BLACK
ON WHITE: EXPERT PLATE
A typical
racing weekend may differ for the novice and for the experienced racer,
mostly in terms of general confidence on what you are doing. As a
novice you are still learning and worrying about the basics, whereas an
expert racer carry on the racing weekend more relaxed, as it feels more
comfortable within an environment and faces already familiar. |
BLACK
ON YELLOW: AMATEUR PLATE
However,
whether a novice or an expert, it is always a constant learning experience
in the track or at the pits. The tasks, responsibilities, objectives
and needs for either one are basically the same, and they should be established
in improvement every time you return to the racing track. These involve
all aspects related to and about racing; from the time you start getting
prepared prior going to the racetrack, to the time you get back home and
return to your normal life. |
| HERE
A TYPICAL RACING WEEKEND...
As
the racing days are Saturday and Sunday, it is a good idea, when possible,
to get the racetrack at least on Friday morning, so you would have time
to finalize anything related to your motorcycle, as changing oil, getting
new tires and some other minor work. I say “minor work” as I should
emphasize that it is not a good idea to bring a “project-bike” to the track;
ideally it is to bring a bike almost ready to go, so you can enjoy the
weekend.
Friday
is also a good day for open-track practice, where you can check your bike’s
final adjustments and / or warm yourself up for the weekend races.
Most
tracks have also Thursday open-track practices; it is normally less crowded
and you can enjoy several hours or riding. However, Thursdays lack
corner-workers, and you have to ride “extra-careful” as to avoid “surprises”
in the middle of a turn. The last thing you want is to find a rider down
or debris on the track, just be extra-careful when there is no corner-worker
to warn you as you approach a turn, in special a blind turn. |
BEFORE
EVERYTHING ELSE & PRE-ENTRY FORMS
Most
of the time I pre-enter my races by faxing my racing entries to the track
administrative people, which should be done normally no later than 10 days
prior the event.
The
entry forms are available at the track or via Internet or you can request
it by phone, but you always have to fax it with your credit card number
and signature, which means, no-show - they will charge your credit card
anyway. |
ACCOMMODATIONS
As I normally
sleep at the track, in the car or in my trailer, I do not need to worry
about hotel reservation, but if you plan to have a room in a hotel, do
your reservation at least 3 weeks in advance, as in racing weekends the
closest hotels get booked quickly.
And
if you book a room, and plan to have a late arrival, tell the hotel manager
that you will arrive late and request them to hold the room no matter what
time you arrive, otherwise, they may cancel your reservation because they
considered you a no-show. |
Check
if you are not forgetting anything - see suggested list (click
here for list).
UNLOAD
THE RACING STUFF
 I
arrive at the track; pay the gate entry fee and head to my garage.
If you do not have a garage, head to a parking space where you feel comfortable
as it will be your “home” for the weekend.
Check
if there is an electric outlet nearby (for your night-lights and tire warmers).
Also check with your pit neighbor or someone near you if you are not “taking”
the spot of someone else.
I
say that because when you go to the race track you will want to park in
the same spot every time, so does someone else and you may be getting this
“someone else home at the track” space without knowing it and you may need
to move a bit to give space.
It
is more a question of respect and etiquette than anything else. Your fellow
racers will appreciate your consideration, and you will expect and appreciate
the same consideration when someone new comes to the racetrack and respect
your parking spot. |
GETTING
COMFORTABLE
Note:
If you use the electric outlet, you will have to pay a small fee, which
would be collected as the weekend progresses.
GET
ORGANIZED & RESPECT THE SPACE OF FELLOW RIDERS
Unload
the van or trailer and get things organized.
|
GETTING
NEW TIRES
If still
did not have lunch and plan to get new tires, it is a good idea to get
the wheels off the bike and get them delivered to the trackside tire guy,
so he would be working on the new tires while you go for lunch. |
START
TO GET READY
Back from
lunch, change oil of the bike – if needed, and get the wheels with new
tires back from the tire guy. Put the wheels back on the bike
and go to check where the racing fuel guy is - Buy the racing fuel
(Buy 5 gallons or so).
Do
the entry for the afternoon practice and start to get ready. |
DO
TECH INSPECTION
Remove
the lowers of the bike for tech inspection. Go for inspection and practice
the afternoon (normally from 3 pm to 6 pm).
If
you are doing the school (basic or advanced), classes start at 9:00 am,
so you better be at the track the day before (Thursday), otherwise, you
have little or no time at all to change tires and other miscellaneous. |
TRANSPONDER
End of
Friday practice. If pre-entered, go to get the entries and the transponder.
Back to the pits, the very first thing is to put the transponder on the
bike, or you may forget it.
With
the entries in hands and the transponder on the bike, go to tech inspection
again, this time the tech ** is for the races of Saturday and Sunday.
If you do not go Friday early evening, you will have to go Saturday
morning, before practice starts, so before 8:00 am, missing breakfast and
entering a long line. * |
ENJOY
THE DAY
Take Friday
night to finish some other things on the bike and to enjoy the night at
the track with friends and fellow racers.
**
A note on crashing: If you crash, at any time during a racing day, practice
or race, you will have to do tech inspection again (They - corner workers
- make notes of who crashed and will not allow a bike that was crashed
to return to the track without inspection). |
BREAKFAST
AND GRID SHEETS
Saturday
7:00 am: Have breakfast and get ready for practice, which will start 8:00
am sharp.
*
If you have not done your entries and tech on Friday, you will have to
do it early Saturday, as well as your tech inspection. Read
Below *.
DO
NOT FORGET THE TRANSPONDER !
1.
* For
Pre-register and post register
a) Have racer license ready
b) Money ready
c) Transponder |
PRACTICE,
RIDERS MEETING & LAP TIME
Practice
from 8:00 am to about 11:00 am.
Check
your practice lap times at the tech garage.
Make
sure your transponder is working by ckecking your time at tech garage.
Around
10:00 am GRID SHEETS are posted.
Check
your GRID POSITION (From 10:00 am no later than 11:00 am),
make
a note of it and stick it somewhere visible on the bike, so you will be
able to check it at the time of your race.
Around
11:30 mandatory rider’s meeting.
|
SATURDAY
RACES
12:00
noon races start.
Make
sure you know when your race is to start.
Get
the daily schedule and make sure you and the bike are ready for your race.
They
will call your race three times, but do not rely on their calls, as you
may not hear it and miss the race because you were not paying attention. |
RACE
RESULTS AND TROPHIES
About
6:00 pm races end.
Race
results are posted throughout the day as the races end.
Trophies
are given at the end of the day at the tech garage.
Important:
You
need to check the preliminary race result sheet within 30 min after your
race. When the position sheet is posted as FINAL
- it can not be changed. |
ENJOY
SATURDAY NIGHT
If no
more races that day, get your stuff together, load the van and trailer
and start to head home... Or stay to watch Sunday races. |
MORE
RACING ON SUNDAY
If more
races for Sunday – normally I race on Sunday too - enjoy another
night at the racetrack, wake up early morning on Sunday to start the same
program of Saturday, from the 8:00 am practice to the last race of the
day at about 5:30 pm.
|
TIME
TO PACK, CLEAN UP THE AREA AND GO HOME
Before
leaving the track, make sure that you leave the pit area clean the
way you found it and the way you would like to find it when you return.
Also make sure you return the transponder. |
CAN'T
WAIT TO GET HOME...
As my
trip back home is no less than 4 hours, if I am too tired, I stop for dinner
and rest for a while. If you have a friend who is able to drive your
truck, van with trailer "some one able to be a commercial driver", let
him or her drive, as they will be probably less tired than you are (normally
when I do that, I sleep all the way back home...). |
Enjoy
the trip back home and back to the normal life… until next time…
|
