PacedayZ - Reviews of Alcarras with Pacedayz

What a great time we had in Alcarras.

Arrived on Thursday to a glorious sunny Spain, the hotel was really funky, the entrance full of boxed veg!, cow settees and pop art pictures, our room had a snazzy shower with loads of multi jets to squirt you all over, a sauna and a jacuzzi. Down to the bar for some drinks, banter and sign on then out to dinner. Being a bit OCD (me never!!!) I bought some bleach and ran it through the Jacuzzi to make sure it’s all nice and clean. Off to bed for an early night.

Each day the weather was perfect, a tiny chill in the morning but soon warming up to between 20-24˚ and dry for all 3 days.

Alcarras circuit is brilliant, never been before and Pacedayz are the only UK company that go there, lots of twisty bits, so great for the 675 but also combined with a couple of nice straights that are long enough to make it important to get the drive on to them right, but not so long that you are sitting there waiting for all the 1000s to catch you up and pass. The track also has some great gradient changes with a big drop down a hill, a bit like the plummet you get at Portimao, blimey it takes a while to build up and drive down as fast as you dare. 10 lefts and 4 rights so a good chance to use the other side of the tyre for a change. What a great track, it’s definitely being added to the favourites list and we’ll be going back again soon.

Day 1 was spent getting to grips with the track and finding out where it goes, we’d done our homework before setting off, so had a good idea and some reference points so it all came together quite well, days 2 and 3 all about building up speed, especially down that amazing hill.

I haven’t done that many track days this year and last time out (Mallory at the end of September) I felt rubbish, nearly 3 months off the bike and my head wasn’t in it, I was riding round waiting for the chequered flag just waiting the sessions out, at one point I was thinking “this really isn’t for me any more” I really felt I’d lost the desire to push and go fast. I’d also had similar feelings, but not so bad at Oulton at the start of July, so I was a bit concerned that I didn’t like track days any more.

Luckily I think it was just not being on the bike regularly enough, as when I jumped on at Alcarras I took the 1st day nice and gently to get the track learnt, didn’t pressure myself to push and go fast too soon and just enjoyed myself. I normally gauge how well I’m riding by how much behind Hollywood I am. A 5 second difference on a track this sort of size is my typical cut off point, faster than that I’m doing OK, slower and I’m being rubbish. Hollywood was riding well as normal, peddling Big Fat Bev round as fast as she would go whipping past lost of snazzy 1000s as normal. We ended the trip with me only half a second slower, woohoo!!, yippee!! and all those things, people were laughing at me as I got of my bike after that session and was doing a little excited dance.

I worked really hard over the 3 days and had a blast. Ending each day sharing a bottle of wine in the Jacuzzi with Hollywood whilst we debriefed the day and made plans for the next - heavenly

Pacedayz are a great crew, well organised and very friendly. The days ran well and there was only 1 red flag (I think) over the 3 days. We were out like clockwork on the dot for each 20 min session. The instructors are great as they actively ride in a lot of session and are proactive in coming and finding you for a chat and seem genuinely interested in how you are doing. A guy called Dave would every now and again go past me in some of the sessions, sometimes pull in front to maybe correct a line slightly or just give an encouraging tow for a few corners afterwards he would catch up for a chat and was so enthusiastic, he’d obviously chatted to some of the others as some of the other would come up and say well done etc. The whole crew were very friendly and made the effort to walk around the pit garages and have a chat, rather than hiding away.

So overall a brilliant trip, roll on Almeria in December – can’t wait.