Steve Mandeville’s first race bike: a wrecked 1986 Yamaha FZ600 he turned into a track bike. This is ’89 or ’90, racing his “behind the curve” FZ against the much better ’87 CBR600 Hurricane. Photo is at the exit of the original Turn 11 at Sears Point Raceway. Steve Mandeville posted a story in Track […]
Accidentally Successful, On Purpose Read More »
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 Ramon Jones Written with the help and hard-earned insight of Aiden Sneed, whose experience on the bike helped shape this piece. TrackDNA Safety Note Riding motorcycles is inherently risky and can result in serious injury or death. The ideas in this article are shared for general information only. Nothing here is formal coaching,
Between the Passes: What a Young MotoAmerica Racer Sees That the Rest of Us Don’t Read More »
Photo by TrackDNA It was MSR Houston, four days before Christmas. One of those Texas mornings where the fog hangs low and the air feels soft. Seventy-two degrees, cool enough to be comfortable, warm enough to feel like the day is on your side. I’d just found out CMRA’s first round was going to be
When the Inner Voice Says “Don’t Pass” – My First Low Side Read More »
Photo by Harlie Raethel Author’s note:Huge thanks to Jason Litton — not just for stepping in and coaching me through that COTA weekend, but also for taking the time to walk back through it with me for this story. The lessons in here are from the saddle and from his eye as a coach. Most
Finding My Line: A Rider’s Turning Point with a Track Coach at COTA 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 »
