PREPARING FOR A RACE

Last month, we looked at how to enter your first race. Here's what to do now you've signed up...

It doesn’t matter what level you’re competing at, you will always look back on a race weekend and criticise the way you managed some of it, probably dwell on something you forgot to take or how you handled a particular incident or situation, so be as prepared as you can. A successful racing team will have a procedure in place for all team members, ensuring that the key jobs are literally ticked off a to-do list and each weekend the whole team becomes much more professional and super slick. You could manage your race prep by making your own basic check lists and developing them over the year, to create a number of check lists that cover everything. From packing the van, tools and equipment, to jobs to do before the bike is track ready, like torque settings for the components regularly worked on, tyre pressures for each variation, etc... you could even have a checklist for the food and

drink you want to take (all healthy, of course).

If you’ve already done a few track days, then you should have a fairly good idea what to pack in the van for your bike, and in addition you should build up a spares package of crash repair parts and spare riding kit.

Deciding what to put in a spares kit is difficult and the list will keep growing over time, but ensuring you have some of the easily breakable parts to hand will give you a bit more confidence to push harder in each session, as if you’re worried about crashing because you don’t have any spares then you’re already losing time per lap.

Think about the parts you can’t reassemble with cable ties and duct tape, such as levers, handlebars, fairing brackets, foot pegs and screens; these are all relatively inexpensive to buy. You can tape and cable tie a fairing back together, bend a sub-frame or clock mount, so these are not essential spares when racing on a shoestring budget. I would always advise having some spare riding kit as well, an extra set of leathers for wet practice, a spare crash helmet that is safe and legal to use, optional visors, another pair of boots and two or more pairs of gloves because racing in March can be cold and wet, so having a few pairs of dry boots and gloves will make it more bearable.

When setting up the awning, tent or garage, make sure you have the same layout every time, as you will become more familiar with your surroundings and each job will be done quicker because you know where to find your tools, fuel, spares, etc. Make sure you print off the weekend schedule and highlight your sessions and races, hanging it next to a clock for all team members and helpers to see.

Now your bike should already be prepared before you get to the race meeting. It should be clean with enough fuel in the tank for the first session, suspension and gearing is set to what you think or have been advised, and if the forecast was in between then you could mount one wet wheel and one dry wheel to save any last minute rushing around because the weather turned.

Remember to read the requirements for Technical checks done by the scrutineers, what needs lock wiring, foam in the fuel tank, type and condition of riding gear, because having to do this kind of work or have to source parts can all delay the start of your day.

To feel fully prepared for your first session, you should be showered (optional), fed, watered and passed scrutineering at least one hour before your first practice session. Dry weather tyres need at least an hour to heat up through to the rims and get your rubber to race-ready temperature. Wet tyres will need only 30-40 minutes. Remember to set the pressures cold before fitting tyre warmers and again when up to temperature (take advice from the event tyre support). While waiting for your first session it’s worth keeping an eye on the track action to keep up with any changes in the timetable. Ask other riders what the track conditions are like, do everything you can to ensure you’re going out with the correct tyres on, and spend the minimum time possible in the holding area. When you have about 15 minutes to go before your session, warm your bike up to race temperature; I like to get everything hot and feel heat coming through the frame with my hand to ensure it’s had a good heat cycle. The last job is to check your tyre pressures while they are at their hottest.

A practice session is just that. Only ride at the pace you are comfortable with and remember that your tyres will have cooled down a little when in the holding area. You will need to build up the heat in your tyres. The most effective technique is by crushing the tyre walls under braking and accelerating while the bike is upright. If wet, it’s a similar technique with the firm braking and acceleration, but you also need to get the heat back into the edges, which is a balance of carrying some lean angle, but without the speed. Use this practice time to learn or familiarise yourself with the circuit, check the bike feels mechanically ok, tyres are back up to temp and get a feel for how fast the competition is relative to the effort you’re putting in. It

will be the last two to three laps when you start to up the pace and this is your time to further evaluate the gearing and suspension. If nothing jumps straight out at you, then don’t even think about making any changes, keep it simple until you actually need more from the bike. As soon as you finish this session, check your tyre pressures again because they should read a little bit higher than before and that’s the ideal time to set your race pressures.

I’ve always lived by the rule, ‘if something doesn’t feel right, it isn’t’, and on so many occasions I’ve heard someone admit to feeling or hearing something strange and then a wheel was loose or some oil leaked on to a tyre or a brake caliper fell off! So, if anything did seem different during the session, think about some logical reasons and give the bike a good check over before your qualifying session starts. Qualifying is important, but in the early days of racing it’s better to at least get on the grid, rather than bin it on lap two and have to start from the back of the grid, or not start at all. I’m not saying take your time because you need to keep heat in the tyre, just get a few banker laps in to ensure you’re on the grid before you start pushing a little more. Club racing sessions are very short, so in 10 minutes you should probably just keep the pace up and keep trying to get faster, but if you get a 15-minute session then you could split the effort into two and maybe find a second wind after a short break. You can pull in part way through the session and grab a breather and a drink, or find a different rider to chase, which could drag you on to that next row forward.

Remember that you are entering a race meeting and although you have timed sessions for practicing and qualifying, you only get a prize for the race result, so work your way towards feeling comfortable with the bike and track in your own time and keep the race result in mind. If time allows, do a practice start in the designated area, take note of the ideal rpm, where the clutch bites and look at the tach to monitor rpm before changing gear.

Now that you’ve experienced a qualifying session and you know where you will start the race, you can set a goal for the first race and maybe make a few tweaks to the bike. Go through your check list and ensure you have good tyres mounted and enough fuel in the tank. Also think about you, have some good food and take plenty of fluids on board. Get the grid layout printed off and visualise where you will be sitting on the grid and who is on the row in front, it will help when lining up, especially if it’s your first time. Let’s say this is your first race, you won’t be remembered for winning your first ever club race in the rookies class and you certainly won’t be a legend for crashing out of the lead at turn one, so manage your expectations and aim to finish with a tiny bit in reserve. You'll be better mentally if you know you can up your pace in the next race.

The most nervous you’ll feel is on the grid for your race start, so many thoughts will run through your mind and you will need to combat as many as you can, purely focussing on that run into turn one. Take a look for the lights and then to the riders in front to see who you will be chasing, then straight back to the lights. I can’t advise on the rpm your particular bike should be held at while the clutch is biting, but I will advise it’s better to get off the line a little steady and be in the race, not with your clutch on fire and engine screaming at 16,000rpm because you won’t even get past pit lane. Again, if this is your first race then you just want to be in it, so get off the line briskly and you will gain more by holding each gear right through the rev range, before braking much later into the first corner. Remember that you will be in second or third gear maximum by the time you get to turn one and you would normally approach the same corner in fifth or sixth gear and at a much higher speed, so use a new brake reference point and each race you will get stronger and pass more people. My other tip would be to get on the inside where possible – yes, at certain tracks it can be more beneficial to be on the outside, but as a rule it will be the shortest/fastest route and the perfect track position for making a block pass. Once through turn one, the nerves go and you’re in for the best time of your life. Enjoy!