Yeah, it's ALL the rider. I've built my Busa for tracks/canyons, and still, when I take it to the track, I still here people asking why did I bring that fat bike to the track.
*sigh*
No mind, I'll show them.
Btw, known Dave for years. He's a good guy. His real point is that you don't need mega speed to go very fast. I have a lot of friends that had liter bikes, but now race SV650's or Supermotards, and they are WAY faster than before.
Big Willow, I'm in the Intermediate Group, sometimes Advanced. On my race bike (Gixxer 7), Advanced. Big Willow and Fontana are fun! But when you can, make it a point to try out Pahrump (Spring Mtn Raceway, or SoCalTrackDays.com). Pahrump is one of the most technical and challenging tracks out there, absolute blast.