Willow Springs BIG TRACK Review

[GPTECHMAN]

THIS IN ONLY FOR REVIEWS
What you liked what you disliked?
Tell us the conditions, ambient temp, windy, raining?
What bike were running?
Tires?
What turns were your favorite?
What turns could you not get in the groove?
What organization was it with?
How were the sessions run?
Would you recommend doing it again?

[dre_2k2_f4i]

Like: turns 2 and 8. Nice sweepers that go on and on.

Dislikes: "Breeze." Left side of tire not as shagged as right.

2003 R6c
Dunlop D208ZR's (a little squared... okay, a LOT). 31 f; 30 r.

I could not get in the groove on turns 4a and 4b.

This was with STT (http://www.sportbiketracktime.com) becayse they were cheap.

3 sessions -- expert (most riders were doing 1:40's); intermediate (most riders were just above 1:40's); and novice (vastly varying skills). 20 minute sessions, but it seemed like longer at the end of the day.

Only having one short experience with the track (I logged in under 50 miles on the track!?!?), I would definitely love to get on this track again. As is its claim: the track is fast!

[onogsxr]

Likes: Fast, flowing track

Dislikes: Turn 4 (omega) - dont like off camber turns, fast winds

98GSXR750 w/ D207RR

Turn 2 - you can actually regain composure if you came into turn 1 hot and lost concentration, this turn is looooonnng!

Some pointers a) bring extra fuel especially if you have a liter bike, b) try to get there early and park on the hot pit area, c) check tire pressure d) if you plan to get track time dont sign up for the novice group with STT e) run good tires

This track gives you the feel of really riding you bike at speed. Not too techinical, you can really open it up and use brakes on the front straight. I would run this track again.

[shaggy]

Ok, been here once...didn't think I'd like it that much but this track really is addicting. For those of us with an insatiable appetite for speed this is your place to get a good fix.

I was there on a perfect march day with no wind and comfortable temperatures (70's) Since this track is right next to SOW however it is common for weather to be very variable and you can expect hell like heat in the summer and snow in the winter.

I was runnning my R6 on 208gp's, my tire of choice and the dominant tire at this track for a couple years of racing, it simply works perfectly around this track.

Favorite turns??? all of em...
turn 1: braking form 155mph down to 120ish and diving for the apex was always fun.

Turn 2: this turn simply lasts forever. If your draggin the knee you actually feel it get hot! very fast 120+.

turn3: hard braking, down to 2nd or 3rd gear, steep uphill and goes sharply of camber at the exit. Be very careful on the throttle here and the transisiton to turn 4 if you don't want to end up on your back.

turn 4: The omega... A very technical corner, double apex over a crest and then steep downhill to 5. This corner feels like your on a rollercoaster becaseu you enter it going steep uphill and exit going back down the other side. Hard to find a good line but very fun nonetheless.

turn 5: scary! coming steep downhill you never really have a chance to straighten the bike out before pitching it into here. Hard braking downhill means the front tire is heavily loaded while turning in so tucking the front is very easy here. Best to get your braking done early here until your VERY comfortable trail braking.
turn 6: up over a blind crest in 4th gear, very fast. Bike wants to run wide here so you really gotta stay off the inside and just know where the track goes, you cann't see ahead until your almost out to the edge of the track...Head shake/wheelies are very common here so make sure you have a steering damper set up well if your bike has any stability issues (Yamaha riders beware!)

turn7: it's not a corner...flat out in 5th through a kink. Trust me your way more worried about turn 8 at this point to even realize you just went through a corner!

Turn 8: How big are you balls? flat out in 5th, I was seeing 130+ and accelerating all the way through this corner! leaned over, very irregular road surface really plays mind games with you and you just kinda have to pray that your bike will hold. The track kinda undulates here so the bikes is constantly girating under you, kinda a erie feeling.

turn 9: 8 and 9 kinda combine together, you never get the biek straight but stand it up just long enough to downshift back to 4th, no braking however. You MUST late apex 9 or you'll end up in the dirt as nine really decreases radius right at the apex and there's a great little dip that will really unsettle the bike if you hit ir wrong (reference the last 30 seconds of my video from 3-29-04' for proof!) Exit speed is the most important part of turn 9 as it leads onto the half mile front straight!

This was another Trackdaz event, Dustin and crew put on the best trackdays , you cann't go wrong with them.

I would deffinitely recommend that everyone try this track at least once, but would highly suggest that you have other track experience before trying out the big track, it's like nothing you've ever done before.

[GPTECHMAN]

What you liked what you disliked?

I loved how wide and flowing the track was. Tons of room to pass and to be passed. There aren’t too many places where you can be rolling it on in 6th in a turn. I wasn’t a big fan of the wind kicking in at the end of the day, but began to get used to it.

Tell us the conditions, ambient temp, windy, raining?
Weather was great, not too hot and the wind/breeze made things cool down.

What bike were running?
2001 GSXR 600 1 down in the front and 1+ in the rear

Tires?
Bridgestones BT-002 Soft/med cmpd

What turns were your favorite?
I liked 6-7-8 as well as 2

What turns could you not get in the groove?
8-9 transition, just couldn’t get a good drive out of there as well as 3-4-5

What organization was it with?
TRACKDAZ

How were the sessions run?
20 minute sessions
Race
Sport
Street

Would you recommend doing it again?
Yes….Im thinking January…

[Arnold_R1]

Originally posted by dre_2k2_f4i
This was with STT (http://www.sportbiketracktime.com) becayse they were cheap.

Sept 4 & 5th <----- Sat and Sun! $135! I'M SO THERE! :woot:

Liked: All the turns especially Turn 6, Turn 2, and Turn 8

Disliked: Turn 3 to Turn 4a and 4b, The temp(though it wasn't as bad as Buttonwillow), by the end of the day, your eye's looked so "blazed" like you smoked a ounce.

Bike: was running my R1 which I thought would play key at this track, but my balls weren't made of steer, rather made of aluminum...:errf:

Tires: way over due Bridestone BT-002 Type 4 rear and Type 3 front


Found my groove: Turn 5-Turn 3 but which was later, later, later on in the day after Sean, Mikey, Jared, Jason, and even Casey OWNED me!

Sessions: 3 group format which Ed, Marvin, Jeff and Jon kept saying that Sport group was getting more track time than the others! :jackoff:

Organization:Trackdaz :woot:

Would I do it again. . .WITHOUT A DOUBT!
The whole trailer and bringin my bike somewhere else I wouldn't do over again-Too much a pain in the arse!

[trackpimp]

Sessions: 3 group format which Ed, Marvin, Jeff and Jon kept saying that Sport group was getting more track time than the others! :jackoff

Billy (the starter) clicks the stop-watch as soon as the first bike goes by.. its truely about 20 from the time the first bike goes out until the last bike goes in. In every group. There's no way to let one group get more time than the other groups. They all run in rotations. But 20 minutes flies when you're on track, and it drags when you're waiting in the pits for your next session :)

Want more tracktime.. we've got 30minute sessions at Streets of Willow ;)

[speedster1219]

THIS IN ONLY FOR REVIEWS
What you liked what you disliked?
Tell us the conditions, ambient temp, windy, raining?
What bike were running?
Tires?
What turns were your favorite?
What turns could you not get in the groove?
What organization was it with?
How were the sessions run?
Would you recommend doing it again?


1) Disliked the fast turns, the upsetting of suspension, the cluster of riders in sport group and liter bikes and all dem fools crashing on cold tires :errf: Liked the fast turns (by the end of the day), my suspension (courtesy of the Yamaha guy there), the cluster of riders( made me really choose lines for passing), and playing with Randy out there.

2) COLD as a mofo in the morning..woke up to heavy rain and then it cleared up...windy..felt it in turn 5?

3)TIRES of choice were 002's from vegas. after the suspension changes. they were sticking for my skill level (not much)...and made me feel confident as the day went on.

4) Bike was the mistress..stock blah blah..

5) Favorite turns would be 2 then 6? the right hander with the little head shake...

6) No groove in the Omega 4a-b, 1 i would hit right at times then mess up again, just i know that if you go in hot..just hoof it over and you'll still make it. 5 because its hard braking while going downhill and setting yourself up for a left hande right after coming off a right hander...blah you all know what I mean. :cool:

7)Organization was Trackdaz....love the Toucan at this one... :ha:

8)Sessions were 20 mintes for each group, three groups but I honestly feel jipped on this trackday because of all the crashes that occured...remember people..cold tires! :grr: but if we didnt have a lot of crashes then i would of enjoyed it better...atleast i worked on my tan :ha:

9) Do it again?....yeah i would cause now that ive been on the track i can step it up a notch.. :thumbsup:

[MrCrashRR]

What you liked what you disliked?

loved the track, and people, the heat was taxing though, needed plenty of water

Tell us the conditions, ambient temp, windy, raining?

super hot, didnt really feel any wind effects, but others said it was a bit windy

What bike were running?

cbr1000rr, stock gearing and suspention

Tires?

208gps 180-55

What turns were your favorite?

turn 1, and turn 5. i did all my passing on the brakes in 1 or the outside of 5.

two scary moments in these turns though, spinning it up in turn 5 a few times, nothing crazy, but i wasent getting the traction i wanted.
and turn one, i was comming up hard on a guy on a green kawi, and just as i clicked into 6th he was hard on the breaks and i almost ran into the back of him as i went by an an alarming difference.

What turns could you not get in the groove?

2, and 8.
not that i couldnt get in the grove, but every lap i took them faster and faster, and still had room to go, it was hard for me to judge the speed you could carry through 2 and 8 yet still not be in trouble for 3 and 9. there is a lot of time for me to make up in these two turns.

and the omega 4 a-b. i would loose speed here like no other, got it down at the end of the day, but man, i couldnt pick a good line through there all day long.

What organization was it with?

not too sure, Dustins group

How were the sessions run?

3

Would you recommend doing it again?

for sure, just need my own transportation, as it did get expensive renting a truck and my own room ect..

[trackpimp]

THIS IN ONLY FOR REVIEWS
What you liked what you disliked?
Tell us the conditions, ambient temp, windy, raining?
What bike were running?
Tires?
What turns were your favorite?
What turns could you not get in the groove?
What organization was it with?
How were the sessions run?
Would you recommend doing it again?

Liked: Good tracktime, Helping riders out, hazing Jamie a bit, Jiggy's Birthday thing at Ramons, double-shot margarita's at Ramon's
Disliked: too many Crashes, 2 transports (1 via life-flight), wind, cold

Condition: Cold in the am, and Windy all day.

Bike: 04' gsxr600 racebike
Tires: Dunlop Slicks (195/70 rear)
favorite turns: My personal fav at WSIR is turn 2. You can really let it all hang out there, and still it seems you can go faster.. I try to be at the top of 4th gear in 2.
groovy turns: Turn 5 is like my nemesis.. I can never seem to hit it right so that I can get an awesome drive outta 6.
organization: My org. Trackdaz.
sessions: 3
Would I do it again: HELLZ YEAH.. I've got like 10-12 events remaining for 05, plus the SV rider's deal.