Track day at VIR – session 6

April 30, 9:15 PMDC Motorcycle Travel ExaminerMark Poesch

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Exhausted from session 5, following the final round of classroom training, I’ve recovered just in time for session 6.

Out on the grid with our group, I’m aiming to get in behind Darius again, but this time end up behind Jill.  Her line is good and her pace easy.   We’re passed by a number of the faster “beginner” riders who are now riding less like beginners with each session.  Steve, on his Honda RC51, is running like a pro, and lapping us every two or three laps.

Tiring of being passed so regularly, I pull into the grid to gain spacing from the other bikes on the track.  Spotting a gap, the pit boss launches me back out into turn 1.

A few good laps, and I’ve used up my reserves.  Although I’ve stayed hydrated throughout the day, one hot dog was not enough lunch.

For the last few laps, my shoulders are aching, and pulling hard through turns 1, 2 and 3, as I pull through turn 4 and into the front straight I have time to think, “I’m done, I need to pull in and rest.”  But, sweeping through turn 5, arcing up the hill through turns 6 and 7, and then red-lining through the back straight, the pains are forgotten.  I accelerate effortlessly out of turn 13 and modulate my speed through turns 14, 15, and 16, blasting past pit lane, and coming in increasingly hot into turn 1.

I repeat the pattern for another three or four laps until the checkered flag comes out.

I sit out session 7 to rest, take a few more photographs, and look over a few of the bikes crashed by the red (“intermediate”) and blue (“advanced”) groups.

This poor gixxer has been split across the middle (the right side of the frame is completely broken in half) after going end over end through the turns following the back straight.  The rider (shown holding the front wheel on the left) found himself coming into turn 9 too hot, saw another bike ahead, and had a choice between T-boning the other rider (wiping out both of them and their bikes badly) or dropping his own bike, and hoping for the best.  Generally, the recommendation is to use as much braking power and traction from the tires as possible.  But, this time, it may have been the right call -- he missed the other rider and walked away without a scratch.  His bike’s guts were falling out as the four of them attempted to rotate it and haul it into the back of their truck.

I consider calling it quits for the day.  But, by the time session 7 has wrapped up and our break is nearly over, I’ve recovered, and I’m itching to get back out on the track again.

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