Blatant photo and video showing-off, track day at Portimao

[Martin#30]

I hope it is OK to share this here in the adventures section, it was certainly an adventure but alas the GTR had to stay at home.

I am just back from 3 days on track at the Autodromo International do Algarve in Portugal, more commonly known as Portimao. A simply heavenly track in the sunnier south of Europe, built in the middle of nowhere so no local residents to complain about the noise.

Portimao is a wonderfully 3D circuit, with lots of elevation changes in comparison to our UK airfield based tracks.

I have a couple of on-board videos up on YouTube - if you are interested in this sort of thing, I hope you find them an enjoyable watch.

Last session of the final day in the glorious sunshine, with a fairly empty track as most people had started to pack up - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYTiSU1HhqM&feature=youtu.be .

2nd session of day 2 in the streaming wet, just goes to show how good race wet tyres are - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxaZGpuk_5U&feature=youtu.be

Martin.

[Rusty]

Martin .. that looks really good ... excellent photos too !
I have never done a track day but may well take up the offer with some of the team from work this summer .. I know K do them at Brands hatch, which is a lot more local for me in the soufff as opposed to the Ron Haslem school up Norffff.
Even better that, as you say there are no locals to complain ... how much do you pay for the day / sessions / photographer ? .. if you don't mind me asking ! ?

[Kwikasfuki]

He got his knee down as well. Only time I've got my knee down is when I've come off the bike 

What's that fancy system on the YouTube video?

[O.C.]

Brilliant pics and video Martin ....thanks for sharing, it made me feel better (really jealous) ..grrrrrrrr       

[Martin#30]

Thanks for the comments guys. I love my trackdays, and have probably done 60 or 70 now. I can highly recommend them. They are just a monumental adrenalin rush, and despite throwing it at the scenery a few times - once at 130mph - I have only had the odd minor injury. There is nothing really to hit on a track, so unless you highside, falling off tends to result in a nice gentle slide on your arse into the grass/gravel.

@Rusty, the 3 day foreign events tend to start at about £600, that would include all your track time, your hotel, and transporting the bike out to circuit on a truck. On top of that, you need to pay for flight, hire car, food and beer etc. plus the fuel/tyres/brake pads that the bike will consume. Probably £1,200 all in on a litre bike like mine that goes through consumables quite fast. UK days are typically £100 to £200 for the day, Brands is quite expensive though and may be more like £300 for the full GP circuit in the summer.

The photographers tend to charge £30 to £40 for a CD with all of your photos on.

@Asif, I have a datalogger on my bike that records speed, revs, throttle position, g-forces, gear position and lap times via GPS - made by an Italian company called Starlane. I then use a bit of software called Dashware to create the gauge and graphics, and overlay it over the GoPro footage.

I think the extra info really helps make the videos more exciting, and it helps me improve laptimes.

For anyone new to trackdays, and considering one, all I can say is do it. There is a vast range of talent and bikes on display at the days. In Portimao, there was a guy out on his £40k Desmosedici, it made a truly epic noise.

Martin.

[mecki]

I can think of a Thousand better things to do with my money than riding around in circles. 

[Silverback]

I can think of a Thousand better things to do with my money than riding around in circles. 

Well you enjoy doing those things then Mecki, looks amazing to me, great photo's Martin, and i suspect that learning the limits and abilities of both bike and rider on the safety of a track, can only improve safety on the road too.

[100milesaway]

Gerd, I dont think being on a race track could be described as going round in circles, Much the same as riding a bike on a motorway can be described as enjoying riding a motorcycle. 

[mecki]

Gerd, I dont think being on a race track could be described as going round in circles, Much the same as riding a bike on a motorway can be described as enjoying riding a motorcycle. 

So you reckon riding a bike on a motorway is enjoyable then? 
I don't think so. It is even more boring than racing around a track but at least you are getting somewhere in the end.   

[100milesaway]

So you reckon riding a bike on a motorway is enjoyable then? 
I don't think so. It is even more boring than racing around a track but at least you are getting somewhere in the end.   

No, maybe my interpretation of what I wrote is wrong. I dont think riding on a motorway is anything other than f------ boring and I avoid them like the plague. 

[mecki]

I suspect that learning the limits and abilities of both bike and rider on the safety of a track, can only improve safety on the road too.

That's nothing but an urban myth and I could claim exactly the opposite. 

[mecki]

No, maybe my interpretation of what I wrote is wrong. I dont think riding on a motorway is anything other than f------ boring and I avoid them like the plague. 

Now if you can't describe riding around a race track as 'going around in circles' even though you always end up exactly where you started every few minutes, then riding a bike on a motorway must also be enjoyable even though you find it boring.  Simples! 

[lord vader]

Looks like you was having great fun out on track Martin, i took my Hayabusa down to the Nurburgring last August and had a great time, first time i have been out on a track since 1994 when i did some club racing.  I am going to do some track days this year for definitely if it ever stops snowing 

[Lonewolf]

Martin, looks brilliant. I've never done a track day and don't know if I'd have the bottle to do one for fear of sliding off the track on the first bend. 

[O.C.]

I've done a few track days and they are great fun, granted they might not be every-ones idea of enjoyment, but it would be a sad world if we all like the same things in life.

Good for ya martin and again thanks for the pictures its great to see you enjoying yourself, its sad that some cant or wont share your enjoyment.

Out of interest Portimao race circuit isn't circular.

The definition of a circle is :-

"a continuous curved line, the points of which are always the same distance away from a fixed central point, or the area inside such a line: "