Trackday
This year I will be doing quite a few trackdays as an instructor with Focused Events and last Thursday marked my first outing of the season with them at Donington Park. The weather was sunny with temperatures peaking at 14?C, however the wind was quite strong throughout the day and was particularly noticeable throughout Sector 2 of the circuit.
The event was a Chrono Day so all bikes were fitted with a timing transponder. All lap times in the morning sessions were then recorded and analysed and the groups were then rearranged according to pace. When looking at everyone's lap times it underlined the massive range of ability and this system helped sort riders into more appropriate groups. Most of the movement within the groups was in the Intermediates, with many dropping down into Group 1 and a few moving up. Likewise a few of the Fast group were clearly not as 'fast' as they thought and were moved accordingly. The result was more balanced groups where riding ability was better matched.
After leading the compulsory sighting laps I was free to circulate and filter in and out of the different groups. I've personally used trackday instructors to help learn the racing line when visiting a new circuit and always found them to be extremely helpful. It was nice to be able to offer advice to others but I would still advocate that for those looking for any significant rider development then investing in a full, or several days worth of coaching is definitely the way to go.
A highlight of the day was I got to spend half a session following Phil Crowe which was hugely entertaining. He was testing a new BMW HP Type 5.2 Superstock engine in preparation for the NW200 and suffice to say he was absolutely rapid. By lap 4 I had given up trying to keep up with him; especially down Craner Curves and back up through Schwantz. With the resulting tow, and a lot of effort, I managed a 1:39.4.
I absolutely love the Donington Park circuit and I managed 49 laps over the course of the day which wasn't too bad. Overall I found the event rewarding as both an instructor, especially following positive feedback from those who I had helped throughout the day, and as a rider. Now I'm just looking forward to my next trackday later this month...