Reg's School @ Grattan June 16, 2003

jking206 · 05-15-2003, 9:31 PM

Just wondering if anyone is going to Class Rides @ Grattan on Mon. June 16 2003. Cuz I am and would love to meet anyone going!!!!!!!

CBRVFR · 05-16-2003, 10:08 AM

I'm thinking hard about it. Took a Reg CLASS at Road America last year and liked it a lot. Found that you have to ASK while you're on the track to get the help you need. I spent too much time just circulating and never got the Kink right.

Also, I don't think I can afford the time or the $ to do the 2-day at Mid Ohio, though that would be my preference. I've ridden at Grattan once. It has a lot of crash potential !!

Dave

abtech · 05-16-2003, 10:21 AM

'It has a lot of crash potential !!'

ummmm, show me the concrete walls at Grattan (like at Mid-Ohio), or maybe the 1' gap between the concrete and asphalt, or maybe just the armco . . .

Yes you can crash at Grattan, but rarely has anyone been seriously hurt due to the runout and lack of immoveable objects in the corner exits.

luvtolean · 05-16-2003, 11:37 AM

Anyone who thinks Grattan is unsafe should try a 'car track' like Sears Point sometime.

CBRVFR · 05-16-2003, 3:50 PM

Don't misunderstand, I'm not saying it's unsafe. I am saying it's got a lot of off camber turns and a few places where you turn before you can see where you're going. I kept hoping nobody moved the track..

Challenging, and pretty exhausting place for my first track day. I didn't fall, but I was clenching my teeth and a few other muscles all day....

jking206 · 05-16-2003, 10:48 PM

I just rode it Mon May 12 for the first time and loved it....it was 45 degrees with spotty rain...kindof nerve racking!! We had 2 bikes go down...one guy slid 100ft of pavement and is okay, the other guy high sided it and broke his collar bone!! All in all it was a good day

abtech · 05-17-2003, 10:04 AM

Ahhh! you mean challenging . . . That it is, but then that's why you walk the track and spend some quiet time with your eyes closed going over the layout with any new track.

If you think Grattan is daunting, take a ride down to Road Atlanta. Quite a few blind entrance/apex/exit turns with more than just some grass or pea-stone waiting for you if you blow the corner. At least at Grattan you can walk away with some asphalt on your leathers and road rash on your bodywork . . .

phozed · 05-17-2003, 10:10 AM

Abtech - have you ever made it to the armco way back from the sweeper before 9? A few weekends ago someone dumped oil and we got to watch THREE riders end up touching or coasting all the way to the armco. It always seemed a lot harder to do to me before I saw those guys...

abtech · 05-17-2003, 1:20 PM

Mr AMA Speed announcer (Dave Sadowski) made it THROUGH that armco at the FUSA a few years back. *Great bike prep, as the banjos at the calipers both blew off (the entire bike wasn't safety wired, it was wired before tech, but they rebuilt it Saturday night and didn't wire it again). *Quarterly had a similar problem and launched himself into the street at the end of the straight (right over the berm and the fence) during Sunday morning practice.

I usually check my brakes before riding . . .

Also, along the sweeper, they use to not have the padded armco, just the trees and they were about 25 feet closer to the track, so things have steadily progressed in a good way. A few riders actually lost their bikes in the woods and had to enlist several friends to find them.

Trackho · 05-17-2003, 2:55 PM

At Regs Class days---best to be really aggressive about getting an instructor to follow/assist you. If you push for assistance its a great experience----if not, its just kind of a really expensive trackday

oldgoat · 05-17-2003, 6:09 PM

Quote:

Trackho : At Regs Class days---best to be really aggressive about getting an instructor to follow/assist you. If you push for assistance its a great experience----if not, its just kind of a really expensive trackday

I sure agree with that. If you don't ask its your own falt. I won't make that mistake again.

jking206 · 05-17-2003, 6:44 PM

Thanks for all the info guys!!!

CBRVFR · 05-30-2003, 10:49 PM

Signed up today, new Sportecs in the garage, Scott's should be here next week. See you there.

Dave

Noodles · 05-31-2003, 9:24 AM

Quote:

abtech : . . . At least at Grattan you can walk away with some asphalt on your leathers and road rash on your bodywork . . .

I can vouch for that!

CBRVFR · 06-12-2003, 12:01 PM

Looks like the weather channel might actually cooperate Monday. I'm so glad. It rained at CLASS -Road America last year and I smoooothly went into a lowside at turn 6. Dammit. How in the world do people learn how to ride in the rain?