I got the bump to Advanced group last May at Tally at the end of the day.... Didn't ride in A group at all. Work has had me so busy, I haven't had anytime to get on track this year. Tally was my last outing. Would you suggest that I sign up for Intermediate and make the transition to A group after lunch or go ahead and sign up for Advance and if I'm not feeling it....bump myself down? Never ridden in A group before, and don't know what to expect since I have been in I group (meat grinder) for a couple years.
In my humble opinion, if you're riding smooth, predictable, consistent lines... you'll be fine in the A group. If you tend to run different lines on different laps and ride fast, but inconsistently... you should ask for a coach to run with you and help you smooth out your lines. In the A group, I expect guys to run the race line pretty consistently. If I'm passing you on the inside and you do a big line correction in front of me, it may be hard for me to yield the line to you, because the rider in front ALWAYS has the line.
Go to A.... If your a hazzard or doing anything wrong you will be notified quick.. Just make sure your bike is prepped for A
You'll be fine. Most folks have enough agency to plan proper passes. I was riding my new-to-me GSXR after a seven month hiatus and I felt really out of place at times, but I don't think anyone had trouble getting around me.
You will be perfectly fine in Advanced. You are an Advanced caliber rider and won't have any issues. Also keep in mind that the GNF is this weekend, so there won't be many racers at all in Advanced that weekend in November (unlike this past weeked). The pace/riding should be more relaxed. Some advice I can give is to ride the first session. Alot of people skip that first session. You can use it to get up to speed and get comfortable, then will be more ready to mix it up in the 2nd session.
Thanks for the words of encouragement and for the great info Chris. I didn't realize that a lot of Advance riders skip the first session. Is there a particular reason? Track temps? Superstition?