Barber Primer by Charles Lifer

This is a little piece that Charlie submitted to the TVSC mailing list. It describes a lap around the Barber's Racetrack located in Birmingham, AL. This world-class race track is one of the most difficult to master. Here is what Charlie says it takes to get around this track.

you've completed your warm-up lap of the best track in the country.
Time to get serious! You've waited weeks for this and it all comes
down to getting it right. This is a battle between all of your
preparation, who you are, overcoming your fears. Fast lap times
bring SATISFACTION!! Not getting them means questioning your own
self. And no satisfaction! And now down to business...Down
the front straight, 4th or 5th gear on most 600's, as far right as
you can. Cross the finish stripe before shutting the throttle. Grab
the front brake now or wait until marker 4 or 3 if you are brave
enough. Downshift to 3rd as you begin a hard turn to the left for
the downhill. Go from full brake pressure to off the brake about
left knee touchdown time apexing at the cone or later. The bike
should slide to the right almost to the right edge of the track if
you were fast enough through the turn. You are now approaching turns
2-3, a 210 degree downhill right. You are only on the gas for about
2-3 sec's after apexing turn one and biginning the stand-up. Grab
front brake again and downshift to 2nd. Throw it to the right knee
staying to the inside of the pavement. Halfway around, about 100
degrees, begin accelerating, letting the bike drift to the left still
on your knee. Begin standing it up to get more on the meat of the
tire for even more throttle as you head for the end of the white
concrete run-off on your left shifting up to 3rd. Turn it to the
right about 45 degrees not quite to rt. knee accelerating up the hill
and click into 4th being careful to not wheelie over the hill while
clipping the right side of the track that you could see when you
began your turn in. If you hit it fast enough you will feel yourself
slide or drift to the left side of the straight when it flattens out
on top. Be sure to tuck at thses speeds. Go for 5th if you have
time moving back to the right side of the track. Begin braking hard
at markers 4 or 3 while vertical for a couple of seconds scrubbing
enough speed to click down to 2nd while trail braking, down to your
left knee starting your turn later than you think you should. As the
bike begins stanking up off of your knee after the apex, apply the
throttle progressively harder until as you get close to vertical it
should be fully on. Stay slightly leaned to the left through turn 6
straightening up into 3rd then 4th gear as you move to the far left
side of the track. Grab brakes again at markers 4 or 3 clicking down
to 3rd. A 45 degree turn to your right while trail-braking into it
will let you see the left side of the curb for 7 just past the right
side of 6. Brake between them clicking into 2nd as you jump the
concrete section just missing the left side cone. Throw it to your
right knee in the downhill picking up the throttle as you exit
sliding to the left side of the track as you stand it up. Into 3rd,
then 4th moving to the right side enough to line up the two apexes of
8 and 9 in a visual straight line so that as you clip 8 you are
already straight up and down and throwing it to the right as you head
for 9. Passing 9 while still on the throttle should carry you to the
left side of the track tucking to get more speed into 5th gear. Move
bakc to the right side of the track and grab brakes at markers 4 or 3
downshifting to 3rd for a knee down left apex over to the right knee
for the transition going downhill right that goes back up and over a
hill hitting your apex early to your right and letting your speed
carry you to the left side of the track at the hillcrest. Back on
the throttle and begin your turn in late building a lot of speed and
drifting to the middle after apexing right. Let it stand up almost
vertical as you downshift into 2nd. Begin your turn-in to the right
late and from the far left side of the tack. This strategy will help
you set up for the last right carrying the most speed into the
straight. Hit the next to the last turn with a very late apex
leaving you hugging the inside of that exit building speed for an
increasing speed left turn going into 3rd right before or after your
turn-in to the left. Run wide to the right side of the track tucking
in and clicking into 4th and 5th if you have time. Cross the start-
finish line and repeat. If you follow all of thse directions it
should put you close to a 1:40 or lower......Thomas? Josh? Ronnie?
Feel free to tell it even better than this. You three have been
there, done that. I would appreciate any tips or corrections to 'get
it right' Hope to reach 1:40 in June at Barber.