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Riding California Speedway with the Big Dogs


russell_bynum

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russell_bynum

Riding California Speedway with the Big Dogs

 

Saturday I did a track day with www.fastrackriders.com at California Speedway in Fontana. One of my goals for this year was to ride one of the "real" tracks that the AMA guys use. Plus, Fontana is only 40 minutes from my house (I've been going to Willow Springs, more than 3 hours away) so I was anxious to try it out.

 

When I went to sign up, I saw that they had three groups and you were supposed to pick your group based on lap times. well...I didn't know what my lap times would be at Fontana, but they're fairly decent at Streets of Willow. Plus, I know I can hold a predictable line and I'm comfortable being passed on either side in the corners, so I picked the Fast group, "Level 3".

 

I threw the CBR on the trailer and buzzed up to the track Saturday morning. When I got there, I realized that this was the big time. Fontana is a NASCAR track and as you drive in next to the dragstrip, the huge grandstands along the banked home straight is off to your right. You actually drive through a tunnel in the banking to get to the infield. Pretty cool stuff. The facilities at Fontana are awesome. Each rider gets their own garage with power outlets, a workbench, etc. Way too cool.

 

I unloaded the bike, setup my pit and rode over to registration and Tech. I like to get that done as soon as possible so I have time to resolve any problems. There were none...the bike easily passed tech and I got my bike number for the day.

 

Back at my garage, I was helping the riders next to me unload. They were both in Level 3 as well, and they were on literbikes...an R1 (Hi Cory) and a new ZX10R. The guy on the ZX10R, it turns out, used to race AFM and actually held the #1 plate for a while in the mid 80's. I started to think maybe I was in the wrong group. confused.gif

 

The guys on the other side of me were all riding Ducatis. 999's, 999R's, 998, etc. Shesh...I feel like "the Clampets go to the track" with my puny little 600.

 

Out on the track for the sighting laps, I was really getting intimidated. The track is flat (except for the banking on the front straight) and there's lots of straights followed by very tight chicanes. On the first session, I was working on learning the track, picking out braking markers, etc. I was getting passed like I was riding a 50cc scooter at a MotoGP race. The dude on the ZX10R went around me on the inside of a left turn with his rear wheel spinning madly, smoke pouring off the rear tire, AND the front wheel in the air. I'm way out of my league here.

 

I was pretty discouraged after that first session.

 

I went back out the second session and decided to just take it easy on the straights. Let everyone pass me there, then I can focus on the turns. That worked well, and I started to gain some confidence. The 3rd session was even better...I started adding more speed on the straights and really working my braking.

 

By the end of the day, I was still one of the slowest guys out there, but the only guy who was lapping me, was the guy on the ZX10R. Typically, he'd pass me early on the 1st lap, then I'd see him again somewhere on the last, or second-to-last lap. There was another guy there on a 600RR and I was doing better than him in the infield, but he was staying on the gas longer on the big front straight. Riding with him was pretty fun...I'd catch (and sometimes pass) him in the infield, then he'd go by me on the brakes before turn 1 and we'd repeat that the whole session.

 

Overall, I learned that I really need to work my braking some more. I have no idea how fast I was going, but I saw 14,500RPM's in 6th gear at the end of the front straight on pretty much every lap. I figure that's got to be up around 160mph. You get on the brakes until the front end is chattering and the rear wheel is dancing around, grab 2 down shifts, then you dip the bike down towards turn 1, then you make an absolutely brutal countersteer to get the bike over to the right, then another equally brutal one to get it back left in turn 2. At that speed, the dang thing just doesn't want to turn and I was astounded at how hard I had to push on the bars to make anything happen. Even more scary is one of the straights in the infield. You come out of this fairly tight right-hander, then go blazing down the straight. There used to be a chicane there, but now it's just a little kink. You stay WFO all the way down, upshifting as you go, and the bike's trying to wheelie and headshake in the kink. You go under the Yamaha bridge and hold the gas as long as you dare, then pop up, get on the brakes again and make a very tight right/left chicane.

 

 

From my crash at The Streets last month, I'm still nervous about getting on the gas while really leaned over. I know that held me back a bit. I was getting better as the day wore on, but I was improving in very gradual increments.

 

I also learned that I'm halfway decent in transitions. People would pass me on the brakes at the end of the straights, and I'd stay with them, or even show them a wheel going through the tight chicanes.

 

To be fast at Fontana, you have to be great on the brakes, fearless on the gas, and good at transitions. One out of three ain't too bad, right? smile.gif

 

Oh...and I definitely see the point of the reverse-shift pattern that so many racers prefer. The final couple of turns at Fontana are basically one big left turn that takes you onto the straight. You MUST get a good drive through those corners to get good speed on the straight. The problem is, they're so long that you have to shift...several times. And, with a normal shift pattern, it's just about impossible to get your foot under the shifter to upshift...the bike's over too far and there's not enough ground clearance. With a reverse-shift you press down on the shifter to upshift, so you can still do that while leaned over.

 

Another thing I'd read about, but never experienced until now...I'd always heard that when you lean the bike, that part of the tire has a smaller diameter, and that'll make your RPM's go up. I actually had a couple of times where I'd be holding constant throttle, lean the bike in, and hear the RPM's go up. Kinda cool.

 

My laptimes came down throughout the day. My first session was terrible...best lap was over 2:10. I got down where I was running pretty consistent 1:50's. Then I started working on my braking (later and harder) and did a bunch of 1:46-1:48's. My best time of the day was a 1:41. For reference, the dude on the ZX10R was turning 1:36's and I think the track record is 1:26 or so.

 

I'm still trying to decide if I want to go back. On one hand, I don't really like the whole "dragrace to 150mph, then nail the brakes and go though a tight chicane" thing. On the other hand, I know my braking needs work, and this would be a good track for it. AND...it's close to home. I dunno...we'll see. One thing's for sure...if I go again, I'm going in the Level 2 group.

 

I'm still so new at track riding, and pretty much every time I fire up the CBR, I learn a bunch of new stuff. It's very challenging and lots and lots of fun.

 

There was a professional photographer there, and I hope to get some of those pics in a few days. Until then, here's one that Lisa took (she showed up for the last two sessions to offer moral support.)

 

This was late in the day and I was pretty tired. I'm hoping that explains the terrible body position. dopeslap.gif

 

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And here's a map of the track

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StretchMark

Good job Russell!

Based on your description of where you excelled, I think you will really like Barber. I don't like those scary fast straights either.

 

Post those other shots...even if they are bad wink.gif

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russell_bynum

Based on your description of where you excelled, I think you will really like Barber.

 

Cool. Yeah, I just don't get off on the high speed straights. I don't get any thrill from the speed itself, and it just means I've got a massive braking effort coming up. I was starting to really enjoy Turns 1 and 2, though. You start WAY up by the wall (most of the AMA guys could stick an elbow out and touch the wall), and make a pretty easy arc down towards the candystripe. As soon as the bike is pointed the right direction, hang off on the right and give a brutal shove on the right bar. As soon as the bike starts it's turn, you open the throttle again, slide off to the left and give it another brutal shove on the left bar. The bike is just screaming the whole time and as you carve around turn 2 the front end is light. If you're on it really hard, it might try to headshake a little.

 

Here are the rest of the shots. These are all in turn 9 or on the straight between turn 9 and 10. Lisa couldn't get close enough to the track to get better shots, so I had to zoom in and crop these. Also, she tried to get some shots on the front straight, but we were going too fast for our semi-crappy digital camera.

 

It'll be a few days before I can get to the professional shots. Actually, with Un coming up, it might be mid-June before I can get those posted.

 

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Great writeup and pics. But I have a question for you: how big are you? You look like a cartoon on that bike. You're either too big, or the bike too small. I'm now having doubts I could last 2 days (2-day camp) on such a bike. I'm 5'10, and never injured my knees, but am not flexible, and even my KRS gives me trouble sometimes. Glad you had a good time... and no crashes.

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russell_bynum

I'm 6'4" and around 210lbs. I feel like a shriner on a minibike on that thing. smile.gif

 

The ZX6 that the Superbike School rents are a bit more comfortable, but pretty much all sportbikes are going to be moderately uncomfortable. They're not designed to be ridden all day like your K12 is. The good news is you'll only be on the bike for 20 minutes at a pop. Then you'll have 20 minutes of classroom (sitting down) and 20 minutes of break.

 

You probably will be sore though. I recommend taking some sort of anti-inflamatory like ibuprophen (sp?) BEFORE you start. That has really made a difference for me between being miserable at the end of the day, and just being tired.

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Good on ya Russell for getting to the track again. Crap, at this rate yuo're going to smoke me at Barber crazy.gif in september. I'll have to practice as much as possible.. I haven't been to a really high speed track yet. Thunderhill is the fastest probably and I don't really know what i do there because I have my speedo covered. When I had the gixxer along last monday I was kissing 160 on the speedo on the front straight but as we all know that is optimistic. not sure how much. You carry a big sack to jump out into the advanced group on your what, ? 5th or 8th track day. Sounds like you weren't a complete navigational hazard either. Oh well some of us are just born fast. I just survived round three in the AFM at sears point and am pretty much midpack at this point in my classes. 600sb, form 1 and form40. finishing mid thirties out of 70 or so. My goal is to try for the low twenties or under this year. It is doable but I've got to pick up maybe three or four seconds. HOOKED YET?

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russell_bynum

Navigational hazard...I like that one. smile.gif

 

I definitely started out as a big hazard. Closing rates on some of those passes had to be in excess of 100mph as I braked WAY early for the turns as I was learning the track. The first few laps were terrifying as I'd get passed by 4 or 5 bikes at the end of every straight. Towards the end of the day, though, it got much better. I usually only saw one or two other riders pass me on the first lap, and that was usually on the front straight where it doesn't matter since it is so wide.

 

Next time out, I'll definitely be back in the intermediate group where I belong. Especially if I'm at a new track.

 

That little CBR sure is fun on the racetrack, though. I do like those hard transitions, and Fontana is full of 'em. In fact, pretty much every time you turn, it's a chicane. I actually scared myself a few times throwing the bike over so hard that I thought surely it would slide. It never did, though.

 

I did have a couple of slides thoughout the day. I kept screwing up the rev-matching coming down at the end of the front straight, so I wound up a little sideways going down into turn 1. No big deal, though. It does make me think about adding a slipper clutch to my wish list, though. smile.gif

 

The other slides I had were actually the front end when I hit the seam in the track where the infield transitions up onto the banking. I'm not sure why only the front pushed there and not the rear (I was full throttle and pretty high in the powerband at that point), but that's how it happened. Again...no big deal really..just a little slip, then it would re-grip and all was well.

 

I also ventured out onto the paint in turn 2 and lost both ends of the bike for a bit there. That one was a definite sphincter-tightener. eek.gif I need to work on being more focused because when I have these little mistakes, IMO it takes me too long to recover and get back to the task at hand. It's not long...just about long enough to take a quick breath in, but that's too long, IMO.

 

One thing that was really nice about riding in the fast group...there were no squids. Everyone I encountered made good passes and were ovbiously in good control of the situation. I had a few guys violate the 6-foot passing rule, but they all did it so well that it didn't bother me.

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Noice write RB. Wish I woulda knowed you were going. I had a free Sat, and coulda been your lens dood/pit beyawtch for the day.

 

Been wantin' to see that AMA layout in person.

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russell_bynum

Shesh...over on one of the sportbike boards, I just read that on Sunday's track day at Fontana (I was there on Saturday), there were quite a few big names there including Jason Perez, Alex Gobert, one of the Haydens (not sure which one), and some of the Motorcyclist guys there testing the new GSX-R1000.

 

How'd you'd like to be picking your way around the track when Alex goes by you on his FX bike at 170+? eek.gif

 

Here's a on-bike video of a lap of the track from one of the guys on www.600rr.net. This is about a 1:49ish lap, so my best time was about 8 seconds faster than this. But most of my quick laps were in the 1:46-48 range, so this isn't too far off.

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russell_bynum

That's a cool shot, Tim. I really need to paint my bike a different color. The black bike/black leathers/black helmet thing doesn't look as good in pictures. I've noticed, with my black helmet and smoked visor, it's hard to tell where my head is pointed, and there's just not much contrast between me and the bike to tell what's going on.

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Nice report, Russell. And I must thank you for rescuing me from a fairly boring family reunion on my wife's side in Petersburg, TN. (Otherwise known as Possum Scrotum, TN.)

 

Russell and I were emailing back and forth with PDAs between sessions. My wife asked me why I kept grinning! smile.gif

 

Like Mark, high speed straights give me the willy wonkas. I've done four days at Road Atlanta, and that's a fast track, but at least it's not blind. The straight (turn one, actually) at Laguna is a bit more frightening because it is blind. Yeoh. I like fast corners, not fast straights.

 

Any issues with your helmet? I was using a Shoei at Road Atlanta and was getting some helmet lift at 145 mph and above. After stupidly setting my helmet in an ant pile between sessions, I had to borrow a helmet and it happened to be an Arai. That was tons more aerodynamic than my Shoei.

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russell_bynum

Any issues with your helmet?

 

Yeah. It felt like my head was going to be pulled off on the front straight. I'm not sure how much difference a different helmet would have made, though. Just before I got on the brakes at the end of the front straight, the upper fairing would start to buffet. I felt like Yeager trying to break the sound barrier. "point nine eight! She's getting real hectic!!"

 

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Wow. Great read. Thanks.

 

I cannot imagine being out there doing that. That makes Code School sound like gradeschool.

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JerryMather

"The guys on the other side of me were all riding Ducatis. 999's, 999R's, 998, etc. Shesh...I feel like "the Clampets go to the track" with my puny little 600."grin.gifgrin.gifgrin.gifclap.gif

You've got to do Laguna this fall and tell us what you think of it! Trust me.....You'll love it there. thumbsup.gif

I might even join you.

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Russ - You the man! Good work and great report. My last track day was marred by a lot of crashes, in front of and behind me. Must be great to be out there with guys who really know the lines.

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russell_bynum
"The guys on the other side of me were all riding Ducatis. 999's, 999R's, 998, etc. Shesh...I feel like "the Clampets go to the track" with my puny little 600."grin.gifgrin.gifgrin.gifclap.gif

You've got to do Laguna this fall and tell us what you think of it! Trust me.....You'll love it there. thumbsup.gif

I might even join you.

 

Laguna is definitely on my short list.

I heard you have to run a stock exhaust there because of the yuppie scumbags who built houses next to the race track, then complained about the noise...is that true?

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JerryMather

Yes, There's a 90DB Limit bncry.gif But it's still alot of fun, even if your bike isn't working at 100 per cent.

The home owners are going to be pissed when they find out what a GP bike with straight pipes sounds like next month. tongue.gif

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russell_bynum

The home owners are going to be pissed when they find out what a GP bike with straight pipes sounds like next month.

 

Good. I hope they wet their little yuppie beds.

 

<rant>What kind of a freaking sociopath builds a house next to a race track, then complains about the noise? This reminds me of all of those jackasses who built houses next to DFW and complained about the airplane noise. Some people just need to be taken out and given a good old-fashioned public beating.</rant>

 

I do have the stock exhaust somewhere in the garage. I suppose I could figure out how to put it back on, download a "stock" map for the PCIII and be ready to rock and roll.

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russell_bynum

That makes Code School sound like gradeschool.

 

Well, first of all, there's a difference in a track day, and a track school.

 

Track school's are great fun, and very rewarding. I really enjoy riding with all those instructors there to help me improve. But, with CSS anyway, it is structurerd. You are doing their drills by their rules.

 

A track day is more of an open free-for-all where you can work on any skill you want, usually without any instructor supervision. That can be fun because you can work on a particular skill for a few laps, then just decide to cut loose and haul-ass for a few laps. smile.gif

 

I'd say, track schools are more rewarding, but track days are more fun. I'd also say that I think people should do some kind of school before they just jump out and do an open trackday. Otherwise, you are like to just keep making the same mistakes at higher and higher speed until the obvious conclusion...a crash. That's not to say that you're gauranteed to crash if you don't do a school first, but I know that I uncovered a bunch of things that needed work when I did the Superbike School. Without that, I would have just been doing the same dumb things over and over again.

 

And it's amazing how you can always go back to the basics. CSS starts you with 4th gear and no brakes. Wax on, wax off. When I got frustrated trying to learn the track at Fontana, I finally just decided to go back to the basics. Wax on, wax off...4th gear, no brakes. Before long, I had the track down and my laptimes plunged. Then I started adding speed, braking, shifting, etc and my laptimes continued to come down.

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"The guys on the other side of me were all riding Ducatis. 999's, 999R's, 998, etc. Shesh...I feel like "the Clampets go to the track" with my puny little 600."grin.gifgrin.gifgrin.gifclap.gif

You've got to do Laguna this fall and tell us what you think of it! Trust me.....You'll love it there. thumbsup.gif

I might even join you.

 

Laguna is definitely on my short list.

I heard you have to run a stock exhaust there because of the yuppie scumbags who built houses next to the race track, then complained about the noise...is that true?

 

 

Definitely put on the stock exhaust I went in march and was black flagged twice with my yosh and it really messed with my rythym having to slow down and upshift when I should have been screaming between turns 5 and 6. Its uphill there and they have a booth off tto the right side. After a while it almost got to be no fun and my laptimes sucked. Its amazing how if you throw off two corners it can affect the whole lap but that is how it seemed to me.

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Bill_Walker
Definitely put on the stock exhaust I went in march and was black flagged twice with my yosh and it really messed with my rythym

 

Slight hijack, but this reminds me of a number of years back when they had the IMSA Del Mar Grand Prix at the Del Mar (San Diego, CA, area) fairgrounds. There are homes all around the fairgrounds, and the locals are known for protecting their personal rights, so of course noise restrictions were in place. The track was counterclockwise, the houses were toward the outside, so many teams moved their exhaust to the left side of the car. And then the organizers put a sound meter in the inside of one of the turns!

 

The meter was on a tripod right across the track from where we were sitting. This one car had been black-flagged twice for excessive noise. On his next lap out he just "happened" to cut our corner a bit close, by, oh, six to eight feet, and ran right over the sound meter. Everybody in the stands cheered for him, but of course the organizers black-flagged him again and he called it a day. The phrase "My work here is done now." comes to mind.

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Hey Russell!

 

One day I should cruise down there with the big glass and get some

nice shots for you.

 

Nice job!

 

Ian

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  • 3 weeks later...
russell_bynum

OK, here are the professional pictures of me that day.

 

My body position is somewhat crappy. I really need my upper body to be farther down and farther to the inside on most of these shots.

 

Oh well.

 

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