Trackday Coaching.
Discussion
Bit of background:
Got my full licence just under 5 years ago at the ripe old age of 52!
Started track riding with a group of workmates 3 years ago,so decided I needed training to improve.Over the last few years completed CSS levels 1 - 3,I2I machine control,a kneedown course and a couple of cornering days. Progressed to the lower half of inters,but was feeling frustrated by my slow progress.
With this in mind,decided on personal coaching and went online for some research. Most of what I looked at seemed to be aimed at riders quite a few levels above me,so eventually decided to contact Notso-Fast.com.
Couple of emails and a long phone call later(to establish my current level,what I'm looking to achieve,etc),I'm booked up with Gary for Snetterton on Sunday just gone.
The day:
Got there reasonably early,Gary already there and set up!
Helped me get ready with tyre pressures etc,then ran through what to expect for the day.
Set up the go-pro and sent me out late,so I had clear track and could concentrate on my riding,rather than what everyone else was doing!
At the end of every session,footage was downloaded and an in-depth debrief. What I was doing right,what I need to correct,and what I needed to stop doing completely! All delivered in bite size chunks,so I wasn't overloaded with info.
Conclusion:
By the end of the last session I was physically and mentally drained,but absolutely buzzing,as I felt I'd made real progress over the day.
Am I about to give Marquez a run for his money? Obviously not,but I was quicker by quite a margin. I also feel more confident that I can continue to progress each time I get out on track.
So,whatever level you're at,if you want to improve,I can't recommend NSF highly enough. I'll be booking more coaching in the future,that's a given.
Just to add,I wasn't asked by Gary to post on here,just thought others might benefit/be interested.
Got my full licence just under 5 years ago at the ripe old age of 52!
Started track riding with a group of workmates 3 years ago,so decided I needed training to improve.Over the last few years completed CSS levels 1 - 3,I2I machine control,a kneedown course and a couple of cornering days. Progressed to the lower half of inters,but was feeling frustrated by my slow progress.
With this in mind,decided on personal coaching and went online for some research. Most of what I looked at seemed to be aimed at riders quite a few levels above me,so eventually decided to contact Notso-Fast.com.
Couple of emails and a long phone call later(to establish my current level,what I'm looking to achieve,etc),I'm booked up with Gary for Snetterton on Sunday just gone.
The day:
Got there reasonably early,Gary already there and set up!
Helped me get ready with tyre pressures etc,then ran through what to expect for the day.
Set up the go-pro and sent me out late,so I had clear track and could concentrate on my riding,rather than what everyone else was doing!
At the end of every session,footage was downloaded and an in-depth debrief. What I was doing right,what I need to correct,and what I needed to stop doing completely! All delivered in bite size chunks,so I wasn't overloaded with info.
Conclusion:
By the end of the last session I was physically and mentally drained,but absolutely buzzing,as I felt I'd made real progress over the day.
Am I about to give Marquez a run for his money? Obviously not,but I was quicker by quite a margin. I also feel more confident that I can continue to progress each time I get out on track.
So,whatever level you're at,if you want to improve,I can't recommend NSF highly enough. I'll be booking more coaching in the future,that's a given.
Just to add,I wasn't asked by Gary to post on here,just thought others might benefit/be interested.
I've had coaching with Gary for a number of years, I really rate him as a riding coach. I've gone from novice group to fast in that time and this year I'm racing with No Limits in their Newcomer 1000 class. I never would have got to this point without his help. It's not cheap but it's quite simply the best money you can spend if you want to improve your riding on track.
Edited by CQ8 on Wednesday 28th June 20:54
KTMsm said:
£900 a day for getting faster on track days 
One for the PH directors
I assume you’re referring to the CSS days?One for the PH directors
If they are £900 a day they have increased in price a fair bit since I did it.
But ….
What you learn there isn’t just for the track only, a lot of the skills are transferable to the road and will make you a better rider on the road too.
As good as the coaching was though, If it is £900 per day now, it’s a bit too salty for my liking.
Echo your experience with Gary. I only ever had one Track day session with him as a freebie at Snetterton, but he was very good.
I had a day's coaching with Peter Hickman in Portimao but it was pretty much "brake later, earlier on the gas" - I got a sense that for Peter it's so natural and ingrained in his psyche that he struggled to communicate to me (an inters group hero) whereas Gary was a great coach and came up with things that I could understand.
I no longer do track days, but if I was serious about getting quicker or getting in to racing then Notsofast would be where I'd stick my money.
I had a day's coaching with Peter Hickman in Portimao but it was pretty much "brake later, earlier on the gas" - I got a sense that for Peter it's so natural and ingrained in his psyche that he struggled to communicate to me (an inters group hero) whereas Gary was a great coach and came up with things that I could understand.
I no longer do track days, but if I was serious about getting quicker or getting in to racing then Notsofast would be where I'd stick my money.
airsafari87 said:
KTMsm said:
£900 a day for getting faster on track days
One for the PH directors
I assume you’re referring to the CSS days?One for the PH directors
If they are £900 a day they have increased in price a fair bit since I did it.
But ….
What you learn there isn’t just for the track only, a lot of the skills are transferable to the road and will make you a better rider on the road too.
As good as the coaching was though, If it is £900 per day now, it’s a bit too salty for my liking.
KTMsm said:
Olivera said:
If you intend racing then that's chump change money in comparison. On the car side of PH there's been a few people racing in BTCC/British GT, and that's 50 grand plus per weekend.
I doubt the OP is considering a career in racing at 50+ 
Patrick Star said:
Bit of background:
Got my full licence just under 5 years ago at the ripe old age of 52!
Started track riding with a group of workmates 3 years ago,so decided I needed training to improve.Over the last few years completed CSS levels 1 - 3,I2I machine control,a kneedown course and a couple of cornering days. Progressed to the lower half of inters,but was feeling frustrated by my slow progress.
With this in mind,decided on personal coaching and went online for some research. Most of what I looked at seemed to be aimed at riders quite a few levels above me,so eventually decided to contact Notso-Fast.com.
Couple of emails and a long phone call later(to establish my current level,what I'm looking to achieve,etc),I'm booked up with Gary for Snetterton on Sunday just gone.
The day:
Got there reasonably early,Gary already there and set up!
Helped me get ready with tyre pressures etc,then ran through what to expect for the day.
Set up the go-pro and sent me out late,so I had clear track and could concentrate on my riding,rather than what everyone else was doing!
At the end of every session,footage was downloaded and an in-depth debrief. What I was doing right,what I need to correct,and what I needed to stop doing completely! All delivered in bite size chunks,so I wasn't overloaded with info.
Conclusion:
By the end of the last session I was physically and mentally drained,but absolutely buzzing,as I felt I'd made real progress over the day.
Am I about to give Marquez a run for his money? Obviously not,but I was quicker by quite a margin. I also feel more confident that I can continue to progress each time I get out on track.
So,whatever level you're at,if you want to improve,I can't recommend NSF highly enough. I'll be booking more coaching in the future,that's a given.
Just to add,I wasn't asked by Gary to post on here,just thought others might benefit/be interested.
Sounds good value to me. Couple of questions.Got my full licence just under 5 years ago at the ripe old age of 52!
Started track riding with a group of workmates 3 years ago,so decided I needed training to improve.Over the last few years completed CSS levels 1 - 3,I2I machine control,a kneedown course and a couple of cornering days. Progressed to the lower half of inters,but was feeling frustrated by my slow progress.
With this in mind,decided on personal coaching and went online for some research. Most of what I looked at seemed to be aimed at riders quite a few levels above me,so eventually decided to contact Notso-Fast.com.
Couple of emails and a long phone call later(to establish my current level,what I'm looking to achieve,etc),I'm booked up with Gary for Snetterton on Sunday just gone.
The day:
Got there reasonably early,Gary already there and set up!
Helped me get ready with tyre pressures etc,then ran through what to expect for the day.
Set up the go-pro and sent me out late,so I had clear track and could concentrate on my riding,rather than what everyone else was doing!
At the end of every session,footage was downloaded and an in-depth debrief. What I was doing right,what I need to correct,and what I needed to stop doing completely! All delivered in bite size chunks,so I wasn't overloaded with info.
Conclusion:
By the end of the last session I was physically and mentally drained,but absolutely buzzing,as I felt I'd made real progress over the day.
Am I about to give Marquez a run for his money? Obviously not,but I was quicker by quite a margin. I also feel more confident that I can continue to progress each time I get out on track.
So,whatever level you're at,if you want to improve,I can't recommend NSF highly enough. I'll be booking more coaching in the future,that's a given.
Just to add,I wasn't asked by Gary to post on here,just thought others might benefit/be interested.
(Coming from someone who doesn't do trackdays, and assuming like Hickman (above) said about brake later, lean more, more throttle) What were you doing wrong, and what did you change to go faster?
Also, did your later laps just feel better, or were you objectively faster?
Olivera said:
It's entirely possible to race at amateur club level at 50+ in both bikes and car. No one here is making a career in racing, even the PHers spending 50 grand per weekend were amateurs with day jobs.
A mate of mine did 1 season in British Superstock because he'd won everything he could at club level. 1 weekend at Brands he did £2,000 in the event just on tyres...Olivera said:
It's entirely possible to race at amateur club level at 50+ in both bikes and car. No one here is making a career in racing, even the PHers spending 50 grand per weekend were amateurs with day jobs.
My track instructor recently was 70 on a KTM 790 He was an ex racer and another was 61 and currently still winning races.
Sidecar Man said:
MSV-t do academy days with 1 to 1 instructor pupil ratio. I think it's around £450 including track day.
I did this a few months back at Donington and enjoyed it. In hindsight I was still rusty after the winter so spent a fair bit of the day getting back to the level I was at previously.
Would have made more sense to do it later in the year once I was back to my limit to help bring me on further.
Overall I'd recommend it though.
Bob_Defly said:
Sounds good value to me. Couple of questions.
(Coming from someone who doesn't do trackdays, and assuming like Hickman (above) said about brake later, lean more, more throttle) What were you doing wrong, and what did you change to go faster?
Also, did your later laps just feel better, or were you objectively faster?
Bob,(Coming from someone who doesn't do trackdays, and assuming like Hickman (above) said about brake later, lean more, more throttle) What were you doing wrong, and what did you change to go faster?
Also, did your later laps just feel better, or were you objectively faster?
First things observed and worked on:
Turn in - Attempting to square off every corner doesn't work.(probably a hangover from the CSS courses)
Positioning - Not using full width of the track on entry and exit.
Vision - Looking too far through the corner.
With regard to brake/throttle,we worked on things to enable later braking and more throttle,rather than just doing it.
On the last point,by the mid afternoon I was a gear higher on the straights,which pretty much proves my pace had increased.Plus,at no time did I feel on the ragged edge,it all felt more comfortable.
Can only agree with some of the previous points made. I've got mates who spend 1000's on bike upgrades to go quicker,so 100's on rider upgrades are a relative bargain!
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