Donnington Park - Ducati Only Track Day 28th May £175

Pleasure as always to meet up again Mike.. I forgot the Crabbies but I'll either send Bradders up with some if you meet up again or next time I see you. Jet washing a Ducati WTF

 

Who's Neal Hodgson?

 

Good write up Matt. They gave me a group 3 sticker, I guess that's why I didn't go out at all :biggrin:

 

... and the winner of the golden fleece was none other than - Matt. Quite right to avoid mentioning it yourself. So I thought I'd mention it.

 

Nice writeup and pics...

Really like this one;

 

The top one is me, 1st session, the rain-suit top makes me look even fatter!

Had to put the bottoms on for the next session.

 

They are great shots, much better than the normal Donni shots. Never seen the castle shot before. Spill the beans where can we see all the shots that this photographer took.

 

Nice to see some imagination in the shots for a change, thinking DUK photographers may be a little more polished than the usual one corner pics of the TD trade

 

That's not the castle, it's the lodge of Donnington Hall.

 

Cant you upload to a library on here then anyone can save their favourites?

 

Good plan - as I think everyone out there who rode deserves a momento photo to prove it, so hopefully there are a few and most people might be able to find one.

It was a wet, wet, wet day, that's for sure. Those photos do really capture it well. It was quite entertaining all in - in an odd way!

So, how much lean angle can you carry on race wets? I didn't really want to find out the hard way, but I did look down at the speedo (I know, naughty!) halfway through the old hairpin, just to see how quickly we were going through standing water and driving rain, and it was in the high 60's before I was hard on the gas - which was a lot quicker than I thought we might be! I didn't look on the straights to be honest as I was concentrating on when to start braking gently!

 

I found I could get a load more drive out of the corners. It's probably the only time I'll out do a 1198/99 on the back straight! I could just power out of the old hairpin then on the gas all the way up to McLeans. I was leaning more than I though I was, although not as much as others! Loved it though.

 

Ahh ok thanks makes sense as the castle is so far away. But still seems a great Castle tower shot that go's with Donni that you would think would be a signature shot. But as someone has said much better than the usual track day snapper.

 

Well I touched knee down so you can lean a long way. But the way they clear standing water, I was in fifth on both straights having taken 4th to the red lights, is amazing. Someone said trust them so I started to after the first go out...and they were right. But poor throttle control etc will still equal pain.

edited: Matt makes great point about drive. I was fairly hard, lifted the front in second out Melbourne a couple of times, not wheelie (its only a lady 848 ;-) ) but so it went light. And braking...enough after Mike had set my suspension that I really could grab a handful and even trail brake a little. Bear in mind this was my first time out on them, 3 sessions at most...now looking forward to it being wet ;-)

 

This is from the Ducati day last year and not quite as wet but yes you can get it over on wets. They will do far more than I am brave enough to push. Had my double sliders down a few times.