Well RandyMan, how would you rate the track vs street now that you've had a couple days of track time? Would you recommend the track time vs $ spent to others?
I doubt anything I saw will vary very much from any track in the country and my perception is probably a bit skewed but here is what I saw and I am sure some of it will evolve over a few days at the track
Two entirely different environments for sure... I have always been pretty conservative on the street being from AZ (lots of gravel, sand and debris on fast twisty roads by nature of the areas) Have seen just way to many guys go down from lost traction.. (well more go down due to target fixation but that is another issue)
Aside from the blasting around Bash (hardest I ride all year) there are some marked differences I noticed right away..
Tire temps and traction.. all but impossible to get tires warmed up on the street.. sure you can get them sort of heated up but unless you are running the canyons or other relatively twisty section.. the stoplights, low and slow traffic and just putt putt of most riding, the tires are only marginally warmed up and subject to only good traction..
Couple that with the constant barrage of garbage on the road to pickup on your tires? forget any kind of serious tire heating.. At Bash or other multi mile runs, yea you get some heat going but that is when the garbage on the road jumps up.. I have always been pretty aware of tire traction but what you get at the track versus the street "can" be worlds apart.. It is most assuring when you feel that back tire start to take a hook through about the 2nd hotlap on the track.. the controlled drift is a blast when you do not have to worry about sudden slippage..
Something else to note is that a great street tire, is usually only marginal on the track.. in fact, during "riders" meeting, guys on street tires were specifically targeted for warnings... (sure felt good about my tire selection at this point) Pirelli seemed to be the exception (corsa3) to the street tire blues..
The BT002RS I ran, got sticky and just held the track very well.. Most impressed.. I did see a LOT of Pirelli Corsa tires.. the Corsa3 was probably the single most used street tire I saw.. The Diablo supers and other "street/track" tires were everywhere...
Now this is going to draw fire but there were not many guys saying "great" things about the Michelin PP's or the PP2ct's.. complaints were mostly "lack of feedback.. tire just tends to "let go" There were however a good number of PR and PP (regulars) on the 600's.. The liter bikes were mostly on track tires with warmers or Corsa 3's
Cars.. what needs said, not to mention everyone going the same direction..
running lines.. was nice to be relatively certain the guy in front of you is going to hold his line.. by the end of about 6 sessions, i was doing a good amount of passing and knowing which way he was going paid great dividends.. watch his line and pass inside that line.. I had to wait for "staightaways" to pass (beginners can not pass in corners) I think I scared a couple of them as I went by.. (ok so that was fun)..
Was also a lot of fun locked on to a line through a corner and a control rider has the confidence to slide in along side you.. I think I felt better about that than almost any other aspect of the weekend. Hearing a bike coming in on the outside of your line and the tire coming into view is nothing short of "wow".. And then the speed they carried to get by was impressive and gave me an idea of just how slow I was...
If you are going to run the "Busa" on the track, you are at a disadvantage over most of the other bikes just due to weight.. Speed management is a bit more difficult because you can not just follow a guy full tilt into a corner.. (well maybe some can, I sure could not)..
I found myself "too hot and wide" a few times but that "commit and turn" thing I have burned into my own head held and I came out just fine... The bike will certainly do more than I can ask of it..
The other "unusual' thing I noticed was the choice of pipes.. there was not 1 "megaphone" or loud pipe to be found anywhere in the pits.. NOT 1... "Quiet" is the rule, not the exception.. maybe the veteran track guys can give some insight to this..
Two Brothers and Arata seemed to be preferred pipes and an amazing number of "stock" pipes.. and these were on some really fast bikes..
These guys could go by you so fast the paint peels off your tank.. and you only heard the "whoosh" of the bike and then the exhaust as they trail off out of sight..
During my first sessions, it took a control rider 5 minutes to discuss a lap that probably took around 90 seconds going over basics.. By the end of Sunday, I was getting some great compliments from the guys about the bike, how it did and that they were surprised I had not done this before.. (yea some sunshine up my skirt to get me back I am sure) but most of it seemed pretty genuine..
I can not wait to go back with a bit more confidence from the start.. I do need some physical conditioning for sure.. my 50 year old fatazz needs to drop 50lbs and gain some endurance
really proud of my "buggers"
Way to go, I would love to do a track day.. 
