shaggy
08-18-2008, 10:11 PM
Another good weekend for Mr. Podium...
GPTechman:
So here's my race report
Got to the track on saturday so I could get situated in a pit and enter in my races since I just decided that I was gonna race on well...friday.
I paid for this WERA license and only have done one race back in january so I figured I would give it another go. I never ride this track and the only time I was there was in january for the races and the trackday I signed up for was a nightmare. Not just the crashes but FASTRACKRIDERS as well. I got 3 sessions in and 18 laps total...for 270 bucks...15 bucks per lap. WTF
So needless to say I have no idea where Im going on that track...especially since Im not used to hard braking tracks.
In any case I dont sign up for the trackday even though I could have used it but the practice days right before tend to get all fugged up...which it did if you ask Cortez. I planned on signing up for C and B classes so I could get two practice rounds and with 2 rotations I should have been able to get 4 10-15 minute sessions...not a lot of time, but enough to shake off the cobwebs and hopefully find something I could work with.
What do you know...there is water on the track and they cut the 2 rotations down to 1 and start an hour behind schedule. So now I have 2 15 minute sessions...I ran a 41 in the first session and I was just stinking up the place. I was so lost and out of any sort of rhythm that I was like well I guess we arent racing today. I also think that part of the problem was that I was practicing on half bald take offs...the right side was where you couldnt see any tread and there just wasnt any rubber left there...
I go in to the pits and think well I just need to practice on good tires so I can get the suspension better and know what I am dealing with. I sack it up and make some suspension adjustments to compensate and it works better but not great. I was still struggling with grip issues in a couple of corners. but managed to drop a couple seconds...still slower than when I practiced in jan.
On the last lap I noticed that it felt like I was running out of gas...the bike was kind of jerking around like I was low on fuel...we go to change the wheel to throw on my "better" take offs before the race and the rear wheel is locked up...it ends up that the countershaft sprocket nut backed out and was grinding my cover and finally got bound in there. After that was all sorted out I headed out for my first race and it was kind of a scramble but ended up stalling on the way out. Thought rookie maneuver...but when I got to the staging area for hot pit I realized that when my "crew chief"(bill.) and pit*****,(deathblow) aka. my lifesavers, threw on the cover he might have adjusted the clutch cable cause it wasnt disengauging until bar in...so Im sitting there trying to find my friction zone for my clutch while we are waiting...good job. <--idiot
Gridded 17 and end up just motoring past a few people on the start...from then on it was a blur...to tell you the truth I have no recollection of this race...but I finished 3rd. All I know is that Kyle dominated me...
Next race I was gridded dead last because the grid manager didn't let me up where I needed to be. So I was gridded around the 27 spot...cause they gapped it. I got a prettty good start but had to wait and make my moves on certain parts where I was stronger since I wasn't confident on the brakes. I was starting to feel the tires go in this race...mind you these take offs were from Miller AMA round and I used them for a race at willow and then the other race...
Had a couple close moments in 1 but came out unscathed. Other than that it was another finish were 1st place dominated the field. Another 3rd place...
The last race I was debating even doing it cause my tires were getting a little squirrely and I already was happy with my results. Just decided to race and take it easy so I could just bring her home. Just be smooth and relaxed. I ended up getting another decent start but ended up giving up a position on the double apex...I didn't have anything for him there so I gave it up. I couldn't get back around but kept in touch the whole race...it was pretty non eventful. Ended up 4th. But ran my best time which was awesome to see since I didn't feel like I was going very fast through there.
So I ran into the 35s and cant complain since I dropped 3 seconds from last time out and no real set up time. With set up, a little more practice, and NEW tires, I think that I could run at least a second or a second and a half faster.
Had fun and didn't crash which is always a plus. Thanks to bill and allan for all the support, couldn't have raced at all with out your help!
GPTechman:
So here's my race report
Got to the track on saturday so I could get situated in a pit and enter in my races since I just decided that I was gonna race on well...friday.
I paid for this WERA license and only have done one race back in january so I figured I would give it another go. I never ride this track and the only time I was there was in january for the races and the trackday I signed up for was a nightmare. Not just the crashes but FASTRACKRIDERS as well. I got 3 sessions in and 18 laps total...for 270 bucks...15 bucks per lap. WTF
So needless to say I have no idea where Im going on that track...especially since Im not used to hard braking tracks.
In any case I dont sign up for the trackday even though I could have used it but the practice days right before tend to get all fugged up...which it did if you ask Cortez. I planned on signing up for C and B classes so I could get two practice rounds and with 2 rotations I should have been able to get 4 10-15 minute sessions...not a lot of time, but enough to shake off the cobwebs and hopefully find something I could work with.
What do you know...there is water on the track and they cut the 2 rotations down to 1 and start an hour behind schedule. So now I have 2 15 minute sessions...I ran a 41 in the first session and I was just stinking up the place. I was so lost and out of any sort of rhythm that I was like well I guess we arent racing today. I also think that part of the problem was that I was practicing on half bald take offs...the right side was where you couldnt see any tread and there just wasnt any rubber left there...
I go in to the pits and think well I just need to practice on good tires so I can get the suspension better and know what I am dealing with. I sack it up and make some suspension adjustments to compensate and it works better but not great. I was still struggling with grip issues in a couple of corners. but managed to drop a couple seconds...still slower than when I practiced in jan.
On the last lap I noticed that it felt like I was running out of gas...the bike was kind of jerking around like I was low on fuel...we go to change the wheel to throw on my "better" take offs before the race and the rear wheel is locked up...it ends up that the countershaft sprocket nut backed out and was grinding my cover and finally got bound in there. After that was all sorted out I headed out for my first race and it was kind of a scramble but ended up stalling on the way out. Thought rookie maneuver...but when I got to the staging area for hot pit I realized that when my "crew chief"(bill.) and pit*****,(deathblow) aka. my lifesavers, threw on the cover he might have adjusted the clutch cable cause it wasnt disengauging until bar in...so Im sitting there trying to find my friction zone for my clutch while we are waiting...good job. <--idiot
Gridded 17 and end up just motoring past a few people on the start...from then on it was a blur...to tell you the truth I have no recollection of this race...but I finished 3rd. All I know is that Kyle dominated me...
Next race I was gridded dead last because the grid manager didn't let me up where I needed to be. So I was gridded around the 27 spot...cause they gapped it. I got a prettty good start but had to wait and make my moves on certain parts where I was stronger since I wasn't confident on the brakes. I was starting to feel the tires go in this race...mind you these take offs were from Miller AMA round and I used them for a race at willow and then the other race...
Had a couple close moments in 1 but came out unscathed. Other than that it was another finish were 1st place dominated the field. Another 3rd place...
The last race I was debating even doing it cause my tires were getting a little squirrely and I already was happy with my results. Just decided to race and take it easy so I could just bring her home. Just be smooth and relaxed. I ended up getting another decent start but ended up giving up a position on the double apex...I didn't have anything for him there so I gave it up. I couldn't get back around but kept in touch the whole race...it was pretty non eventful. Ended up 4th. But ran my best time which was awesome to see since I didn't feel like I was going very fast through there.
So I ran into the 35s and cant complain since I dropped 3 seconds from last time out and no real set up time. With set up, a little more practice, and NEW tires, I think that I could run at least a second or a second and a half faster.
Had fun and didn't crash which is always a plus. Thanks to bill and allan for all the support, couldn't have raced at all with out your help!