Summer school

Schools in for summer at Rocket Ron’s…

THE RON HASLAM RACE SCHOOL puts customers on a fleet of Honda sportsbikes and ushers them round Donington Park. All kit is the School’s own and customers are fully insured with no excess. Fall off and walk away. Instructors are current or ex-racers and class sizes are tiny. The half-day £310 Premier Experience puts two riders with one instructor, and the £460 Elite provides 90 minutes of one-to-one tuition on the School’s Fireblades. But there’s a new class for 2018: the £350 Premier Plus. That’s what I’m trying today. First there’s a scrummage round the salubrious Race School wardrobe followed by comprehensive briefing. Then we meet our instructors in the paddock. I’m paired with Phil Hyde, club racer, sidecar passenger with world round experience, and lover of wheelies. I’m on a CBR600RR but he’s riding a VFR800 (‘Who wants a ’Blade when the VFR’S got heated grips?’). And we’re off. The track’s damp from earlier rain, but the racing line’s drying. Phil knows I want to get comfortable driving the bike out of corners, so he’s leading the way, left hand in the air indicating my throttle position. He’s always driving out earlier than I expect. He doesn’t let up down the straights either, full throttle in damp conditions until the braking marker. The Plus gives you an hour of open pitlane, enough for four track outings and a lot of improvement. And at £40 more than the Premier, this is where the value-for-money is strongest.