Highway 2 Track Day on Horse Thief Mile returns

The body language says everything. You can tell an experienced rider almost immediately just by the way they sit their motorcycle. The easy roll of the shoulders. Relaxed wrists. Focus on the road ahead as far as they can see it. Bike and body moving as one through the turns.

For some, riding is more fluid and natural than walking. They grew up on two wheels. They spent their childhood on dirt bikes. They fell and broke things and got back on.

For those who did not grow up on bicycles and motorcycles, riding with skill and finesse takes practice. It takes hours and hours behind bars. And it helps a bunch to have good mentors along the way.

The Highway 2 Track Day on Horse Thief Mile is held at Willow Springs International Raceway, but its name reveals its genesis. The inspiration for the track day - and for putting emphasis on working with less experienced riders - takes its inspiration from the fifty five miles of State Route 2 known as the Angeles Crest Highway. It is a two lane technical road that offers riders rewards and challenges, and demands a high level of skill and attention.

But the Crest can be a rough place to find the limits of one's skill sets, and as the weather warms, the sound of fire engines and ambulances tearing through La Canada will become sadly familiar. A lot of accidents happen on the Crest, and many of them are the result of inexperience. Lack of muscle memory. Simple, innocent mistakes.

The Highway 2 Track Day was created to offer a friendly, supportive atmosphere in which to get comfortable with turning, braking, accelerating, apexes and elevation changes...all the things you'll find on every canyon road.

For the experienced rider, Horse Thief Mile is a fun track, with eleven turns, an 11% grade on the east flank, and the closest thing to a tight, winding canyon that you'll find in a track environment. And the environment is one of pure enjoyment with fellow motorcyclists. It's not a race. It's not a competition. It is just pure out and out fun.

For the new rider, it's a chance to work on vital riding skills in a controlled environment; without cars, without traffic coming the other way, and with something very valuable...support. The Highway 2 Track Day has professional mentors to work one on one with riders. It comes with the registration fee if you are in the C group. There is no additional charge.

Registration is limited to twenty riders per group (A, B and C) to ensure that there is ample room on the track for everyone. The cost, regardless of group, is $150.00. Riders come with their own motorcycles and gear. All skill levels and all motorcycle types are welcome.

To learn more about the track day and to register, please visit our Highway 2 Track Day page on Redbird's website:

https://www.redbirdsvisions.or...