Brands Hatch Trackday Report and Pictures

[Silver]

Well, I got up at 4:50am this morning and made the two hour trip to Brands Hatch. Met up with some of the guys from here and then started blasting around the track (after having the transponders fitted to the bikes). Our laps were being timed by ESS so that they could group us better by pace on the "grid" - although in reality they did nothing of the sort until after lunch.

My first time to Brands (Indy) and I was amazed what a physically tiring circuit it is. There doesn't seem to be any respite from one corner to the next - none of those straights that go on forever like at Silverstone! We had 20-25 minute sessions and seemed to do a huge number of laps before the chequered flag (thankfully!) came out.

Anyway, the good news is that no BCFers binned it although Wave had a minor bit of grass tracking when he was nearly taken out by an R1. The weather was good until the 4th session when it started raining half way through - I grabbed a couple of places as people backed off then a couple of slides persuaded me (and most others) to come in while we were still rubber side down. The rain stopped, the clouds cleared and the temperature rose all in about five minutes...! The other groups very kindly helped dry the track and by the time we went out again it was bone dry and sunny Five minutes after we came in the heavens opened and it bucketed it down.

Should be interesting to see the laptimes when they're posted in a few days. Jeanette got some decent photos, a couple attached below.

[Wave2k]

This was my very first trackday and i loved it
i was very suprised, i was chasing 600s in my first session, and overtaking them.
Paddock hill was brilliant, just come off the straight and bowl down the big hill at over 70 with knee down , then slam the brakes on for druids for a long kneedown and out.
only problems i had were grayham hill bend, could never get the speed right comming out of the corner.
also some fat guy on an R1 made me go off, typical blast on the straights and slow as shit round corners, but as i went to take him on the outside, an sp1 shot up on the inside and he shite himself and panic braked, i had to go grass tracking
all in all a brilliant day
Pic man took some good pics, waiting for them to come online
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Ducati 1299 Panigale
2009 Corvette C6 z51
RS125->CBR400->RXS100->GSXR750K2->Ducati749S->CBR600RR5->TL1000R->DRz400->RSVR1000->Honda VTR SP1->CBR400->GSXR1000K6->Honda H100->CBR600RR3->Ducati1299

[swaffs]

Hmmm, a rather dissapointing day for myself.

I appear to have major suspension issues, and shredded my rear tyre in the first sesson you can see in the photo above it was looking pretty torn, and I think that photo was only in session 1 or 2.

I was losing traction everywhere and apparantly the lack of damping was just causing the bike to sink out of turns and waste aqll the power into tearing the tyre.

By the end of the day my tyre looked Like Rossi had been spending all day going round roundabouts with it !!

I spoke to the instructors about ti as there was no onsite suspension dude, and he instantly noticed it as lack of rear damping, causing cold wall tyre tearing ??

He had a play with the settings but basically said the shock was borked !!

so currently looking for a new shock.

It was certainly a day which the priority was to look after the school as there was virtualy no attention given to us, and even the timings and grid positioning was limited.

Not as good as the full PACE day I did last year but stilll looking forward to seeing the times (despite my poor performance).

Apart from that had a good day, got pwnd by Wave !! and weather was gorgeous until the last sesssion in which we got rained out for last couple of laps.

25 minutes round Brands Indy is a long time !!


Thanks to Silver/Northernlass for pics.
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Swaffs Photography |
BCF vinyl stickers
"Look not back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around you in awareness."

[Silver]

Forgot to attach this picture of a bloke from our group. Apparently he was doing this every lap of the last session - surprised he wasn't black flagged

[Wave2k]

blody litre bikes, when they blast past you so close on the straight
gotta love the paddock hill bend, when everyone brakes and u dive in
____________________
Ducati 1299 Panigale
2009 Corvette C6 z51
RS125->CBR400->RXS100->GSXR750K2->Ducati749S->CBR600RR5->TL1000R->DRz400->RSVR1000->Honda VTR SP1->CBR400->GSXR1000K6->Honda H100->CBR600RR3->Ducati1299

[Jon]

Was a good day, like the track Had fun leading in inters in the last couple of sessions at times lol. Really need to sort out a race Hornet so I can push it a lot more than my road bike.

Swaffs - if you're still thinking about a track bike consider the mini-twins (sv, hornet etc.) as they cost a hell of a lot less to run and (sometimes) crash due to standard engines etc. and you can't call them slow when they're only a few seconds off the 600 classes (r6 cup etc.)

Pic from picman

[swaffs]

laptimes are in
click here
https://www.sportstimingservices.com/results/login.html

input your number and no password

I did 1.06.9 in second session and got steadily worse throughout the day, mainly due to knackered tyre.

Mark did 57.36 !!!!
____________________
Swaffs Photography |
BCF vinyl stickers
"Look not back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around you in awareness."

[swaffs]

Aslo picman photo's are up:
PICTURE-MANAGEMENT

might be combining a CSD order so if anyone wants images let's get them all put on the same CD (otherwise it's 10 quid a CD + £2 an image)
____________________
Swaffs Photography |
BCF vinyl stickers
"Look not back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around you in awareness."

[Barry_M2]

Sounds like a great day, with a bit of luck I'll be doing brands soon.

Quick question: Is grip noticably better than the public roads? Do you feel alot more confident throwing your bike into a corner?

Oh, also, whats the deal with them checking your bike over before you go out on track, what do they check for?

[Jon]

Best lap for me was 1:00.413 manual lap timer showed 59 but obviously you can't hit it at the right point all the time 4.5 seconds off the lap record for Hornets which isn't too bad I suppose considering I'm on stock suspension etc.

Not a bad lap time there swaffs considering the trouble you had with the suspension

[Bendy]

[Barry_M2]

[Wave2k]

Very pleased with my laptimes
a 1:02.8 my best

swaffs i want to order a few of pic man let us know when u want to
____________________
Ducati 1299 Panigale
2009 Corvette C6 z51
RS125->CBR400->RXS100->GSXR750K2->Ducati749S->CBR600RR5->TL1000R->DRz400->RSVR1000->Honda VTR SP1->CBR400->GSXR1000K6->Honda H100->CBR600RR3->Ducati1299

[Jon]

Have you noticed it only displays around 14 laps per session we were all doing 22+

[Silver]

Not too impressed with my 1:02.2 best lap, but it's interesting to know. I did manage a 1:05.9 in the rain though which is quite pleasing... might explain why I was sliding so much that lap too

Swaffs, give me a shout if you order some pictures

[Silver]

Just found the pole position qualifying time from this year's supersport race on the Indy circuit: 47.236s.

Puts it all into perspective!

[Silver]

Sorted out an onboard video now:

Download here. 34.8Mb

Look out for the several cameos from Wave2k (including one of his tustles with the R1 ) and Swaffs

[swaffs]

Nice one Silver.
I REALLY need to hang off more.

And stop dawdling around clearways, although even at that speed the back was sliding occasionally.
____________________
Swaffs Photography |
BCF vinyl stickers
"Look not back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around you in awareness."

[swaffs]

MEH !!!!!!!!!

I've just had a call from my mate as he went to the carpark

My damage to the tyres must have been worse than expected.

My tyre is flat !!! no I gotta get home on tube later and work out a solution for tomorrow !!
____________________
Swaffs Photography |
BCF vinyl stickers
"Look not back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around you in awareness."

[G]

[Jon]

Yeah I meant competing mainly, perhaps minitwins was a bad example. The Hornets are even cheaper, for instance I'm going to look at one in the next couple of weeks which is going for £1100 with ohlins front and rear suspension, steering damper, rearsets, bodywork, spare wheels etc. etc.

Someone I know used to race the 400's and changed to the Hornets due to finances... said the tuning and plastics cost way way too much, that said you can easily write-off any kind of race bike.

[Wave2k]

i would go for it jon, u seem more than quick enough on a standard hornet as it is
____________________
Ducati 1299 Panigale
2009 Corvette C6 z51
RS125->CBR400->RXS100->GSXR750K2->Ducati749S->CBR600RR5->TL1000R->DRz400->RSVR1000->Honda VTR SP1->CBR400->GSXR1000K6->Honda H100->CBR600RR3->Ducati1299

[mini moto]

This is a message to G have u been 2 any minimoto tracks
from
minimoto

[G]

Erm, yes, I have.

Why do you ask?

[Silver]