Photos From 9-1-2012 Assfaultjunkies first track day@Putnam Park are up@ www.electri

[vw151]

Photos from 9-1-2012 are up. Due to rain I did not shoot all day and from what I understand you guys kept on riding in spite of the wet conditions so I apologize for not sticking around longer. None the less, the photos are up and I hope you enjoy them.

- Joe

follow the link to find your pictures.

http://electriceyeimages.photoreflect.com/store/thumbpage.aspx?e=8663105

Here are a few highlights.

Edited September 4, 2012 by vw151

[cOoTeR]

Nice. Can't tell but depending on the order of pics 2-7 that could be really sweet or hope the guys ok

[Hoblick]

yeah, after 7 crashes before 11 a.m.

and alot of rain, i decided to bail.

19 crashes for the day i heard

the day should have been called early and rain date given. was a worthless day for me, just lost a bunch of money on the day and gas expenses.

[serpentracer]

that area is so unpredictable with weather. all the times I went it rained either the night before or the day of. every fucking time.

[TRMN8TR]

yeah, after 7 crashes before 11 a.m.

and alot of rain, i decided to bail.

19 crashes for the day i heard

the day should have been called early and rain date given. was a worthless day for me, just lost a bunch of money on the day and gas expenses.

Damn, that is a lot of bikes down. But...no one forced them to go out.

Also, I've never heard of a trackday being cancelled and a rain day given. Unfortunately we can't predict or control the weather. And I'm pretty sure whoever is running the trackday has to pay the track rain or shine.

After a couple years of doing trackdays I just decided if its raining I'm either gonna put rain tires on or not ride in the rain. I think tires are cheaper than fixing a wadded-up bike.

[vw151]

Damn, that is a lot of bikes down. But...no one forced them to go out.

Also, I've never heard of a trackday being cancelled and a rain day given. Unfortunately we can't predict or control the weather. And I'm pretty sure whoever is running the trackday has to pay the track rain or shine.

After a couple years of doing trackdays I just decided if its raining I'm either gonna put rain tires on or not ride in the rain. I think tires are cheaper than fixing a wadded-up bike.

Yep, it's over $10k to rent the track rain or shine, and they said they almost broke even, so as much as we'd all like rain days I don't think Brandon has $10k laying around to refund because of the weather.

None the less, I've ridden in the rain, it can be fun, but I've been there done that, anymore maybe I'm a woos but I just cut my losses and stay in, if I'm going to crash I'm going to do it having fun and going fast not tip toeing around the track hoping I don't crash.

[Rctaylor]

Just about everyone that crashed got back out and continued riding. Yes, there were a lot of wrecks, but most of them were low-slides. No injuries, and people were still having a blast in the rain.

It was an awesome trackday, and everyone that stayed (That I spoke with) really enjoyed themselves. Having great company can really make the most of a day like that.

[serpentracer]

putnam is slippery wet. some tracks you can go almost full out and not slide around. I heard jennings is this way.

plus riding in the rain teaches you how to be smooth.

[Mojoe]

I didn't see a lot of smooth out there. The smoothest thing I saw was me leaving and taking a $160 loss without riding Vs. $xxx+ in damages and maybe injury.

I was told the Novice group would have plenty of instructors and there would be great info put out. There was chaos to even break up the groups in the beginning and count to 6. Then there was 28 people in the whole group and 6+ per control rider. No control rider was assigned or introduced once the break down of groups was made. We were told just go to the cone with your number on it when they call for Novice.

There were 12 people in Intermediate and the track was open enough where I was going to bump to that group, as Hoblick did, just to get away from the mass in Novice. I AM NOT AN INTERMEDIATE RIDER. I'm a one gear smooth champ at best.

It is what it is. I understand the weather is uncontrollable, 19 bikes down says a lot though. I'm fine with being a fair weather rider.

[vw151]

putnam is slippery wet. some tracks you can go almost full out and not slide around. I heard jennings is this way.

plus riding in the rain teaches you how to be smooth.

Barber is this way too. Very sticky. None the less, it's all what you are into. I agree it teaches you to be smooth but on the wrong tires on the wrong track it's mostly just treacherous. If you are practicing for racing I totally get it but I prefer not to wreck.

[gixxie750]

I didn't see a lot of smooth out there. The smoothest thing I saw was me leaving and taking a $160 loss without riding Vs. $xxx+ in damages and maybe injury.

I was told the Novice group would have plenty of instructors and there would be great info put out. There was chaos to even break up the groups in the beginning and count to 6. Then there was 28 people in the whole group and 6+ per control rider. No control rider was assigned or introduced once the break down of groups was made. We were told just go to the cone with your number on it when they call for Novice.

There were 12 people in Intermediate and the track was open enough where I was going to bump to that group, as Hoblick did, just to get away from the mass in Novice. I AM NOT AN INTERMEDIATE RIDER. I'm a one gear smooth champ at best.

It is what it is. I understand the weather is uncontrollable, 19 bikes down says a lot though. I'm fine with being a fair weather rider.

Novice first session was deff chaos! Its hard as hell with time restraint to have time for everything. We will deff get better and it will be allot easier when its DRY to get things going. All the crashes were deff due to weather and the amount of riders willing to try! Allot was learned this day and it can only get better! we had 2 full hours of dry at the end of the day and it all went very smooth. Sorry about the rain,but I can't control weather!

[gixxie750]

jennings and barber do have decent grip in rain. No matter what its still a slip and slide.

[warmonger]

Yeah the last two hours were dry and people were back on race tires!!!!!! First session in novice was a little crowded do to how slow people are in the rain!!!! You guys bailed a little premature, but I have done the same thing before. This time however I rode two full tanks in the rain and ended up having some fun with it. Was amazed that so many people kept riding in the wet conditions. Don't worry it didn't just rain on your parade, we all got wet.

[J_Copeland]

Good to hear that nobody got hurt.

Reading this brings back memories for my first novice day at Nelson Ledge's.

[madcat6183]

Wow, 19 is a pretty high number for how many where actually there, I'd assume that was close to 20% of the total riders?

Either way glad no one got hurt, but the dude smiling and giving a thumbs up as he just toasted his Repsol makes me wonder what he was on that day lol. When I wadded up my RC51, I was in tears and that was wayyyy less than his, just a slow low side in the Esses at Mid O. It didn't look like his for sure.

Overall just glad no one was injured, always good to put the rider and everyone else on the track's safety first, then go fast second.

[gixxie750]

5 people crashed 2 times. so really only 14 people crashed lol.

Trust me the repsol guy was not very happy,but he wanted a pic!

[madcat6183]

Yeah read on AFJ like all of them could keep riding which is awesome, and shows how it should be at the track. People helping each other out! Like family style. And rain at Putnam is scary, been there done that. NEver again without rains!

[vw151]

5 people crashed 2 times. so really only 14 people crashed lol.

Trust me the repsol guy was not very happy,but he wanted a pic!

12 was the previous track day record for bikes, in the dry.

The motard that crashed in front of me was virtually undamaged.

[vw151]

Wow, 19 is a pretty high number for how many where actually there, I'd assume that was close to 20% of the total riders?

Either way glad no one got hurt, but the dude smiling and giving a thumbs up as he just toasted his Repsol makes me wonder what he was on that day lol. When I wadded up my RC51, I was in tears and that was wayyyy less than his, just a slow low side in the Esses at Mid O. It didn't look like his for sure.

Overall just glad no one was injured, always good to put the rider and everyone else on the track's safety first, then go fast second.

50 total on the bikes I think. It's definitely a high percentage but no one was riding dumb, it was just a lot of people that continued to ride when it was very wet.

[serpentracer]

look at it this way...when mother nature throws you lemons...make lemonade.

you spent the money, there's no going back. might as well make the best of it.

[aforrest4]

yeah, after 7 crashes before 11 a.m.

and alot of rain, i decided to bail.

19 crashes for the day i heard

the day should have been called early and rain date given. was a worthless day for me, just lost a bunch of money on the day and gas expenses.

You should have stayed.

We have a few dry sessions towards the end of the day that made it all worth while! A buddy recorded the last session where we started from a stop on the front straight. It was a blast! I'm the Red honda with yellow plates.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbcaitt8TzY&feature=share&list=UUoQYwSvp4gwQ7cTSYhuRsAA

[aforrest4]

Oh and yes there were 22 bikes that went down.

But only about 10 riders.

Most of the riders that went down, were low sides that didn't break anything and the riders went back out and did it again. It wasn't as bad as it seamed. Also most everyone went out in the rain instead of waiting in the pits.

I was surprised on how slippery it was there in the rain. It didn't used to be that bad.

[Mojoe]

You spent the money, there's no going back. might as well make the best of it.

That might be the worst advice ever. Let's make a bad situation worse. Rather than be out a little money, let's be out a lot more money. I say that's all on the individual rider. I put none of that back on AFJ or any group that runs a track day.

Let's wait around for hours, HOPING the weather clears, so we can get some dry runs in. I guess if you have nothing else to do, that could work. And on that day, it seems it did.

If there were 50 or so riders that day, and 22(as stated went down), that's nearly 50%. I will say, most of the riders that I saw go down, were not from the Novice group. So as a Novice rider, what would make me think I should be going out there and pushing the limits for me?

[serpentracer]

That might be the worst advice ever. Let's make a bad situation worse. Rather than be out a little money, let's be out a lot more money. I say that's all on the individual rider. I put none of that back on AFJ or any group that runs a track day.

Let's wait around for hours, HOPING the weather clears, so we can get some dry runs in. I guess if you have nothing else to do, that could work. And on that day, it seems it did.

If there were 50 or so riders that day, and 22(as stated went down), that's nearly 50%. I will say, most of the riders that I saw go down, were not from the Novice group. So as a Novice rider, what would make me think I should be going out there and pushing the limits for me?

that's your personal choice. but I think if you didn't at least do it you're a pussy.

go out there and learn how to control your bike in wet conditions. it will make you a much better rider. no one said you have to blaze around the track trying to set personal or track records in the process.

[r1crusher]

Let's see...at a track day and it's raining.

Options: 1- go out in the rain to be a better rider (but don't push it because after all we don't know our limits if we don't push things) and risk not just losing the cost of the track day but damaging your bike in the process thusly costing you more money. 2 - don't go out saving yourself the potential cost of repairing your bike because you went out unnecessarily and crashed and hope for some dry time later on and be a big ol' giant pussy.

Hhhhmm....man that's a tough one.