Subject: [rec.motorcycles.racing] How to Become a Motorcycle Roadracer, V3.6 (modified 18 March 96)
Date: 26 Mar 1996 16:15:05 GMT
Summary: This posting describes how to become a Motorcycle Roadracer.


Posting-Frequency: monthly, near the 17th
Version: 3.7


                    How to Become a Motorcycle Roadracer

                                 Version 3.7

                                18 March 1996

This is a list of Frequently Asked Questions about becoming a Motorcycle
Roadracer. It is maintained by Duke Robillard, duke@cc.bellcore.com (that's
me!). Please send me any additions, corrections, clarfications, or
suggestions.

A new version of this document usually appears monthly, sometime around the
17th. It was last modified on March 18, 1996, and its travels may have taken
it far from its original home on Usenet. It may now be out-of-date,
particularly if you are looking at a printed copy or one retrieved from a
tertiary archive site or CD-ROM. You can always obtain the most up-to-date
copy by anonymous ftp from sites ftp.eskimo.com, rtfm.mit.edu, or ftp.uu.net
or by sending the e-mail message "help" to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu.

This article was produced for free redistribution. You should not need to
pay anyone for a copy of it.

Thanks to Dash Weeks and Doug Pinckney, this FAQ is on the WWW at
http://www.openix.com/~dougp/racerfaq.html. Dash did the initial html
conversion, and Doug provided the home.

This FAQ is very USA-centric, (even Northeastern US-centric) because that's
what I know. Please send me other stuff so I can add it.

You may wonder why I think I'm an authority on this subject. Well, I've got
a racing license, which is more than you! :->

Seriously, I'm no authority at all, but I have spent the last 18 months or
so going through the process of getting started. I got a tremendous amount
of help from people, both on-line and off, and I thought maybe I could do
something to help pay back my karmic debt.

Thanks to everyone on the race list (race-l@teleport.com, "subscribe race-l"
to Majordomo@teleport.com). I stole a lot of this from your postings. You
are the best resource a newbie racer ever had. Thanks in particular to Hardy
Kornfeld, Billy Brownsberger, Paul George, Laura Hardy, Ed McFarland, Kevin
Binsfield, Jon Fleming, Phil Calvin and the illustrious Gunn family.

Thanks also to Derek Noonburg, Ian Jackson and Steve Summit. I owe a lot of
the meta-info (formatting, disclaimers, etc) to their PowerPC, Linux, and C
FAQs.

                                    Index

  1. Introduction

          1.1 What is Motorcycle Roadracing?
          1.2 What do I Need To Go Racing?
          1.2.1 Where Do I Get Leathers and Such?
          1.3 How Much Money Am I Going to Spend?
          1.4 Am I Going To Wind Up Maimed or Dead?
          1.5 What's a Typical Race Day Like?
          1.6 I'm Still Not Sure I Want to Do This, How Can I Find Out?
          1.7 What About Medical Insurance?

  2. Motorcycles & Race Classes

          2.1 What Bike Should I Use to Go Racing?
          2.2 How Do I Find This Race-Ready Bike?
          2.3 What Class Should I Race in?
          2.4 What's This "YSR" Stuff I Hear About?
          2.5 What's This "Mini-Moto" Stuff I Hear About?
          2.6 What is "Race-prepping"?
          2.7 Do You Insure Race Bikes?

  3. Racing Organizations

          3.1 What's a Racing Organization?
          3.2 What are the US Organizations by Geographical Area?

  4. Racing Schools

          4.1 What's a Racing School?
          4.2 Racing Schools: When, Where, How Much?

  5. Tracks

          5.1 What Tracks are Local to Me & What are They Like?

  6. Other Sources

          6.1 Where Do I Go To Get Other Info?

  7. Miscellaneous Stuff

          7.1 Do you know any Blues Songs about Racing Motorcycles?
          7.2 Why do Road Racers Stick Out Their Inside Knee?

1. Introduction

1.1 What is Motorcycle Roadracing?

     Motorcycle Roadracing is the best time you can have with your leathers
     on. Motorcycle Roadracing is better than drugs, sex, and money. This is
     good, since you need to give up all three to do it. Motorcycle
     Roadracing will rip off the back of your head and glue it on backwards.
     Motorcycle Roadracing is indescribable. In short, get thee to a track.

     On a more concrete level, Roadracing involves a group of people on
     bikes, racing around an asphalt track with many left and right turns,
     and elevation changes. The tracks are like those used in Formula 1 car
     racing, rather than like the ovals used in stock car racing--it's more
     like Watkins Glen than the Indy 500. The motorcycles used range from
     lightly modified street bikes to special purpose million dollar
     factory-built race bikes.

     Roadracing is done on many levels, from local clubs to World
     Championships.

1.2 What do I Need To Go Racing?

     Less than you think. You need a race-prepared motorcycle (see 2.1) and
     protective gear (race leathers, helmet, gloves, and boots). You need a
     racing license (see 3.1 and 3.2). You need a way to get the bike to the
     track (pickup, trailer, or van).

     The gear is vital. New race leathers are somewhere around $1000, and
     worth every penny. They've got serious weight leather, foam padding,
     and hard plastic body armour. Racing gloves cost up to $100, and boots
     cost up to $300. Helmets are the same as street helmets; $150-$500,
     depending on paint scheme :->

     Don't try to cheap out on any of this stuff. Used is okay (except for
     helmets, of course), but if you buy crummy leathers, you'll pay for the
     difference in ambulance fees and pain.

     As far as getting the race-bike to the track, the cheapest thing to do
     is borrow a pickup from your uncle. Failing that, you can get a
     hitch-and-trailer for your Big American Car or Yuppie Sport Utility
     Vehicle for between $500 and $1000, depending on quality, new or used,
     weight rating, etc.

     Personally, I think a van is the best solution, because it keeps the
     bike out of rain, is easier to drive than a car & trailer, holds a lot
     of tools and spares, and you can sleep in it. Still, I initially bought
     a hitch-and-trailer, 'cause it was cheaper. I've just upgraded to a
     van.

     Don't ride your bike to the track, because then when you wad it up in
     turn 6, you won't be able to get it home.

1.2.1 Where Do I Get Leathers and Such?

     Some leather companies commonly used by racers:

        o Vanson Leathers, 617-344-5444, 213 Turnpike St Stoughton, MA. I
          bought my leathers here--they're great people to deal with and the
          leathers are primo.

        o Syed Leathers, 11349 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL. (800)
          486-6635, (407) 857-SYED, fax (407) 857-9233.

        o Z Custom Leathers, Huntington Beach, CA (714) 890-5721

        o Dinar Leathers, Lebanon, NJ (908) 236-0512, fax (908) 236-0513

        o Dainese. No direct contact info (they're Italian), but you can get
          them at lots of shops. You might try MOTORACE, P.O. Box 861,
          Wilbraham, MA 01095. Tel: 800-628-4040, Fax: 413-731-8999, E.Mail:
          MOTORACE1@aol.com

        o AGV. Frederick, MD 21701, 800-950-9006. They have a sponsorship
          program for anyone with a license, and inexpensive leathers. Cool
          boots and gloves, too. And the Max Biaggi Replica Helmet...Yum.
          Max is cool.

        o Alpinstars. Boots of Champions.

        o Held. Gloves of Asphalt Resistance.

1.3 How Much Money Am I Going to Spend?

     You can do the first year for less than $6000, including buying a used
     bike and protective gear. After that, it should be cheaper, until you
     need a new bike, or start messing with your engine. If you buy a bike
     in need of a lot of repair, you may wind up spending more than that.

     I've found a weekend at the races typically runs less than $300,
     including gas, oil, entrance fees, food, etc. You can do it cheaper,
     you can do it more expensive. If you have a big bike, you'll need to
     replace tires a lot (maybe every weekend), but on little ones, you can
     get a number weekends out of them.

1.4 Am I Going To Wind Up Maimed or Dead?

     Well, all the championship level racers are maimed to a certain extent.
     Doug Polen has no toes on one foot, Mick Doohan's right ankle doesn't
     bend, and Wayne Rainey is paralysed from the waist down. On the other
     hand, I've met a lot of expert club racers who seem pretty much okay.

     You are going to crash, and you are going to break bones. Your
     collarbones are goners. Fingers, handbones, wristbones, footbones, and
     anklebones are also likely to get broken.

     However, serious injury and death are not very common. Most crashes
     involve sliding to a stop, getting up, and running to hit your kill
     switch. Racers like to claim the track is safer than the street,
     because there are no Volvos to turn left in front of you. And when you
     do crash, there's an ambulance a few minutes away, with the engine
     running.

     But there's just no getting around the fact that this is a dangerous
     sport. If that bothers you a lot, maybe you should take the advice of a
     friend of mine, who suggested I try chess instead. :-> Remember: "It
     ain't a sport if it can't kill you."

1.5 What's a Typical Race Day Like?

     At six am, you're awakened by the guy in the pit to your left, working
     on the jetting of his 2 stroke (WWIINNNNNGG). You didn't get to sleep
     until 1am, because Otis The Wonder Dog (staying in the pit to your
     right) was barking at the TV they were running off their Honda
     generator. You try to wake up your pit crew, stumble to registration
     and give away money, eat a bagel as you push your bike through
     technical inspection, and then miss your first practice because you
     forgot to safety wire your oil drain bolt after you changed the oil at
     3am on Thursday night.

     Finally, you get out in practice, immediately find the limit of
     traction, spend two hours and $100 at the on-track vendors getting your
     handlebars fixed, and then blow the start of your Supersport race. But
     it's all worthwhile when you stuff that guy on the new ZX-6R who's fast
     down the straights but can't keep in front of you in the carousel.

     That's a little embelished, (could you tell?) but it covers a lot of
     what goes on. Many racers camp at the track (cheaper than motels, less
     packing and unpacking, less distance to travel in the morning). Race
     days start early, with a line for the showers forming by 7.

     Whenever you go racing, you should always bring along somebody (your
     "crew") to help out. His main job is driving the truck home if you
     break your ankle, but he can also take lap times and help fix broken
     stuff.

     You have to register for each race, and there's a fee for each (NE CCS
     is $50 a race, for instance). Before you can get on the track (and
     after crashes) you have to go through technical inspection. There are
     generally several practices each day, divided up by speed, experience,
     and/or class of bike.

     If you crash, you and your crew haul the bike bike to the pit, fix it
     (there are usually vendors at the track, eager to sell brake levers and
     to mount tires), go through tech. again, and get back out.

     And the best feeling in the world is watching someone pull away on the
     straight, and then reeling him back in in the twisty stuff.

1.6 I'm Still Not Sure I Want to Do This, How Can I Find Out?

     One way to try to decide whether or not roadracing is for you is to try
     out one of the many track classes, like Reg Pridmore's CLASS,
     TrackRiders, Keith Code's Superbike School, the Team Suzuki Endurance
     Riding School, or the MARRC Penguin, or Ed Bargy/WERA Roadracing
     School. Each of these organizations offer track time at minimal expense
     (you can use your street bike, or sometimes rent a race bike) and teach
     riding techniques valid for all speeds and all types of riding. See 4.1
     for more info on these.

     There are a number of on-line racers who blame their current obsessions
     on attending CLASS.

     Another excellent idea is to go to the races a couple of times and hang
     out in the pits. If you can find a racer who might need crew, volunteer
     to go along and help (I'm always available for this duty). This is the
     best way to learn the routine. This sounds self evident, but there are
     many people who want to start racing without having ever been into the
     pits; they've just seen it on TV or from the grandstand.

     Lastly, you should volunteer to be a corner-worker at your local track.
     Corner Workers are the rodeo clowns of Road Racing. They hang out near
     the crash points on corners, and when someone goes down, they run out
     to get the racer and his bike out of harm's way, and out of the way of
     the rest of the race. They're also in charge of the signalling flags
     that get waved when something goes wrong, and on getting the oil off
     the track. Without them, we'd all be sitting home wishing we could go
     racing.

     If you go to the track and say "I'd like to corner work" they'll be
     delighted to have you, trust me. You get to see the racing up close
     (only the racers get better seats), meet racers, learn the track and
     rules, etc. At Loudon and Bridgehampton, you even get paid for working,
     and some free meals.

     Cornerworking is also a good suggestion for people who are concerned
     about the possibility of injury. There is nothing like spending a day
     watching people get back on their bikes after crashing.

1.7 What About Medical Insurance?

     Some medical polices cover you for track injuries, and some don't. Call
     your insurance company and find out. If you're not covered, you'll need
     to get a special policy. The American Motorcycle Association (AMA) has
     a policy called ARMOR that covers you in AMA sanctioned events. (Call
     the AMA to see if your series is sanctioned.)

     Don't race without medical insurance. If you think an aftermarket shock
     is expensive, wait till you price those external fixators for broken
     bones. Seriously, a big racing injury can easily bankrupt you.

INDEX

2. Motorcycles & Race Classes

2.1 What Bike Should I Use to Go Racing?

     The conventional wisdom is that you should start on small bikes, and
     learn to ride before you get enough horsepower to really hurt yourself.
     In the US, the most popular starter racing bikes are the Kawasaki
     EX-500, the Yamaha FZR 400, the Honda Hawk GT-650, and Your Current
     Street Bike.

        o Kawasaki EX-500

          Made from 1987-1995, this is a 500cc parallel twin with a cradle
          frame. You can find race prepped specimens for under $2000. It's
          not the best handling of these bikes, but it's cheap and probably
          fine for starters. As a little twin, it's legal for lots of
          classes. There's a mailing list filled with racers: send
          "subscribe ex500 your-address" to Majordomo@msri.org

        o Yamaha FZR 400

          Made from 1988-1990, this is a 400cc inline four, with an aluminum
          "Deltabox" twin-spar frame. The 1990 model had twin front brake
          calipers and a Deltabox swingarm. Race ready versions are usually
          close to $3000. This is probably the best of the three, but it
          also costs the most. I bought this one, because I didn't want to
          worry about whether the problem was me or the bike; with the FZR,
          I know it's me. There's a mailing list for this bike also: send
          "subscribe fzr-400 your-address" in the body of a message to
          majordomo@openix.com

        o Honda Hawk GT 650

          Made from 1988-1990, this is a 650cc V-twin, with a twin-spar
          frame. Race ready versions are around $2500. The engine is a
          little weak in stock form, but can really breath fire when worked
          on. As a little twin, it's legal for lots of classes.

        o Your Current Street Bike

          This bike has one obvious advantage: it's nearly free (you do have
          to spend some money race prepping it). A lot of people start on
          their 600 Sportbikes; in my region, the Amateur 600cc grids are
          completely packed. The disadvantage of this bike is that when you
          wreck it, you've got no street bike. An even worse problem would
          be wrecking it on the street and having no race bike! In addition,
          it's a royal pain to rip all the street stuff (lights, signals,
          etc) off every weekend, and when your suspension is set up
          correctly for the track, it's unrideable on the street. A final
          warning: some organizations don't let novices on anything bigger
          than a 750.

     A good way to pick a bike is to go to your local track, hang out in the
     pits talk to people your own age who are smiling, find out what they
     are riding and why. Look at how many bikes are in each class, an how
     the racing is going. Some classes are just for nut cases (I would never
     say that about any particular class, like, oh, say, the Amateur 600's).
     Other classes have an air or respect for their fellow riders.

     Some people start in vintage racing; it's not just for retired
     roadracers. A good starter bike is a CB350 Honda. They are cheap, and
     in the USCRA there are two classes for them, one for stock motors and
     one for modifed motors. The USCRA also has a class for the RD 350
     Yamaha.

     One of the main advantages of vintage roadracing is that it is a fixed
     target. Once you sort out a machine you can race it year after year;
     there are no new Vintage bikes coming out. Most clubs rules are very
     stable and do not allow new technology to creep into the classes.

     No matter what bike you race, it's simplier if you get a bike already
     racing in the class you're after. And stay as close to stock as you
     can; you need to spend the first season learning to race, not working
     on your porting.

2.2 How Do I Find This Race-Ready Bike?

     The best ways are

       1. hang around the pits at your local racetrack (see 4.1) and look
          for "For Sale" signs,

       2. check the classifieds in Cycle News, Roadracing World, or American
          Roadracing (see 6.1),

       3. check around the newsgroup and mailing list (see 6.1)

2.3 What Class Should I Race In?

     Most organizations have different racing classes divided up by engine
     displacement, 2-stroke vs 4-stroke, number of cylinders, and how much
     magic has been performed on the bike. Take CCS, for instance (see 3.2).
     It has a couple of "Lightweight" classes for production-based street
     bikes. These classes allow 4 stroke bikes with 4 cylinders up to 400cc
     or 4 stroke twins up to 650cc. "Lightweight Supersport" is for mildly
     altered bikes (new pipes, jetting and suspensions) and "Lightweight
     Superbike" is for bikes with titanium con-rods and such. (The details
     of what's legal and what's not are more complicated, but that's the
     general idea.) The grids for these classes are filled with the three
     bikes mentioned in 2.1

     You're usually allowed to "race up a class," which means you can ride a
     600cc bike in the 750cc class. On some tight, twisty tracks, you might
     not even be at much of a disadvantage. At the AMA national at Loudon,
     for instance, there's usually a 600 in the top ten of the 750
     Supersport races. And in the beginner classes, slow bikes with fast
     riders beat fast bikes with slow riders all the time.

     It's a good idea to start in relatively slow, lightweight classes. If
     you take your CBR900RR to the track to learn on, odds are you're going
     to get lapped an awful lot, fall down all the time, and might even be a
     danger to the more experienced racers. In fact, some organizations
     don't let novices on anything bigger than a 750. My race school
     instructor explained: "It was just getting too bloody."

2.4 What's this "YSR" stuff I Hear About?

     Another Bike/Class option is to race YSRs. The Yamaha YSR is a 50cc or
     80cc two stroke that looks like a sport bike. They are raced in parking
     lots, on go cart tracks, and on regular race tracks.

     YSR racing isn't as high speed as full size racing, but it is a
     fantastic alternative for people who can't ante up the entrance fee for
     big-time racing, or are not prepared (due to family, etc) to risk life
     and limb for the pursuit of adrenaline.

     YSR's also provide a semi-safe place to hone up racing skills (most of
     them are directly transferrable) before stepping up to lightweights.
     Crashes are not usually serious, so racers can get used to falling off.

     Mini-racing, as it's also called, is most popular in So Cal, but there
     are contingents around North America. In Texas, for example, check with
     The Texas Mini-GP Series (TMGPS), run by Dennie Spears (409-776-8898)
     and Scott Shaeffer (whose name I can't spell). They race monthly in
     Houston and Dallas, and have a wide range of classes from stock to
     superbike.

     Also, in Texas, try the CMRA (800) 423-8736. In Toronto, contact the
     Nifty-50 racing club (905) 830-1021. In California, try the CMRRA at
     909-674-5357. British Columbia is home to the Pacific Coast YSR Club,
     whose number I don't have.

2.5 What's This "Mini-Moto" Stuff I Hear About?

     Mini-Motos are little miniature motorcycles--like 8 inches high, 3 feet
     long, and 50lbs. They've got little 2-stroke engines, no suspension,
     tires that feel like real race tires, and cost $1500. People race them
     in parking lots and sometimes on go-kart tracks. Supposedly, they'll do
     60mph, given a long enough run. It's something to see.

2.6 What is "Race-Prepping"?

     "Race-prepping" is getting your bike ready to race. If you've bought a
     bike that's already been racing, race-prepping is all the grunt work
     you don't have to do. It means stripping off all the street stuff
     (lights, signals, kickstands, etc), replacing the radiator coolent with
     water, safety-wiring anything you wouldn't want to come loose at speed,
     putting on number plates, adding a steering damper, etc.

     "Safety-wiring" is drilling little holes through the heads of bolts
     that hold on important stuff, running wire through those holes, and
     attaching the wire to some fixed point, or to another bolt. This makes
     it impossible for the bolt to turn, no matter how much it vibrates and
     bounces. Obvious targets for safety wiring are oil drain plugs, fork
     oil drains, the remote shock reservoir (mine fell off once) and brake
     caliper bolts.

     It is really helpful to have someone show you how and what to safety
     wire; the race rulebooks are not very clear or complete. When you go to
     the track to hang around before becoming a racer, you can check this
     out, perhaps asking someone for hints and help. Most racers are very
     helpful about this kind of thing, and love to talk about their bikes.
     (Just don't catch them 10 minutes before their next race.)

     Every organization has its own specific rules about race-prepping.
     You'll find them in the rulebooks (see 6.1 and 3.2).

2.7 Do You Insure Race Bikes?

     No.

     That's a little extreme, but not much. Some people do get special theft
     insurance if the bike is really valuable (like a 916 or RC45). There's
     no such thing as liabilty insurance on the racetrack. If somebody hits
     you, you might be able to yell at him, but he's not paying to fix your
     bike. And for God's sake, don't get a lawyer and sue him--that will be
     the end of amateur racing. There's no such thing a collision either. If
     you slide your bike into the wall, you buy the new front end yourself.

INDEX

3. Racing Organizations

3.1 What's a Racing Organization?

     A Racing Organization is a group that sanctions races. They set up the
     weekends, officiate, keep the records, and take your money. They also
     issue racing licenses.

     In the US, The Western Eastern Roadracing Association (WERA) and the
     Championship Cup Series (CCS) are nation-wide organizations, with
     regional series spread across the country. No matter where you live,
     you can race under one of these two. If you do really well in your
     region, you can go to the Grand National Final (WERA, Road Atlanta) or
     the Race of Champions (CCS, Daytona) at the end of the season.

     Another national organization is American Historic Racing Motorcycle
     Association (AHRMA), which runs vintage racing and "alternative types
     of modern roadracing that otherwise would not receive the exposure they
     deserve. These include Sound of Singles (SOS), Battle of Twins (BOT),
     and the British-European-American Racing Series (BEARS)." These are
     very cool races to watch, because they've got bikes you don't see
     anywhere else, like Brittens and Saxon-framed three cylinder modern
     Triumphs.

     In addition, there are a lot of local organizations, some of which are
     associated with WERA and/or CSS, and some of which are independent.

3.2 What are the US Organizations by Geographical Area?

     USA (Nationwide):

          Western Eastern Roadracing Association (WERA), 3446 Bells Ferry
          Rd., PO Box 440549, Kennesaw, GA 30144. Phone: 770-924-8404, Fax:
          770-924-1277. (This is the new address; they just moved). See The
          Ludwig Motorsports page (http://fly.hiwaay.net/~pjludwig/) for the
          1996 Rules and the 1996 schedule.

          Championship Cup Series (CCS), 704-684-4297. See The Ludwig
          Motorsports page (http://fly.hiwaay.net/~pjludwig) for the 1996
          schedule.

          American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA), PO Box
          882, Wausau, WI 54402-08822, 715-842-9699, fax: 715-842-9545. See
          http://www.cp.duluth.mn.us/ahrma/ for membership information and
          schedules.

     Canada (Nationwide):

          Association Sportive Motocycliste (ASM), 322 Raymond Casgrain,
          Laval, QC, H7N 5N8. Phone: (514) 663-2431, fax: (514)663-5816.

     Northeast US:

          CCS Northest Region. Loudon RoadRacing Series (LRRS) and GP/Pro is
          the local organization that runs the the CCS NE series. They also
          have their own classes. Races take place at New Hampshire
          International Speedway, Loudon, NH and Bridgehampton Race Circuit,
          Long Island, NY. PO Box 73, West Hurley, NY 12491-0073.
          914-679-5547.

          US Classic Racing Association (USCRA). Vintage racing at Loudon
          (NHIS), Atlantic Motorsport Park, Nova Scotia, Canada, Mosport
          Park, Canada and Summit Point Raceway in West Virginia. Rules: c/o
          Robert Coy, 441 Athol Road, Richmond, NH 03470. phone
          603-239-6778, fax 603-239-7343. Membership: c/o Charlie Seymour,
          PO BOX 473, Sanbornville, NH 03872. 603-522-3104. $15 a year and
          you must be a AMA member Newsletter: Richard Peterson Jr., 1251
          Middle Road, East Greenwich, RI 02818. mtpracin@aol.com.

     Eastern Canada:

          Association Sportive Motocycliste (ASM), Ontario: 905-522-5705?
          Quebec: (514) 582-4051? Toronto: 416-635-9763?

          Canadian Motorcycle Association, 902-835-3300.

          RACE Super Series, 613-966-4882

          US Classic Racing Association (USCRA). See Northeast US.

          AM Canadian Racing Association (AMCRA). Based at Atlantic
          Motorsport Park (AMP), Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia.

     Mid-Atlantic US:

          CCS MidAtlantic Region

          WERA Mid-Atlantic Region

          Mid-Atlantic Road Racing Club (MARRC), 703 435-1223. Provides
          safety crew for WERA and CCS regional races, and runs a school and
          open practice days at Summit Point, WV.

     Southeast US:

          CCS Southeast Region

          CCS Florida Region (Talladega,)

          Southeastern Sportbike Association (SSA). runs a school and open
          practice days at Road Atlanta, GA.

     Northern US:

          WERA NorthCentral Region

          CCS Great Lakes Region

          Central Roadracing Association (CRA), 612-3324.
          http://www1.minn.net:80/~cra/

     Mid West US:

          WERA MidCentral Region.

          Central Motorcycle Racing Association (CMRA): local organization
          that's the WERA affiliate. (800) 423-8736.

          CCS Mid West Region.

          CCS Great Plains Region.

          Midwest Cafe Racing Association 314-771-2531

     Mid West Canada:

          Manitoba Roadracing Association, 204-775-9473

          Calgary Motorcycle Roadracing Association, 403-280-3144

     Western US:

          CCS Great Plains Region

          WERA MidCentral Region

          Motorcycle Roadracing Association (MRA), PO Box 40187, Denver,
          Colorado 80204. 303-530-5678. http://128.138.166.160/Wardell/mra/.
          Races at Second Creek Raceway, Pueblo Motorsports Park, Moutain
          View Motorsports Park, & Stapleton Motorsports Park.

          American Federation of Motorcyclists (AFM), 510-796-7005.
          http://www.afmracing.org/ PO Box 5018-333 Newark, CA 94560.

          Willow Springs Motorcycle Club (WSMC), PO Box 94323, Rosamond
          California, 93560. 805-256-1234, racewillow@aol.com.
          http://motorcycle.com/ericm/mobbs/racewsmc.html.

          California Motorcycle Road Race Association (CMRRA). 909-674-5357.
          15023 Valencia Street, Lake Elsinore, CA 92530. Races at Lake
          Perris Raceway & Willow Springs.

     North West US:

          Oregon Motorcycle Road Racing Association (OMRRA), PO Box 6388
          Portland, Oregon, 97228, 503-221-1487.

          Washington Motorcycle Road Racing Association, (WMRRA)
          206-972-4499.

          Northwest 883 Twins, 604-585-HAWG.

     South West US:

          CCS South West Region

          WERA SouthCentral Region

INDEX

4. Racing Schools

4.1 What's a Racing School?

     What, you think Kevin Schwantz was born that way? He had to learn
     somewhere. A beginner race school will teach you the basic stuff about
     how to survive on the track, what the various flags mean, what a
     cornerworker does, and so on. You usually need to take a school in
     order to get a racing license from one of the race organizations.

     Later on, you can take advanced race schools, in order to trim some
     seconds off your lap times.

4.2 Racing Schools: When, Where, How Much?

     See The Ludwig Motorsports page (http://fly.hiwaay.net/~pjludwig) for a
     list of 1996 dates.

Penguin Roadracing School
     PO Box 852, Searsport, ME 04974. 207-548-2100, Fax: 207-548-2888. Held
     at Loudon, New Hampshire and Bridgehampton, Long Island, on the Friday
     before every NE CCS race weekend. $150 tuition. You can rent an EX500
     ($225) and leathers ($40). Qualifies you for a CCS license (for $75)
     and racing the same weekend.

MARRC Roadracing School
     c/o Stephen Harris, 112 Woodland Dr, Gaithersburg, MD 20877, (301)
     990-6408 (before 9pm). Taught at Summit Point Raceway in West Virginia,
     on CCS race weekends. $140, with a $20 discount for pre-entry.
     Qualifies you for a CCS license (for another $50) and racing the same
     weekend.

Team Suzuki Endurance Advanced Riders School
     Travels the country. Instruction from former GP rider David Aldana and
     current members of the national endurance championship team. Can be
     taken on a street bike (and most people do), but qualifies you for CSS
     and WERA licenses.

Frank Kinsey
     (407-267-4787) teaches the rider's school at Moroso Motorsports Park in
     West Palm Beach, Florida. He also provides advanced instruction at
     Roebling Road on the Friday preceding every CCS event (cost $125) and
     organizes all-day beginning to advanced classes on other days ($200).
     He will also provide individual or small group rider's school classroom
     sessions on request.

Ed Bargy's Real Race School
     803-757-3641. at various tracks in the Southeast. $165. Lots of track
     time and high quality instruction from Ed. Qualifies you for WERA and
     CCS licenses and you get a $50 gift certificate for Michelins.

The Southeast Sportbike Associations's School
     The SSA rents tracks in the southeast for racers and street riders to
     get on the track. track time is $75-$125 for the day, and the class is
     an additional $25. Qualifies you for a WERA and CCS license.
     Concentrates on the flagging and starting procedures and isn't a
     go-fast type class.

Keith Code's California Superbike School
     818-246-0717, 800-530-3350, FAX: 818-246-3307 PO Box 9294, Glendale CA,
     91226 or 255 Harlow Drive, Glendale CA, 91206. Qualifies you for a CCS
     license.

Fasttrack Riders
     805-256-7320. Willow Springs, Rosamond, CA.

WERA New RAcer Rider's School
     770-924-8404. Summit Point, WV. Qualifies you for a WERA license.

INDEX

5. Tracks

5.1 What Tracks are Local to Me & What are They Like?

There're a number of good Web pages on tracks

* World Tracks: http://www.bath.ac.uk/~py3dlg/tracks.html/
* NA Tracks: http://www.emi.com/~rwelty/tracks/
* NA Tracks (old): http://www.balltown.cma.com/tracks/
* USA Tracks: http://www.bath.ac.uk/~py3dlg/usa.htm
* Road America: http://www.dataplusnet.com/ra.html
* Loudon: http://www.iconode.ca/efarber/startlne.html
* Laguna Seca: http://www.laguna-seca.com/
* British Tracks: http://www.bmrc.co.uk/index.html

In fact, these sites are so good that I'm probably gonna drop this track
section in the near future. Until then, here're some real short blurbs on
tracks.

     New Hamshire International Speedway, Loudon, New Hampshire.
     603-783-4931 Commonly called "Loudon." 1.6 miles, 12 turns,
     crisscrosses a NASCAR oval. Site of National AMA Superbike race during
     Laconia Bike Week. Track record 1'13'xx'' by Freddie Spencer in June
     1995. Nice bathrooms, showers, and garages. camping allowed, pets
     allowed. http://www.iconode.ca/efarber/startlne.html.

     Bridgehampton Race Circuit, Bridgehampton, Long Island, New York,
     nearly to the eastern end of Long Island, in the swanky "Hamptons."
     516-725-0888. 3100' front straight leading to blind, downhill right
     (must be experienced to be understood). Bathrooms and showers, camping
     allowed, pets allowed. All dirt pits.

     Nelson Ledges, Garretsville, OH, near the OH/PA border, east of
     Cleveland. 216-548-8551.

     Summit Point Raceway, Summit Point, West Virginia, ~90 minutes west of
     Baltimore. (304) 725-8444
     Atlantic Motorsport Park (AMP), Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia, Canada. 8
     hour ferry ride from Portland ME + 3 hrs on the road. 1.6 mile, 11
     turns, elevation changes, blind entries and exits. Steve Crevier has
     the lap record.

     Mosport Park, 60 miles east of Toronto, Canada. 905-513-0550.
     http://www.inforamp.net:80/~mosport/pro/

     Blackhawk Farms, Beloit, WI ~1-1.5 hours NW of Chicago. 1.9 miles.

     Willow Springs. 85 miles north of Los Angeles. Run by Willow Springs
     Motorcycle Club (call Kenny Kopecky @ 805-256-1234,
     racewillow@aol.com). 2.5 miles.

     Stapleton Motorsports Park, the old Stapleton Airport Runways, Denver,
     Colorado. 3.1 mi, 10 turns, track record 1:58:05

     Second Creek Raceway, 88th Ave & Buckley Road, Denver, Colorado. 1.75
     mi, 11 turns, lap record: 1:09:98.

     Pueblo Motorsports Park, Pueblo Blvd, Pueblo, Colorado. 2.25 mi, 12
     turns, track record: 1:35:29

     Steamboat Springs, Street Course in Southern part of the city of
     Steamboat, Colorado. 1.7 miles, 10 turns, track record: 1:22:48.

     Moutain View Motorsports Park, 30 miles north of Denver, Colorado, exit
     245 off I25. 1.7 mi, 9 turns, track record 1:02.14.

     Grattan Raceway: Located in Grattan, Michigan, about 20 minutes east of
     Grand Rapids. Hosts WERA and CCS races.

     Putnam Park Road Course: Located in Mt. Meridian, Indiana, about 40
     minutes west of Indianapolis. WERA and CCS races.

     Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI. One of the best tracks in the US.

     Indianapolis Raceway Park: You guessed it, Indianapolis, Indiana, in
     the suburb Clermont (right by the Speedway). WERA and CCS.

     Texas World Speedway: Located in College Station, Texas. WERA races for
     sure, CMRA races, and maybe CCS races (not sure).

     Memphis Motorsports Park: Located in Millington, Tennesee, somewhere
     around Memphis. WERA National.

     Oak Hill Raceway, Henderson, Texas, WERA regionals

     N.C. Motor Speedway, Rockingham, NC, WERA regionals

     Hallett Motor Racing Circuit, Hallett, OK. 1.8 mile, 10 turns. WERA
     regionals. http://www.tulsaweb.com/hallett.

     Gateway Intl Raceway, Fairmont City (St. Louis), Il, WERA regionals

     Las Vegas Speedway Park, Las Vegas, NV, WERA regionals

     Laguna Seca, Monterey, California. Site of US Round of World Superbike
     and Grand Prix. One of the best tracks in the US.
     http://www.laguna-seca.com/

     Sears Point, The SF Bay Area, California.

     Moroso Motorsports Park, West Palm Beach, FL. About 10 miles NW of West
     Palm Beach on 710 (Beeline Hwy). 2.25 miles with 10 turns, flat, fairly
     long back straight running along dragstrip. Races run by Henry DeGouw
     (407)793-3394. Several grades of race gas available, pretty good
     concession stands, permanent bathrooms with showers (but stinking
     sulfur water), camping permitted outside the pits, no dogs.

     Roebling Road, Faulkville, GA (west of Savannah, just off US80). 2.1
     mi., 9 turns, one slight elevation change, >1/2 mile long front
     straight, excellent traction, bumpy now but scheduled for repaving this
     winter. 100, 108 and 114 octane race gas available, good concession
     stand, nice bathrooms and showers, camping allowed, pets allowed.

     Road Atlanta, Braselton, GA (about 30 miles NE of Atlanta off I-85).
     AMA Nationals, WERA nationals (including the season finale GNF), and
     WERA regionals. One of the best US tracks. 2.5 miles over rolling
     hills, very high speed back straight into the unique dip known as
     Gravity Cavity. Lots of paved pit area, concession and gift stands,
     several grades of race gas, really nice bathrooms and showers, camping
     allowed, pets allowed. Quiet time imposed by local ordinance from
     10:00-12:30 Sunday.

     Talladega Gran Prix Raceway, Talladega, AL. 1.3 miles, flat. WERA
     regionals and national. Fair concession stand, permanent bathrooms w/
     showers - okay once you sweep out the spiders and other critters,
     camping allowed, all grass pits with gravel driveway (hard to do bump
     starts).

     Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL. 3.6 miles
     incorporating the tricky infield section with the high speed banking
     and back straight. Paved pit area, some open garages, some enclosed
     garages (fees charged during Bike Week, free first come/first served
     during Race of Champions). No camping, no pets, decent bathrooms,
     fair-good concession stands, heavy security.

     Portland International Raceway (PIT), Portland Oregon. WERA Pro Races.

     Hawaii Raceway Park, West side of Oahu, about 40 minutes out of
     Honolulu. 1 1/3 miles long, run in a counterclockwise direction, and is
     decent in it's safety value. Lap records in the low :55 (808) 833-RACE.

     Brands Hatch, SE England.

     Cadwell Park, England

     Donington Park, Central England

     Mallory Park, Central England

     Oulton Park, Central England

     Knockhill, Southern Scotland

     Pembrey, Wales

     Silverstone, Southern England

     Snetterton, England

     Thruxton, Southern England

INDEX

6. Other Sources

6.1 Where Do I Go To Get Other Info?

There are several nationwide US periodicals that cover Roadracing
extensively:

     Roadracing World and Motorcycle Technology
     PO Box 1428
     Lake Elsinore, CA 92531
     published monthly, $18/year
     URL: http://www.imat.com/rrwmt/index.html

     American Roadracing
     PO Box 3320
     7439 Elbow Bend, Suite C
     Carefree, AZ 85377-3320
     published 10 months a year, $20/year
     URL: http://www.motosport.com/

     National Privateer
     P.O. Box 3465
     West Palm Beach, FL 33402-3465
     (407)689-9267
     published monthly, $24/13 months for your subscription,
     $12/year for second subscription (parents, etc),
     $35/year for Canada or Mexico

     Cycle News
     PO Box 498
     Long Beach, CA 90801-0498
     published weekly, $38/year
     URL: http://www.cyclenews.com/

     Dialed In! - The Magazine For Roadracers Only
     Havelin Communications, Inc.
     PO Box 76595
     Atlanta, GA 30358
     $10 for 9 issues published Feb thru Oct

On-line, there are a number of places:

     Ludwig Motorsports: Privateer Roadracing. Patrick Ludwig is a frequent
     contributor to the race list (see below). His home page has
     lots'o'stuff (WERA rules, school and race schedules, etc).

     rec.motorcycles.racing, our beloved newsgroup.

     Race Email list. Send "subscribe race-l" to Majordomo@teleport.com.
     This is generally a very high signal-to-noise ratio list, and it has a
     number of regional and national champions on it.

     Motorcycle Online. http://www.motorcycle.com/motorcycle.html. This is a
     very cool on-line Bike magazine.

     Roadracing Today (http://www.bikenet.co.uk/rr-t/rr-t.html)

The official rules are in the race orginizations rulebooks; contact them for
copies (you can usually get a freebie).

INDEX

7. Miscellaneous Stuff

7.1 Do you know any Blues Songs about RoadRacing?

Funny you should ask; I just wrote one.

Superbike Blues

by Duke Robillard, the computer programmer, not the guitar player

     I crashed my bike at Loudon, lost the front in number three.
     I crashed my bike at Loudon, lost the front in number three.
     Now I'm heading down to Georgia,
     That ole bridge, it don't scare me.

     Daytona in the Springtime, Loudon late in June.
     I'm racing motorcycles, down the road to ruin.

     Oh....
     I crashed my bike at Loudon, lost the front in number three.
     I crashed my bike at Loudon, lost the front in number three.
     Now I'm heading down to Georgia,
     That ole bridge, it don't scare me.

Feel free to contribute a verse.

7.1 Why do Road Racers Stick Out Their Inside Knee?

(Thanks to Duncan Hardy (duncan@ducati.uk.sun.com) for the bulk of this
answer, and to Jobst Brandt (jbrandt@hpl.hp.com) for the effect lean has on
the tire performance.

  1. It helps to let the rider 'hang off' the bike. By sliding his ass off
     the inside of the seat, the rider's body weight is moved towards the
     inside of the corner. This means the bike needs less lean for a given
     speed and turn radius. As ground clearance is often the limiting factor
     in cornering (particularly at higher speed) this allows the rider to
     corner at higher speeds.

     There's some nerd info that describes turning geometry:

                             t= arctan [ v^2/(g*R) ]

     v is your velocity, R is the radius of your turn, g is the
     gravitational constant. t is the "lean angle." It's the angle between

       1. the horizontal, and
       2. a line from the contact patch of your tires through the center of
          gravity of the bike-rider system.

     Hanging off and sticking out your knee moves the CG of the system to
     the inside, while leaving the bike more upright, so you don't run out
     of ground clearance.

     Aside from running out of ground clearance, a second limiting effect is
     caused by excessive lean. At lean angles below 45 degrees from the
     horizontal, tires no longer purely roll and are rotating more about a
     vertical axis rather than a horizontal one. This makes them act more
     like a rotary brush of a street sweeper than a rolling wheel. With
     steep lean, the contact patch twists in place scrubbing away traction
     and power so that leaning farther reduces cornering ability and
     ultimately causes a washout in the turn. Incidentally, since cars do
     not lean, they do not exhibit this behaviour, and can corner with
     greater G-forces than motos.

  2. Some riders like to 'feel' the road so they know their lean angle. (You
     can't afford to look down). It doesn't hurt - they wear pucks on their
     knees to avoid damage. Only problem sometimes is the rumble strips on
     car circuits.

  3. Top riders can use their knee to change the balance of the bike, for
     example taking some of the weight off the rear wheel when they want to
     induce a bit more slip.

  4. Some will claim it also aids braking (because of air drag) going into a
     corner. I'm sceptical but every little bit helps I guess...
-- 
Duke Robillard, duke@iscp.bellcore.com
