When good friends can be a bad influence!
Well, it finally happened.
For the past couple years, I’ve been easing myself back into the sport motorcycle scene after about an 18-year hiatus. My road-racing experiences as part of a privateer team in the AMA Pro Superbike Series and WERA Grand National Series came to an end in the late 1980s. My “need for speed” has lain dormant now for almost two decades.
Over the past months of “The Experience,” I’ve shared with you my journey back into the world of motorcycles and many of my experiences of this yet-another midlife crisis.
An experience I’ve definitely enjoyed has been venturing out to Putnam Park Road Course in Mount Meridian, Ind., to hang out and watch friends participate in motorcycle track days. I’ve also offered some guidance about how to participate in a track day experience but never with the intention of participating myself. Recently I even stood on my soap box and expounded on the importance of appropriate riding and safety gear.
Through all this time, I’ve steadfastly held my ground and resisted the frequent temptations to get back on the track. I thought my long dormant “need for speed” would stay sufficiently suppressed by vicarious enjoyment of watching my buddies on the track.
Well, you all know that last Monday was my first day back to the grind after a month of vacation. What I didn’t share with you in last week’s “The Experience” was that Monday was a pretty short day in the office. A particularly tempting call from a good friend resulted in a quick bailout from the office followed by a ride out to Putnam Park to hang out with the guys from Ducati Indianapolis at their track day co hosted with Commonwealth Motorcycles from Louisville, Ky.
As with past visits to Putnam Park, I was totally content to watch the day’s activities from the sidelines but was immediately bombarded with peer pressure to join the fun out on the track.
I did put up a gallant effort but eventually succumbed to the extreme peer pressure. Some day, I need to learn to JUST SAY NO!
Also, watching from the sidelines has never suited me too well!
After a quick prep job to the bike, I proceeded to join the boys on the track and clicked off over 35 laps on my Ducati 1098 S Tricolore. I wish you could have seen my ear-to-ear grin inside my helmet!
Has this long-dormant “need for speed” bug bitten me again? Has this most recent midlife crisis taken an abrupt turn of course? Time will tell.
I’m not sure who to blame; my boss for letting me bail out early on my first day back to the office or my good friends over at Ducati Indianapolis for forcing me out on the track.
Good friends can definitely be a bad influence!
See you all next week at redbullindianapolisgp.com.
Greg
Lets go racing…
When Mari Hulman George, chairman of the board of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, gave the most famous command in racing for the 91st Indianapolis 500, she said, “Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!” For the first time in the history of this event, “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” three women were among the 33 starters of this traditionally male-dominated race.
Several weeks ago I shared with you the track day experiences of Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) executive Mel Harder and the opportunity these types of events provide for many weekend warriors across the country. A motorcycle track day is a great opportunity for anyone who rides a bike, male or female, young or old, to get out on a closed course and experience a little taste of the competitive spirit of racing and the thrill of speed.
I’ve had several people ask me how to get involved in a track day event. Really all you need is a bike, a good full-face helmet, a set of one or two-piece leathers, a back protector, some over-the-ankle boots and some sturdy, gauntlet-style motorcycle gloves. A typical track day is set up with three different rider skill groups, beginner, intermediate and advanced. Most organizations will offer instruction and training sessions for track day beginners to help make your day an enjoyable learning experience.
If you are located in the Indianapolis area or anywhere in the mid-Great Lakes area, we have a great track located in Mount Meridian, Ind., Putnam Park Road Course. Check out their Web site and schedule for upcoming motorcycle track day events: www.putnampark.com.
A quick check shows an event coming up the weekend of July 26-27, sponsored by Sportbike Track Time. Our local Ducati dealership, Ducati Indianapolis, is co-sponsoring a track day on Monday, July 28. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Monday than skipping out of work and experiencing the thrill of speed at the Putnam Park road course! I’m sure your boss would understand.
So, ladies and gentlemen, start your own engines and let’s get geared up and go racing at the next motorcycle track day in your neck of the woods.
See you all next week at redbullindianapolisgp.com.
Greg