Ducati Monster Forum

Seeing we have a thread to report and organize local track days I thought it would be nice to have a turn by turn guide to the local tracks as well.

Please post your experiences with the various tracks in a turn by turn fashion highlighting any thing you think is relevant and your recommended lines.

The first one for Willow Springs Big Track comes courtesy of Nostatic (originally posted on TOB).

(http://www.willowspringsraceway.com/trackinformation/TrackMap.jpg)

Detailed Map Links:
Willow Tracks (http://www.willowspringsraceway.com/trackinformation/maps.asp)

Big Track (http://www.willowspringsraceway.com/trackinformation/RoadCourseLg.htm)


my $0.02 on the track, but with the caveat that this is from a track *car* perspective. Still, a turn is a turn...

Make sure you get your braking done going into 3. The runoff there is not friendly. The temptation is to try and late brake since you're hamming full throttle (at least I was) out of 2. If you can't make 3 you go into a ditch.

I find 5 to be a very tough corner as it is downhill and off camber. I think it is actually best to brake a little earlier than you would expect and apex a little earlier. If you drift too far downhill before you turn you run out of space.

Be lined up when you crest the hill in 6. I've seen cars fly off into the desert when they get light at the crest and are at an angle.

8 is a brass balls turn. In a car you are flat (full throttle). The turn is actually banked though it doesn't appear that way when you're driving it.

9 is a classic decreasing radius, and this is where most of the offs occur at Big Willow. When you're in 8 and entering 9, there is a tower in the distance that you can use as a landmark to line yourself up. You better brake enough for 9 otherwise you'll be in the dirt. It takes a lifetime to master 9.

Here's me a year or two ago (http://nostatic.com/video/willowLap1.mov)

Honda VFR Lap (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x1OC9vn6jA)

let's see...

Streets of Willow.

in general: except for T3 and T11 (or 10, depending on how you count them) it's not a terribly wide track.  so for every corner: pick your exit and keep your eyes on it.  If you get scared of running off as you start to go faster, if you start looking out 'there', that's exactly where you're going.  Look only where you want to go!!

T1: if you really want to go fast around this track turn 1 is a place you can make up a lot of time.  the really fast kids keep it pinned all the way through it.  personally i still let off for a second but then gun it again almost right away.  It's really just a kink.  Sweep all the way out left into the end of the pit entry lane for a good angle on 1.  but you can go pretty fast through it from almost anywhere.

 - one of the things that'll help you get fast through 1 is realizing how much of a hill there is between 1 and 2.  you're going uphill quite a bit.. let the hill slow you down as you go barreling toward 2.

 - also, there's no reason to re-adjust your body position between 1 and 2.  unnecessary movement that's just going to unsettle the bike.  you can still downshift when you're hanging off the right side of the bike.

T2: your turn-in point is waaaay later than you think it is.  it'll almost feel like you've blown the turn; turn in up on top of it.  then focus on the apex for a second -- it's around the corner, btw -- and get back on the gas down the hill.  remember this is a decreasing radius turn but the exit is, sorta, wide.  turn in properly and you'll have no problem.  this was the first place i ever got a knee down.  it's a fun corner.  dump it and go.

T3: entering 3 don't be afraid to go a lot faster down the hill than you think is... reasonable.  3 is a gorgeous wide double-apex uphill lefthander.  and coming down the hill, then 3-4-5-6 is what was just repaved.  it's gorgeous and sticky.  you have a lot of lines through here so pick one and dump it in there.  don't be shy on the gas as you're getting around it.  i pass people on the outside of this corner all the time, i think mostly because it's downhill-uphill'ness freaks people out.. but the uphill catches you nicely.  pull up your knickers and go for it.

T4: a tight right-hander.  maybe the most challenging corner on the track, or was for me for a long time.  riders start to get brave on the exit of 3 and then get startled by how tight 4 is.  turn-in point is 3 feet to the right of the diamond created by the instructor exit path and the path of the track, so kinda high left.  just dump in there and keep your eyes on where you're going.

T5, T6: one of the other places to make up a lot of time on this track.  If you get through all of CSS some things you'll learn are Reference Points, 3-Step, Wide Vision, Attack Angle (and of course, Quick Turn).  All those things are fairly self-explanatory by name.. The left-right series of 5 and 6 is the perfect place to practice all of them.  You *must* keep moving your eyes and attention smoothly forward.  Do not get tunnel vision.  If you get behind exiting 4/setting up for 5, you'll be behind for the whole series.  But getting 'em right is sooooo fun.

T7: first, exiting 6 the track opens up and you can go faster.  In the most ideal line out of 6 there's a healthy bump in the track.  Relax and ignore it.  Ride right over it, seriously.

Pick up a gear as you start to swoop into 7 and get on the gas.  It's a bumpy but comfortable fast left-hander (well, as much as any corner on this track is fast).  Wheee..

T8: the bowl.  An increasing radius, semi-steeply banked right-hander.  I always downshift one gear (the one i just picked up in 7) just before tipping it in; doesn't need much braking after that.  enter about mid-track, pitch it in there and go for it.  get off the bike a lot here.  Steadily wind out the throttle and don't be shy.  Drag yer knee all the way around it.  However... (hi matt!) keep in mind that as it straightens out into the back straight, it also flattens out.  Practice 'Pick Up' as you exit (actually you should be doing this all the time.. but it really matters here): before you move your body up, push the bike away from you as the corner starts to end.  Then move your body up.  I'm about 25% down the back straight before i actually get back on the bike.

Keeps your eyes down track!!  The left side of the track can have a suction effect otherwise.  This is somewhere you're going to end up going really (relatively) fast.  I usually hit 125 on the back.  But as the corner ends and the track falls away from you (as in from banked to not banked) if you're too ham-fisted the back end is going to spin up.. just long enough to hook up again and high-side you.  Very common here.  Just be steady with the throttle, stand the bike up before you get on it, and you'll be fine.

T9 (?):  Barely a corner.  And if you do it right, not a corner at all.  If you're exiting 8 properly you're going to be all the way over to the left side of the track on the back straight.  About 75% of the way down move over to the right and go straight through the 'corner', about a foot from the right side of the pavement, across the candy stripes.

This is up a small hill.  Entry into 9 is blind so people slow down a lot more than they need to.  Practice staying on the gas later and later.  It's blind but it's nearly a straight line.  Trust it.

T10: Quick left-hander, not very challenging.  Not much to say.  Get through it quick and smooth and get your attention on 11.

T11: A more serious left hander.  Entering it you're going downhill some.  Good news is that it's a lot wider than you think it is.  It's fast'ish but really not that fast, and bumpy.  Just relax.  Follow some people through it and you'll get it.  Fun corner.  You'll learn to pass people on the inside and outside here.

T12: Right-hander and the set up for 13-14-15 or the skid pad, depending on track configuration.  Not a complicated corner.  But if you are Ryan Sturz you somehow go straight through it and pass handfuls of riders at once.  Then you get yelled at.

T13-14-15 (CSS): Very tight, very slow right-left-right.  Once again a great place to practice your basic skills.  Keep your focus out ahead of you, try to maintain a good attack angle for all three of them and you'll be nearly riding around people here too.  On the exit of 15 be especially mindful of 'pick-up' again, get on the throttle as early as you can, sweep all the way out to the left side of the track on your exit and go balls out up the front straight.

...or, T13, the skidpad (track days): big sweeping double-apex right hander.  The pavement here is completely fu*ked by auto traffic.. alligator city.  You just have to try to ignore it.  Your line can be tight or wide (wide is less bumpy), just focus on the candy stripe exit curb and then up the front straight.  Until they re-pave, personally I hate the skidpad.

Remember that the front and back straights are literally the only time you ought to be in the saddle on this track.  The reason it's so much fun is you're always doing something.




here's jason pridmore riding streets *backwards*.  don't watch this.   [laugh]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=sxHNC8z1MTM&feature=related

SoW
T1: One item about the entry, if you sweep over into the pit lane.
When I was there, there was a *huge* pothole in the dirt 'vee' where the pit lane and track pavement meet.
Never saw anyone hit it, but it looked like it would be a big-time yard sale if you did.

I made up a *lot* of ground going into it, just as garrett said.
Most folks don't realize how much speed the hill pulls off.
I was careful going around the outside of folks, making sure I had put enough distance on 'em that I didn't pinch them going into T2.

With street-friendly damping, my S4 would get a little squirmy in T1.
Tightened it up a click on each end and it was much better.

T3-T6:
Weren't repaved yet when I was on it, so I've got nothing to add.
T4 got changed/repaved between my 1st and 2nd time there.

T8:
I had no real idea how to do it, garrett's line sounds great.
Heed his comments on the exit; IIRC, Ryan and Joe (matt too?) had their bikes spin up and almost throw 'em down.

T9:
For me, due to the track falling away after the turn, I had a very hard time getting lined up properly.
I couldn't find any landmark to help, either.
Lots of folks would hammer it out of T8, then check up hard before T9.
Don't get side by side with another rider with a botched pass, someone will go off and it'll be ugly.

Skidpad:
I found it very difficult to find the line, no real references like the sides of a normal corner.
That and the bumps made it pretty hairy.

T1:  i never 'got it' until i drove my car up that hill.  it's a lot steeper than you think.

T4: that ~fix that you experienced was a band-aid.  made of who knows what.  come back out to the track.. it's sooooo nice through there now.

T8: it was joe that did the bucking bronco routine recently while ryan and i watched (me from about a foot away).   couple years ago it was matt who left that corner with 2 broken arms.

T9: there's actually a water tower off in the distance, on the big track, that you can use to line up 9.  for whatever reason i just do that one with my eyes closed.. so to speak.  go straight, go fast.

Yes, watch for people creating a parking lot on the entrance.


Sounds like you need to come out on the 20th nick  :)

I find that the side wall between the skidpad and T1 to be quite nice or if you feel daring climb in the tower.

Now both of these locations can be a little difficult to stand if its windy especially if you are in the tower.

But other that that its a nice section of the track. [cheeky]






I miss having a bike :'(

Ryan did a big slide there back a while, on his Foggy.


I couldn't spot the tower when I was on track.



I wish.  :-\

that figures...  [roll]  :)

I can't ever see the tower either, but I get through there plenty fast without it. There's always a cone in the apex of the right hander in the esses....I head straight for it and it takes me through no problem.

And as far as spinning it up in the bowl goes - don't chop the throttle if you do. Stay on the gas. like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbuqt1Zq-ds

the only problem with cones is that you have to depend on somebody to put 'em in the same place every time. different track day orgs may do things differently or somebody may just misplace it.

that's what sighting laps are for - plus the apex of the turn isn't going anywhere.

Great advice.  Thanks.  I lowsided in 5 and I was never really sure why.  I was off the brakes before I tipped in, so I have never been too sure what happened (hard to remember each moment leading up to the oops).  I've definitely been focused on getting back on the throttle to balance the bike before tipping in and it's working so far.

My second novice race coming this month.  I'll be happy to make it through the race unscathed.  :)

Lester

no kidding.  i've only been on that track once but all day i felt like as soon as i finished 8, suddenly i was in the clouds.

For WSIR...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=4RUFKQt5-bU

Yeah man, 5 is the one that make the beast with two backss me up too.  I've lowsided there twice and I never get it quite right - plus I'm sure my confidence in that turn is somewhat blown at this point anyhow.