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Re: [ST] Track Day Update



Get the laptimer.  They are hugely beneficial.  I don't know about over by you, but around here the XT Ultra-lap is a widely used one, and is great.  Will record temperature at every session, allows you to program minimum and maximum lap times in order to prevent missed beacon readings, will download to your PC so you can save and analyze, and tons more.  I will tell you this - you will be slower than you think.  And most people when they say they do "1:35's" or something, usually mean they have hit that, but it is not their average.  People just want to seem as fast as possible I guess.  Also, don't get caught up in lap times.  You can sacrafice form, and end up plateuing when chasing lap times.  I find the lap timer to be great when I have worked on form, feel like I'm going slower and more in control, yet am lapping faster.  Then you can step it up, and that's where you really find the speed.  I also find it beneficial when you either work on a corner and realize in a
 place you thought was inconsequential you can pick up half a second (like going to a maintenance throttle through a particular corner), and also when you go back to a track after many track days.  I will be doing this for the first time in a few weeks.  I have two more track days at VIR this upcoming weekend, and then in the middle of next month will be going back to a track that I have run and have data for.  I will be very interested to see how my form has improved my speed.  I've been hitting all different tracks every other weekend or so, which I find cool just to see the different tracks, but also to decide which I like the best and want to go back to more frequently, as well as preventing myself from becoming good at "a track" and not as good of a rider.  Hitting all these different tracks really exposes me to lots of different types of turns, speeds, and types of passing, and broadens my skill set.  Anyway, I'm starting to ramble.  Get the lap timer - it is useful,
 but don't fall in love with the lap times.  Just my $0.02.  And as always, be fast - be safe.
 
Matt Heyer


----- Original Message ----
From: Marc Van Est <MarcVE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: ST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, August 21, 2006 6:33:21 AM
Subject: Re: [ST] Track Day Update


I need to fit a lap timer to my Daytona.

I did a track day yesterday, 160kms in total over three sessions
-actually four - one was interrupted by a minor crash.

I had a friend take a few of my lap times, but either he just managed to
miss all my decent laps or I'm not going as well as I thought I was.

He timed me at 1m 42s, which is poor considering the average for the
medium speed guys is 1m35. I chased a mate around who was timed at 1m
32s, and I hung on to him for a few laps.

The pros (e.g. the national super bike events) go round at 1m 15s - I
have no idea how they can shave so much time on such a tight and bumpy
circuit.

I struggle to pass slower riders, so coming up on one will destroy my
lap.

I also realise how hard it is to do a solid lap, most laps I'd have a
corner that I would think I did really well, but also always a corner
where it didn't work out.

You need to have instant feedback on a lap to see if something worked or
made it worse.


Cheers


Marc
Cape Town, RSA 
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