Pridmore STAR track school, Aug. '11

[desmo2]

It still is, yes.

[Camber]

Originally Posted by desmo2

CANCELLED due to low enrollment!

I feel like someone just stole my puppy. I was SO looking forward to this!

If Pridmore puts Heartland Park back on the schedule for next year, some of you farkers better sign up!

Providing I get my bike rebuilt and finished this winter I will go next year. Ill consider it a graduation present to myself

[G Steezy]

I'm planning on running my 650 r next season if I'm not broke as a joke!

[desmo2]

A little update is apparently in order.

Pridmore had two days for his STAR school scheduled for August 29 & 30 at Heartland Park Raceway, Topeka, KS. Due to low enrollment, that school was cancelled. I was pretty pissed. As I later found out, "low enrollment" meant...seven. SEVEN! Ron and I were TWO of those seven! Jason Pridmore and his STAR school entourage, which includes several instructors from all over the country, sponsor support, and an incredible semitrailer that is a full-service motorcycle shop/office/GSX-R fleet transport, is kind of a big deal. I can't fault them for cancelling for a class of only seven.

Jason Pridmore is also associated with the Jordan/National Guard team, and without going into a lot of details, that association led up to him creating a one day school exclusively dedicated to National Guardsmen (and women, of course). Pridmore scheduled a National Guard day for August 31.

As a bit of consolation, Pridmore allowed free attendance to the National Guard day to anyone who was pre-registered in the cancelled STAR school. Ron and I took advantage of this without hesitation. We didn't really know what to expect...this school is paid for by the National Guard. Was it going to be a basic rider course? Ron couldn't get many answers from Pridmore HQ.

As it turned out, it is essentially a condensed STAR school (which is set up as and intended to be a two day course). You can sign up for only day one or day two, but if you have never been to either you would be seriously cheating yourself if you did. Day two is a continuation of day one.

Anyway, we got the Reader's Digest version of the STAR school with the National Guard day. It was awesome! Even more than before, I can't wait to sign up for next year's two day course!

Part of the school includes being driven to a corner, standing at the edge of the track and watching how the instructors and Jason Pridmore apply several aspects of the school. The most noteworthy for me was downshifting. Seems elementary, right? So many things did to me, but that was because I was basically riding around, quickly, on a track. To get around a track fast, however, I need to learn or re-learn several things I took for granted. So there I was, standing on the edge of the track at Heartland Park's back straight chicane, watching the instructors show off what they were teaching. Yeah, they were fast! I was duly impressed. Then, along comes a bike that is obviously going WAAYYY too fast to make the turn. The rider downshifted twice and the rear tire shook back and forth like a hungry alligator with fresh meat clenched in its jaws. Just when I was sure he was going to blast straight into the grass, the bike fell over and he hit the corner with surgical precision. As he flicked back to the right and blasted back into the rest of the back straight, I could see "PRIDMORE" plastered to the butt of his leathers. Several of us looked at each other, wide-eyed, and said something to the effect of, "he just about fucked that one up!" Seven or eight laps of the exact same performance proved he knew what he was doing. Watching a motorcycle and rider hit a turn with such precision, at such speed, at a distance of only a few dozen feet, was truly awesome.

The next challenge for me came when Jason Pridmore offered a two-up ride for anyone who was bold enough to take him up on it. I had done a little research on the STAR school, and the unanimous opinion among the internet masses was to DO IT. Earz has been to STAR school and did it, and Ryoung sure as hell wasn't hesitating. So, I made the decision to ignore my homophobic nut-to-butt proximity alarms and lack of control fears, and just do it. Jason rides a basically stock GSX-R with custom handles for the passenger built into the tank. I'm pretty sure he is also on run-of-the-mill supersport tires. I ain't gonna lie. When my turn came and I climbed up on the passenger seat of that bike, I was shittin' pickles. "Watch his hands!", I kept telling myself. "Watch how he brakes and downshifts!" When he took off down pit lane, entered the track and hit turn 1, all those thoughts turned into, "HHoooooolyyyy Shhhiiiiiiiiittttttttt!!!!!!!" He had told me when I got on that he would give me a pussy pass on the back straight...he would give me a thumbs up. If I returned it, I was good to go. If not, I would get a one lap ride. For half a lap I held on for dear life. When he gave me that thumbs up I shouted in my helmet, "Fuck that! I want OFF!!!" Unfortunately, my left hand shot straight out and gave a thumbs up. Traitor!!! I was relieved when I saw the start/finish line indicating I had survived lap one. Yeah, that's when Jason decided to pin the throttle and show off a bit. In my insanely glorious terror, I realized 1-3/4 laps in that I hadn't paid a bit of attention to what I wanted to...his downshifts. He does it so seamlessly I could have sworn we were on an automatic. We rode back into pit lane, I got off and thanked him with a big grin, and I walked away kicking myself for not paying attention to what I was supposed to be paying attention to. I will never get on the back of Pridmore's bike again.



Well, until next year, that is.



I can't wait until then. So much to learn in such a small amount of time! I desperately wanted to go to Hallett last weekend with Ryoung, Devo, and Egg to try to apply what I had seen/sort-of-learned. The track crack withdrawals are more than I can bear!!!

So, I have been on a pseudo-Methadone treatment by watching videos. Here is a video of Pridmore at Heartland Park running a few laps with his students watching from the same back-straight chicane I was in. Trust me, the video does not do his speed any justice. At 2:10, notice how he passes one of his fellow instructors on the outside in turn 3. Also note how smooth and quick his initial downshifts on corner set-up are...roll off throttle, fast downshift. I'm no teacher, you would have to hear it from Jason to understand its importance.



I REALLY want to attend the full STAR school next year! We need six or seven MMR riders to sign up to help ensure enrollment hits the mark! Judging the response of the students at the National Guard day this year, that may not even be an issue. In fact, it may be the opposite...enroll early or miss the cut! This school is for anyone! They separate the riders by ability/experience. There were riders out there on sport-touring bikes, riders who had never been to a track before, etc.

Trust me when I say that if you enjoy riding a sport bike in a sporty fashion, this school is worth every penny, and then some!

[FalxZZR]

awesome write up!

so does this mean you are going to ride 2 up with me? since your into that sort of thing now and all

[Ammo]

I did Pridmore's STAR as my first taste of the track back in 99 at Topeka. He was giving thumb up on a bone stock 750 katana for a donations to a charity. I went around me on the outside coming onto the back straight giving me a big smile and thumbs up.

I felt like I was going REALLY fast. He glided so effortlessly around me. smiling, turning around making eye contact, the thumb up, then he vanished before I got to the little cycane. stock 750 katana with street tires and a big dude on the back. I was so humbled.

then I lowsided a few sessions later - since I was still making payments on that bike I decided charity started at home and didn't get in line for a ride.

Jason took my son around letting him sit on the bikes, try on gear, and show him everything. THen he grabbed a scuffed up boot, signed it and sent him back to our pits. It sits proudly on display in their living room.

[k_sharp]

Very cool write up. I would love to go to STAR school. Would be a great opportunity to get some more skills under my belt.

When it comes around again, definitely let me know. I want to sign up.

[earz]

Good writeup Dave. The passenger seat of Pridmores bike is like a low flying roller coaster. You just want to throw your hands in the air and scream as it smoothly glides around corners at astonishing speeds. I damn near slid off the back of the seat through the front straight at Joliet. Acceleration out of a corner is an understatement.

I'm glad you decided to overcome your fears and go for the ride. You'll never forget it.