Track Day Frequently Asked Questions

Q) Why should I attend track days?
A) There are many reasons, but the biggest one is that track days are probably the most fun you'll ever have on a motorcycle!  Plus the skills you learn riding on the track will make you an exponentially better and safer rider on the street.  If you need a justification to spend the money on a track day, there's no better justification than to look at it as an investment in your personal safety as a street rider!  If you're viewing the track as a dangerous place, you're looking at it in the wrong light, you should think of it as the place you go to learn to be safer and improve your riding skills.  You'll also make quick friends at the track, and the atmosphere and camaraderie are unparalleled in any other sport.  It's just an all-around enjoyable thing to do, there's really no reason not to try it.

Q) What is required to get on the track?
A) It depends if you're doing a full track day or just the Try-The-Track sessions.  For the Try-The-Track, you just need your street motorcycle in good condition with good tires, street riding gear (jacket, helmet, boots, gloves), and a desire to have a lot of FUN!  For the full track days, you need to attend the Track Orientation School the first time you come out.  After completing the school, you will be certified to run at any open track day.  You'll need a full set of riding gear (one or 2-piece leather or textile suit, full-face helmet, riding boots, gloves and a back protector), and your bike needs to be track-prepped (lights and mirrors taped over or removed, license plate removed, and safety wiring the oil filter, drain and fill cap is highly recommended).  Ducati Omaha will be thrilled to help you out in any way to come out to the track, just ask!

Q) Will I crash at a track day?
A) That's up to YOU for the most part.  Just like riding on the street, you are in control of how fast you're going, and where your bike is in relation to other hazards.  If you keep your pace to a level where you still have a margin for error, it's unlikely that you will have any problems.  There's always a chance that someone else will make a mistake that affects you (just like on the street), but by far most crashes on the track are due to single rider error (i.e. - target fixation, going to fast, not looking through the turn, etc.), which are things that YOU are in control of.  You should not attend a track day expecting to crash, but rather expecting not to crash but accepting the fact that you might (just like on the street).  The biggest difference between crashing on the track vs. the street is that most crashes on the track result in FAR fewer injuries than crashes on the street, and most of the time you can pick your bike up out of the grass and keep on riding.  Crashing on the street is a much more dangerous proposition with many more hazards.

Q) Can I ride my bike to the track, or do I need to trailer it?
A) There are certainly advantages to trailering your bike to the track, but it's not required.  If you trailer your bike, you can prep it the night before.  Also, you'll be extremely tired at the end of a track day and riding home may not seem too attractive at that point.  If you have any kind of mechanical problem with your bike, you may not be able to ride it home.  So it's definitely a good idea if you have access to a truck or trailer, but if not don't let that stop you from coming out.

Q) How much does it cost?
A) It varies based upon which event you are attending, but generally between $100-$200 per day.

Q) If I'm too slow will I be in the way?
A) NO!!  Track days are set up so you can go as fast, and ONLY as fast, as you want to.  The track is 40 feet wide, so there's plenty of room for everyone.  The rule of thumb is that the passing rider has the responsibility to make a safe, clean and courteous pass on the slower rider in front of them.  And NEVER look behind you while riding on the track, you don't need to worry about what's behind you, only what's in front of you.

Q) If I don't have a full set of leathers, can I still ride on the track?
A) YES!  That's what the Try-The-Track program is designed for.  You can bring your street bike, wearing your street riding gear, and get a taste of track days before making a commitment to buy a full set of track riding gear..

Q) How fast will I be able to go?
A) In the open track sessions, your speeds are not limited, so you can go as fast as you want to.  Straightaway speeds at a typical track day are in the 120-170 mph range, depending on the horsepower your bike has and how good of a rider you are.  Just make sure you brake plenty early for Turn 1, it comes up in a HURRY at 170 mph!  Really, the track is all about the corners, you'll find that high speeds on the straight is not nearly as thrilling as taking a corner at 90 mph.

Q) How will I learn to do things right?
A) INSTRUCTION!  Riding on the track is a lot different from the street, and there are many safety procedures you should follow as well as many track-oriented riding techniques you should learn.  You'll get a full classroom and on-track instruction program when you take the Track Orientation School, giving you the foundation to continue your track learning experiences into the future.  Ongoing instruction is always available from the staff of instructors and advanced riders at any track day event, all you need to do is ask.  You'll find that track riding is VERY challenging and one of those sports that you will never truly master, you'll always be learning and there will always be more improvements to be made to your technique.  It's one of the most demanding and rewarding sports around, and VERY addicting!

Q) Will my bike be good enough for the track?
A) For the Try-The-Track sessions, virtually any modern street bike in good condition with good tires will do just fine.  For the open track days, you'll want to stick with the sportier style of street bike, but you don't need a full race-replica sportbike.  Naked bikes, motards, as well as sportbikes are the norm at track days, any bike that can be leaned over at a decent angle without dragging things.  And don't worry about your bike being too slow if you're riding a smaller displacement bike, the rider makes WAY more of a difference on the track than the bike does - just ask the guy who gets passed by an SV650 when he's riding a GSX-R1000, it happens ALL THE TIME!  The easiest way to tell if your bike will be great on the track is to look at the side of the fuel tank, if it says DUCATI on it, then it will be a great track bike! ;-)

Q) Should I have a separate track bike?
A) It's very common for riders who get hooked on the track day sport to eventually invest in a separate track bike.  There are certainly advantages to having a bike all set up for the track, ready to go at a moment's notice, and one that you can outfit with all of the track components.  But it's certainly not required and most track riders ride the same bike on the track that they do on the street.

Q) What's the difference between Track Days and Racing?
A) They're really two completely different things.  The skills that you learn and practice at track days are the skills you need for racing, but that's where the similarities end.  Racing is competitive, track days are just for fun.  Racing has a starting grid where the bikes line up and rush to the first turn together.  At a track day you will enter the track from the pits and will never stop and "grid up" on the track.  In racing, you're trying to "win".  You can't "win" a track day.  You can certainly have a lot of fun riding with your friends on the track at a track day, but the intent is not to "win".  The passing in races is often much closer and more aggressive than what is tolerated at track days, and you're much more likely to crash in a race.