Cadwell Trackday 17th Aug- A Question?

[hjp1968]

Hi
On Tuesday 17th August 2010 I did the Bike Magazine Trackday at Cadwell. This event was focused on road bikes with race bikes, slicks and tyre warmers all banned! There were two novice groups and one Inter/Advanced group. Being a relative newbie I ran in one of the novice groups and I think this is where my problems began!
My bike is a bog stock TRX (Except some very nice carbon pipes(it's still a work in progress)) and I was generally in the top 25% with speed through the bends but I was having difficulities on the straight. Basically I was being held up in the bends and couldn't overtake on the straight or they were coming past me on the straight and buggering up my line and speed through the bends!!!! Several times I ended up going around the outside of some numptie on a GSXR/R1 through Copice after they had shot past me on the start finish straight. I don't think I got one clean lap in.
My question is do you think I would have less problem in the Inter group as the cornering speed should generally be up so I will not mind so much that I get passed on the striaght, or will I become a mobile chicane and just get in evryones way?
What are your thoughts?
Thanks
Heath
PS Photos to follow (hopefully)

[trixynut]

Hey Heath,

First off, nice one for getting the TRX on track

Tis a difficult dilemma and depends on lots of things.

Novice group is good for a first or second outing to get the feel of how it all works, but not for more than that if you are comfortable with the trackday thing and are going anwhere near the fastest in the group.

Basically, in the novice group, you're riding with lots of inexperienced and unpredictable riders who mare your problem. In the Inters group, you are with more confident and predictable riders. So what if you are the slowest there, that just means you are the other riders problem to get round.

I would rather be in the bottom of a capable group than the top of an unpredicatble group. At the end of the day, the organisers will move you if you're a 'problem'.

I've done maybe 10 trackdays and did probably the first 5 in novice which was maybe 2 too many.

But it does depend on the actual day: what track you're at, what type of trackday etc as to how 'novice' the novices are and how fast the Inters are.

I did a Caddy day and spent a whole session dicing with a 15yr old on a 2 stroke racer. I'd blitz him on the straight and he'd outcorner me, till I got bored and coasted a lap to get him get away. Caddy is not a circuit where the big bikes blast the straights as its not got any: try the GP circuit at Silverstone for that: mega straight and mega blitzing by gsxrs doing 170!

Mallory is a great TRX track, as is Rockingham National and Caddy.

Dave.

[Silver]

Heath, Bit late with the reply. Cadwell is like that unfortunately we do get passed on both the finish straight and the back straight and as you say you can get back going up the hill into charlies. you can also get by on chris curve and if you do it there they will be behind all the way round to the finish straight, in fact you can probably gap them there so thay cant get by again. I have tried the inters and it is definitely better, you are less likely to be behind someone you cant get past, but i generally go in the same class as those i go with.
Hoping to do another evening there before the season is over.
Dave