Over the Fourth of July weekend, we went to Virginia International Raceway to attend a Sportbike Track Time sponsored event. Our friends Mike and Jamie made the drive up to Danville, Virginia with us where we met up with several more friends from Johnson City. The weekend was spent railing around VIR's 1.65 mile long South Course. We had so much fun on this track that I can't wait to go back. I'm not sure quite how to describe it properly though. Part of it is tight and technical, featuring a great little corkscrew similar to the one at Laguna Seca, but it has this really fast front straight-away where speeds can top 150 mph! The pavement is smooth and nearly flawless. It has some moderate elevation change and one off-camber 180 degree turn that requires a good line through it and smooth throttle inputs. I learned this the hard way. You can take a look at the video I've posted to see what I mean.

I think everybody inproved their riding, even me- crash not withstanding of course- but nobody more so than Lesley. Check out the fifth picture down in the last column below. Wow! She rode so well that I think everyone was impressed, from the STT intsructors to other riders she didn't even know, and I could tell from the smile on her face she was having a really good time.

Our friend Mike has a new track bike that used to belong to a local racer, a Kawasaki ZX 6R. I can't believe how fast that thing is, and between that, James's new Yamaha R1 and Michael B's new Kawasaki ZX 10R, my RC 51 felt kinda slow. At least I was still able to pass a few people though.

I've heard people turn their nose up at VIR's South Course because it supposedly isn't as "good" as the North Course where the AMA holds one of their Superbike Nationals each year. Let me tell you though, after having ridden it for myself, it's so much fun that I can't wait to go back. South Course, North Course, who cares? VIR is a top notch facility that seems like it was made especially for motorcycles. We can't wait to go back.