Session Contents & Team Strategy

Now, let’s return to the topic of session time schedule. As we mentioned earlier, for the 2009 season each class has one less practice session. This makes it very important for the teams and riders to make the most efficient use possible of each practice session.

Below is rough outline of how the teams and riders utilizes each session:

Break in	Check machine & course conditions, rider warm up, etc.
Tire selection	Use of one-make tire rule has drastically shortened this process (See No. 1 “Tires”), giving the teams and riders more time for machine setup.
Setup	Try to get maximum performance from the tires, set up machine to suit rider’s style and track to allow the machine to be ridden as fast as possible.
Race simulation	Simulation of the race. The simulation methods include riding the same number of laps as in the race or determining how a machine performs on used tires[1] to simulate performance at mid-race and race’s end.
Time attack	Lapping at full speed to obtain the fastest possible lap time in order to secure a good starting position on the starting grid [2]. For most riders, the final “time attack” takes place towards the end of the session.

These activities are carried out in 3 sessions beginning with free practice on Friday afternoon and Saturday, followed by qualifying. The teams have to base their setup strategy around these sessions. For the teams and riders this is the most critical part of the race week. Ideally, machine setup and the race simulation should be hammered out during 2 free practice sessions, leaving qualifying for confirming the setup and focusing on a fast lap time. The warm up held on the morning just prior to the race allows a final confirmation of the race setup.

However, quite often change of conditions such as weather and track temperatures can play havoc with even the most well executed setup. In this case the teams must quickly find the best possible countermeasures and hope for the best. Needless to say, things don’t always go smoothly. This is when a team faces its truest test and when rider and team have to work together perfectly.

There are many key points such as split times, lap times, ranking of the time sheet, and monitoring the pit through TV cameras. Watching free practice and qualifying with such key points in mind, the battle towards the final race can be more realistic and enjoyable.

Race & Post-Race

The warm up held on Sunday morning is the final chance to check settings. At this stage of the game, the team may decide to perform warm up without adjustments, or the team may decide to make major changes in the final machine set up, if they believe it is worth taking. Either way, within a few hours the result will be clear. The warm up session lasts only 20 minutes and is the last chance to try alternative settings.

Soon there is nothing left to do but roll the bikes to the grid, wait for the start and see what take place. After 45 minutes of intense two-wheeled warfare the checkered flag will fall and everything accomplished during the week will be starkly displayed in the results. After digesting the information gleaned from the race, the teams can start preparing for the next race, where the battle will begin again.

The pit box and its equipment, which have served as, the headquarters for the team members and riders, must now be disassembled and packed up soon after the race. In a few hours everything is neatly packaged in black air cargo cases and is on its way to the next race.