This was my first track riding experience, was a bit overwhelmed! In my helmet was feeling wow.
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This year, RE had changed the selection process and they have four zonal selection rounds to shortlist 12 amateur racers in each round. Fortunately, the West zone selection was held at Pune this time. This was part of their street to track initiative.
I grabbed this opportunity and registered myself online, followed by a physical verification of Driving License and bike’s RC at the nearest RE showroom. Two days before the event, I was added to a Whatsapp group of around 70 folks and told that on Saturday 50 will be given an opportunity for RE track Experience on first come first serve basis!
This was a free event for the participants, RE gave leather suits, GT cup bikes with fuel, food, beverages, trainers, welcome kit (t-shirt, buff, stickers)! Only compulsory thing the riders had to bring is their helmets with double D rings preferred. The one with ratchets were asked to adjust the strap so that only 2 fingers could pass between the strap and the chin. RE had Forma Freccia riding boots and DSG full gauntlet gloves in limited quantity and sizes to be lent to riders who didn’t have their tall boots and full gauntlet gloves.
I packed my Shima Jet Air Jacket, RE Kelshi riding pants, Scala Trekker full gauntlet gloves, Gaerne GR-W boots and MT Revenge 2 helmet.
On Saturday, the phone started buzzing at 5 am with messages of “Reached”.. I woke up at that time! The venue was near to me but the event was supposed to start at 7am. I made quick movement and made it within the 50 cut off!
Registration process was smooth, riding gear inspection took time and it should. I was part of the 1st batch of 25 riders. My gear was checked ok and I had a smile on my face! Still I requested, if I can borrow a leather riding suit and they obliged.
Plan was classroom session, riding session 1 – follow the coach. Discuss with coach, riding session 2. Classroom session, selection assessment for top 25, the riding coach will follow you.
All geared up, it was a hot day! We’re sweating like anything. RE had kept ice boxes with water bottles but they were getting empty in minutes and was getting refilled as the consumption was higher than expected. Friday was overcast and I had switched my tinted visor to a clear one! I should have carried the tinted one too.
The trainers and coaches were from PRN Motorsports and were GT Cup champs! Very humble and talented racers, it was great to interact with them. Each riding coach were allotted 5 riders only. And you got one lap to follow the coach, other laps you’re behind other riders in a round robbin way.
Very systematic, and pit entry and exit was well explained in the classroom session.
This was my first track riding experience, was a bit overwhelmed! In my helmet was feeling wow, but in the tight turn sections could feel a queue of riders behind me. May be I was holding them up! It was a Go Kart track and didn’t require gear shifts, the coach was not even using the brakes! “Slow is smooth, smooth is fast”, was the motto of the day! The racing line was emphasized a lot as the track was tight and for the selected riders the qualifying laps would be faster only on the showed line when following the coach.
For the selection assessment ride, each rider got 2 laps to demonstrate what they learned in both the track sessions. Aspi Bathena was one of the assessors.
The bikes were GT Cup bikes sans the rear sets and front cowl. It had JK Tyre Blaze tyres specially developed for the GT Cup, Gabriel race suspension. Both of them are not available for existing 650 twin owners! In addition to the full system exhausts and K&N filter.
I ride an Interceptor so weight of the bike was familiar but the throttle was crisp! Even with earplugs the rumble of 10 bikes on a small track was something to experience. I was loosing focus! I enjoyed every bit of the experience but couldn’t deliver. This is a different game but the addiction is pure!
Post this session, our batch was concluded with Participation certificate distribution. This followed by lunch break and the same sessions would follow for the next batch of 25 riders.
Later in the day, a combined list of top 25 riders selected for Day 2 qualifiers were published. As expected I was not part of them but I joined them on day 2 as a spectator.
I returned a happier motorcyclist with the long term track riding itch scratched. Thanks to Royal Enfield Motorsports for the experience!
Happy motorcycling,
surjaonwheelz
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