Jen Crosby's Racing Blog

Monday June 05, 2006

Two days at Cadwell - trackday report.

I think it's been nearing 2 years since the last time I went to Cadwell Park for a trackday. It seems like a lifetime ago in terms of how things are now – in my riding, my bike, my attitude, everything. My lasting memory of riding Cadwell previously was of absolutely pouring down rain, and riding very slowly round the track. Despite that, I had a good day, and I fully intended to ride there again. But it took until now for me to get round to it...

With a race weekend looming, Cadwell is the circuit I've had by far the least track time on, so I jumped at the chance of 2 consecutive days at the circuit a few weeks before the race. With so many complex corners I need all the practice I can get! Even better was that Loz and Nige were coming along, so I'd be able to ask for advice and tips.

We rolled up to the circuit only a short while after Loz and Nige, and set up with their big awning for the bikes, and our little awning as the food/social area behind it. Dinner and an early night, and I woke up feeling fresh, but oddly nervous. In fact, I felt kind of like it was a race weekend! I guess knowing how much work I'd need to get done to learn the track was a little daunting. Although I'd had the pleasure of riding all that time ago in the soaking conditions, this time was different – it felt to me like I'd almost be learning the circuit for the first time, as my approach now is so different to what it would have been then. Not to mention a different bike, a faster and more confident rider, and a total lack of torrential rain! The sun was well and truly out and forecast to stay that way all weekend – superb!

I was out in the inters group, as I didn't really want the pressure of the fast group while I was trying to learn the circuit. We went out for 3 incredibly slow, but useful in terms of remembering the track sighting laps, before getting out for our first session proper. And wow. What a tricky circuit!! I must admit I was fully ready for my usual strop at my lack of ability which usually lasts for the first two sessions of the morning, but I actually didn't feel too bad at all. I rode back to the paddock pretty much knowing where and what I wanted to work on, and feeling like I knew how to at least start with improving around the track. After completing two sessions I decided it would probably be a good move to get some instruction, so collared Phil, who I know from 400GreyBike and several other track days to show me round for a session. I followed him for 3 or four laps, and immediately picked up on some of the sections I wasn't doing right. He waved me by and followed for the rest of the session, and we pulled in for a debrief at the end. With lots of good pointers, and 3 or 4 key areas to work on, I was keen to get back out and try it all.

I'm getting much better at using track sessions to work on specific things – in the past I've found it really difficult to go out and concentrate on one thing – it always seemed to hard not to go out and just try and go fast everywhere, as stupid as that sounds. The first corner at Cadwell is a steep uphill left hander, which requires no braking, only a shift down to 5^th gear before tipping the bike in and driving it up the hill. I'd spent all morning braking for that corner, and I knew I'd have to brave it, and go in faster at some point. Oddly enough, it wasn't so much the corner entry speed that was bothering me. In my head changing down a gear is something you usually do while braking, so I was finding it unreasonably difficult to de-couple the two things and just kick it down into gear without touching the brakes. After a couple of 'settling in' laps in the whatever session it was I was out in, I decided it was time to bite the bullet and just do it. So with a wide open throttle in top gear I kicked it down and threw it into the corner. It stuck, although I missed the apex by miles, but I'd done it!! Grinning in my lid I just wanted to get round the rest of the lap to try it again!

I think I made a fair amount of improvement over the day Friday, and as the day drew to a close I knew what I wanted to work on the next day. Greg and I went for a walk round the track with Loz and Nige, and got some really excellent tips from them on the way round. It was very very helpful the next day when I got back out on track – thanks guys! James and Toby also turned up in the evening ready to ride the next day.

Saturday morning I was ready to get out there again. The nice thing about two days on the trot is that all that settling in time has been done the day before, so right from the first session I was ready to get out and on it, without having to work my way into a faster pace. I had another set of specific things I wanted to work on, which I did, and I definitely improved on them, although my lap times weren't really very good :o\ Having said that, I'd knocked off 4 seconds from the previous day, so at least I'd achieved something, but I'm still way off the pace I'd like to be for the race.

Half way through the morning, after a chat with James, I decided to go try out the suspension service, and see if he could dial out some of the problems I was having with front end judder under braking. He made quite a few adjustments, and showed me the difference in the front end which was quite amazing! It would appear I need some new fork internals ideally though, as the springs are pretty soft. I was looking forward to getting out and trying the new settings. They definitely improved the front under heavy braking although I was feeling like the back was skipping around a bit, so I went back to get him to tweak it again before the next outing. I wouldn't say it transformed my riding or anything, but the bike did feel more planted in places, and certainly steadier on the brakes. I'd say it was worth doing. It'll be interesting to see how it feels at Snetterton on Thursday, as there's some pretty hefty braking there too!

For many of the sessions I found myself in traffic – I wasn't the fastest in the group by any stretch but I certainly wasn't the slowest either. Knowing the best way to get past other riders when you don't know the circuit so well isn't too easy – even more so when the bike you're trying to get past is a 600 or 1000 bike! I went out for another session with Phil, the instructor, in the afternoon too, and he gave me some more very good tips which I tried to put into good effect in the last few sessions.

Greg had a good time too – he's finally starting to get to grips with his new SP2 and really starting to enjoy it. He was also helped by changing to a new set of tyres too which he liked a lot! Loz and Nige seemed to struggle with a lot of traffic in their group, which often stopped them from being able to put in the kind of laps they'd have liked. Although Loz managed to match her race pace in one of the sessions – great work there Loz, bodes really well for your race there!!

All in all it was a great couple of days with some good improvement – even if it wasn't as much as I'd have liked. It was great having some of the guys I race with there, and quite a few other 400s out on track too. I think I'm going to have to work very hard in the practice day before the race if I'm going to be where I want to be in the race though...

( Jun 05 2006, 09:58:58 AM GMT+00:00 )

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