A GREAT WEEKEND AT VIR WITH TEAM PRO-MOTION.
PART I
Virginia International Raceway, Patriot Course Sun 28 Sept.
Prep and getting there:
Standard bike prep started Sat morning. You know, brakes, tires, oil, cables, clutch etc. I also installed an R6 throttle and was looking fwd to see how well it worked on the track. After the bike checked out, I started organizing tools and the totes I stuff my truck with before each race weekend. Generator, 5gal air tank, tool boxes, extra parts, fluids etc. Even though I wasn't racing I tend to default to taking all my gear. I would hate to drive four and a half hour just to realize I had left something at home. I finished loading about 7:30pm and planned to make it an early night but didn't get to sleep until 1030 or so. "Night before excitement" I guess.
I was on the road by 3:30am and arrived at VIR patriot around 730. It was an easy drive if you discount the heavy fog and rain most of the way. Blah. As I pulled in to the paddock area, which is a single gravel drive with grass on either side, I found myself hoping to find a spot that wasn't a wet and muddy? Fat chance right? I lucked out and found a spot that was just wet. The spot was next to two guys, one with a SV and the other with a Gixxer. Two guys who just happened to be the fellas Jeff, aka "frayed" from SVrider site, had told me to lookout for when I arrived. Strange luck huh? They helped me set up and get my generator down from the bed of the truck because are no electrical outlets at Patriot Paddock. LOL, its also very heavy and I am not ashamed to ask for assistance with that monster.
Check in and tech:
Check-in and tech were painless but a little different that I was used two. The tech guy found my right peg was a little loose so that needed to be fixed. Good catch. I also had to fill out an emergency and personal medical data card that folded up real small and went into a little 1"by ½" plastic sleeve that they provided to place on the side of my helmet. Good idea and I am not planning on removing it. I'm surprised none of the other organizations I have rode with have not thought of it. During the riders meeting it was decide that because of the low turn-out that the advanced (blue) and intermediate (red) groups would be combed. This would workout to 20min on and 20min off the track. I would find later that I more time than I could use. Afterward I went back to the pit and got suited up for the first session.
Sessions:
VIR Patriot is a 1.1 mile track consisting about 14 turns and is made by connecting portions of the VIR North and VIR South that are not used when the VIR Full Course in is use. The first session started with a wet track about 9am it had rained that evening and the sun had not come out yet. I didn't mind, it gave me an opportunity to do something that I don't usually get to-do on a dry warm track, time, time to find reference points and think about how best to get thought the corners at speed with out the pressure of guys flying past in every corner. By the end of the second session the track was dry and I was loving it. It was fast, twisty and had lots of elevation changes. It reminded me of riding the canyons in SoCal. Well, except for all the green and trees oh and green. By mid-day I was under a minute and getting faster. Ivan, who is a regular on Monkey Riders was very familiar with patriot and pulled me around showing me his lines for a couple laps. By the end of the day I was pooped. 20 on 20 off didn't give me enough time to rest so I started coming after 15 and resting for 25 which worked out better much better for these tired old bones.
Overall impressions and thoughts:
I liked every section of the track starting with turn one. It is the sweeper near the paddock and runs up hill thru turn four. It was a lot of fun figuring out that you can carry a ton of speed through there. I found that a late apex at the end of one will set you up for pretty straight shot as you drive up the rise toward turn 5. After a short straight you come down on to turn 6, a nice right hander that immediately goes left and drives up hill again. Turn eight crests and drops right, a little off camber as you drive out of it on to the back straight. Maybe it's not off camber but it felt off camber to me. You can easily keep your knee down through that entire section which contributes to permanent smile lines on your face. The area I had trouble with was turn 10 through 12. They are three quick 90 degree turns. Its bamm, bamm bamm and your spit out down toward 13. I spent a lot of time watching the guys who where comfortable with that section and noting their turn in marks. After some experimenting with entry speed I was getting in and out pretty quickly.
Loved the course. Filled with enough technical sections to keep me busy and challenged with a short straights in between to get your "speed on" for about 8 to10 secs. That being said I don't think I could do it two days in a row but I think it is a great lead into the north course that we rode the next day.
PART I
Virginia International Raceway, Patriot Course Sun 28 Sept.
Prep and getting there:
Standard bike prep started Sat morning. You know, brakes, tires, oil, cables, clutch etc. I also installed an R6 throttle and was looking fwd to see how well it worked on the track. After the bike checked out, I started organizing tools and the totes I stuff my truck with before each race weekend. Generator, 5gal air tank, tool boxes, extra parts, fluids etc. Even though I wasn't racing I tend to default to taking all my gear. I would hate to drive four and a half hour just to realize I had left something at home. I finished loading about 7:30pm and planned to make it an early night but didn't get to sleep until 1030 or so. "Night before excitement" I guess.
I was on the road by 3:30am and arrived at VIR patriot around 730. It was an easy drive if you discount the heavy fog and rain most of the way. Blah. As I pulled in to the paddock area, which is a single gravel drive with grass on either side, I found myself hoping to find a spot that wasn't a wet and muddy? Fat chance right? I lucked out and found a spot that was just wet. The spot was next to two guys, one with a SV and the other with a Gixxer. Two guys who just happened to be the fellas Jeff, aka "frayed" from SVrider site, had told me to lookout for when I arrived. Strange luck huh? They helped me set up and get my generator down from the bed of the truck because are no electrical outlets at Patriot Paddock. LOL, its also very heavy and I am not ashamed to ask for assistance with that monster.
Check in and tech:
Check-in and tech were painless but a little different that I was used two. The tech guy found my right peg was a little loose so that needed to be fixed. Good catch. I also had to fill out an emergency and personal medical data card that folded up real small and went into a little 1"by ½" plastic sleeve that they provided to place on the side of my helmet. Good idea and I am not planning on removing it. I'm surprised none of the other organizations I have rode with have not thought of it. During the riders meeting it was decide that because of the low turn-out that the advanced (blue) and intermediate (red) groups would be combed. This would workout to 20min on and 20min off the track. I would find later that I more time than I could use. Afterward I went back to the pit and got suited up for the first session.
Sessions:
VIR Patriot is a 1.1 mile track consisting about 14 turns and is made by connecting portions of the VIR North and VIR South that are not used when the VIR Full Course in is use. The first session started with a wet track about 9am it had rained that evening and the sun had not come out yet. I didn't mind, it gave me an opportunity to do something that I don't usually get to-do on a dry warm track, time, time to find reference points and think about how best to get thought the corners at speed with out the pressure of guys flying past in every corner. By the end of the second session the track was dry and I was loving it. It was fast, twisty and had lots of elevation changes. It reminded me of riding the canyons in SoCal. Well, except for all the green and trees oh and green. By mid-day I was under a minute and getting faster. Ivan, who is a regular on Monkey Riders was very familiar with patriot and pulled me around showing me his lines for a couple laps. By the end of the day I was pooped. 20 on 20 off didn't give me enough time to rest so I started coming after 15 and resting for 25 which worked out better much better for these tired old bones.
Overall impressions and thoughts:
I liked every section of the track starting with turn one. It is the sweeper near the paddock and runs up hill thru turn four. It was a lot of fun figuring out that you can carry a ton of speed through there. I found that a late apex at the end of one will set you up for pretty straight shot as you drive up the rise toward turn 5. After a short straight you come down on to turn 6, a nice right hander that immediately goes left and drives up hill again. Turn eight crests and drops right, a little off camber as you drive out of it on to the back straight. Maybe it's not off camber but it felt off camber to me. You can easily keep your knee down through that entire section which contributes to permanent smile lines on your face. The area I had trouble with was turn 10 through 12. They are three quick 90 degree turns. Its bamm, bamm bamm and your spit out down toward 13. I spent a lot of time watching the guys who where comfortable with that section and noting their turn in marks. After some experimenting with entry speed I was getting in and out pretty quickly.
Loved the course. Filled with enough technical sections to keep me busy and challenged with a short straights in between to get your "speed on" for about 8 to10 secs. That being said I don't think I could do it two days in a row but I think it is a great lead into the north course that we rode the next day.
