Track day as a journey to self-discovery

April 20, 11:32 PMDC Motorcycle Travel ExaminerMark Poesch

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Coupled with the purchase of my Suzuki GSX-R1000 K6 was the knowledge that this was a full-fledged racing bike – an Indy car on two wheels:  0-60 in 3.0 seconds, 0-100 in 6.0, 0-140 in under 10!  …with an artificially “limited” top speed 186 MPH (299 KPH).  My wife accepted – in fact, encouraged – that I would some day, when the time was right, get the bike on the track.  Saturday, April 18th, 2009 at VIR was that day.  And, what a day it was!

 
In the play As You Like It, Shakespeare wrote: “All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players…”  Taking this writing at face value, the obvious question is: If would chose a role for yourself, what role would you play?

On Saturday, I found myself in the role of motorcycle racer, tearing around the track at triple-digit speeds, pushing hard through the turns with my knee out.

Three years ago this month, my dad died.  On the long drive home on Sunday, it was with bittersweet recollection that I considered how much fun it would have been to have my father there, watching me on the track.  And, during that brief wistfulness, I had the distinct impression that he was, and that enjoyed every minute of it.

In the wonderful movie, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, in a less cynical variation on Shakespeare’s observation of life, Mr. Magorium suggests to his young protégé, “Your life is an occasion......rise to it.”  On the drive home, not only did I feel like I was had risen to the occasion, I felt certain that I was in the right role, at the right place, and the right time… more or less, the opposite of a mid-life crisis.

While a day on the track may not be for everyone, and it’s certainly not the end of my own journey of self-discovery, in my case, it was a very important milestone.  Thanks to all the folks who helped make the day possible!

Details of the day on the track, coming up!

Catch the whole series:

• Track day as a journey to self-discovery
• Track day at VIR – first-hand report – the first warm-up laps
• Track day at VIR – session 2 – taking it up a notch; stay on the line!
• Track day at VIR – session 3 – out in front of the instructors
• Track day at VIR – session 4 – picking up the pace
• Track day at VIR – session 5 – the best session yet!
• Track day at VIR – session 6 – death of a gixxer
• Track day at VIR – session 7 - final session! – taking advantage of the run-off area!
• Track day at VIR – conclusion – confidence without discipline spells disaster
• Track day at VIR – epilogue – lessons learned on and off the track