Gingerman raceway and my 250R

[almost40]

Ok, I said Id post up about my first trackday weekend, so here goes.
Id like to start by saying If you have never done a trackday, you have no idea what your missing. I had so much fun that Id rather park the drag car for the weekend and take my little 250 to the track. That being said I cant remember ever having more fun with my cloths on.
Guess Ill start with the obvious, Gingerman raceway is a 1.8 mile 11 turn track with a back straigh thats 1378 feet and its connected to a front straight by a 90 degree turn to the right. The front straight is 1423 feet. Now one would think that with 2 straights in a row of that distance my little 250r wouldnt stand a chance. You couldnt be more wrong.
My weekend started on friday with a little wrench time and alot of packing. My friend (Sean) and I removed our mirrors, front and rear turn signals, licence plates, and taped over our headlight and tail lights. We also packed a bunch of camping stuff along with a canopy. We loaded up the truck and trailer and hit the rack about 11 that night.
5:30 am Sat We climb in the truck and head for South Haven MI its a little over an hour away from his house, but you lose an hour on the way there because of the time change. We arrive at the track just before the gate opens at 7 am. By 8:00 we have already registered, Teched our bikes, ate a free banana, and set up camp.
8:30 am Riders meeting. All the riders gather by the timing tower and we get a quick rundown on the meaning of all the flags Where the tire guy is at and a brief tid-bit about the track photographer. Were all told to be nice out there and to have fun.
9:00-9:40 Intermediate and advanced take to the track for a 20 min sessions each while all the novice guys and gals (thats us) have another riders meeting. That meeting is a reiteration of the previous meeting and a kinda get to know you session. The 35 or so people in novice are then split up into 7 groups. The first group being the most experienced and the last group (group 7) being the total newbs. (us once again)
9:30 the 10 min call for novice means gear up and head to the grid. I pull up to the cone #7 behind our instructor who has on full leathers and yellow jersey with a black 7 on it.
9:40 We take to the track and the first 3 laps are a get to know the track thing at a pace I would call a crawl.
The next 2 sessions get a little faster each time but I found the pace to be boring so right before the one hour break for lunch the group 5 instructor Who seemed to be in charge of all of the novice group, asked if the pace was ok for everyone. Not a soul spoke up, and we broke up for lunch. All the novice riders filed out of the 2nd floor of the timing tower while the instructors stayed behind. I waited until all the other riders were gone and requsted a faster group.
The #5 instructor asked how much faster.
I replied ALOT. He told me to join his group after lunch.
12:00 The sky opens up and starts pouring rain.
1:40 The rain has lightened up to a light sprinkle but enough to keep the track wet. I pull up behind 4 other bikes and the instructor A yellow ducatti 749 with a tall lanky guy is right in front of me. We head out in the rain and I slip and slide my way thru that session thinking what a mistake I made by saying I wanted to go alot faster. The pace was scary fast in the rain on my rather hard 501's.
2:00 the rain stops and the sun peaks out. the combination of bikes on the track and the sun dry the track out by our next session.
2:40 This is where the fun begins. I start this session right behind the instructor and we go at a petty good clip for the whole session. The instructor spends alot of time looking over his shoulder to presumibly to check and make sure were all still with him and to get a peek at our lines on exit.
3:40 Right before this session my instructor tells me to watch him close this session so I can learn the correct line thru turns 7, 8, 9. He said I looked pretty good everywhere else. We ride that session out at the fastest pace yet and even pass the #4 group.
4:40 This session is called leapfrog. The rider right behind the instructor will pass him down the back straight and then lead a lap with the instructor in tow so he can evaluate your performance. The rest of the group follows the instructor. When you make it back to the back straight, you pull over and let everyone pass and take your place at the back of the line. This session was by far the most fun yet. Im last in line so the first 5 laps were uneventfull.
Lap 6 I throw the bike right in turn 10 clip the apex and tach it to 13000 in third gear, bang off 4th and let her eat as I passed my instructor. This is the moment I have been waiting for, clean track in front with no one in my way. I charge down the back straight upshifting to 5th at 13000rpm and let it spin for just a second or two. I pull in the clutch, drill the front drake, downshift twice, and tilt the bike right perfectly hitting the apex of turn 11. I give her hell all the way down the front straight hitting an indicated 95 mph in 5th. Pull the clutch in, drill the brakes again, downshift twice and go left into turn 1. Turn 2 is kind tricky, its a double apex right hander you have to go wide thru the first part of the turn so you can apex the second part. I do just that, and shift to 4th just as I go past the concrete apron on the apex of the second part. I Keep the throttle wide open and let the little 250 run all the way out to the edge of the track and scream to 13000 in 4th. Pull the cluth, Brake hard, downshift. Turn 3 is also a double apex turn to the right but its more like two constant radius turns connected by 15 feet of straight away. You take this turn in 3rd gear and drift wide just a bit in exit of the first part so you can tighten your line and fly thru the second part. Upon exit of this turn, theres a perfectly place concrete apron that I use the first part of to get off this turn well. Turn 4 isnt really a turn. Its more like a bend to the left on a stright away. This part of the track finds you running wide open thru the rest of third and all of 4th. You can take this little bend at full tilt. Turn 5&6, in my opinion the 2 toughest at the track. turn 5 is a constant radius turn (or so it seems) that upon exit of, you must be all the way to the outside so you can set yourself up properly for turn 6. Both of these left handers were designed by satan. Coming out of turn 6 theres a rough patch of pavement that looks like you dont wana run over it, so you adjust your line accordingly and it kills your speed a little. Theres a short straight leading to turn 7. This straight is just long enough to redline the bike in 3rd before drilling the brakes to make the right to turn 7. Turn 7 and 8 is the turn I had trouble with until I was shown the way by my instructor. Its hard to describe this turn other than to say its a series of rights all hooked together. Ill tell you how to get thru it. Upon entry to this turn you dont run right up to the concete apron on the apex. You should stay about 3 feet off of it and let the bike drift to the middle of the track holding a constant speed thru this whole corner. (or series of corners) I was turning 12000 rpms in 3rd thru this section. Midway thru this right, (turn 8) in the middle lane, your gona see a tar strip that runs acrost the middle lane and that marks where you start to tilt even more right to apex the exit of this turn. You will want to be in the middle of the track upon exit and Dont speed up, because you have to literally throw the bike left for turn 9. Turn 9 is a no sweat lefty that you can finish reving third and grab just a split second of 4th gear before drilling the brakes hard, dropping back to 3rd gear, and hooking a right to another double apex turn that leads you to the back staright. You take turn 10 in the same mannor as turn 3 in third gear. Thats a lap at Gingerman.
As I pull onto the back straight and move right and slow down (so the others can pass) My instructor passes me looking backward while traveling down the straight. I followed him all the way down the back straight at 50 mph while hes looking back. I begin to wonder what hes looking at. I look back just as were turning right into turn 11. I can see the yellow 749 just exiting turn 10. I look forward to see my instructor tapping the tail of his bike (the follow me signal) watch him kick down a gear and haul ass down the front straight. He must have pulled 7 bike lengths on me, as I wasnt ready for what he did. He flew thru the first 3 turns holding his rather large lead. He lifted just a little early going into 5 & 6. I ran it in way to hot trying to close some of the gap. This is when I discovered that the rough patch of pavement wasnt all that bad. Theres also another perfectly placed concrete apron in the exit of 6. I used every inch of the track and the apron there and managed to get back 4 of the 7 bikes he was in front. We shot down the short straight and ran up behind some slower traffic. My instructor gave a glance back. I could see the look of surprise on his face that I was right there behind him. We followed the traffic (group 7 i think) all the way to the back straight. the rest of our group caught up to us and we went back to leapfrog. I ended that session right behind my instructor and as we were pulling off the track he tapped the tail of his bike and pointed at me. I followed him to his trailer, parked the bike, and de-geared a bit. He told me I was too fast. I gave him the "what the hell" look, and he explained that the last session of the day was open track and he wanted me to slow down a bit. He didnt want me to run over anyone else out there. He told me lines were good, and I was welcome to run intermediate Sunday if I wanted. I thanked him for his compliments and rode to my trailer to await open track.
Open track was alot of fun, but in novice you cant pass anyone in the corners. As you all very well know, your not gona pass a 600 going down the straight. I did manage to bend the rules a bit. I did pass quite few people in the 2 short straights in between 2&3 and 6&7. I mostly did it with good exit speed and hard braking. I started midpack (group 5) and never got lapped but I felt like there were way too many slow people in my way.
That ended my first track day. Man was it fun. That night there was a steady stream of intermediate and novice riders asking how I liked my little 250. A few of the intermediate guys were watching our sessions and they said I looked like I was having a blast. The novice guys (most of whom I passed in open session wanted to know what I did to the bike to make it so fast.
Sunday was a gorgeous day. I didnt take the intermediate spot because my friend Sean was not ready and I wanted to be off track at the same time he was. I was chosen for group 2 by the #5 instructor and he explained that we would be faster than group 1 because of the group 2 instructor. The third session of the day brought some trash talking from The first group and in perticular a gal on a CBR 600 with a pink mohawk on her helmet. That session had me right behind the instructor followed by the yellow Ducatti 749, A beautiful lady doctor on a Monster Energy 600 kawi, a GSXR 750 and a GSXR 1000. The instuctor told everyone in our group to stay close thru 3, 4, 5 & 6 on the second lap thats where we would pass them. I got an awesome drive off of 3 on the second lap and pulled up nearly right next to the instructor. He glanced over at me,and rolled the throttle. I kept my momentum and the 6 of us blew by group 1 right at the apex of turn 4. Group 1 didnt say another word the rest of the day. The rest of the day was uneventful other than some really fast paced riding and lots of fun. I led 3 laps in a row during leapfrog because our group was nowhere near the instructor and I. Lap traffic was once again the killjoy. The last 2 sessions were open. The very last session, (which only had about 15 bikes on the track and none from the first group) my instuctor told me I could pass anywhere but to be very carefull. He led me out of the pits. He led one lap, then he dropped back to follow me for the rest of the session. I lapped everyone at least once and quite a few twice.
The only competition came, when with 3 laps to go my instructor pulled off the track and a blue R6 pulled on. The R6 came on the track in turn 2 when I was in exiting turn 3. My friend Sean had skipped the last session to go look at the pictures with his girlfriend. Sean took up a spot in the bleachers when I had 5 laps to go. He watched the little mini race drama unfold. I didnt see the R6 come onto the track. When I had 2 laps to go, I glanced at Sean in the bleachers and he pointed behind me. I gave a glance back there. I could see the Blue R6 back there, so I picked it up a bit. I ran a full lap at max speed and glaced back after turn 1. The guy on the R6 was closing the gap. It really sucks to only have a bit over 30 horsepower. (It was the only time all weekend I wished for more) The last lap, I overdrove 3 and had to lift just a bit. As I took the bend to the left in 4 I glanced back again. I could see the R6 was only about 5 lengths back. I looked back after turn 6 and he had gained another bike or two on me. The small lead I had evaporated in the short straight between 6 and 7. He was right on my back wheel when we went thru 7, 8, & 9. I looked back as I apexed 10 just in time to see the R6 run it a bit wide and have to get out of it for a second. I pulled a little ground on him but I could see there was nothing but air under his front wheel when he got it straightened out. I looked forward just in time to see the checkered flag. I then looked back to see the yellow I (for intermediate)sticker on the front of the R6 that was within 2 feet of me. I stuck out a leg and put up my left hand to indicate that I was pitting and that ended my Trackday weekend.
I rode over to the instructor who had been following me that last session. I asked for any advice he could give me. He said I run good predictable lines and asked how many trackdays I had at novice. I told him this was my second and he said "you took to this like a duck to the water" He also said he wished he had a 250 just so we could battle it out on fair terms next time. He suggested I run intermediate next time and said he would have no problem with racing with me.

[i916it]

Holy crap....did you just type this up in wordpad or something?

[almost40]

yeah I did, But im tired of typing. Ill post more about my thoughts on the bike tomorrow

[Alex]

[Elfling]

Eeee, congrats!! Love hearing about track days, I can't wait until I can do one.

[TnNinjaGirl]

I wanna go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sounds like you had a great trip. Way to go showing up those girls on 600's. Teach them a lesson.

[almost40]

This morning finds me signing up for the upcoming Aug 8 & 9 Trackdays at Gingerman. Yesterday, the rate for the whole weekend was cut fom a little over $300 to $215. I paid $200 for the whole weekend last time. (plus $35 for a yearly membership to Sportbike Track Time) WORTH EVERY PENNY. I would highly recomend any STT event as they host them all over the place. Sign up early as these events seem to sell out.
Now, to my thoughts on the bike.
There is definatly a place for the 250 on the track. A semi-skilled pilot (such as myself) will have no problems even in the fastest novice group. YES the bike lacks straight away punch but its not hard to reel in anyone on the corners. The bikes willingness to adjust its line in mid corner is one of the best things about it.
First and foremost remove you mirrors and front turn signals It will save you money if you lay the bike down. The mirrors were kinda a pain to remove but not that bad.
The stock 501's hook great on a dry and abrasive track like Gingerman but if its raining be very careful as there wet grip blows dog. I see no need to get softer or wider tires for Gingerman. I never had a scary moment in the dry. The tires hook well enough to drag the pegs. I also could not tell when the tires were warmed up as the grip seemed the same cold or hot.
If you an acomplished track day guru you already know that a set of rearsets is almost a must. Otherwise cut off the 3/4 inch metal nipple on the bottom of the stock pegs as you will be dragging them. It scared me a bit the first time I drug them in turn 3.
A pipe, header, and a jet kit are almost manditory if your planning on turning fast laps. I cant remeber a time when I was hauling the mail that I was under 9000 rpm. The mods give you a boost in the rev range right where you need it.
Suspension mods are nice but my little mil doesnt have any and I dont have any complains about the stock set up. I weigh a touch over 150 lbs in full gear and had my rear set as soft as possible.
Brakes work well and I have no complaints there either. Going fast means being smooth. The engine does half the work of braking after you downshift and because your not carrying crazy speed, most corners only require a good 2 second tug of the front brake lever.
Gearing is a track specific task. I took a 43T 45T along with me to the track but after a few laps at a good pace I stuck with the 41T that was on the bike.
The 14/41 combo in my opinion is perfect for Gingerman.
Thats it folks. Thanks for taking the time to read my very long post. Id love to see another 250 at Gingerman in Aug. Ill be running novice the first day and would love to have someone to mix it up with in the open session.
Feel free to ask me any questions, Ill check back often.

[rceezy]

Wow, great write up! I hear STT has the best Novice class. If I can afford to, I would like to go with them to Mid-Ohio in August.

[almost40]

I was and am completely pleased with STT. Everyone there from the staff to other riders were great people. The novice class was informative and If you have a question just ask. They are all happy to help. Look into Putnam park raceway its 45 min west if Indy and very reasonable in price.

[lockie]

great work and a great read. I felt I was there....well almost

[Beast]

First trackday and you didn't buy any photos from the photog? Hahah. Any pictures of any kind? I'll read the whole post later. I'm glad you had fun.

[almost40]

Sean bought a whole cd of photos. Ill be in some of them. He looked for me for the "one great photo". You know the knee dragging solo shot. He said there was always someone in the way and you could only see half of me or the bike. The photo people there take like 10,000 photos a day. It takes forever to sift thru them all just to find yourself. In Aug Ill be a little more aware of the photo guys and try my best to get that solo shot. Sean said it would take 2 weeks to get his cd but he would email me all the photos with me in them. Ill post a few when they come in.

[CC Cowboy]

When does the movie come out?

[rceezy]

Originally Posted by almost40

I was and am completely pleased with STT. Everyone there from the staff to other riders were great people. The novice class was informative and If you have a question just ask. They are all happy to help. Look into Putnam park raceway its 45 min west if Indy and very reasonable in price.

A bunch of my friends are doing Putnam June 28th but unfortunately I will only be the pit bish. I wasn't anticipating getting a bike this season so I missed out on the group buy for a spot. I can't wait to see the pics, if you have any!

[almost40]

UPDATE Mods completed or to be completed for my next track day. Woodcraft rearsets and clip-ons from Racebikerentals.com (Thanks Richard) Removal of rear fender and tail-light. (custom bent aluminum to fill the gap) Removal of kickstand and grinding off of mounting tab. Removal of rear pegs and the addition of a custom made muffler mounting bracket. Change of cooling agent to Engine Ice.
Soon to come. Hot bodies race farings. Removal of stock dash and the addition of a Larger tach and temp guage. (Speedo and fuel gauge delete) Any suggestions on tach and temp gauge and the removal of the stock dash would be appreciated. (Broom??)

[sharky nrk]

I really want to do putnam this season - if I can score an extra $200 or so I will sign up. With another baby on the way cash is definately short though - sigh

[almost40]

Well its been over 2 weeks and Sean still doesnt have his CD yet. As soon as I get some photos Ill post.