How to know when you're ready to race?

[easter bunny]

And i'll be picking up an alpinestars gp suit with the A* air vest for next season since i planned on getting a hit-air this winter but they cut my suit off me before they loaded me up for my 'copter ride.

I will race next year again for sure. I just hope i don't lose too fitness and progress from this injury.

I can commiserate. I just missed buying a hit air and had what I thought was an easy off at THill last round. Busted my collar bone and ended my weekend. X-rays showed I basically shattered it and had to go for surgery.

Look into a tech air or D air suit versus a vest. The suits will protect your collarbone better. Vest is more made for head and chest impact from what I see. I'm not sure they would have saved me but it sure as hell would have helped.

 

[jaybocc2]

I can commiserate. I just missed buying a hit air and had what I thought was an easy off at THill last round. Busted my collar bone and ended my weekend. X-rays showed I basically shattered it and had to go for surgery.

Look into a tech air or D air suit versus a vest. The suits will protect your collarbone better. Vest is more made for head and chest impact from what I see. I'm not sure they would have saved me but it sure as hell would have helped.

Yeah mine didn't break cleanly either. I think i broke my collar bone because i reached out to the ground, and if i did then an airbag wouldn't have helped, but i don't really know and nobody got video of the crash so we will never know


Alpinestars claims no motogp racers have broken a collar bone since being equipped with their air bag suits. I read that somewhere but i can't find it again.

http://www.alpinestars.com/tech-air-suit

 

[easter bunny]

Get well soon brother. See you out there in the spring when we're both healed up.

 

[Smash Allen]

Imo, pick your favorite trackday org and do their NRS. You can do it on a AFM NRS race weekend of course, but for my first race weekend there was a lot going on and not having to worry about passing NRS definitely took some of the pressure off.

Haha i didn't bog too bad on my actual race start at least, though i did give up all my position by being a bit too timid! Lol

youtu.be/ZYqZ8YWLMwQ

hope all is well jay

 

[jaybocc2]

hope all is well jay

Thanks Smash, Doing better. Recovery is very slow, It is taking a long time to heal 13-14 bones without surgical intervention, clavicle is still healing, next set of Xrays in march. It has been 3 months at least since nov 1 and the accident with the car. I will be at Sonoma w/ PTT learning how to ride again and shaking off some fear.

You racing this year? Going to be at any trackdays soon?

 

[Smash Allen]

Thanks Smash, Doing better. Recovery is very slow, It is taking a long time to heal 13-14 bones without surgical intervention, clavicle is still healing, next set of Xrays in march. It has been 3 months at least since nov 1 and the accident with the car. I will be at Sonoma w/ PTT learning how to ride again and shaking off some fear.

You racing this year? Going to be at any trackdays soon?

I can only imagine what a pain all that is but you have to be amped up to ride Sonoma again! I wish it wasn’t so expensive otherwise I’d be there this weekend with you guys. Have a blast, that’s the point right? :laughing

Yea, I’m racing this year. I was at Buttonwillow yesterday for the first time and so I guess I’m ready for NRS at round 1 lol. After round 1 I’ll probably be back at Buttonwillow before round 2 and then Thunderhill before round 3, a west day or two, then Sonoma before round 6. I could do more track days if I skip Saturday practice... decisions decisions...

 

[jaybocc2]

I can only imagine what a pain all that is but you have to be amped up to ride Sonoma again! I wish it wasn’t so expensive otherwise I’d be there this weekend with you guys. Have a blast, that’s the point right? :laughing

Yea, I’m racing this year. I was at Buttonwillow yesterday for the first time and so I guess I’m ready for NRS at round 1 lol. After round 1 I’ll probably be back at Buttonwillow before round 2 and then Thunderhill before round 3, a west day or two, then Sonoma before round 6. I could do more track days if I skip Saturday practice... decisions decisions...

I will not be racing buttonwillow. I don't have a lot of experience there, my pace there is slow and my pace right now is VERY slow. And i can't crash.

If i crash i will be back in the hospital with very bad injury even with my airbag right now. So i will probably be waiting until the summer rounds at the very least. Not even sure if i'll race round 3 or 4.

My friend has a sonoma saturday pass for sale for $200 maybe less if you sweet talk him

Don't skip practice, lol it helped me a lot with line and consistency. Its a good chance to find/run race pace!

 

[Smash Allen]

I will not be racing buttonwillow. I don't have a lot of experience there, my pace there is slow and my pace right now is VERY slow. And i can't crash.

If i crash i will be back in the hospital with very bad injury even with my airbag right now. So i will probably be waiting until the summer rounds at the very least. Not even sure if i'll race round 3 or 4.

My friend has a sonoma saturday pass for sale for $200 maybe less if you sweet talk him

Don't skip practice, lol it helped me a lot with line and consistency. Its a good chance to find/run race pace!

I’m the same way in that not crashing is pretty much my number one goal. I want to complete all seven rounds this year and I don’t have a B bike, so everything I do is towards that goal.

Yea you’re right I should not skip practice... what I should do is get a second job...asking a control rider for lines didn’t work yesterday lol

 

[partakrider14]

My goal is to ultimately start racing. I was wondering how many of you found you were "ready" and started racing?

glad to hear your back to race again jay. i have some question, how was your nrs school from ptt before? coz i was thinking of taking it too this coming weekend the 29th but i’m a bit scared but excited at the same time. i start riding in the A group this year and i’m not the fastest or the slowest in group A. do you think i’m ready?

 

[Honey Badger]

glad to hear your back to race again jay. i have some question, how was your nrs school from ptt before? coz i was thinking of taking it too this coming weekend the 29th but i’m a bit scared but excited at the same time. i start riding in the A group this year and i’m not the fastest or the slowest in group A. do you think i’m ready?

Do eet!!

I have another friend who's new to A group this year and he'll be doing his nrs this next Sunday. Join in!

 

[partakrider14]

Do eet!!

I have another friend who's new to A group this year and he'll be doing his nrs this next Sunday. Join in!

sounds good,i’m not alone lol..i’m gonna sign up for the 28-29+nrs ofcourse. thanks aj!

 

[Honey Badger]

sounds good,i’m not alone lol..i’m gonna sign up for the 28-29+nrs ofcourse. thanks aj!

Awesome, we'll see you there!

 

[jaybocc2]

glad to hear your back to race again jay. i have some question, how was your nrs school from ptt before? coz i was thinking of taking it too this coming weekend the 29th but i’m a bit scared but excited at the same time. i start riding in the A group this year and i’m not the fastest or the slowest in group A. do you think i’m ready?

I love the PTT Crew! I've attended almost every single event they've put on this year.

They'll take good care of you, and i'll be out there that weekend as well!

 

[Hooli]

If you can afford the medical coverage...

DO IT.

 

[jaybocc2]

If you can afford the medical coverage...

DO IT.

Definitely. IMO if you can't afford the enloe and reach coverage - you definitely can't afford to race.

Medical too of course!

It took me 5 years just to pay off 10% of my first accident when I was 21

 

[partakrider14]

Definitely. IMO if you can't afford the enloe and reach coverage - you definitely can't afford to race.

Medical too of course!

It took me 5 years just to pay off 10% of my first accident when I was 21

i am covered with a good medical insurance so i have nothing to worry about medical. i was gonna take my nrs last 2016 but i did not. always change my mind and said “nah forget about it” but honestly the truth is i’m scared haha. and now decided to take the nrs (if i pass) and start racing before it’s too late.

 

[jaybocc2]

i am covered with a good medical insurance so i have nothing to worry about medical. i was gonna take my nrs last 2016 but i did not. always change my mind and said “nah forget about it” but honestly the truth is i’m scared haha. and now decided to take the nrs (if i pass) and start racing before it’s too late.

I was nervous too. But as long as you are predictable and can hold a line, and don't crash or run off track I think you're pretty much good to go.

The hardest part is running back and forth to class in the heat

 

[Smash Allen]

I didn’t think I was ready but I just went for it

i am covered with a good medical insurance so i have nothing to worry about medical. i was gonna take my nrs last 2016 but i did not. always change my mind and said “nah forget about it” but honestly the truth is i’m scared haha. and now decided to take the nrs (if i pass) and start racing before it’s too late.

:laughing I’m still scared every race and until the flag drops I think “what the fuck am I doing here” and “I really need to piss” and “at least I’m going to pass Jay and Ken” and “I hope that one dude from 750 superbike isn’t behind me” over and over

Then once the race starts it’s recently been “wow I can’t slow down” and “at least I catch people on the brakes” and “I wonder why I miss every apex” and “thank god for liter bike power” over and over

After three laps the corner worker puts out the wrong signal because there is no way I have only gone three laps. This has to be the 5th lap, where is the white flag?? Then two laps later I see the white flag and I find a burst of energy, picking up the pace every corner until I make a mistake, then calling it and dial back the pace to where it feels slow. The cooldown lap I seem to lose my fucking mind and almost run off a few times. I’m waving to the awesome corner workers and thinking about how I just got away with riding as fast as I could as long as I could. By the time I get back to the pits I already have something to work on or some feedback and i write it down in my notebook.

I didn’t think I was ready to race, but I couldn’t get the thought out of my head. Track days in A group were boring. I wasn’t getting buzzed, in either sense of the word. So I just jumped in, and do not regret it at all :ride

 

[jrshooter]

I didn’t think I was ready but I just went for it



:laughing I’m still scared every race and until the flag drops I think “what the fuck am I doing here” and “I really need to piss” and “at least I’m going to pass Jay and Ken” and “I hope that one dude from 750 superbike isn’t behind me” over and over

Then once the race starts it’s recently been “wow I can’t slow down” and “at least I catch people on the brakes” and “I wonder why I miss every apex” and “thank god for liter bike power” over and over

After three laps the corner worker puts out the wrong signal because there is no way I have only gone three laps. This has to be the 5th lap, where is the white flag?? Then two laps later I see the white flag and I find a burst of energy, picking up the pace every corner until I make a mistake, then calling it and dial back the pace to where it feels slow. The cooldown lap I seem to lose my fucking mind and almost run off a few times. I’m waving to the awesome corner workers and thinking about how I just got away with riding as fast as I could as long as I could. By the time I get back to the pits I already have something to work on or some feedback and i write it down in my notebook.

I didn’t think I was ready to race, but I couldn’t get the thought out of my head. Track days in A group were boring. I wasn’t getting buzzed, in either sense of the word. So I just jumped in, and do not regret it at all :ride

that sums me up also, awesome post.

 

[DirtyD]

When you routinely pass AFM racers at a trackday, and you know the track like the back of your hand, you're probably ready. You should certainly be riding the A group by then and be passing more people than pass you. If you don't like it when faster riders put aggressive passes on you, you're not ready. If you love it when another rider steals your apex, and it motivates you to put your head down and try to keep up, you might be ready. Just my 2 cents. Take it or leave it.