[Roach]

So, I took my first track school at Gratten last week. I am officially hooked. It was so amazing. First of all, Gratten is a fun track. It was a little scary at first with all the blind corners, but soon as I got comfortable it was a blast. This is only my second year riding and the track day made such a huge difference in my confidence on the bike. I started out the day riding moderate lean agnles and finished up the day scraping my pegs in most of the corners. The feeling of blowing by Busas and other fast bikes with my piddly little FZR was great. I got to follow Reg Pridmore around the track for several laps. That was when I started dragging pegs and scraping my toe slider on the boot. He told me just to follow him and keep pace. It has been over a week and all I think about all day long is getting back on the track. I think I will try a NESBA day at Blackhawk later in the summer. The only bummer was that there was no photographer at the track.

I now know what riding a sportbike is all about.

 

[Sticky]

"Grattan"...The Laguna Seca of the Midwest

 

[Roach]

Yeah, Gratten was so much fun. I really loved turn 8 the bowl. I felt like I was two inches off the ground going through there draggin my peg.

 

[Blade Runner]

Yep, that's a fun turn. It sort of just sucks you through it, doesn't it? Plus you get to see it. Not like grabbing your nuts and just going for it in 3. Gratten is a cool track. Did you see any turtles?

 

[Roach]

There were no Turtles on the track that day. I did almost get hit by a bird going over the hump jump. Damn thing flew straight across the track really low and it turned away just in time to miss me. It couldn't have been more than a foot from me and I was going about 75mph.