On average, I think I've seen more crashes at track days than at races. I think the severity of those crashes at the races was worse. I also think the average guy at the races is a better rider on track than the track day guy, the track day has more new people, and more Rossi wannabes.
I've been doing trackdays since 2009 and love it. The guys I do trackdays with and such all started racing recently. That tempted me to do it. Said friends also are into dirtbikes and peer pressure is a bitch, so I have a dirtbike now too. Anyway, weighing all the reasons not to race, such as: family, kids, my grandson, expense, possible injury, etc., the reason I started this year was this. I'm an older guy (40's) and don't know how long I'll be able to do it and I knew if I didn't take the chance and do it, I'd find myself regretting it later when I'm not able to do it anymore. In addition to that, I love being at the track. Even if I'm not racing, it's fun just being there. The people are great. Honestly, the friends I feel I can count on the most, are the ones I've made at the track or through trackdays.
I'm brand new to racing so take this for what it's worth. A veteran racer told me when I was considering transitioning to racing to "don't overthink it, just do it". He was absolutely right. oh, and racing is awesome.
There are a lot of wrecks on track days and race days but for different reasons. Track days because of a lack of experience and race days because of pushing personal limits to compete. I have a desire to get better and faster every time I get on the bike. However I don't have a desire to be go race and win. For me coaching is a blast and I will leave the racing to the fast guys
What costs more in racing over trackdays? -to and from the track = same -entry fees = $180 = same -tires = same -bike fuel = same Wera has $10k insurance suppliment to all racers. Crashing is the same. Racing is just a trackday with a transponder. Practice in the morning, race in the afternoon. A race is a half trackday session. I do a weekend on $400-500. It's much more relaxed atmosphere at a race weekend too. There's no bullshit posturing I see sometimes at a TD. You know where you are and so does everyone else when your laptimes get posted up for everyone to see. It's a 2 day event so you have alot of downtime unlike a single trackday where it's rush rush.
While I do agree with most of this, I will say a race is much more intense while on the track. Even just gridding up is more intense. A track day isn't a drag race to the first corner.
Amount of time on track NOT the same.... Unless you race Endurance then the Fee comparisson is different as well....
Just do both I enjoy both, been knocked down and hurt doing both, money out of pocket for me about the same, a little more tracktime at a trackday but I don't tend to ride every session anyway, I work in the pits way harder on a race weekend, gridding up is what gets me going and here is an end to this run on sentence.:bounce: One more thing I will add, that drive to the finish line feeling only racing can provide :first:
I've thought about it but unfortunately I am not aggressive enough to make passes stick no matter what. I always think about the other rider having to go to work the next day. Even the best CCS WERA guys arent making a living doing this without something on the side. If it was a full time gig I think I could do it, but then again I'd be in Europe and be a badass :hat:
How many of you guys run race tires at trackdays? Not only that, but how many toss your tires after 1 day? And I thought getting 2-3 full days out of a Q3 was bad. Hopefully these new Pirelli Superbike PRO redlines last as long as people claim.
I see nicer and more-tricked out bikes at track days 100% of the time. I don't buy the money reasoning.
Best advice I've seen yet. My 16 year old son plans on starting WERA next year in C-super stock. Yes I know, I've already been told how foolish we are to put him in that class. We are not expecting podiums for a while.
I agree. In order to get the same amount of track time during a race day as a track day, you have to do about 6-7 races (which some people do), and with CCS that will cost you close to $400. Way more than any track day, aside from COTA. I just paid $245 for 4 races, over the course of 2 days at Road America, and that was within 5 bucks of the cost of an STT track day the day before. Also if you're one of the top running guys, you're more likely to run a set of tires (or at least a rear) for 1 day only and then get a new one. That increases the overall costs tremendously, because an advanced track day rider can still get 3-4 days out of a tire easily depending on bike/track/pace/etc. On top of that, the serious guys (or the wannabes who think it helps them much) will also run race fuel. MR12 costs just under $25/gallon and I know people that go through 15-20 gallons of it during a race weekend...again, the really serious guys. In the end, racing is as expensive as you want to make it. It CAN be cheaper than track days, but only for the people that are there to parade lap and do a race or 2 for the fun of it. If you're even somewhat remotely serious about it and getting points towards at least 1 class in a championship, racing is absolutely more expensive than track days. Yeah and usually they're in the novice group or intermediate :thumb:...the fast guys know better than to spend $1000+ on a paint job ....but to be honest there are some pretty badass and nice looking bikes at race weekends too. Check out Farrell's bikes or the Worldwide team R6's. But there is lots of sponsorship money in those bikes because they're raced by fast guys. Foolish or not, the fact that you are supporting your son in what he wants to do makes you an awesome dad and I'm sure he will be very grateful for it! Much respect! I would've been happy if my parents would've at least accepted that motorcycles and track days are my main hobby and ask me things like "did you improve your lap times?" instead of only asking me if I crashed.
Trackdays turn me off cause I cant do half days. Just no use in turning 60 laps a day at 80%. Yep you can spend a small fortune for sure. I think if you're serious and on a budget you won't just enter a bunch of other classes simply for more laps. In wera you compete in say CSS and enter BSS for the extra practice laps and use the 750 race as more practice. Then you end up getting 6-8 total sessions.
I totally agree with that! I can run a WERA weekend for that money as well. I run on take off's that last me the whole weekend (4 races + practice on 2 mornings in 2 classes). I do have a lot more fun to race for the golden pineapple (or a piece of wood with some fancy placard on it for that matter) then just doing track days. Lining up with all the guys in the middle weight class is a fun drug! :wheel: The learning curve goes up a lot steeper too, what line is fast, how to protect a line, how to pass and make it stick, BP. What tire for what condition, how to change the set up to use said tire effectively and so on. Just a lot of fun all together. Seat time is definitely less then at a track day, but the format at a race weekend makes your seat time so much more enjoyable. You like to learn as much as you can each time they let you out for practice. Its more intense to me to make a practice lap count! The people are really great too, but you have that at any given STT day as well! :thumb: Just go and race. Its fun for sure.:bounce: