30 minutes into my “partnership” chat with Keith | Photo by Jason Farias Author’s note: I showed up for a partnership conversation. I left with an interview—Keith Hertell on why “sweet numbers” aren’t the point, and why the front tire is the whole conversation. I wasn’t ready for this interview. I’ve known Keith for about […]
A Messy Recording, a Clear Message from Keith Hertell Read More »
Photo by Jason Farias You can hear it before you see it. Down at Harris Hill, the riders’ meeting is rolling and the track is quiet. Up on the rise at Turn 4, the wind is kicking through the bluebonnets, the paddock sits in the background, and somewhere in that stillness, Jason Farias is already
The Moment of Commitment: Track Days Through Jason Farias’ Lens Read More »
Photo by David Schwartz There’s a moment a lot of creatives can point to when a hobby quietly crosses the line into something more. For David, one of TrackDNA’s young paddock creatives, that moment didn’t actually happen at the track. It happened later, at home, staring at a batch of NASCAR shots from Circuit of
From the Paddock to the Apex: Learning to See Speed Read More »
Photo By Karl Pusch Corner entry is where a lot of early track-day confidence goes to die. Not because you’re slow. It’s because corner entry is the first place the bike demands timing instead of effort. You can muscle your way through a messy exit. You can survive mid-corner by being conservative. But entry makes
Corner Entry Confidence: The Moment Everything Comes Together Read More »
Photo by Shaun Bexley – British Superbikes Test Day at Donington Park There are places in life that feel familiar the moment you step into them – like a piece of you has been there long before your first visit. For many of us, the motorcycle track is one of those places. The first time
Why We Keep Coming Back: The Track as a Second Home Read More »
Photo by Theo Poncet If you’ve spent even one morning in the paddock, you know how alive it feels. The smell of fuel, the shuffle of warm-up routines, somebody torque-checking bolts for the fourth time. Every rider shows up with something on their mind. Every bike rolled off a trailer for a reason. And every
Unsung Heroes of the Paddock: A Tribute to the Track Marshals Behind Every Safe Lap Read More »
Photo by Jason Farias There’s a quiet truth you learn pretty fast in the paddock: you don’t need a race bike to ride the track — you just need a bike that’s predictable. We’ve seen riders roll in with bone-stock street machines, zip-tied headlights, and mismatched tires… and have the time of their lives. We’ve
Three Track Setups on Three Budgets Read More »
Photo by Karthegan Padmanaban Walking into your first track day can feel like stepping into a whole different world. You look down the row and everyone seems dialed – warmers, stands, tire gauges that look like they belong in a MotoGP pit. Meanwhile you’re trying to strap your bike into a U-Haul trailer without looking
Track Prep on a Budget: What You Actually Need for Day One Read More »
You don’t have to spend long in the paddock before someone mentions Keith Code. Hang around a few track days and you’ll see it in real time: a dog-eared book coming out of a gear bag, somebody quoting “the wrist,” a California Superbike School logo on leathers that have clearly done a few seasons. He’s
From Survival Reactions to Control: What I Learned from Keith Code Read More »
Photo by David Schwartz Most riders expect their first track day to be loud, chaotic, and a little intimidating.Mine wasn’t. It was quiet, human, and surprisingly welcoming. It didn’t just change how I felt about that day – it changed what I thought track life actually was. Your first track morning doesn’t hit all at
Beyond Lap Times: Your First Track Morning and the Soul of the Paddock Read More »
