If you've been following the magazine the past few months you might have noticed a trend forming with SR's new guy: he's dropping bikes like they were going out of style. Big or small I've dumped them all and the trend gets old really quick. Doing what I do for a living and having some accomplished colleagues by my side, it's only natural that my skills would improve. And they did-no longer was I being left for dust by other riders I previously thought I could never catch. Now instead of catching a quick glimpse of someone's riding gear as they went past, I could maintain a pace that allowed me to notice what brand someone's helmet was or what sponsors were on their leathers. And wouldn't you know it; I'd even sneak in the occasional inside pass on said person as well. Yes, my riding was coming along quite nicely.
Or So I Thought
With improved skill comes increased confidence and mine was brimming quite high. A couple of podium finishes in the local club races was a definite ego boost, but soon after that bubble was about to burst. A whole string of falls and mishaps soon followed, no doubt spurred by this new found sense of (false) invincibility. But waking up bruised, battered and with sprained body parts was a quick and painful way to bring this editor back to earth. With confidence now looming at an all-time low and with my sense of mortality back in check, it was decided that a riding school would be the best way to get back up to speed and have a professional assess what it is that's going all wrong. Unfortunately, with the economy falling and budgets being cut, there was no way to afford flying out to a world class racetrack for personal coaching by a former world champion.
Well, sort of. Enter Doug Polen. Polen's 1ON1 Riders School (
www.gopolen.com) runs in conjunction with trackdays organized by
www.thetrackclub.com and offers almost everything we were looking for: one-on-one coaching by a two-time World Superbike and World Endurance champion (not to mention the '93 AMA Superbike champ) and a reasonable price. The caveat? Buttonwillow Raceway Park would be the track of choice for the coaching lesson. World class it is not, but its mixture of turns and track surfaces makes it an excellent course to learn on. And for $350 (not including trackday fees) the price is hard to beat. For those who truly want to ride on a world class facility, dates are also offered at Infineon Raceway ($450) as well as Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca ($550). Lastly, for racers on the east coast, Polen is also offering his services at select AHRMA vintage races throughout the country. Participants needing to take a new racer program can sign up for the class the Friday before the event and be racing by the weekend. Likewise, seasoned riders looking for an advanced program may also enroll in the advanced racer school.