Damn, looks like it hurt a tad, I'd love a track day one day, couple questions if you don't mind, did you have any lessons from someone before you went on or just get on one and go for it? Also where would be best for a novice track rider in your opinion?
Snetterton is a very easy track with massive run offs! It's quite hard to do major damage doing novice speeds (no offence)
I first went up on a road bike (Snetterton). I booked novice with about 15 other people. I use no Limits, they're the best hands down. I have used Focused Events but they're a bunch of dicks. MSV are good, I think they're kinda the same company as no limits, I could be wrong.
I wouldn't worry about lessons. Book a novice group and just go out. You will turn up and it's run like clock work. You will start your day by doing 3 sighting laps, that should help you learn the track...Then you're on your own.
Just because it's a track, doesn't mean you have to pin in. You go at your own pace and build up and up. What I did was go at the near back of the group, let them blast off. That allowed me to get body position right and just ended up going faster and faster. After a few sessions (You tend to get about 7/8 20 minutes sessions per day), you can ask an instructor to go out with you, they follow you, you follow them....Their experience is gold and they're happy to help you out (NO limits).
I'd go there with some sort of goal......Just don't go with the knee down stuff, it will slow you down and mess up your riding style. Let it come to you, if you ride the tracks right, it will happen!
I've done a few now, also open pit lanes and moved up to intermediate, done the odd fast group but they are scary as hell. I have a track bike so I can open it up a fair bit faster than I ever did with a road bike. If I crash a track bike, I can chuck it in a van and fix it for less than £50 as I don't need pretty, I need working!
The one thing I do is listen to the experience racers or seasoned track day people. Don't listen to your mate down the road who's been riding roads for 5 years.... I'm lucky, I mingle with racers who are always giving tips and advice.
Tracks are awesome and safer than roads. It makes me chuckle when people say how they're scared of crashing on a smooth, one way, no furniture or policed piece of well kept tarmac but are happy to ride the roads where you have people coming at you, the side of you blah blah..
