Passing at the track

[CrazyKell]

Originally Posted by the chi

Thats standard fare at a track day sweetie, might as well get used to it and dont let it bother you. Thats why you pit to get away from those folks.

Ya I'm getting better at it. I'm to the point now when they go blowing by me in the straights, I laugh and back right off to give them more room.

[OreoGaborio]

Originally Posted by the chi

It's interesting you say this, I was told I needed to be RIGHT THERE on the back tire and ready to pass the moment I got an opportunity. Food for thought.

Nah, definitely not. It's much harder to get on the gas stronger/earlier than somone if you're tucked in right behind them at the apex. Give yourself a "running start" by backing off a bit as you enter the corner, then carry more steam through and out.

[Trip]

Originally Posted by OreoGaborio

Nah, definitely not. It's much harder to get on the gas stronger/earlier than somone if you're tucked in right behind them at the apex. Give yourself a "running start" by backing off a bit as you enter the corner, then carry more steam through and out.

Unless you know you can intimidate them out of the way. lol It's not exactly safe, but you can scare some people out of the line by riding on their tire.

[smileyman]

This one time, at band camp, I mean a track day, there was this lady that was using all the track to get her R6 around. Outside/inside/outside and leaving no room. Balking me twice a session.

I outbraked her from the outside several times, nothing close mind you cause she was braking miles from the tighter corners.

But after dodging her all day I finally lined her up in a corner eaiting to a long straight. She left the usual 18-24 inches on the outside and I got a huge drive,blew by her with my tread on the last inch of asphalt. We couldnt have been an inch apart fairing to fairing, me traveling 15 to 20 mph faster, she left room outsidethe rest of the day..

[azoomm]

Originally Posted by OreoGaborio

Nah, definitely not. It's much harder to get on the gas stronger/earlier than somone if you're tucked in right behind them at the apex. Give yourself a "running start" by backing off a bit as you enter the corner, then carry more steam through and out.

Funny enough, I learned this passing cars while on a road-trip to my grandmothers house in Wisconsin. All the roads were two lane freeways - if you hugged the back of a car in front of you, you needed to gain speed in the danger of the opposing lane of traffic. If you stalked from farther back, it was minimal time in that opposing lane as you are at passing speed when at their bumper.

Same goes for the track, if you hug that back tire by the time you have decided to move over and speed up to pass - you have spent valuable distance. Slingshot is more efficient, and it doesn't give the person in front of you much notice to compete [if they otherwise might have].

Great points, Oreo.

[the chi]

In reponse to Kells...

Inevitably at Jennings every time my big brother did that on his 1000, he'd fly off the end of turn 1. And I'd wave as I passed him again.

[smileyman]

This one time, at band camp, I mean a track day, there was this lady that was using all the track to get her R6 around. Outside/inside/outside and leaving no room. Balking me twice a session.

I outbraked her from the outside several times, nothing close mind you cause she was braking miles from the tighter corners.

But after dodging her all day I finally lined her up in a corner leading to a long straight. She left the usual 18-24 inches on the outside and I got a huge drive,blew by her with my tread on the last inch of asphalt. We couldnt have been an inch apart fairing to fairing, me traveling 15 to 20 mph faster, she left room outsidethe rest of the day..

[Trip]

Originally Posted by smileyman

This one time, at band camp, I mean a track day, there was this lady that was using all the track to get her R6 around. Outside/inside/outside and leaving no room. Balking me twice a session.

I outbraked her from the outside several times, nothing close mind you cause she was braking miles from the tighter corners.

But after dodging her all day I finally lined her up in a corner leading to a long straight. She left the usual 18-24 inches on the outside and I got a huge drive,blew by her with my tread on the last inch of asphalt. We couldnt have been an inch apart fairing to fairing, me traveling 15 to 20 mph faster, she left room outsidethe rest of the day..

Originally Posted by smileyman

This one time, at band camp, I mean a track day, there was this lady that was using all the track to get her R6 around. Outside/inside/outside and leaving no room. Balking me twice a session.

I outbraked her from the outside several times, nothing close mind you cause she was braking miles from the tighter corners.

But after dodging her all day I finally lined her up in a corner leading to a long straight. She left the usual 18-24 inches on the outside and I got a huge drive,blew by her with my tread on the last inch of asphalt. We couldnt have been an inch apart fairing to fairing, me traveling 15 to 20 mph faster, she left room outsidethe rest of the day..

cocaine is a helluva drug.

[defector]

Originally Posted by Trip

Unless you know you can intimidate them out of the way. lol It's not exactly safe, but you can scare some people out of the line by riding on their tire.

This is what I hated about my first track day in Intermediate. Fuckers trying to bully me all over the track. Fuck that noise - I don't scare that easily.

[shmike]

Originally Posted by OreoGaborio

The last point I'll make for now is that the one thing I see repeatedly with riders who are getting frustrated that they can't pass, is that they're riding ON the rear wheel of the bike in front of them..... GIVE THEM SPACE! This helps YOU relax a bit & maybe formulate a "game plan" and it also gives you a chance to build up some momentum coming out of a corner so that by the time you reach them you've already built up more speed than they have, making the pass a lot easier. If you're ON their rear tire coming out of a corner then it comes down to a drag race to the next corner that you may or may not win. Make the pass based on your skill as a rider, not your bike's capabilities.

Excellent point.

I go through this every track day with the Novice and Intermediate riders.

Oreo & Zoomie explained it well: If you sit on someone's back tire, they dictate your speed and throttle pick up points. By hanging back you actually make it easier to pass them.