Hey ultra 09... I was checking your bike out today! I was the flat black sv in intermediate... I rode in novice a few times also helping my friends out.
Hey 172Driver, good to see more sv riders taking it to the track! It was really nice to talk everyone during trackday, I would say that was the most enjoyable part of my day.
As for the trackday, I have to say that I didn't enjoy myself nearly as much as I thought I would, even before my unfortunate low-side crash. Here's my take on things; just as a disclaimer, I know there are a lot of riders that love Shannonville for what it is, though what is being said is only my opinion of my first (and probably my last) day at SMP, so please don't take it personally. I can only compare the trackday to those run by Racer5 at TMP and GBM, though there were still some major things that I found troubling;...
First thing was the rider's meeting in the morning. Other than the fact that they didn't use any bell, whistle or horn to signify that it had begun as far as I'm aware of (I only realized it had started after noticing that people around me slowly started to disappear one by one), I found it to be as though the trackday was almost unplanned/unexpected. An example of this is when the organizer first wanted to run 2 groups instead of 3, when there were clearly more than 50 or so riders there which is quite ridiculous. I'm glad someone spoke up and suggested running 3 groups otherwise things would have definitely ended very badly. With such a large number of riders, that should have been established very early on. Also, the idea of having only the first 15 riders to the lineup allowed on the track was absurd, the trackday is not supposed to be a race to the start of the line. That would mean if I'm the 16th rider, I would have to wait another hour before actually getting any track time? I'm glad that idea was dismissed, I'm just surprised that it was suggested by the organizer himself. As for the rules on the track, the organizer made it seem far too 'relaxed' in my opinion. Passing rules should have been made clear to everyone, as well as the differences between each of the groups.
Lastly, and what I feel was very important, there was
NO TECH?! I knew that my motorcycle would pass tech without any issues, but what about other bikes, especially those who were new to the track? I consider the tech inspection to be a safety measure for all riders participating in the trackday, and should always be performed. The same principle applies to the 'rules' of the track, which everyone on the track should know and should have a clear and common understanding for. Seemed like other's would agree that the riders meeting was poorly run and made some of us more nervous than comfortable before the trackday had even begun.
The other thing that I really found troubling was the lack of immediate action taken by the organizers concerning riders going down while on the track. I unfortunately had the opportunity to experience this first hand during this trackday after low-siding in the second session of the day. Between the time I actually low-sided, and having someone from the crew come by to help me out/ask if I'm alright, it took a full 7 minutes.
7 MINUTES! I may not be an expert racer with countless crash experiences, but I personally think that's far too long of a wait. I actually noticed riders lapping me while my bike and I were resting a few feet from the track, the last rider passing me 4 minutes after the fall (in hindsight I should have moved away from the track to avoid potential injury. I'll be sure to do that next time).
Even when RedDemon went down, I saw the incident while sitting on the bleachers and it was clear to me and anyone else that witnessed the incident that the rider needed immediate assistance, whether just the marshals or actual EMS, yet it took far longer than what I think is necessary to actually get anyone there.
THAT is the main reason I don't plan on returning to SMP in the near future. I don't think the organizers are going through the effort of actually taking the necessary precautions in order to make this sport as reasonably safe as it can be.
As for the track itself, this being the first time at SMP, I found the track to be very bumpy. That's not so much a knock to the track, I just thought it would be worth mentioning for anyone else that has never been there. It's got a lot of character, that's for sure. I personally enjoy the smoother asphalt, though that may be just due to lack of experience on very bumpy tracks. The condition of the track had only a slight impact to the overall satisfaction of the trackday.
The reason for writing this partial review/summary was just to inform others of my experience during this trackday. That's not to take away from anyone who had a good time during the trackday, after all that's what everyone is there for. I hope this is helpful in some way, if not to riders, then maybe to the SMP organizers.
Ride safe everyone, whether on or off the track!
) , the kz's, the secas, rds rzs, the first fzs and gsxrs, ninjas. The good old days. Crevier,Mercier,mc Murtter, Monroe,Taylor,Piccotte, Clark, the list goes as deep as your memory. I feel somthing each time I drive into the driveway there, like I've arrived at a real racetrack, where championships were fought out, won, and lost, til next year. It's a special place, much more than some asphalt in the grass.
