a lot more pace a lot more natural again knee touches down what an awesome feeling. By the end of the session I find my arms aren't in pain anymore I'm not holding as tight but my right leg was gone. Again chequered flag comes out and we roll in again everyone is ear-to-ear smiles. Stifla has nearly worn out his right knee slider what a show off :) (I'm just jealous) 

We all sit down in our picnic chairs eat our lunch and just rest up we all fatigued at this stage! 

After lunch we head to our debrief and Wayne introduce reference markers on the track we start going through where to brake where to start to get on the throttle where to start the adjusting body position.

Session 4

I find myself on track again but this time something clicked I'm not going slow anymore I’m really moving setting myself up braking gearing down turning rolling the throttle on wide open throttle and repeat through next corner. A few lap’s go by I pass a few of the slower guys on the left hander (my favourite corner) onto the main straight. A few guys also pass me too by the way. This session I'm really having fun, really smooth but also really fast. In this session I find myself coming way to hot into some corners but having the confidence to turn the bike and trusting my tyres.

Again that chequered flag comes out again but this time id rather stay a bit longer on track.

Wayne pointed out to me during the debrief that I'm twisting my upper body instead of letting my shoulder and head hang off the side. 

I'm at the front you can see my upper body twisting the wrong way

Session 5 

Wow it is actually unbelievable how I was riding at this part of the day compared to the first session! Seem to get a pretty consistent rhythm happening. It felt like the laps were very consistent was struggling to drop the shoulder. There was a very funny moment in this session when Frasier overtook me just before the left hand corner and as we were coming into the corner I could see his feet sticking out like penguin feet as he took the corner his boot scraped on the bitumen caused a puff of smoke you crazy old bastard!

Tim chasing me down

Session 6 

This session was probably my best! Everything I learnt was falling into place I was very smooth and fast. I had 1 moment on the exit of turn 1 I must have opened the throttle just too quick and the rear end of the bike stepped out on me the incredible thing was by this stage I was so calm I just rolled off the throttle and applied it again after it straightened itself up the guy behind me overtook me around the outside and by turn 7 I was back on his tail ready to make a move. The experience of this session felt like I was doing nothing and the bike was doing it all absolutely awesome feeling

After this session I asked Wayne how to get my knee down which he responded "these sliders are from the start of the season who cares about getting your knee down when your winning races" lol fair point his sliders were in pretty good condition considering. Now after having seen some photo's of my riding as soon as I drop my shoulder my right knee will be sliding :)

Session 7

This was definitely my least favourite session I was exhausted and there was ridiculous amounts of wind all of a sudden after 3 laps my right hand went numb so I decided to call it quits and roll into the pits, I found out after the session that Tim was about to pass me on the outside so I probably should have raised my hand a little earlier to give him more notice as he could have collected both of us.... sorry Tim :)

 Conclusion 

What a thrilling day! 

Really get to appreciate how much grip the bike really has!   

Amazing how much my skill of riding can grow in just 6 15-minute sessions

If I were to modify my bike first thing would be rear sets

When are we going again!

I hope you enjoyed my blog about my first track day as much as I enjoyed doing it, I will endeavour to keep writing about my experiences, as I get better at riding