Sepang International Circuit is indeed a special place. It was here I rode the first-generation Ducati Panigale V4S in 2018, my first time ever at Sepang. It was the stuff of dreams, to hustle what was then the most powerful production superbike at unimaginable speeds around the circuit. That was an international press ride with a Ducati Racetrack Experience (DRE) clubbed in as well. Five years later, I recently got an invite from Ducati India to attend the Ducati Riding Experience (DRE) Racetrack Academy with the latest iteration of the Panigale V4S.
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Sepang International Circuit on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur is considered one of the best racetracks around the world.
Logistics were swiftly attended to, including fast-track visa and travel arrangements, and I soon found myself at Sepang, once again. But this time, it was more about the DRE Racetrack Academy in addition to experiencing the updated version of the Panigale V4S. For a two-wheeler journalist, any track outing is a learning experience, and one which offers a lot of adrenaline-pumping excitement; more so, if you have shredded knee pucks to reminisce the experience. The DRE Racetrack Academy is also an opportunity to learn some new skills, as well as polish whatever one thought one knew about hustling a fast bike around a racetrack!
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DRE Chief Instructor Dario Marchetti talks about taking the right line, as well as on maintaining throttle position, during the opening theory presentation of the DRE Racetrack Academy.
Ducati’s DRE, or Ducati Riding Experience has a wide range of riding experiences, tailormade for riders wishing to explore any particular style of riding or experience, be it on the street, longer tours, and off-road. There’s the DRE Rookie, DRE Road, DRE Adventure and DRE Racetrack, each offering a different flavour, for road riding, adventure and off-road riding, as well as longer adventure tours.
The DRE Racetrack Academy is designed to train riders to safely enjoy a sports bike on a racetrack. In our case, we were let loose on nothing less than Ducati Panigale V4 superbikes.
As the name suggests, the DRE Racetrack Academy is all about learning to safely enjoy a Ducati Panigale V4 on the racetrack. And it’s not just about the experience, but also a whole lot of help from the finest DRE instructors giving invaluable lessons, feedback and tips on how to improve. The Racetrack Academy isn’t about racing, or improving lap times per se, but more about adopting the correct technique and following the correct racing lines to help improve one’s riding on a racetrack.
Taking the correct line around a corner is easier said than done. Corner entry and exit references by our group instructor Bank, helped a lot.
At my last track outing at Jerez a few months ago, it became very apparent that correct braking and hitting the right racing lines is hardly my strong point. So, the DRE Racetrack Academy was a golden opportunity, to get some track time, as well as get some additional help to improve one’s riding. Or so, one thought, before suiting up for the day’s outing at Sepang.
Riders lined up to take to the track at the beginning of one session.
The DRE Racetrack Academy began with DRE Chief Instructor Dario Marchetti giving an introduction and theoretical presentation to the participants on best practices to follow. Choosing the right racing lines, adopting the correct riding position, as well as when and how to brake, and when to accelerate out of a corner were all briefly covered, before it was time to head to the paddock. We were divided into groups of four or five riders, to be headed by one DRE instructor. But overnight rain at Sepang played spoilsport. So instead of the usual five sessions, we had to wait for the track to dry out and so one session had to be sacrificed, with total sessions restricted to four; each session comprising of about 15-20 minutes.
Keen students from our group listening intently to DRE Instructor Terawat Tanasuwantan (a.k.a. Bank) between sessions.
The DRE Racetrack Academy had the instructors taking on different segments of riders, grouped into Intro, Warm Up, Evo and Master segments, with varying level of riding skills and experience. The lucky ones (and the Master class) participants were led by none other than Marchetti, World SBK legend Chaz Davies, former MotoGP stars Karel Abraham and Alex de Angeli, and several other experienced test riders and instructors. I was put in Warm Up for the opening session, with the option to move up to Evo if needed.
The pace of the group picked up after each session. Learning to handle a 200+ bhp superbike becomes easier with the right help from DRE instructors.
The pace of the opening session was steady, with our instructor Terawat Tanasuwantan (a.k.a Bank) possibly getting a feel of the group initially and gauging what sort of pace everyone was comfortable with. First session was focussed on lower body position, with session two focussing on upper body position. There on, it was about choosing reference points for braking and cornering, and choosing the correct lines, while focussing on hitting the apex. We had to do several different things in one smooth motion – braking, leaning, adopting the right body position, taking the correct line into a corner, and maintaining a smooth throttle hand, with minimal revs to ensure traction even when leaned over.
DRE Instructor Chaz Davies giving video feedback to one of the pupils in his group.
Session three was also videographed by the instructors and back at the pits, it was time to review where we are going wrong and how to improve further. And this was a revelation! My lines were all over the place, and no matter how close to the correct line I thought I was riding in, the video footage was a slap on the face!
The last session was to put into practice all the learnings from the day and apply them on track. I started tailing Paul Tseng in the final session. Paul in turn was tailing our group instructor Bank through most part of the last session. It was a delight to see Paul exhibit a level of smoothness and pace and a real apparent improvement from the previous sessions. Hopefully my skills also improved over the course of the day! It was a blast, and when you’re enjoying yourself on the bike on track, the red flag comes out too soon! So, it was time to head back to the pits.
Riding one of the most powerful production superbikes on a MotoGP class racetrack is an experience in itself. But getting to learn the nuances of track riding from the finest instructors with real, practical feedback is something which is what the DRE Racetrack Academy is all about.
For me, the biggest takeaway was the realisation that there's plenty more to learn and getting better lap times isn’t just about going faster. Taking the correct line around corners, marking reference points, both visual, and downshifting to the right gear at the right corner vastly improves overall pace and smoothness. This was also a case of getting comfortable using the width of the track and to try and hit the apex, at every turn.
The DRE Racetrack Academy requires commitment and is a day-long, physically demanding course. But it offers valuable experience and practical lessons from the very best DRE instructors.
For me, through the course of the DRE, it was a single-minded focus to nail turns 5 and 6 at Sepang under the tutelage of Bank. It was something which I eventually got some satisfaction doing towards the end of the day, although the double apex on turns 7 and 8 still proved to be elusive. More importantly though, the DRE Racetrack Academy experience underscored the use of reference points for corner entry and exit, as well as making mental notes on downshifting into the right gear, which did make for a smoother and hopefully quicker experience towards the later sessions.
DRE Instructor Carlos Serrano giving tips on correct body positioning to pupils in his group.
So, is the DRE Racetrack Academy worth considering. Most definitely, if you want to improve your riding skills on track. The group riding may not be to everyone’s liking, particularly to experienced riders who are regulars at track days. But you do get invaluable feedback and tips from DRE instructors to improve your body position, choose the right lines and attack the corners in the right way. Then there’s also the special feeling about attending a DRE where you meet like-minded enthusiasts who are as keen as you are to get some track time.
Happy pupils of the DRE Racetrack Academy after a fulfilling day at Sepang International Circuit.
Most of all, the DRE Racetrack Academy offers a safe environment to explore the limits of your riding skills, as well as to upskill yourself when it comes to riding a powerful superbike. For any Ducati owner, the DRE Racetrack Academy is certainly a must-do, an event which will not just help you get friendlier with the bike, but also the opportunity to hang out with the finest Ducati pro-riders, World SBK, MotoGP and all included. For many of us, including those Ducati customers who signed up and paid for the DRE Racetrack Academy, the wide grins at the end of a very fulfilling track experience said it all.
