COTA 11/25 - Anyone interested?

[Kim-n-Dean]

I wanna go to COTA on 11/25. Never been there and would love a trip for the winter. Not looking for someone to share expenses, just looking for company to keep me awake on the fourteen hour trip. I'm usually only good for about six hours out of town. I'll have to split it into two days by myself. Actually, that's probably the way to do it even with two people.

Anyway, I'll be taking my thirty-foot toyhauler, so plenty of room for ya. You can even have one of the three queen beds.

I've heard bad things about Ride Smart, so looking for input on that as well. Will it be worth it? I don't need class room, just wanna ride a track I've never been to. Former expert MRA license holder with plenty of wins and tons of track days since. Will that still put me in their class room?

It'd be cool if Gramps wanted to go...

[madvlad]

I think Gramps was there same days Wolfeyez and I went earlier this season. While I was more in a pit crew capacity and didn't ride but hopefully they chime in and let you know on ridesmart

[Kim-n-Dean]

......While I was more in a pit crew capacity and didn't ride but hopefully they chime in and let you know on ridesmart

Soooooooo, you're telling me you went all the way down there, and didn't take your bike!?!

[Gramps]

Dean I may go but I wouldn't be able to help with the drive down. We would be coming from a different direction.

As far as your sign up goes I've ridden with RideSmart a few times now and you will be fine just signing up for the advanced class. You don't have to go to the classes if you're riding in advanced.


With that being said there are a few quirks about COTA to be aware of. If you fall, even if the bike barely hits the ground you are done for the day. Also if you run off the track surface it is grounds for dismissal. It sounds weird but I guess the track governing body is really strict due to the nature of the facility. Also the track is so damn wide compared to anything else I've ever been on that it never seems like your even close to running that wide. It's not controlled really close but the rule is out there and something to be aware of. These are both COTA only rules as far as I have been told.

It's a blast though and if I can get everything to line up I'll see you there. Weather it will be worth it or not is up to you. It was worth it to me even in the rain, but I just enjoyed the experience of riding it.

[Aaron]

Dean, first off I might be interested, I'll PM you about further.

As far as COTA goes, the facility is amazing, track is superb.

As far as Ridesmart goes, I wasn't impressed. My biggest complaint was the poor organization for bikes on track. At HPR the MRA lets the next round go hot when the last bike of the previous rounds is in turn 9. Enough distance that Ryan Burke isn't running up on a novice 250, but also doesn't waste rider's time with a "cold track." Ridesmart seemed to wait until the very last bike was off the track completely before starting the next round, which sucks when lap times are what, in the 3 minute zone? I just remember waiting at staging for what seemed like an eternity, in direct sunlight, in a Texas July. Had a friend time it, in theory I should have had 20 minute sessions, and they averaged 12. For $450 I hesitate to ride there again.

You absolutely need to sign up for advanced. The classroom sessions were terrible, and even in the advanced class you'll find a bunch of amateurs, I was expecting the skill level and pace to be significantly higher than it was.

Having said this, I'm glad I did it, riding COTA was phenomenal, and on my bucket list. But now that I've done it, I'd sooner go to Miller Motorsports Park once instead of going to COTA twice.

***About the rules. I was told over and over how strict they were, and I was honestly quite scared. I was told your session is over if your front wheel lifts, and that wheelies mean you're done. My bike was lifting the front wheel all day long through 2nd, and no one ever said anything. So I think it was more of a ruse to gain voluntary compliance, and another official told me you just can't show off, but power wheelies were fine. As far as running wide goes, you've got to be a special kind of special to run off, the track is wider than anything I've ever been on. I doubt this will be an issue for you at all.

[madvlad]

Soooooooo, you're telling me you went all the way down there, and didn't take your bike!?!

I went to help him with the drive and pit help, it was super last minute too plus I don't have a grand to just drop on just a track day plus food, etc lol

[WolFeYeZ]

I could be down... do you have room for another R1M? I'm sure we can stay awake the whole trip just talking about R1s.

[Kim-n-Dean]

Damn! I have to admit I didn't expect this much response and so quickly. The place being dead and all...

At first Kim wasn't going to go, now it's up in the air. Either way, I can still put a trailer on the back of the fifth-wheel for more bikes.

[madvlad]

If you guys need a pit person, lmk.

[Mother Goose]

Hmmmm.....

[madvlad]

Hmmmm.....

Let's go beesh

[Mother Goose]

Let's go beesh

Seriously thinking about it. Definitely a bucket list track.

Dean, I'll give you a ring this week.

[madvlad]

Yeah, be cool to ride it for sure. It was a blast just being out there hanging out last April even though the weather turned real shitty lol. Still cool seeing some of those guys rip it, also the Ferrari school hauling ass out there on their GT cars

[Kristian]

Mmmmm...... Looking for somewhere to go before the end of the year.

[Kim-n-Dean]

Ya takin' the Beamer?

[Gramps]

D - K

I got pulled into a family gathering that weekend so you guys have fun if you go. It's a great track. Keep your fingers crossed for good weather.

[Kim-n-Dean]

So, Kim is going. Since I'm bringing my fuck-buddy, I don't really want to share the RV for obvious reasons . However, I do have room for another bike, but you're on your own for sleeping (and maybe transportation) once we're down there. I might even consider pulling a trailer, too, if enough are looking to go.

We're leaving around noon on Wednesday 11/22. Coming back Sunday 11/26. We'll probably take two days of travel each way.

[Kim-n-Dean]

So, what's the best way (besides flying) to get to COTA? Google shows at least four different routes depending on if your coming or going. Seems every route has toll roads, too...

[Gramps]

Dean,

My advice is stay on the major highways. Even though it looks longer the small roads are pure crap.

You're right a lot of the roads have tolls. They will send you a bill.

We went down through Raton and stayed outside of Amarillo the first night and that seemed about right pulling a trailer. Then the next day put us in Austin mid afternoon.

[Kim-n-Dean]

I could be down... do you have room for another R1M? I'm sure we can stay awake the whole trip just talking about R1s.

Saw your reply on R1. That's freakin' hard core! If I left the day before, I'd sleep through the track day!

[Kristian]

Have fun, Rosemary and I are heading to the desert for golf!

[Kim-n-Dean]

Jesus!! I was just reading the rules for COTA. I think I would rather just stay at a hotel! Doesn't seem like there's any point in taking the fifth-wheel. Especially, since we'll be arriving Thursday. Wish they had this shit posted on the website, rather than receive it after sign-up! It's kind of making me not want to go, but too late, now. No refunds!

ARRIVAL TIME 6:00PM FRIDAY. DO NOT ARRIVEEARLY AS YOU WILL NOT BE PERMITTED ENTRY.

• Quiet time begins at 9:00 pm Friday and ends at 6:15 am Saturday; 9:00 pm Saturday to 6:15 am Sunday. No motorcycle engines during this time. No revving of engines or race engines 6:15 am - 7:00 am.
• 11:00 pm, lights out. No starting up of vehicles and please finish up your conversations by 11:00 pm.

You're kidding, right!?!

[Gramps]

They can't let you in because they don't have the track. There are usually other groups that are doing testing or something during the week. So that's why the 6pm Friday time frame.

As far as the other stuff it was pretty grey when I was there. Basically they are saying they won't allow traffic to come and go all night and they don't want bikes running all night long. As far as it being strictly enforced, my experience was it was pretty much a common sense type rule. I'm old so 11:00 lights out was fine with me.

Don't be so dramatic sweet heart

[Kim-n-Dean]

Dramatic? It's a freakin' race track. We can't even use our gas grill.

The "lights out" and "finish up your conversations by 11:00p.m." just feels like kindergarten.