Thank you to Robert Bensley and his team, the BMW Club sports section and www.picman.co.uk for the pictures.
The day began the night before as Robert, the track-day organizer had opened his farm to those of us that had been on his events before. We could camp or crash on his floors and he kindly laid on a BBQ. The weather was kind and it was nice to spend some time with the instructors getting to know them. There was almost a rally feel to it.
The weather turned over night and whilst we (Aquila Deserto ‘AqD’ & I) had had every intention of being de-camped for 7am, there seemed little point in rushing to pack away a wet tent only to have to unpack it again to dry it at home, so we nominated to abandon it at the farm until the end of the day.
We arrived at the Snetterton track shortly after 07:00 and I welcomed the pit garages, into which I reversed the trailer. I tried to get the bike off, but could not get a grip with the wet wooden running boards. One pleading yell and I had four other bikers round me to help drag the V11 off and that was the spirit of the day.
Off to registration and then to get the bike noise tested, then over to the canteen for a riders’ briefing. This is my eighth track day and I always get something different out of each briefing and this year was no exception. A strong emphasis was put on how those riders with fast bikes in a straight line, should let riders on slower bikes whom are lapping faster, pass on the straights. The advanced group was dismissed from the briefing first to let them get out on track, whilst we got a quick guide to the track’s black spots, then we the intermediate group were dismissed to leave the cautious group for some more tutoring.
Then it was over to the holding area to meet our sighting lap instructor. The photographer also took a register photo.
A quick chat with the instructor reaffirmed the riders’ briefing before saddling up and following him round like ducklings for 3 laps on a wet track. The instructor did a great job showing us the lines of the track, where we should be turning and where we should be kissing the apex. Thank you Jim - (I think it was).
10:20 came and we were lined up in the pit lane ready for the off and away we went two by two. Towards the end of the session a dry line around the track began to appear but confidence was lacking. I resigned myself to under riding and marking the cone locations and visual waypoints. ‘Visual waypoints’ is a phrase, which I use to describe my technique of navigating a track e.g. race riders when entering a bend turn their head, and look where the track is going.
As a road rider, I tend to be scanning the road in all directions and the mirrors for hazards. On track however, travelling much quicker through a bend, these observations aren’t necessary and have in the past distracted me off line. So to remedy this I select visual waypoints around the track to focus on. ‘You go where you look’ is a line I used many times as a CBT instructor. Two bikes went down in this session.
11:05 and a stream of the advanced guys came back into the pits having gone out at 11:00. The heavens had opened and they headed for cover seeing no point in completing their session, abandoning it. I followed their lead and didn’t even start the Guzzi up for my 11:20 session where a third rider came unstuck. Instead AqD & I took a stroll down the pit lane to the photographer’s garage and introduced myself so they could link me by name with the register photo taken earlier. This then enables them to collate all images taken of me into a file and burn them onto a CD as we leave. The unexpected bonus of doing this was that I got a look at the first images of me from the 10:20 session
from which I noticed that my tyres were not distorting and this struck a cord with me. Leaving the photographer I walked back up the pit lane on a mission to find someone with tyre warmers who I had noticed previously, figuring if he had tyre warmers he would have everything. On finding him I asked him if he had a pressure gauge I could borrow, which he did. Getting back to our garage I dumped 10psi out the front and 8psi out the rear, and returned the gauge.
12:20 saw us back out on a soaked track, although the rain had gone. A gentle first lap and I am feeling really comfortable on the brakes. Around the new left hand infield section of the track I eased up behind a Hyabusa. As we pulled out onto the Bentley straight he out-dragged me, but then appeared to be reversing back up the track at me, as he had started braking and I was still hard on the gas.
I breezed passed him up to the turn-in for Brundle passing him in plenty of time and that was the last I saw of him in that session. The change in tyre pressure had transformed the bike and I was able to put obscene amounts of pressure into the front brake in a straight line. Getting back to the pits the Hyabusa rider commented on the confidence I had in the front tyre over what he had in his. Missing the 11:20 session and visiting the photographer was to be the making of the day.
At lunch AqD and I were joined by James and also another of the track instructors. Some fun track day stories ensued before breaking for the post lunch briefing. This was the time when the track day organiser gets to reprimand us if necessary, but the wet had doused our aspirations and a little more coaching was offered in lieu.
14:20 and conscious of carbohydrate poisoning (that drowsy feeling after a meal) I pulled out on track with conservativeness and safety in mind. By the end of the first lap, which was now dry, I was aware that I was starting to put some real energy through my suspension and tyres.
I could feel some serious G in the bends and a few laps later my braking points were moving ever closer to the turn-in points. The slow morning meant I had been able to properly learn the turn-in points, apexes and visual waypoints out of the bends. These combined with the dropped tyre pressures all contributed to a real confident, tidy session. By the end I was properly starting to move around on the bike, transferring my weight forward back left and right. The chequered flag for session end dropped all too soon.
15:20 and hungry for more I patiently cruised for two laps to get the tyre temperature up and then I was off. On Agostini I went into weight saving mode, shaving a few grams off the side stand,
and on Oggies a few off my right boot. The sun was out and I was having a great time. Tom who I had met the night before, blasted by me on the Bentley straight on his R1. I was surprised to reel him in again braking into Brundle, where he began to get snagged behind another rider through to “the Bomb Hole”. I moved up behind them carrying some extra momentum and Tom and I both ducked under the other rider as we exited the “Bomb Hole” on the short straight to Coram. Entering Coram, Tom seemed a little hesitant approaching the turn-in, perhaps having passed the other rider on a different part of the track than his usual line. I let the V11 roll on up his left side as he dropped into the right turn and I breezed round the outside of him hanging off round the seemingly endless bend and onto Murrays, the left-hander. It was a terrific David and Goliath feeling, riding round the outside of a far superior machine, even if we weren’t racing. Of course, as you would expect, Tom blasted passed me again on the Senna straight!
The two afternoon sessions had been something special and something that would be difficult and hazardous to try and match, let alone improve on. With a tent to pack away and 150 miles home with work the following day, I (as has become my custom) skipped the final session. I began loading the bike on the trailer when James, the instructor, walked up to me with a big grin and asked knowingly, “Did you enjoy that session then?” He had been out on track watching us circulate during my last session, had observed that all was good in my world at the time and also appeared to have enjoyed watching me at play. AqD and I picked up the pictures from the photographer, then the tent from Robert’s farm and made our way back to Manchester. Tuesday, the weekend could not come quick enough. I ached until Thursday.
Cabernet’s track notes – Snetterton.
The Senna straight is the start/finish straight and at the end you need to be to the left for Riches the double apex right. We were instructed to miss the first apex by 6ft to line ourselves up for the second, which gives us a good exit speed for the short straight before the hairpin. The Montreal hairpin, is like the one at Mallory, where you go in wide to the left and pull yourself in tight to the right for a late apex for the short straight into Palmer, the first infield left, which you approach on the right. As you turn in you need to hold it wide until you see the apex cone then sweep to the left to meet it and look up the track for the 300 marker board for Agostini. Pass this hard on the throttle and then anchor on up to the turn-in cone on the right, looking for the apex cone then looking for the marshals’ hut and the turn-in cone for Hamilton the next left and then the apex cone for the same. Go in hot and let the bike run to the right focusing on the left side of the track and the turn-in cone for Oggies, the next tight right. This right opens out allowing you to gather speed as you straighten and line up Williams the next right, which takes you out of the infield onto the Bentley straight. I had the V11 up to an indicated 137mph on Bentley, before anchoring on, hauling the 230kg bike back down to negotiate Brundle, the left beyond the bridge which forms the first of a left/right Brundle/Nelson chicane rather like the entrance to “the Bus Stop” at Mallory (N.B. the track remains damp under the bridge hours after the rest of the track is bone dry and in the wet it is easy to unsettle the rear in the left following). “The Bomb Hole” is a right with a dip dropping off just before the apex, bottoming at the apex and gently easing you skyward on the exit. Turn in late and steady, lean on the tyres at the bottom and get it straight early on the rise gaining some speed on exit to enter Coram, the lovely long right hand gentle downhill curve that goes on and on and on. Head in from the left and hang off the bike, nursing a steady throttle and reaching for the right kerb with your chin as you approach the oh so late apex, then oh so gently easing on the brakes and reducing the lean as you approach Murrays, (like the Gooseneck at Cadwell only more pronounced and less forgiving) a dog leg left, back onto Senna again.
Senna S
Riches R
Montreal R-HP
Palmer L
Agostini L
Hamilton L
Oggies T-R
Williams R
Bentley S
Brundle L
Nelson T-R
Bomb Hole R
Coram R
Murrays T-L
