SOW plan of attack

[GPTECHMAN]

walk us through your lap...

from the straight to the skidpad...

what gear were you in...where would you pass...or feel comfortable passing...wher you got passed the most...what were you working on...for this trackday

what you liked/disliked?

[dre_2k2_f4i]

I worked on flicking the bike into a turn, then letting it stick there; minimizing steering inputs while in a turn. It felt good to not fight the bike with my upper body. I also practiced turning my head way into the turn -- really helped me get my speed up in turn 3, but also helped me in turns 2 and 8. All of the turns were less intimidating when I looked all the way through them. I felt in control! I love the R6!!! (way better than the Honda POS I have ridden!!! :P ). Towards the end, I stopped accelerating at the straights to make it easier for people to pass. I could feel the fatigue setting in and decided to call it a day shortly afterwards.

WOT on the front straight, get up to 3rd, maybe 4th gear.
Turn 1 - Screaming at it in third gear, rolling off the throttle a bit right before the turn. I tried to pass people here on the outside of this turn -- though it gets a bit hairy at its exit when people start drifting to the outside to setup for turn 2.
Turn 2 - Off the gas for the uphill and blip down to second gear for more engine braking. If I passed someone, I need to get on the brakes a little later. Take it to the way outside, then cut into the turn.
Turn 3 - Still in second gear, roll off the throttle from turn 2, brake just a tad before entering. Turn my head as far left as it will go and get my lazy ass of the seat. Then flick the bike in right before the bottom of the hill. Immediately roll on the throttle slowly and consistently through the entire turn. This turn used to own me, but now it is my favorite.
Turn 4 - Get to the far left, blip hard and shift down to first. Ease out the throttle after flicking the bike in hard (I am not used to the new setup of this turn, but like the fact that I can cut into it without going over dirt). Normal riders would be hard on acceleration, but I am a wuss and just ease on the throttle. As I transition the bike for turn 5, I shift into second when the bike is upright for that split second.
5, 6, and 7 - I need to gain more confidence accelerating through these turns, especially 5 and 6. I took them a bit slow.
Turn 8 - I spied a dark black line on the outside of the track that I used as my turn-in point after watching Rhino take that line. Just like turn 3: turn my head as far right as I could, get my lazy ass off the bike, then flick the bike in. Aside from my normal *****(1) behavior to not get on the throttle -- I was in first gear for this turn once and laid hard on the throttle to spin my rear wheel. It was my first rear wheel spin, so I was easy on the throttle from then on out for turn 8.
WOT for the back straight, getting up to 3rd. Aim for the white Budweiser tower for turns 9 and 10.
Roll off the throttle at the crest of the hill, go straight through turn 9. Blip down to 2nd.
Turn 10 at 2nd gear.
Turn 11 I had problems with and would brake too much before entering.
Take turns 12 and 13 at a lazy pace.
At times, I would shift down to first at the transition from turn 13 to the skid pad.

-- edit --
(1) Apparently you cannot say puh'-see on this forum. :grr:

[dre_2k2_f4i]

By the way, the entire day I was trying to stick to Reg Pridmore's lines: start from the center, stay to the inside of the turn even when exiting unless your speed carries you to the outside. As the day progressed, I felt like I had better lines through turns 2 and 8 if I approached more from the outside. I probably should have done the same for turn 11.

[dre_2k2_f4i]

Here are the turns as I see them...

[speedster1219]

Straight---wot watchin arnold roll ahead while im redlinin' in third--110mph
Turn 1-- pick my spot and hope no one behind me is gonna try to take my apex..lean over full speed through turn one and keep a tight line...

Turn 2-- stay to the inside (except if arnold is in front) cause like dre said everyone and their momma went wide to set up for it..lean that baby over..drag toe and knee and exit towards the middle of the track..

Turn 3-- dont have to go really wide here..but as many people know me and left handers dont really go so well--but today..I loved it...roll off the throttle before leaning over..then back on while holding a line that would put me in the inside of the black box (Arnold knows) and once right there give more throttle and have to break hard for the next turn..

Turn 4-- I HATE THIS TURN..for somereason where ever I tried i couldnt get it right..one session i went a little hot and grabbed soem front break..(#$#$@#) bike stood up and i leaned right back down and made it phew!!....i dragged knee here also ( I normaly dont like to drag knee but hey it happens) set my self up to run right on the outside of the reminansce of he exxon valdez....

Turn 5-- I swear i was gonna drag left elbow on this turn...i just gunned it here praying on my tires and they did a magnificent job holding up...bike leaned over as much as i could...set my self up for next turn..

Turn 6-- everytime i came to this turn i would think of BK..cause you know you flip your bike over to make this right and you aim for the candystripe.well i came pretty close to candy stripe and had to pick my knee up...

Turn 7--the turn of death..as most know this is the spot where i decided to try and get a tan at the last track day..but not today..i ran a wider line here that would allow the crazy czech the fast as sv and Shaggy to pass me up with ease....rolling on the throttle the whole way..in second gear

Turn 8-- The BOWL..THE BOWL OWNS YOU!! haha right before i enter this i pick my line because i dont break or rolloff the throttle i just pick my line and go with it and if you do it correctly you get much more exit speed which i was doing following Arnold cause he was flying out of this turn whcih made it
more difficult to catch back up..im rolling on the throttle the whole time and right after the point where you hit the apex of it im gunning it...passing people here is simple and set my self up a little wider than most to hit the small chicanes that toooooo many people broke for but they didnt have to just go straight through and flick it to the left when your out...

I LOST COUNT-- left hander after small chicanes i downshift into second right before i hit some break and turn..i noticed my self braking late into this turn and then turning but I was behind BK and watched where he intiated his turn and watched his line so next time rolled off the throttle hit BK same line and noticed that it was much smoother...

NEXT RIGHT..hit apex in 2nd gear no breaking or rolling off gaining speed...

LEFT B4 SKIDPAD-- here i roll off the throttle to get my entrance speed for the SP, its hard if someone is exiting b4 you bu i try to hug the left and then it gives me some room for the SP when I have to pass someone...

SKIDPAD---2nd gear leaning it (according to sean) and then right before the candystripe im gonnin it cause i need all the spped i can here to catch right back up to arnold in turns 2-10..:p

Do everything over again and hope arnold hits some traffic...

if anyone was behind me and saw some thing i would like to know good and mostly bad k!

[Arnold_R1]

Carlos, you make SOW so much fun~:rockon:

[GPTECHMAN]

Turn 1:Ill get up to 4th...regearing helps....and I usually rolled off before entering, I know...wussy

Turn 2: Blip down a couple gears into 2nd...would blip with it banked over which was new for me...usually I do it straight up..
Id take a wider line which started me out in the middle....and drifted me into the outer left part of the straight....

Turn 3: Id start wide and go inside of that patch...unless I was trying to goaround and even then its tough with 4 coming up so quick

Turn 4: well I got got spooked a couple of times cause I didnt know how to appoach it, but then I think later I got more comfortable and could just dive on into that turn....I would end up braking into the turn a bit...I would also end up getting a head shake everytime I exited...cause of that crappy pavement

Turn 5: well not much going on except WOT

Turn 6: same story...aiming for the candy stripes...

Turn 7: didnt figure out that I could get into 3rd feeding into the bowl until later....inside wide it doesnt matter....they all are wide and banked....

Turn 8: I usually started wide and high...I know not the best, but I felt comfortable doing it...especially since Im used to strting off wide at palomar...
I was shifting inside the bowl until I almost fell off, when I had a miss shift....off the bowl Im in 3rd

Turn 9&10: blipping down two gears...tug on the brakes and dump it into the turn....

Turn 11: either hard on my brakes or I would late brake into the turn....usually on the inside...

Turn 12&13: second...setting up for a slow SP turn...13 was a little funky sometimes cause I would just dump it inot that turn...had a hard time with footing....

Turn 14: Skidpad....never got comfy in this turn...kept it mellow and didnt get on the gas till very very late....

Stupid straight and then repeat.....:errf:

[GPTECHMAN]

were you guys braking into the turns...or getting rid of your braking way before hand?

[dre_2k2_f4i]

This was the first track day where I was never trail braking. I had my speed dialed in before-hand. The only reason that I would brake in a turn would be to out-brake someone I was passing. I was trying to carry more speed into the turns. That worked out all well and nice, but I had a difficult time getting on the gas hard at the exits. I will save that for another track day.

What about you, Mr. GP Tech Man?