The say that the public roads are no race track and whoever feels like letting loose should do so on a closed circuit. Well, we totally agree with this, especially because at a closed circuit there are no pedestrians, no obstacles, and no by-standers that can become injured when something goes wrong. And by all means, things CAN go wrong at the race track, despite the fact that the hazards riders have to cope with on the street are absent.
As we mentioned when we showed you the rider who crashed into the guardrails at Nurburgring, one of the major problems at a public race track is the fact that one doesn’t know whom he or she is sharing the tarmac with. That is, people with different riding styles and skills may happen to be on the track at the same time, and this is one of the issues that require full focus from the riders.
First off, renting some track time is all about going fast and pushing the limits of both man and machine. As if this weren’t already demanding enough, riders must also scout for possible dangers that may befall them because of how others ride. Slow racers versus fast ones, riders who can take tighter lines with narrow turn exit versus fellows who prefer to stay on the safer side of things with wider exit trajectories, you can name pretty much any point where two riding styles differ and the ride can turn into a potential disaster.
Unlike in official racing events, individual track time can be tricky. When it comes to sanctioned races, each rider knows what to expect from the opponents. Sure, we keep on hearing that Lorenzo’s style is so much different from Rossi’s or that Marquez' way of behaving on the track is nothing like Pedrosa's or Vinales'. While this is entirely true, what brings these chaps together is the fact that they all know what to expect from the rest.
This includes knowing the exact location of the hottest spots where a pursuer might try to pass, the approximate line around a turn, and where the braking markers are. They also know the countermeasures the rider in front might use to retain his position, and much more.
Well, none of this happens when riding with strangers on a track during the weekend. And this video shows how bad things can go, especially as one of the bikes that crash ahead becomes airborne and flies in the way of another one approaching at blazing speed from behind.
Thankfully, and almost miraculously, nobody was injured severely, and the bikes were the only ones that took massive damage.
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