Roadracing World – April 2019

By Michael Gougis

T

here may be worse things
than fi nding yourself at a
racetrack without some-
thing that you need, but at best
it's annoying and a distraction
from the task at hand—having fun
ripping a bike around the track at
speed. When it happens, you've
got two choices: Make do without,
or try to source something from
friends or strangers at the track.
Better to sort everything out at
home. Here's a brief checklist of
some of the stuff you'll want to
have with you when you leave for
the track.

Organizational

`Completed entry form for your
track day. You did pre-register,
didn't you? Saves a bunch of
headache at the track. I'm old-
school, so I still like to have paper
printouts with me, but if you have
a digital copy, try to have it quick-
ly accessible.

`Insurance card or proof of in-
surance. You want to be sure that
you are covered for injuries that
happen during a track day, and
you want to be able to prove to the
organizers that you are covered.

`Some form of ID, and an ID you
can keep in your leathers with
emergency medical information
and contact person.

`Directions to the track. If it's
a new track to you, get a map or
directions.

`Hotel reservations. If you're
going to a hotel the night before,
bring directions to the hotel and a
confi rmation of your reservation.

Gear and Equipment

`An ignition key for the bike.
And a spare key. If it's a track-on-
ly machine, I strongly recommend
a key switch elimination harness
like the ones sold by Woodcraft
Technology. Combine that with a
keyless gas cap, and you'll never
have to scramble to fi nd a key be-
fore getting on the track again.

`Power. If you are using tire
warmers, a power source plus
front and rear stands.

`A ramp. You'll need it to get the
bike off or out of the transport ve-
hicle at the track.

`Fuel. Even if you are going to a
track with a website that says fuel
will be available, don't take the
chance. True story: I once found
myself at a racetrack where the
fuel was sold out. For me, fi lling

up a fi ve-gallon fuel jug is now a

pre-departure ritual.

`Tire pressure gauge. A bicycle

hand pump, a small electric air

pump, or an air tank would be ex-

cellent to bring as well.

`Oil. Never hurts to have a spare

quart of oil, and some radiator

stopleak.

`Duct tape. Or vinyl tape and zip

ties. You have no idea how handy

these things are until you actually

need to use them.

`Spray cleaner and towels.

Windex is my go-to for track vis-

its, but I’ve seen other riders and

pro teams use spray polishes and

cleaners on bodywork and wind-

screens, including Pro Honda

Spray Cleaner Polish and Suzuki

ECSTAR Spray Cleaner and Polish.

`A chair.

`Shade. If you can, some sort

of awning to produce shade and

ward off rain. Pop-up canopies

and awnings can range from ex-

pensive, really durable, and rain-

proof (think EZup) to less expen-

sive, less durable, and leaky; to

inexpensive, fragile, and sieve-

like. They also tend to fl ip over

and even fl y away and land on the

track or nearby vehicles when the

wind comes up, so it’s important

to hold them down using tie straps

to secure them to something sol-

id and heavy like your transport

vehicle, a toolbox, or even the pit

wall. I typically anchor one side of

my pop-up awning to the side of

my van, and hook the other side of

the awning to my toolbox.

Apparel

`A helmet. With a spare visor if

you've got one. Having a dark and

a clear visor allows you to select

the best one for the conditions,

and it really makes a difference.

`Ear plugs.

`Leathers. As an aside, bring a

heavy-duty hanger as well. It’s nice

to slide out of your leathers for the

lunch break on a hot, sticky, nas-

ty summer day. If at all possible,

you'll want to take those leathers,

hang them up and let them dry on

the way home in the back of the

van, and hang them up when you

get them home. To speed up the

drying process, you can use com-

mercial leathers dryers—which

have a built-in fan—built into an

oversized hanger. We've seen rac-

ers pack away leathers soaked

with rain or sweat and leave them

packed. The result is often a bad

case of mildew forming on the in-

side and outside of the leathers.

`Gloves.

`Boots.

`Body armor. Most organiza-

tions require a back protector at

a minimum. I also use a chest

protector, and a one-piece back

protector-chest protector vest is

incredibly convenient to use.

`Undersuit. If you haven't tried

one yet, do so. It makes it so much

easier to shrug into and out of a

set of leathers, especially on a

sticky, hot day.

`Spare knee sliders.

(Above) Having all of the things you need with you makes it easier to get

down to the business of having fun. Photo by 1290photos.com. (Below) A

well-set-up pit including chairs, shade, tables, and a trailer. Note that the

kids are under the direct supervision of adults. Photo by Michael Gougis.

28—Roadracing World, Trackday Directory 2019

Don't Leave Without It ...

WHAT TO BRING: