Forget other bikes... how about spotting a tornado on your track day?

We’ve all been there, you’re out on a track day concentrating hard as you get the chance to unleash your motorcycle’s power in a safe contained environment, when something just happens to come and ruin it.

However, while unaware motorcyclists – whether that may be touring on the racing line or those employing general ‘dickery’ around you - can be a scourge of the sensible track day enthusiast, how about turning a bend and spotting a tornado forming just over the track edge?

This rather startling video shows what perils the humble motorcyclist can face when Mother Nature throws a literal twister into the mix, as experienced by YouTuber Hayley Cox, who was participating in a track day in Topeka, Kansas – insert your Wizard of Oz reference here – when a funnel cloud forms on the horizon.

For the purpose of any meteorologists who may be reading this, a funnel cloud is a forming twister that becomes a tornado when it reaches the land… in short, the point where things get very destructive.

Fortunately, it appears the funnel cloud doesn’t morph into a tornado, but it’s proximity just beyond the trees at the edge of the track shows that things could have gone from bad to worse very quickly.  After all, riding a motorcycle in inclement conditions is one thing, we doubt we’d stand much chance against an actual tornado.

For the record, the session was stopped immediately upon witnessing the weather event…

That clip is part of a longer seven minute video which we’ve embedded below and some of you may question the wisdom of venturing out on track in what were already atrocious weather conditions judging by the amount of water being shifted by the motorcycles up ahead.

Still, if you’re going to take part in a novice track session, perhaps throwing yourself into the deep end in a controlled environment amid (very) wet weather conditions you’ll encounter on some days isn’t perhaps such a bad thing.

In fact, give it a watch and see if you can pick up any useful tips.