The great thing about track days is that you are constantly meeting new people. New faces, personalities, backgrounds and behavior. Yes, there are some riders who consistently come back and that is not only a great compliment, it’s also comforting to watch them improve their riding skills right before your eyes. However, new riders means that the sport and passion for riding motorcycles in a track environment is growing and that is a very good thing, indeed.
The key difference with the track days at Eagles Canyon is that is resembles a “Members” day. Eagles Canyon Raceway is an exceptional race track with well thought out facilities. Management at Eagle’s Canyon is very involved with its members, but also very professional. In regards to riders, We set expectations with up front and make it very clear that we are about offering solid track time and offering one on one dialogue with an instructor when it is asked for.
Quality time in the saddle on the track, does make a difference. A lot of the riders who attend the track days at Eagle’s Canyon are new to Eagle’s Canyon, but not to track days. Many of the riders (notice I didn’t say “students”) have attended actual track day riding schools. They get a lot of class room instruction from these schools, which can be extremely valuable for many “students”. However, a lot of the “schools” are over crowded and the ratio for student to teacher is many times a determent. Not to mention, a lot of riders “attack” the track and crash, which alienates many of the riders, but they don’t want to publicly speak about it in front of the other students. Sound familiar?
The track days that we provide at Eagles Canyon are all about the actual “rider” and greatly resemble an actual “Members” track day. We position the riders into 3 classes: new, intermediate and expert. Experts know what they’re doing; they don’t need us to tell them how to ride so we let them get on the track immediately after we discuss the ground rules and track etiquette. For new and intermediate riders, we carefully cover the facts: track in detail, riders etiquette, corner workers, technical for the bike, tires, safety apparel and then ask them what do they expect from the day. It’s more of a conversation than a lecture and we bring the atmosphere down to a more relaxed level. We think the riders take more in and actually enter the track with more confidence since they know what to expect. That’s a big plus.
Another big plus is the fact that the owners of Eagle’s Canyon wanted to provide a “different” experience for the riders. Great thinking on their end because their strategy doesn’t conflict with any of the riding “Schools” that use their track. Also, another huge factor is that Michelin attends the track day and so does Komodo Gear along with Ottis Lance (former WSB rider). You have 3 key people who come from the industry and also raced for many years. To build upon that, all of them are also still deeply involved in the business side of motorcycling, so they have not only the racing background, but also the business background to listen to the riders.
Saddle time is such a huge factor in building confidence. It allows the rider to “invest” so that they can actually figure some things out and really get to know their bikes in a dedicated track environment. They have the unique opportunity to actually visit with Michelin, Ottis and Komodo Gear. Lastly, all of the control riders who participate are Expert CMRA racers and are there to assist and provide input when it is asked for by the rider. Again, every rider knows the rules before getting on the track and also realizes they are there to get time on the track as well as be in the company of truly experienced control riders. It’s about providing an environment that offers a hell of a lot of fun. You can learn so much about a person with a couple of hours of play time than you can sitting in a class room. You also get a chance to build relationships with quality people who share the same interest and passion that you do.
We hope you take the time to come to our track day and experience a day that greatly resembles a “Members” day at Eagles Canyon. It’s a fantastic experience and we welcome you to our next event!