NESBA event @ Road Atlanta 5/31 & 6/1

cbr99xx · 05-28-2003, 10:35 PM

I didn't see this coming. Friend of mine calls today at 8:00 P.M. to tell me he signed up for the free NESBA intro sessions on Sunday at Road Atl. By 9:30 I'm signed up. What kind of prep do I need to do for an intro session? The NESBA site says that no prep is necessary. Tires are good (new rear). I plan to drain the anti-freeze and replace with water wetter. Remove mirrors; tape up head & taillights(remove fuses or un-plug as necessary). Remove turn signals? I understand that prep for a regular track day session has been discussed many times around here but this intro session seems to be a track day with training wheels. Heck, they let people go out with jeans (doubled up).

P.S. Not saying training wheels are a bad thing, this WILL be MY first time on a track....I WILL be in full leathers.

ConqSoft · 05-28-2003, 10:36 PM

You don't need to do any of that stuff for the Intro. You only get 2 20min sessions anyway, and they allow you to ride the bike just as you ride it on the street.

cbr99xx · 05-28-2003, 10:42 PM

Cool...I may go ahead and do the water wetter thing anyway. I would hate to think that if I had a...Uh mm...problem that someone else may suffer for it.

ccwilli3 · 05-28-2003, 10:42 PM

don't blast down the straights and park it in the corners... That'll peeve a lot of people off! As fast as RA is, that'll really irritate a lot of people if you are on a mucho faster HP bike...

cbr99xx · 05-28-2003, 11:16 PM

Thanks for the tip cc. Hope to stay outta the way. I know RA is fast, but it IS right around the corner....gotta start somewhere.

ccwilli3 · 05-28-2003, 11:45 PM

CBR99xx,

don't have the mentality that you will be 'in the way', cause you won't be... Just go out there and ride. Just every now and again, lay up a little on the straights... There might be a guy back there on a 250GP bike or a 600 that can't hang with the liter muscle on the straights but maybe he can rail through corners...

Do yourself a favor and don't think for a millisecond that you will be 'in the way'... Ride your bike and have a blast! Just lay up once in a while on those kick butt straights at RA! And don't look back either... When you roll on the straight, just do your thing... if you aren't cane'ing it, people will come by if you are holding them up. If after 3/4 of the straight, no one comes by, 'slowly' resume your line for the next corner (in case someone is near you) and keep riding in your comfort zone... But don't look back to see if you are holding up a bunch of people...

Just remember, a better rider will ALWAYS find a safe way around you if he indeed wants to pass you. Because you will be in the B group, that will most likely be the straights as that is all that nesba will likely allow... Thats the reason why I say that...

cbr99xx · 05-29-2003, 12:55 PM

Thanks cc. I plan to have a great time. I know that there isn't much to this intro thing but just the thought of getting my bike on the Road Atlanta track (at any speed) has me very excited. I have been there for many events over the years and have often imagined myself rounding the circuit. I was going to do the track thing many years ago even joined the now defunct SSA but never made it to the track.

Just got my confirming e-mail from NESBA...I'm ready to go!

slowpoke · 05-30-2003, 2:31 PM

cbr99xx, the way you left me in the dust at the Dragon, you won't be holding anyone back! That was my 1st run there though. Seriously, just have fun, you'll probably be held up by other guys. Oh yeah, I just replied to your post about the gap a minute ago.

cbr99xx · 06-02-2003, 8:33 AM

This was waaaaay cool! I have officially been bitten by the track bug. Blasting down the long back straight WFO is waaaaay cool(no worries cc, I wasn't holding anyone up). Taking it on faith that there really is a racetrack on the other side of that bridge is waaaay scary!(last turn at RA) *

cbr99xx · 06-07-2003, 3:56 PM

Pic's from Road Atl...Green newbie sticker and all.
pic 1
pic 2
pic 3
pic 4
pic 5

ccwilli3 · 06-07-2003, 4:20 PM

You da man!

Cool pics!

Another one is bitten by the track bug! What sucks most though, is it keeps biting you... Till you're broke...

QuikMike · 06-08-2003, 1:35 PM

waay cool pics, man.....your bike looks good also!!
how was RA? I would love to do a NESBA day there....looks like fun

cbr99xx · 06-09-2003, 11:48 AM

It was cool. This was my first track day and must admit that I was a little intimidated by the high speeds at the Road Atlanta track. Brian really had my attention in the rider's meeting, warning us about turn #12 but after a few times around it wasn't that bad.

My first session was slow...first couple of laps under standing yellow. With NESBA's passing rules (which I now consider a good policy) we could only pass on the front or back straight ('B' group). Having to follow ZX12's or ZRX's through the turns seemed like a drag at first but setting them up for passes coming on to the straight became great fun. *

My second session came after an extended quiet time 2 hrs (10:30-12:30). The 'B' group didn't have its next session until 1:30 or so...but it was great. I thought that the way I lined up I would start at the head of the 2nd wave...think again. The Track Marshall stopped the riders lined up in the left lane about half way down...adding more riders to the wave I was in. Since we had the extended quiet time I believe the CR's decided to speed things up a bit since the time was getting late. I was able to pass a few riders then came upon the first CR...he waved me by...open track! Caught the first wave worked my way up to the CR again...he waved me by! What a feeling...wide-open track at Road Atlanta! *

I could have signed up for the rest of the day but since I was not yet a member of NESBA I would have had to pay the higher non-member fee for a couple of afternoon sessions. I chose not to do this...kinda regret it now but 220.00 seemed high for 3 maybe 4 more 20 min sessions. I have since joined NESBA and look forward to many more track days.

I don't think that they will be back to Road Atlanta this year.