Heed 505

Words just barely describe the intense levels of fun and excitement I experienced yesterday. My day began with a trip to Chuckwalla Valley Raceway near Palm Springs, California to ride Superbikes with SoCal Track Days. Although I had some idea of what the track was going to be like to maneuver around based on the Chuckwalla Valley Raceway First Ride report, after burning through 15-gallons of fuel aboard our Yamaha R1 and Honda CBR1000RR Project Bikes (learn more about it in the 2010 Yamaha YZF-R1 Project Bike Review) I’m in love with Southern California’s latest road racing circuit.
 
Compared to other road racetracks, Chuckwalla’s layout puts an emphasis on cornering. Straight-aways and heavy braking zones are few and far between and when you’re lapping around its 2.68-mile course you’re constantly barraged by various types of turns which make it perfect for experiencing the thrill that is being cranked over on the side of a motorcycle—in excess of 100 mph in some spots—within inches of the pavement. The track is also wide which in turn helps foster strong drives off corners not to mention providing a copious number of passing opportunities. Lastly, there is plenty of run-off room in case you make a mistake and a blow a corner (I did twice).

SoCal Track Days put on this weekend’s event and one of the best things about its track days (besides the reasonable $175 price) is how there are no scheduled sessions or groups. Besides an hour-long lunch break the track is open all-day for you to ride whenever you please. That might cause concern for either super fast or super slow riders but considering how wide the track is and the sheer number of passing zones, getting through slower traffic can be accomplished quickly and most importantly safely. SoCal also caps the number of participants. I was surprised at just how many clean laps I got and at certain times, especially later in the afternoon, it felt like I was riding solo on track, no joke.

If you’re looking for a refreshing way to spice up your sportbike riding game I highly recommend making the trip out to Chuckwalla with SoCal Track Days. The track is fun, safe and refreshingly different from other racetracks. I can’t wait to go back!