2022 RTTL Pembrey trackday extravaganza. Sept 2/3/4

[mangocrazy]

OK, fair cop guv. You got me bang to rights. I'll come quietly...

[Tricky]

Back in 2005 I attended a track day at Cadwell where everyone was issued with a transponder that was fitted to the bike. Your lap times were monitored and if anyone was seen to be too fast or too slow for their group they were moved to a more appropriate group. And at the end of the event you were emailed a copy of your lap times in the various sessions.

I guess that simply couldn't happen nowadays...

I remember that from back in 200x- Tony Scott's trackdays, 'Pace Days' I think he called them, I did them at Brands and Lydden, Frankie Chilli wasone of the instructors at the Brands one

Not sure whether it could or couldn't still be run that way in the UK these days, but it's how FE and one or two others run their European days- works well at those events IME.

[weeksy]

FE still do the transponder thing as far as i know in the UK too.

It can lead to people trying to set Superpole laps in the first sessions... but can work really well after that.

I still don't get the TD groupings thing if i'm honest... At Silverstone last time out, the guy on an R1 who went out first every session was taking 20-25s out of the fastest guys in the group per lap !!!! I mean come on seriously..... If on lap 1 you're the TDO and you see a guy go past.... then wait.... and wait.... and wait..... and....... well... you get it.... then finally the 2nd guy comes through, shouldn't you REALLY be moving the first guy up ? Whether he wants it or not.

[mangocrazy]

I still don't get the TD groupings thing if i'm honest... At Silverstone last time out, the guy on an R1 who went out first every session was taking 20-25s out of the fastest guys in the group per lap !!!! I mean come on seriously..... If on lap 1 you're the TDO and you see a guy go past.... then wait.... and wait.... and wait..... and....... well... you get it.... then finally the 2nd guy comes through, shouldn't you REALLY be moving the first guy up ? Whether he wants it or not.

Absolutely - it should be stipulated in the regs that the TDO has the absolute right to move people to faster or slower groups, purely on safety grounds. If people object, then tough. I've seen plenty of incidents due to widely differing abilities in groups - generally a fast guy terrorising people in a slow group.

[Yorick]

As instructors, we'd tell the Ops manager about fast or slow riders.
Sometimes pulling them in without asking

[Bigyin]

Back in 2005 I attended a track day at Cadwell where everyone was issued with a transponder that was fitted to the bike. Your lap times were monitored and if anyone was seen to be too fast or too slow for their group they were moved to a more appropriate group. And at the end of the event you were emailed a copy of your lap times in the various sessions.

I guess that simply couldn't happen nowadays...

I remember that from back in 200x- Tony Scott's trackdays, 'Pace Days' I think he called them, I did them at Brands and Lydden, Frankie Chilli wasone of the instructors at the Brands one

Not sure whether it could or couldn't still be run that way in the UK these days, but it's how FE and one or two others run their European days- works well at those events IME.

Tony tried to run his trackdays a bit differently as well as the transponders he also actively tried to recruit some of the Bemsee travelling circus of marshals as we were used to dealing with crashed bikes and riders on a live track without the need for a red flag. He paid decent money for each marshal to spend the day trackside and employed over double the amount of the other TD companies. I did one of his days at Snetterton and it ran without a red flag all day iirc as all crashes were dealt with by marshals and bikes recovered at the end of each session.

The guest instructor that day was Mick Doohan who had never even heard of Snetterton before yet flew round the place on a bog standard Blade supplied by local Honda. Incredible to watch just the different level of riding. He signed a helmet for me as well thanks to Tony.

I think his ideas were good but the additional costs incurred by his plans pushed the price beyond what most would pay so it fizzled out

[MingtheMerciless]

**cough** Sträva **cough**

[Couchy]

Most people don't have the option of not using a bike with lap timing functions.

Really ?

Straight forward to control - random pick riders when they finish the session in Parc Ferme and check dashboards and speak to them.

It's just frustrating when u pick up a crashed bike and the lap timers still running...

ta

Timer running banned, I’d also add a random stop check every session to check on board lap timers. I’m amazed riders don’t get they are only riding as the insurance companies and circuits allow it. Timing and noisy exhausts are two issues which could end trackdays. It’s not the TDO fault they have to enforce them but plenty don’t get it.

[Dodgy69]

Noisy bikes, shit track bikes, dangerous riding should get pulled, not quite sure what's wrong with timers.

[2xtwins]

Fyi, if anyone hasn't yet booked accommodation and wants to stay at Llanelli East, rates are significantly cheaper now than a couple of months ago.

When I first looked it was >£100 per night but now you can book two nights for less than a ton .

Kev

[Dodgy69]

Free in hotel Vango. No shower though. Secure parking and outdoor seating...hopefully.

[dern]

Who's camping?

[weeksy]

Most of us on Sat.

[singlesman]

Who's camping?

Will be there Thursday and Friday nights Mark, will have to head back on Saturday night unfortunately!

[Bigyin]

Who's camping?

Friday and Saturday nights for me as it stands just now

[tricol]

Hotel booked now for Friday and Saturday night at the Premier Inn Llanelli Central West. Also ordered a brake lever guard from R&G.

[weeksy]

So less than 4 weeks to go. Who's ready, who's not?

I think we're all good to go. Although I'll see if @Welsh Muffin is up for the Friday too now we don't need a van. Just need to do some testing on what we can or cannot get in the van when we're at Silverstone in a few weeks.

[G.P]

First time in forever that I'm going to miss this
Me, IanB and the rest of the Wiltshire contingent will be in the Hautes-Pyrénées in southwest France, bimbling into the mountain during the day and eating and drinking well in the evenings. The only dates the 6 of us could organise it was over this weekend.
Have fun and stay safe Look forward to all the anecdotes

[dern]

Yep, already sat in my leathers

[weeksy]

Yep, already sat in my leathers

Great answer!