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Thunderhill Track Day 5/6/2017 Report

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I can’t say enough how proud I am for the Superbike-Coach team for another amazing track day we’ve pulled off on 5/6/2017. Reading my report might gives you an idea how passionate we are, to make riders feel in the right place. I think that Superbike-Coach is different is given and known already, but that we run a track day which is fully booked out- with 120 riders whom can’t be more diverse- on a challenging track like this- and end it with only three minor crashes… that proves it pretty well, doesn’t it?! But there is more…

Marion and Gary opened registration on time and had lots of laughs with the participants already. Our Tech-Inspection is done in an blink of an eye- not like the typical 30 minutes wait, and everyone was very cooperative to our requirements in this regard.

The mandatory riders meeting at 8:15am is more or less my reality-check on them, and i truly enjoyed their attention, which is good for a general safety awareness and respect. I could dismiss our B+ riders early so that they can prepare without stress for their first stint, while our C-group riders stayed to receive a track orientation.

Gary opened the gate punctual at 9am for 20 minutes sessions with B+, then B, and then C group which I lead out for a two laps sightseeing tour with my control riders Brian, Julie and Ben. Introducing entering and exiting the track is our priority, because showing ‘the line’ doesn’t make any sense at that point- but we’re on it anyway. We got this clean and quickly done, so that the C rider had plenty of time left to go out on their own again.

I started the ‘Ideal Line West Seminar’ at 12:30pm, so that everyone would have all afternoon sessions to work on it. I kept it short n’ sweet, but I do believe that my audience get a picture of that there is much more I would have for them. It was fun, and I enjoyed seeing lots of students again, as well as lots new faces- which i hope to also get to see at my Cornering School programs.

From there, I was out on the track to help and to have some fun myself on almost every session. My control riders Ben, Brian and Julie the same, and we all put lots of effort to keep an eye on rules- and track etiquette. Every violation or report (and that ain’t many), was issued and solved. Even the typical Superbike-Coach penalty for temporary brain failure came into force… doing pushups. Other than that- it couldn’t have been smoother, and those three minor crashes are reflecting it. I’ve been witness of 40 crashes in total at one track day of a other organizer ones btw…

Superbike-Coach photographer Dean Lonskey took 4500 pictures that day, and guess what… this is also something we’re different with… they are all coming for free! Dean picked some featured pictures first until he releases all of them for free download. I would appreciate a little tip for him to his PayPal (dlonskey33@gmail.com). Here is one shot :-)

Headcoach Can Akkaya, Superbike-Coach Corp

 

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Coach Can Akkaya will be on the track with our riders at Thunderhill

Only 7 spots left on our Thunderhill track day on 5/6/2017

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That Superbike-Coach books up another track day should show a lot, doesn’t it?!

We’re making the difference in many ways. We’re not trying to make things look better by telling riders that a track day replaces training and knowledge (Ref. ‘Does a Track Day really make you a better rider?‘). We’re not keeping ticket fees artificially low by using a low-turn track layout and so to skip on rental and Marshalls. We’re not having ‘Instructors’ racing each other who are actually giving a damn about their own passing rules. We’re not hiring instructors who actually need a coach themselves to know the Thunderhill line. We’re not running a ‘track school’, just because we’re ‘good street riders’ and teaching made up body positioning stuff.

No copied stuff- no BS… this is Superbike-Coach

Headcoach Can Akkaya, Superbike-Coach Corp

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Clarify Superbike-Coach Track Days

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I use to clear up things with my articles, so here is my take on some answers to questions we’re receiving in regard our track days:

  • Yes, we’re open all turns the west track has to offer.
  • Yes, we have track Marshall’s on all turns, an Ambulance with two EMT’s, and a Helicopter on call.
  • Yes, we have a starter, announcer, and group/gate control.
  • Yes, we run 3 level groups C, B, and B+, 7×20 minutes sessions each.
  • B+ is no A-group- more an extension of B group. A-riders are welcome of course, but riding under B+ where I expect that B-riders keep their ego in check (you can’t get them anyway and you don’t want to hurt someone just because you feel challenged).
  • Yes, you don’t need to have racing gear necessarily, and of course i can tell you our definition of street riding gear below in an article. let me know if you need gear, and I can get you a 40% off discount on Axo USA gear. We accept leather OR textile as long pants and jacket are zip-able. If not zip-able, we would ask you to have a back protector, but be aware that the Thunderhill staffs might take you out (this is not on us!). Nobody else but you is responsible for the road rash you’re getting.
  • Yes, we have experienced control riders on all groups checking for rule violations.
  • No, we’re not wasting spots to let ego-driven instructors racing each other.
  • No, you don’t need to have a class under your belt to attend our track days, but I highly recommend it.
  • No, this is not a ‘school’, but a ‘too fun to miss out’ event where you’ll be safer as if you would go for a ride on public roads instead. If you are looking for solid education, then you most likely won’t find it within track days anyway. Read my article in regard to this, and consider to also start out my Cornering School program.
  • No, we don’t have a tire service going on, because I truly believe that if you would have to change tires between sessions- that you are just hell of badly prepared. Don’t waste your time and get dirty on 8/27/ when you actually have time to do it with ease way before.
  • Yes, I strongly believe that your suspension is ok for what you do. Don’t spend time and hope up that this might fixes your riding problems, cuz’ it does not. You might consider my ‘Workshop & Track Time’ event on 9/17/ at that point.
  • No overnight camping in the paddock possible! There are hotels and also a designated camp area in front of the main gate though. If you sneak in… we’ll forward the invoice we’d get for it to YOU.
  • Yes, we have a towing vehicle to get your baby back to the paddock.
  • Yes, we run a C-group orientation at 9:05am and a ‘sightseeing track session’ at 9:40am.
  • Yes, I’ll give a ‘Ideal Line West seminar’, Club house at 1:30pm

Now get some education till then. See ya!

Headcoach Can Akkaya, Sacramento
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Track Day Thunderhill Raceway 5/6/2017 format change

We just changed the group format of our Track Day at Thunderhill Raceway on 5/6/2017. We will run in three level groups now instead of four, and give our riders 5 minutes per session more, so 7×20 minutes instead of 7×15 minutes.

As usual, we won’t have a group A, though we welcome every A-level rider who knows about their responsibility and to be a role-model.

Group B+ will be good for slightly more advanced street (also track riders of course) riders – on sport or race bikes. Passing rules 4ft.

Group B is good for experienced riders street riders- or sport bikes and sport touring bikes. Passing rules 5ft.

Group C is good for novice and intermediate street riders- or sport touring and touring bikes. Passing rules 6ft.

So lots of track time on a weekend track day for only $150, which even includes sport photography. Go and find this somewhere else… good luck :-)

https://www.superbike-coach.com/events/track-day-thunderhill-west-raceway

Headcoach Can Akkaya

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Does a Track Day really make you a better rider?!

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Ever heard the slogan: “Doing one track day replaces 1 year of riding on the street.”… or something like that?! What about statements like: “Riding on a race track makes you feel your bike on the limit.”, or similar?!

Sounds about right and super exciting huh?! Well… super exciting yes- but it’s not right at all to say- or even to think that this would make you a better rider, because where the hell should all of that coming from all of a sudden!? I am saying here, that nothing will change over night just because you have a track day ticket in your pocket. Straight up… the only thing which will move ‘on the limit’ are going to be your guts.

Here is what’s gonna happen in reality… you probably couldn’t even sleep the night before your track day. Not feeling that you are actually totally tired, because the adrenaline pumps through your vanes while you listen to the obligatory riders meeting, which actually freaks you out even more. Then you move out to your first session. You are stuffed with hope because you’ve been told that those four ‘beginners sightseeing laps’ are making a huge difference for you. In fact it does not, cuz’ you are riding in a massive 20 miles per hour convoy on darn pretty funny lines. This btw is the reason why Superbike-Coach track days are not even offering it, because the moment when you go for your second session… your head is as empty as much as your tires, and you still have no clue where you actually are. We have other ways. Anyway- after lunch break, you go an ask an instructor to follow you around, and after you could probably entertain the entire crew with your chicken stripes- he says yes. 20 minutes later he probably says something about your body positioning and a plain “…other than that- good enough”. But naturally, you are alone again in your very next session, and you are actually doing the same BS you’ve done before. You might finish the day early by deciding to skip on the last two sessions without a good reason actually. In fact though- your entire body feels like you got hit by a truck, and mentally hurt because you just realized how much you suck. You are tired and weak, caused of being tensed up and mentally overwhelmed for hours. And then you spend an hour on a monitor to find ‘the perfect shot’ that photographer hopefully took of you. All High-Res and awesomely tilted- but non of them showing you in much of a leaning ankle… not even in your last session when you really felt best. So you are attacking one track day after another for the next 3 years, and a 5 seconds drop- 15 sets of tires and 2 crashes is the outcome, but you still don’t know why those A riders are 20 seconds faster per lap- or why you are still not dragging the damn knee.

I might sound like I would think every rider is the same- but I don’t, and don’t get me all wrong- I know you are excited and I am totally on your page- but ‘excitement’ and the feeling of being scared to death is all what you’re going home with. At home, you’re looking back and you are probably loaded with wish-thinking that your riding performance felt so much better than usual. In reality though… you probably are more solid on line choice and more confident on your favorite canyon road. I even heard riders talking themselves into a ‘better world’ by noticing that there is a slight chance that the photographer f’d it up, because he did not get you at your deepest leaning in that particular turn.

How dare am I, and how do I know all of this?!…well, maybe by dealing with pro racing, ego, 40 years of riding on tracks world wide and 15 years of teaching riders should give me some kinda experience. It is also not just my opinion, based on this experience, because there are also people out there who admit it, which I think is where all what I am saying goes. It also seems that some riders are becoming ‘blind’ after they’ve been to a track day, because they see themselves ‘grown up’ in terms of riding bikes then. This can be literally deadly wrong, because again… nothing is better all of a sudden. If you are going to do a track day- then do it just for fun, and don’t fool yourself.

I know what you are going through and I can help you to really get something out of your track days, and it doesn’t matter if it is at my track days or someone elses. For example… I’ve coached riders who never got their knee down in 15 years of track riding. Riders who spend time and thousands of Dollars with other schools and track days… I’ve made them drag the living dead out of their pucks in one day for $149 bux, including track fees- free photography and snacks. Just sayin’ …

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Headcoach Can Akkaya, Superbike-Coach Corp

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Black Friday Deals at Superbike-Coach

Also Superbike-Coach can cut you a Black Friday deal…

Get a $300 gift certificate (credit) on any classes or track days we run for only $270 and save 30 bux. This is the link:

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Superbike-Coach Track Day Rocks

 Once more a Superbike-Coach track day was booked out, and I believe that Dean Lonskey’s pictures are telling the story. I can’t be more proud for my team which puts back into it big time. So here are Deans featured pictures first, and wait for all the pictures within this week. Enjoy!

 

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