First Barber Track Days, November 10 – 11, 2007 (long, lots of pix)

[1moreroad]

The family got home last night from Birmingham, Alabama tired, relaxed, and generally happy.  It was a heck of a weekend.



I attended 2 NESBA track days, my 6th and 7th track days, at the Barber Motorsports Park, a 48 foot wide, 15 turn, 2.3 mile road course just 10 miles outside Birmingham.  They have a world class motorcycle museum (that also includes other amazing wheeled vehicles including open wheel race cars and one of Chris Boardman’s Lotus-designed recording setting bicycles from the early 90s) and, best of all, a real city less than 15 minutes away.  That meant I could bring my family.  



The family would watch a little of the track action, go see the museum, and spend most of the days exploring Birmingham, all while we spent evenings together at the hotel.  

Birmingham from Vulcan Park


Barber Museum


There are quite a few good, affordable hotels near Barber.  We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express, which is a little nicer than the Amerihost or Days Inn, but still less than 10 minutes from the track.

The track is incredible.  Series of corners are clearly linked – enter the first in a series correctly and you are rewarded with an easy line through the next 3 or 4 corners.  Mess up the first one, and you’ll be off the pace for what feels like an eternity trying to get back on the race line.  The elevation changes are incredible.  I think about 1/3rd of the corners are blind apex – you can’t see the center of the corner as you turn into it – and fully ½ the corners are blind exit.   Some of the professional photos from Pics of You give you a sense of the elevation changes.  (Pics of You does a good job on pictures.  I bought the CD of all pictures – 75 pictures for $72 or so with tax.  I asked the photographer for wider angle shots as well as close up shots, which he did obligingly.  As you can see, the pictures provide a good sense of perspective.)

Elevation map of Barber


Pics of You professional photos










Add to this a handful of short straightaways connecting the series of corners and a sweeping set of corners on the back of the track and you have a world class race course.  Add again the park setting and the museum, and you have a world class facility of any kind.

Back straight from the museum


Exit of the Roller Coaster from the museum


The weather was perfect.  Mornings in the 50s and afternoons in the 60s with wind gusts up to 5 mph.

NESBA ran a good organization.  Crashes (and there were probably about 10 in 2 days) were handled efficiently with a minimum of lost time.  I think there were only one or two injuries requiring paramedics’ attention and none requiring a hospital trip.  My crash required only one corner to be yellow flagged (more on that later).  One other thing about NESBA: for all anyone has said, the NESBA intermediate group is about the same quality of the Track Club intermediate group – I should not have worried about group placement.

NESBA has good control riders.  They are extremely friendly and want to be helpful.  Advice ranged from the obvious (you need to hang off the bike more) to a good solid recommendation (get on my [CR’s] bike in the pits and let’s work on foot placement on the pegs) to good information on the track (just need to tap the brakes at the last brake marker, turn hard, and you should have time to downshift before the first apex of the roller coaster).  For those of you who do northeast NESBA days, Lenny was very helpful.  NESBA also has good members.  People were always willing to share tools, equipment, advice, and stories in the paddocks.  On-the-track passes were mostly safe with very little aggression – just pass and go.  Coming into turn 5, the Spider turn (a 50-ish mph u-turn at the end of a 120-ish mph straight for me) 4 abreast as I tried to overtake one rider while being overtaken by another rider and a control rider observing him was… interesting, but completed safely.  The fast rider pulled ahead right before the apex, the slower rider stayed harder on the brakes and ran a little wide, while the control rider and I went through the corner together uneventfully.

Rolling out of the pits


I got my knee down


I could see the race line consistently and clearly for the first time (maybe I could literally see it from the rubber on the track?).  I improved my form.  Looking at the pictures, I need to hang off more to get the bike more upright although it felt completely exaggerated at the time.  

Beginning of the first day (slightly racy street position)


Later….


I am figuring out how to pass other riders:  one control rider at the beginning of day 1 told me I am extremely cautious around other riders, which is not a bad thing.

Past
 

About to get passed


I was running consistently running higher and higher in the rpms in the same gear in turns 13-14-15 and upshifting sooner at redline out of turns 1-2-3-4 by the end of the second day.  The funny thing is that it got easier, and I was more and more relaxed.  Besides body position, probably my biggest problem was consistency.  I could follow a few faster riders or a control rider for maybe 1.5 laps, then I would make a little mistake – late throttle because of too tight a line, early brake, etc. – and the faster rider would put 5 – 10 bike lengths on me.  Follow at that distance and in another lap make another little mistake and lose another 5 – 10 bike lengths.  Compared to other riders, I had the easiest time on the tight corners while being, at best, the same speed on the fast corners.  And with an almost 7 year old 600 cc bike, I had the second least horsepower out there (there was one SV that ran some sessions).  So if I couldn’t brake later or throttle sooner – and with better technique and personal improvement I should be able to do both – I was not gaining on anyone.  On a side note, the Track Club riders definitely had more variety in their bike choices.  This NESBA group was probably 50% Big 4 liter bikes, 40% Big 4 600s, and 10% Ducatis.  Only one BMW in the beginner group.  No motards.  Lots and lots of dedicated track plastics and very few taped up street bikes outside the beginner group.

I crashed – my second crash ever.  Probably a 40 mph low side in the grass.  I was already having a bad session.  Right after lunch.  The Buell (XBRR?) in front of me had already gapped our group.  In just half a lap from the very beginning of the session, I could no longer see my control rider.  I got impatient.  The Buell was running paint to paint so I couldn’t pass on the outside of corners and he easily pulled away from me on corner exits.  One attempt at an aggressive pass on the Spider turn had my bars shaking badly from being off the race line and over where the pavement is rippled from where cars brake before the turn, so I backed off.  Eventually the Buell ran faster, traffic messed with everyone’s pace, and I found myself with a completely open race track.  So I tried to run a little hotter (probably 60-ish mph) into the Spider turn on the race line.  The front wheel started to slide.  The bars wagged, and the bike brought the front tire back under itself.  I stood the bike straight up heading straight out of the turn.  Tried to lean it over again.  Ran wide leaned over.  Hit the grass, and it felt like ice on the road.  Bike went out from under me.  I let it go (already leaned way over to the inside) when I felt the both tires slide on the grass.  I have to praise my elementary school gym teachers because they taught me how to fall – we had a session every year in school on falling properly.  I rolled to the side and took the hit over the entire left side of my body.  I only have a quarter-sized bruise above my elbow and a somewhat bigger bruise on my calf to show for the crash.  Looking back, you could see rubber where the front tire slid, then clean pavement where I stood it up then a big gouge in the dirt where the bike slid.  I was up and had picked up the bike before the corner worker could get to me.  I got the bike started and rode it straight to tech inspection.  Passed tech with the agreement that I would clean all the dirt off it before the next session (I did).  Broke off the frame slider; 2” crack in the front fairing; crack in the side fairing where the slider used to be, broke a mounting hole for the windshield.  Did 2 more sessions and got smoother and had as much fun as before the crash.



About 210 track miles altogether.  9 gallons of gas!

The weekend ended on kind of a sour note – literally.  I think I ate something funny from concessions.  2 hours after lunch I had sudden nausea.  An hour later I was throwing up repeatedly.  An hour after that I was fine.  I missed my last planned session because I felt so lousy.

Thanks for all the advice over the last 2 months or so about Water Wetter and E-Z Ups and trailers.  All useful.

The Subaru did a great job hauling the bike.  Doesn’t have a whole lot of extra power, but it can cruise at legal freeway speeds with the 1200 pound trailer + 450 pound bike no problem while getting 20 mpg.



One note: pump gas (93 octane) was CHEAPER in the Barber pits than it was at the Chevron just off the interstate.

[DogBoy]

Excellent and very thorough write-up. Sorry to hear about the crash but I'm glad you got right back out there and had fun.  

[dinolee]

Very cool write-up, glad you a lot of fun in-spite of the incident.  The session right after lunch is always a bad one for me too.  I've experimented with eating simple carbs for lunch, or spacing out small meals through out the day.  But the after lunch session is still just blahhh.

[Gaolee]

Lunch at a trackday is a really bad idea for me as well.  I don't eat lunch in any normal sense.  During a trackday, what works best is to drink a little water before and after each session, with a fairly steady trickle of both fluids and food in between each session.  Eating is necessary, but you don't want to eat very much at once.  I eat things like salted peanuts, potato chips, Cliff bars, bananas, dried and fresh fruit, and other salty, non-bulky things.  The bananas ward off cramping muscles along with enough fluids, for me anyway.

[jed]

The rollercoaster always looks soooooo wide from the museum, but coming down it to me it seems about 3 feet wide.  Looks like you had fun!

[Viffer Vern]

What a great time, great photo's too.  Glad you're alright from the crash.  What did the wife say about that?  

[1moreroad]

Eating is necessary, but you don't want to eat very much at once.  I eat things like salted peanuts, potato chips, Cliff bars, bananas, dried and fresh fruit, and other salty, non-bulky things.  The bananas ward off cramping muscles along with enough fluids, for me anyway.

I hear you.  16 oz water bottle after every session + finish one or two 32 oz Gatorades throughout the day.  Snacks were peanuts, dried cranberries, and baked bagel chips.  I *do* like lunch, though, so I had a simple grilled chicken sandwich with more water.  I'm guessing it's the chicken sandwich, somehow.  At the track, not including breakfast or dinner, I'm downing about a gallon of fluids (water, Gatorade, 1 Coke), and that's for a day with temps in the 50s and 60s.  I've got lots and lots of experience with endurance athletic events and a track day is similar with more mental stress and a little less physical stress.

What did the wife say about that?

Well, she didn't see me crash -- they were in Birmingham at the time.  When she got to the track she asked if I had gotten my knee down again.  I said, kind of, and showed her the dirt on my shoulder and just below my knee.  By the time she had gotten to the track, though, I had already done another session.

She was a lot more relaxed after she watched a session from the museum.  My stories about a 120 mph straight just before a 50 mph u-turn were scaring her.  Seeing it and seeing me in control (mostly) relaxed her.

I do take care of my equipment, but at the same time, visual imperfections just don't bother me anymore.  It's not a new bike.  I want perfect mechanical reliability and after that  .  I'm sure I can use plastic weld to fix upper fairing and I think I can use it to fix the side fairing.  I'll go back to the stock windshield for now, and eventually install a new double bubble.

[JavyDay]

Good write-up.  I will get down there sometime next year.

[Tyrroneous]

I gotta do a trackday soon!!  

You're write up and pics just make me wanna get on the track that much more.  

[phoenix]

Cool stuff Greg!!

[Viffer Vern]

Ok, hearing about all this gets me pumped for our upcoming event in Feb 08.  There's a handfull of us STNer's going out to Pahrump, NV for a two day Pridmoore school.  I've got my deposit in and all I have to do is wait...  

And, not total another bike the week before the track school.  

[miles]

Greg, when you called me on saturday, you failed to mention that you were planning on crashing later on!  I'm glad you had such a good time.  Bummer about the lowside, but it sounds fairly inconsequential.  It's cool that the family got to see you on the track.

You missed a good ride yesterday- you would have enjoyed it quite a bit.


miles

[phoenix]

I think there were only one or two injuries requiring paramedics attention and none requiring a hospital trip.

Looks like you were wrong about that:
http://www.nesba.com/TrackTalk/bb/Forum12/HTML/002490.html

oh hey, were you with these guys?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaEc_NYiJO4

[BLARNEY]

 

 Great write-up .....c ool that you are getting out on the track.


 Welcome to NESBA !


 The guy that did the video is one of our Midwest Regulars... JRSMAIL

 
 For those of you in the Midwest ( or just interested in a neat video )

 Here is a video one of our beginners put together this year.
 
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTV9MMXZtF0

 I thought this was neat because you can see him gaining skills through the video.


 I am the first CR in the video ... Tom



  And a really fun A-Pace Video from the same track ( different Riders )

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2HswZtPxdw



 

[Mr Sunshine]

It's always interesting to watch a beginner on a track versus an advanced guy.  The advance guys just go so much harder.  You can tell in the braking but more importantly the throttle application.


Blarney that head motion you did towards the beginning...were you trying to get the guy to move his body over and lead with his shouldar more instead of sitting upright?

[BLARNEY]

 He was riding kind of crossed up..... hip way out, head kind of centered.


 Lead with your forehead.


 Tom

[Mr Sunshine]

 He was riding kind of crossed up..... hip way out, head kind of centered.

 Lead with your forehead.

 Tom

Makes sense.

I like to lead with my chin...helps keep my head up so I can see.  Rossi though looks like he leads with his forehead.  

[BLARNEY]

 To quote someone locally....


 Your head should be where the horses mirror used to be.


 :laughing


 Tom

[1moreroad]

Here is a link to a good sequence of crash photos in Turn 5.  Select rider B037 if the link doesn't go there.  THE RIDER WAS FINE after the crash.  He pitted next to me.  He missed 1 or 2 sessions repairing his shift lever and replacing his clutch lever and peg.  He never knew he tumbled so much until he saw the photos.  It's amazing to see the angles of his feet in some of the photos.

http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/OrderPage.aspx?pi=03HV00EP290054&po=54

It also turns out that 3 STNers crashed in Turn 5 in 4 weeks.

[BLARNEY]

 T5 is a tough one..... catches many riders out.


 Tom  

[crb987]

Turn 5 is where I first touched a knee .  That whole track is so fun,  my favorite was 4,  coming over the blind rise with the front end getting light.  Very exhilarating.

[ZED]

Good write up.  
Bummer about the crash.  Glad you were able to get back on the track and have a good session that soon.  I know it can be intimidating after the crash.

Looks like a fun track too!