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Roll Call, PTT @ Laguna Seca, May 28

That's C group right? Nice 6 foot cushion when you give him the ricer fly-by at 1:13. He already did one thing unpredictable, why would you try to squeeze around the outside like that? You obviously had a run at him and there was a ton of room on the inside to make a clean pass.

I realize I'm just going to come off as a dick. That would just be a bad place to make contact if he decided to swing right before turning left (yes, newbies do that A LOT).

EDIT: Also, What he did was in bad form. If you ever feel like you don't get good resolution with the individual, it might be a good idea to head over and have a chat with course control.
 
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Can PTT remind riders during the rider's meeting to be predictable and not do weird shit on the racing line in the future? I don't mind the look and wave as long as they maintain speed. It's the sudden chopping of the throttle that will get someone hurt.

We try to get as much information as possible out in the riders meeting but if we leave anything out that you can think of your always welcome to bring it to our attention during that time.

In the future we will try to tell the riders to be predictable. It's a hard thing to control because once they go on course we have no control over their immediate actions. All we can do is correct the mistakes that we know about. If anything like that happens again please bring it to our attention on the day so that we can fix it then and there. Thanks for your input and hopefully we'll see you at another day soon :thumbup
 
Looking for your friends in the grandstands and waving at them while on the racing line and chopping the throttle is DANGEROUS.

I'll say! Judging from the video:

  1. You, as the rider approaching from behind, held up your end of the bargain by not ass-packing the guy, though you should have given him more space since you were in C Group,
  2. He definitely did not hold up his end (as the video demonstrates) by riding in a predictable manner, and
  3. You're doing a lot of passing and probably should move up to B Group.
IMHO, of course.
 
I've watched this video a few times. When incidents like this happen, it is important to let staff members know right away and we can help you address the issue. I'm glad Nerd was paying attention, you saved a crash there.

This video brings up several points of discussion:

While we can try to predict what another person will do, things still change. This is a great example - the other rider is accelerating and then suddenly decelerates and he's in your path of travel. In this situation it is clear the problem is serious rider error - and keep in mind that a bike with a mechanical problem will do the same thing.

STOP LOOKING BEHIND YOU. I've seen this a little more over the last year, riders slowing down and waiting for their friends, looking behind them to see where people are, etc. Staff members and racers sometimes do this - but have the skill level required to keep their motorcycle under control for a quick peek. Pay attention to what is in front of you so you don't create a safety hazard.

Nerd's pass on the outside was a bit close, especially for a C group pass. Remember the other rider has to make the same turn also - and early turn entry usually means a wide turn exit and pointed at the side of your bike. If the other rider is fixated on you or lowsides, he could crash into the side of you.
 
GREAT DAY at Laguna Seca yesterday! I'm glad everyone had such a fantastic time and I'm looking forward to the next PTT event!
 
What a glorious day at Laguna Seca. The morning fog burned off just before the track opened. The track was in great condition. I really enjoyed the ride. Meeting Stefan Bradl was an added bonus to an already great day.

This was one of my favorite track days ever! From a guy who has done 20+ track days a year for the past 10 years!
 
I realized that was a bad pass as soon as that 6 foot gap became a 4 foot gap, so I tried to give him as much room as I could by inching toward the rumble strips. I apologized to him personally at the end of the session because I understood that I definitely fucked up there. I didn't feel the need to leave it out because I don't need unnamed dude to come back and say "hey but you left out that fucked up pass you did on me", and it gives PTT 2 examples of people doing it wrong.

When he told me to go to B group if I wanted to race, was the point where I realized he clearly didn't understand that trackdays are not a race, and that his showboating antics were making himself a danger to others. It's my second time at Laguna Seca, and if I was comfortable maintaining a B pace without putting myself and others at risk, I would've moved up to B.

If the incident was a mechanical failure, I would understand, and that would be the end of it. Mechanicals happen, it's not a big deal. My problem is with the showboating by pointing and looking at his friends in the grandstands (which he admitted) for a super-kewl-photo-op that caused the close call, and then denying any wrong-doing. I didn't bother going to course control because no amount of talking to him was going to make him realize how he fucked up.

I don't mind people trying to get interesting photos. What I do mind is people becoming a danger to themselves and others to get that photo. What happened already happened, there's nothing in the world that can change the fuck ups that occurred. The least we can do is learn from them, so other people don't do stupid unpredictable shit to get interesting photos in the future. What can be done is to remind people to be as predictable as they can be and not to be doing any weird shit on the racing line. It helps the passer's job of making a clean and safer pass easier.

Safer = no yellow or red flags = no boo-boos = more track time = more fun for everyone. I'm pretty sure that's what we all want.

If the guy reads this:
I hope you realize that trackdays are not races, and that you should check your ego at the gate when you sign the release of liability forms. Nobody else is treating trackdays like a race. Don't get butthurt because you got passed, everyone got passed yesterday (except Stefan Bradl). Yes it's my responsibility to maintain that cushion, and that cushion was what kept my bike out of your bike. There's no need to get defensive because someone told you that you created a dangerous situation. I let you know as a courtesy that I almost hit you, and that I made a very poor pass afterwards. First, because what you did was dumb, and secondly I wanted to apologize for fucking up on my part. You don't need to point fingers saying I got too close behind you. I was 6 feet behind you, right before you chopped the throttle because you couldn't maintain your speed while posing. I was trying to help you understand what you did wrong so you don't get assraped by 450 pounds of metal and plastic in the future, but you were having none of it. I don't have anything against you personally, and I want to keep you out of the meat wagon. We're all out here to have fun, and while getting crash photos is interesting, it's definitely not fun.

P.S. PTT is awesome.
P.S.S. If you're going to pose, put your hand up so people behind you know you're about to do something stupid for Dito, then maintain your speed and do it off the racing line... and do it with mad style.
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Here's the couple I got of him coming through the corkscrew:
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