What Happens at a Race Meeting

Send off your race entry three to four weeks before the race date. If you leave it to the last moment you might not get the entry you want and you could end up on the reserve list. Being a reserve means hanging around hoping that somebody drops out. It is very frustrating have driven 200 miles not to get a ride (you will get your entry fee back - but that is little compensation). Remember to include a Stamped addressed envelope - clubs get a bit ratty if you keep forgetting to put one in with the entry. You will get your entry back with a scrutineering card which will have your race number on, plus the events that you are in (If you have a favourite number ask for it either at the begining of the season - you might get the number for the year or when you send your entry in. Saves you 60p in numbers at the meeting). You should also get some regs a vehicle pass and three passes for you and your crew (recommend you drag somebody along who can drive you back after you have tumbled - worst case I saw was somebody who broke both collar bones. Both arms were strapped up so I hope they had some very good friends. The rest I will leave to your imagination).

Make sure that you get the bike sorted well before the meeting. Plenty of people turn up at meetings with a half assembled bike that they haven't tested. Inevitably the old nail won't start, or bits drop of half way round the track or it conks out because a fuel line is trapped or the electrics don't work. Or like me you blow a base gasket and lose two races and a position in the club championship.

Turn up at the meeting in good time and try and park near a tannoy so that you can hear instructions and which races are being called. I have seen people miss races because they didn't hear the tannoy. At circuits that have power you need to be early to get a power point (you will need one of those blue external power socket plugs).

Scrutineering:

Generally starts around 8.30 am with practice about 9.30 am (depends on the noise regs at the circuit). Take yourself in your leathers plus helment gloves and dog tag (you need a tag with your name and date of birth on) plus the bike (with the correct numbers) to the scrutineering bay. The scrutes will give the bike the once over. If they make a comment smile and fix what ever it is they say to do. It is for your safety and the other riders that you do not ride an unsafe bike. Don't give them any grief, remember they volunteer to do the work.

Signing On :

Assuming that you and your bike pass scrutineering (which it will because you prepared everything before you came to the circuit) take your completed card plus your licence to the race office and sign on. You will get a race programme plus a practice pass. If you have never been to the circuit before ask (nicely) for a second practice pass (some clubs give novices two practices, some clubs have two practice sessions, some only one).

Practice:

You will now have about half an hour before you go out for practice. Use this time to check the tyre pressure, fuel in the tank (if you are running pre-mix I suggest that you mix it before the meetings and transport in 10 litre jerry cans). If you have time do any initial jetting changes (I normally wait till after practice). When you go out for practice, especially if it is your first time, take it easy. Feel how the bike is running, if you haven't been at the track before check your gearing. You won't learn anything just charging around and will probably end up on your backside. Use your second session (if you have one) to up the pace - you probably won't get time to change gearing or anything between practice sessions. Some people do a plug chop I prefer to rely on a weather station for setting the jetting. After practice do your gearing changes if any. Check the chain tension, change the jetting, give the bike the once over just to be sure. One thing worth checking (its the only mechanical dnf I have had) are the KIPS valves - make sure all the screws are tight. Settle back and get ready for your race. If you can do a track or practice day at the circuit before the race. I strongly recommend this for the longer or trickier circuits such as Cadwell Park full circuit. Mallory Park does a practice session every Wednesday afternoon. You need to reserve a places in advance, cost is £33 for about four 20 minute sessions. You can look at the circuit guide (used to be by MCN now it appears Superbike magazine are punting it £30) for info on how to get round the circuits. For track layouts have a look at the circuits listed at www.eurocars.co.uk.

The Race:

Your grid position will usually be in the programme. Some clubs allocate grid position based on when they receive your entry, others allocate them randomly, others draw straws in the holding area. When you turn up at the holding area you will be told your grid position. You now just sit around until your race is called. The first call is usually when the race before yours goes on to the track. You will now have between 5 and 10 minutes - barring accidents and restarts - to get to the holding area. If you don't have tyre warmers it doesn't matter when you go. If you have warmers leave it as late as possible but don't be to late (usually the last lap of the current race). Some tracks give you a sighting lap, others form you up straight on to the grid. Starts are usually by dropping a flag, sometimes on lights. When you form up on the grid (you usually are given a row rather than an actual position) try and line up so that there is a reasonable gap in front of you and usually on the outside, pole position side. Remember that for the first lap you are on cold tyres so take it (reasonably) easy a lot of people fall off on the first lap especially at the start of the season. The other thing is ride sensibly a lot of novices turn up at their first racing thinking they can win, they then spend most of their time riding all over the place, and doing a lot of grass tracking and are bloody dangerous (I was nerfed by one at the beginning of the season). Pick your overtaking points carefully - if you don't you could force the other guy off the track, or if they don't give way take both of you off - racing is dangerous don't make it any more so by riding like a pratt. Enjoy your racing and remember you don't win unless you stay on and cross the finishing line. At the end of the meeting remember to go and get a signature on your licence, collect your trophies and buy me a pint (if I am there).

Falling off :

It will happen. I can't give any advice here other than (if you don't break anything) it won't hurt immediately but it will hurt a lot a few hours later. When you hit the deck don't try getting back on your bike - you aren't allowed too. If you can, once it is safe, get off the track. Leave the bike the marshalls will deal with that. Do what the marshalls say - the chances are that you won't be all there - and what the marshalls say is for your safety. Remember if you fall off you aren't going to win anything.

Keep notes:

Make a note of the weather (temperature, humidity, air pressure), your lap times or your race times, jetting, gearing, tyre pressures and type of tyre etc. It will make setting up the bike easier when you come back to the circuit. I use an digital weather station (Argos ~£72) to set the jetting, this takes the guess work out of looking at plugs. Though before you can do this you need to know what works and what doesn't. I have a jetting sheet which works for my bike which you should be able to develop for yours

Overtaking:

Pick your overtaking point carefully. This is easy if your bike is a lot quicker than the bod you are about to zap. On a KR it will usually be on the brakes or riding around somebody. Generally the only place I can get past people is at the big breaking points - usually the hairpins. If they leave a gap take the inside line and hold it. All the time you are on the inside they can't turn in on you. Only do this when you are alongside them else you will 'T-Bone' them. Blocking is perfectly legal - it really annoys the GP125's because they need to carrry corner speed. Consequently, they usually take a long sweeping line into hairpins leaving themselves open to a banzai braking manouvre up the inside. Remember you can only play the outbraking manouvre once or twice before the other guy starts blocking it. This all starts to become race tactics. Unless the guys behind are much quicker, you can block them (take a defensive line) and make it very difficult for them to get past - winning races is not always about putting in the fastest laps (though it helps).

Lastly if you see me pottering around don't come past me too quickly, it scares me.

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This document maintained by mark@teamsparrow.fsnet.co.uk.
Material Copyright © 2000 Mark Jordan