[Ducati] 1st Time Racetrack Experiences part 3

[Gleeb Gliber Galactica Gavorti]

    After the Esses it’s time for another straight section.  It’s long enough to get going perhaps 120 or more and is followed by a 90 degree left so it’s no time to stop paying attention.  Round the last corner and it’s the front straight.  Obviously it’s a good time to pass people.  Unfortunately even the slower riders use this part of the track to flog their bikes for all they are worth so it’s not always easy to get around them unless you are willing to brake much later than they do.  Doing that without a high degree of caution can result in an approach of the track’s first turn (another 90 degree left) at very, very high speed (140+).  For an inexperienced person like myself it’s not a good idea to try to pass in any kind of aggressive manner.  Pass a person or two and then line up for the approaching turn.  And do it all again!
   
  So there you have it.  A somewhat accurate description of the Buttonwillow race track as seen and remembered by a first time track rider.
   
   
  Now that I’ve whetted your appetite for the action of the track I will digress a bit and start from the beginning of the trip.
   
  Due to my desire to arrive at Buttonwillow on Sunday and my inability to find a person with a trailer who had similar plans, I just rode my bike from my home in Santa Barbara.  
   
  So around 2pm Sunday I loaded up my tank bag and backpack and headed my Aprilia Falco north, in search of fun and fastness.
   
  It’s really a great ride, if you take advantage of the scenic and twisty highway 33, which I of course did.  2 ½ hours later I arrived in Buttonwillow with plenty of energy to spare.
   
   
   
  Naturally I was pretty nervous that morning.  I had requested a wake-up call for 7:00 AM but my eyes sprang 30 minutes sooner than scheduled so I gave up sleep and began to begin the day.
   
  It could not have been more than 45 degrees when I left the motel.  It made me wonder what kind of crazy weather we would have over at the track.  As it happens the weather for this Columbus Day was perhaps one of the best in the track’s history.  It was mid to high 70’s all day long with little or no wind.  Warm in the sun and cool in the shade.  Excellent.
   
  It took me a few minutes to find Phil after I arrived at the track.  Phil is the current president of the Santa Barbara Ducati Club and he had made himself available as a mentor (of sorts) to the new track riders of the club (or anyone else probably).  But within half an hour of my arrival, the paddock and pit areas were alive with the rattling sound of our (but not mine- I was on the Aprilia, remember?) Ducatis.  No less than a whole bunch of us showed up for this track day.  In addition to the riders some of our members came just to make pictures.  As of now I’ve seen none of them.  Perhaps they will be posted on our club website soon ( www.sbduc.com ).  
   
  Not only did our Duc club have a good turn out, but every available spot (perhaps 75 total) Club Desmo had to offer was filled as well.  Just to add to the Ducati-ness of the day, DNA (Ducati North America) came rolling in with an 18-wheeler brimming with their latest race (replica) bikes.  Not that I got to ride any of them

   
  After a brief tech inspection and number assignment (#22 for me) it was time for a long but not too long lecture from the event organizers.   The half-hour lecture was probably a bit boring for those who knew the drill.  But for me it was pretty informative.  They spoke a bit about track etiquette (pretty damn important when it comes to screaming motorcycles and plenty of them) and safety as well as some basic riding techniques.  The two best things I found out during the lecture were: A) Lunch was provided by the club free of charge and B) there would be instructors circling the track with us to help us learn the track and how to ride it.  Want to know what the hell to do out there?  Follow an instructor and he’ll show/teach you.  And for a bit of fun there was a raffle as well. 
   
  Ride Well
   
  Gabriel



"There's nothing wrong with you that an expensive operation can't prolong."  -Python, Monty.
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