I've been doing novice track days for a little over a year. I did about 5 last year and 1 so far this year. At what point do people decide to move to inters? Anyone made the choice and can offer any advice on when to do it and what to expect? I'm not the fastest in novices and take a lap to get up to speed which some people don't seem to need. I put it down to my age and lack of bravery frankly. I'm not the slowest by any stretch.What seems to happen is that there's normally half a dozen people that will tank past me under braking or get out of corners faster but most other people I can keep up with or overtake. What's the step up like from novices the inters? I'm pretty happy in novices, I just don't want to be one of those guys that ends up scaring the shit out of a real novice on their first day. Thanks, Mark
I think I probably did about 5 trackdays (year and a bit) in the Novice group... You'll know when it's time to move up as you'll find yourself carrying more corner speed than much of the others and braking later and probably getting frustrated by weird lines and groups bunching at the end of the straights.. moving up is good as riding with faster guys will make you quicker and you can learn from them (lines, braking points etc..).. give it a go next time you'll probably surprise yourself!
I dont do track days any more but did the same amount a few years ago. I never made it out of the novices but probably in the top fast quarter? You get to the point when you don't really improve due to other slower riders bottle necking the bends. Cornering is where its at! However I was quite happy as I could control most of the variables, having much faster riders in the inters did concern me a little. Due to the number of times I was actually waiting for No-Limits to insist on going inters but like I said I stopped doing track days. Had I carried on I would have probably joined the inters
I've done most of mine at Donnigton, did 1 or 2 in the novice group, then moved up to inters. also depends on if it's a quiet day or noisy as you can get more racers on a noisy day. I did most of mine with focussed events on chrono days, so thats sorts it out for you, it's one of the things they get right. On some 98db days i've been moved up to fast group and on noisy days would be in inters so just based booking with other trackday companies on that. I suppose when people start to hold you up and get in the way it's time to move up a group. I'd prob drop down to novice again if it's a track i'd never been to before. to be fair it can be pretty variable depending whos there on the day, you do get a few who like to stay as the fastest in a group when they should probably move up. On untimed ones, do they have spotters who reassign you if you're way off the pace for a given group? you could prob just give inters a try at the next one and drop back to novice if it doesn't feel right (if they let you do that).
Nice one, thanks all. I've just booked a couple more for this month and next and will see how I feel after that. The next one will be at Combe and they don't do novice/inter/fast groups so I'll see how that works out.
Yeah it's pretty much as the guys have said as everyone takes a lap/session or two to get up to speed. Those who don't are usually the ones that crash. You need to ask yourself if you think you're at the pointy end of your normal group on a track that your happy at and if you think you would benefit by following the faster riders in the next group up. At some point you just have to bite the bullet and give it a go.
Just to add my first ever track day was a early season session at Snetterton. The fast group was full of racers testing so novices lets say was a little hairy!
