jadeblue1
Tue 9/20/05, 2:08PM
this month was going to be the first month i tried doing 4 races on sunday- i would ride “dixie”, the SV, for bott middleweight, 550 superbike, and “prom queen”, the 400, for 500 super stock and 500 mod prod.
i had to change the gear ratio on prom queen(last month i banged the top gears off the rev limiter every race), and i went to a directional/radial tire set up on her (bt 090 front-bt 014 rear).
Zoran had redone my front forks for dixie, and i felt much more confident about the suspension this month. But as i was setting up the rear sag on wednesday nite, i saw oil all over the top of my rear shock. a seal appparently had blown while i was riding at buttonwillow, and i had run the oil out of the cylinder.
One panicky call to zoran, another to kurt spencer, and 5 or 6 more to my other friends that have gsxr’s to find a shock to get on there by saturday. fingers crossed-i went to bed. the next morning, i had 2 shocks i could borrow-one to be overnited from kurt spencer, one from big steve (track daz), so i knew i could at least get the track time in.
saturday monring rolled around and i got to the track at 7:30 and prepared to swap the rear shock. (it can actually be done with only a rear stand, scissor jsck, and socket wrench) big steve said he would help me wrestle it off once he got done with tech inspection. the shock kurt spencer sent me he had set up ahead of time, so it only needed to be slipped in & set the static sag & it was ready. the dogbones came loose surprisingly easy, and the scissor jack method was really fast. dixie was buttoned up & ready to ride by 10 am.
i have discovered if you really want to make the ride interesting, change 2 or 3 things on 2 different bikes & then try to ride them like you normally do. the new tire set up prom queen was awesome, but i had to figure out completely different shift points.
dixie rode much better-the forks were actually compressing now, but since i’m not used to pirelli tires, i didn’t have the right pressures in them, so the rear was sliding all over the wide turns like it was going to bust loose at any second. (oh yeah, this is the 2nd time i’ve had dixie on the big track, and my second attempt at racing her. i also have to run her in middle weight practice against bigger bikes because i ride the other bike (fzr) in lightweight-the other sv’s ride lightweight practice).
the rest of the practice was a little disenheartening, because although i was getting more comfortable with my changes on both bikes, i still wasn’t comfortable with the pirelli tires, and i still hadn’t figured out my new shift points on the fzr. so i decided to just run for fun, took all the timing devices off both bikes, rode 2 more sessions, put them away, got a beer & watched the solo series races before dinner.
sunday morning was rushed-i was going to be running in races #1,4,7, & 9. i wanted to get both practice sessions in to do some fine tuning on the sv. during the second lightweight practice, i was on the fzr entering turn 7 going to 8. i was setting up to pass a slower rider, #533, on the inside. i had plenty of room & speed. as i was showing him tire and going by-i saw his head turn. i thought “OH CRAP!!!”-quickly grabbed some front brake as he cut over to the inside & missed my front tire by inches. i didn’t gun it & go because i was already in 6th, and was only halfway by him when he decided to change his line. i’ll give up a line in practice to avoid a situation, because it’s only practice. but it was a little unnerving, so i started getting really nervous about race #1 alot sooner than i normally do.
race #1 starts like 5 mins after the riders meeting & national anthem, so i was running back to my pit to get my helmet & gloves on, jump on the bike & get on the track. the sv is definitely out gunned in bott middleweight by the ducatis, but i wanted the practice. so i line up on the grid-dead last because i have no points in this class. the starter throws the flag-and we’re off! i chase the pack into t1, and in t2, my tires slide a little & i back off the throttle a bit as we head into 3. i’m just concentrating on trying to hang off the guy in front of me, but i miss a shift going into 6, and he gets away... i’m now heading into 8 & i see a dust trail kicking up off to the side that ends at a gianormous dust cloud... i make myslef look away as i see the crash truck barreling towards it and throw my hand up as the red flag comes out.
as i pull off the track, i see kurt’s mom & friend headed towards the fence & i think-no way, it can’t be.. and his mom heads over to me in tears. i give her a hug & tell her “it’s ok-the ambulance is over there-i’ll meet you by the fence” i put my bike in the stand, pull my helmet off, grab my pit bike, and hurry over.
i see another crash truck headed that way & i ask them-hey, did he hit the berm? & they said yeah-but he got up so he’s not hurt too bad. i got to the fence, could see the crash truck guys loading the bike up-not much else. so i turned to his mom gave her a big hug, told her the crash truck guys said he had gotten up so he’d be ok, but the bike is probably a little messed up. i held on to her for a second-because i felt bad that she was upset-and the trucks weren’t moving yet. then i went over to his friend & gave her a hug & told her the same thing & not to worry. i’m sure getting bearhugged by a chic in a heavy leather suit is not the most comfortable thing in the world, but i also knew this was the first time she’d seen him race, so it must have been a little disturbing.
the trucks were starting to move, so i headed back to my pit & jumped back into my gear & onto my bike. i knew if i didn’t get back out-i would lose the nerve to do this race. we lined up again for a 6 lap restart, and when the flag dropped, i hit it. the only way i can describe how this one went is the thought going through my mind the whole time flipped between “AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHshite!” & “I have no idea what i’m doing!” but i decided saturday i was just going to ride for fun, so after the 2nd lap, i settled into a pace i could handle & keep the bike on the track. the guy in front of me started pulling away, but i just kept on with my own pace. i knew is was going to finish this one where i started out-dead last, but i was going to have fun doing it. i came around 9 for the last time-saw the checkers & pinned the throttle...after all the races were done & i checked the times on all my races, ironically this ended up being my fastest race...
the next 2 races were on the fzr, and as we gridded up for mod prod, i was feeling that giddy feeling you get when you’re a kid pulling up to the gates of an amusement park. the flag dropped & i got a horrible start, but get on it & ended up in a little 3 pk with amy-#737 & #533. i was slightly behind them & as we headed up the hill into 3, i was planning on going around #533 to get behind amy on the back straight. but he was swinging around like he kept trying to squeeze by on the inside-even in t4. so i just held my line & stayed right behind them, because i couldn’t see daylight between them & knew they were going to smack together at some point.
we headed into 8 & 9, and as we headed down the front straight, i moved around to take the inside line in 1, but i had one eye on #533 as i started heading by him. sure enough, he cut my front tire off again & i had to grab some brake to avoid a colllision. he tried to get under amy at the apex, but she stayed ahead of him. now i’m getting mad, because at this point, i’m not racing, i’m trying to figure out how to get around this whole thing & avoid an accident. but the pace was just fast enough that i couldn’t get the drive up hill after he cut me off.
so i dropped back to 2 bike lengths, because #533 was still peppering amy’s behind & riding way too close. around 8 & 9 again & down the front straight-i’ve decided I ‘m going to take the higher line in t1 & slingshot around this joker & amy in t2, because i drive deeper & am later on the brakes in 1 than both of them. so i set up for the outside & hold the throttle pinned way longer than i want to & as we go into t1, i see #533 successfully get under amy & come up beside her. i knwo they’re going to connect & into going to pile drive into both of them when they go down beside i close enough that i can’t even react.
so as they connect-i watch him push her 4ft off her line right into the middle of mine. I grab some front brake-amy straightens out & we both head for turn 2. the joker that hit her just went around her into t2 like nothing happened. that’s the 1st time i’ve seen the “human berm pass manuever” & i’m thinking “screw that-i just want to finish” so i stay behind amy & setup for a pass on her down the front straight. as we come out of t9 & head towards t1-we see a huge cloud of dust & 2 bikes off in the dirt. the red flag comes out & we head in. turns out the #533 tangled with a ducati that was lapping him & they both went off track. apparently #533 had decided to change lines in the middle of a turn again...i’m really glad that neither of them were hurt too seriously, but when there’s people out there riding like buttheads, it’s going to happen.
for the 2nd 500 race, the formula twins was 1st wave -we were 2nd. the starter dropped the flag & they ‘re off....all except this one guy on a big red bike that can’t seem to get it started or out of the way. so he’s trying to start it, or move & the 1st wave is now almost halfway around the track. the starter & the other line guy run out, push this guy out of the way & we got a real quick start- really quick becuase they sent 2nd & 3rd wave together.
i guess it would be bad if we were still sitting on the grid when the first wave came around... so we took off like chickens on fire & i actually got a really good start. i was ahead of amy for almost an entire lap & then we started our dicing in 8. she got by me in 9, & i set up for a pass in 1, but it would be a close one, so i backed off & got her in 2. as we headed down 4b-5, kenny kopecky went by me.
the first wave never catches us this fast, so i realize there’s going to be a lot of big bikes passing us that we’re not used to seeing on the track with us. but it does make for interesting lap traffic... so t8, amy catches me again, t2 i catch her & t4 i hear something big behind me... ducati #2 goes around me in 4a & i just do my best to hold my line & not chop throttle...great, now i am going to have a freight train coming up behind me. so back around to t8-amy passes me, i decide this time i’m going to pass her in 8, so i can do it on the checkers lap if i need to. the plan is going weel, i’m right on her tail....then the freight train catches me- about 5 bikes long- in t4 down to t5, and now she’s got a good jump on me. but that’s ok, i’ve got drive & i’m motivated... so i get the charge on the front straight, making up some time...feeling good... then 2 more big twins at the top of the track pass me.
that’s ok-i’m almost done being lap traffic-i don’t remeber that many bikes in the field, but ok...so now i’m coming around to the front straight & chris from track days on his big hayabusa-looking bike goes around me & i’m like damn- how many bikes were in the first wave anyway? & i realize amy has now got about a 1 sec lead on me. this is the checkered flag lap, so i’m going to run the tires off me bike. as i head around t8 for the last time with the fzr set on “puree” - i head for the checkers like i’m actually racing against somebody. as i come out of 9 & straighten up, i see the big red bike that stalled on the line come around me & get 1 bike length ahead of me for the flag. dang & i cam so close to beating a formula twin too!
550 superbike is the last race to run-i had already agreed with amy ahead of time that after our dice-fest in the first 2 races, to just keep racing each other. i knew i wouldn’t be able to set some new lap record with dixie, so i just wanted to keep having fun. the flag dropped & i got a half way decent start & by turn 8, she started getting around me, so i let her by, knowing i could get her in 1. an aprilla rs250 snuck by witth her too& i thought cool-i have no idea what an sv can do against an aprilla, but let’s find out.
so down the front straight, i hammered it & got by both of them. i stayed ahead thru the top part of the track & knew she would go by me again in 8. 8 is bad for me on the sv because the pirellis do this slip-n-give thing that i’m just not used to so i slow down a little when they start doing that. sure enough, i saw tire about 1/2 way through 8. this time though, as we headed down the front straight, i was getting tired & didn’t want to do the dive pass again. my arms were starting to go away & i still had to hang on for the rest of the race. i stayed close to amy & the ‘priller, and on the last time down the stright, i thought i would go by the ‘’priller, but at the line he had me by 1/2 a bike .
i dropped 3 more seconds off my time on the fzr this month, and dropped 6 seconds off the sv. i now have enough points to go from probationary expert to expert. i think i’m going to wear a tiara & feather boa over my leathers for the license picture-it can’t be any worse than my drivers license photo...
a very BIG thank you to:
my sponsors: crago racing, angelo’s upholstery, graffiti palace tattoo, lockhart-phillips, sdlara comix, reflex gear, galfer brakes
and an especially BIG THANK YOU to zoran (twf) for setting up my forks, kurt spencer for loaning me a shock so i could race the sv this weekend, big steve for helping me do the heavy work on my bike & setting it up, james (nomadrip) for helping me safety wire everything & helping with the bikes in general- and also the pretty blue brake lines.
i had to change the gear ratio on prom queen(last month i banged the top gears off the rev limiter every race), and i went to a directional/radial tire set up on her (bt 090 front-bt 014 rear).
Zoran had redone my front forks for dixie, and i felt much more confident about the suspension this month. But as i was setting up the rear sag on wednesday nite, i saw oil all over the top of my rear shock. a seal appparently had blown while i was riding at buttonwillow, and i had run the oil out of the cylinder.
One panicky call to zoran, another to kurt spencer, and 5 or 6 more to my other friends that have gsxr’s to find a shock to get on there by saturday. fingers crossed-i went to bed. the next morning, i had 2 shocks i could borrow-one to be overnited from kurt spencer, one from big steve (track daz), so i knew i could at least get the track time in.
saturday monring rolled around and i got to the track at 7:30 and prepared to swap the rear shock. (it can actually be done with only a rear stand, scissor jsck, and socket wrench) big steve said he would help me wrestle it off once he got done with tech inspection. the shock kurt spencer sent me he had set up ahead of time, so it only needed to be slipped in & set the static sag & it was ready. the dogbones came loose surprisingly easy, and the scissor jack method was really fast. dixie was buttoned up & ready to ride by 10 am.
i have discovered if you really want to make the ride interesting, change 2 or 3 things on 2 different bikes & then try to ride them like you normally do. the new tire set up prom queen was awesome, but i had to figure out completely different shift points.
dixie rode much better-the forks were actually compressing now, but since i’m not used to pirelli tires, i didn’t have the right pressures in them, so the rear was sliding all over the wide turns like it was going to bust loose at any second. (oh yeah, this is the 2nd time i’ve had dixie on the big track, and my second attempt at racing her. i also have to run her in middle weight practice against bigger bikes because i ride the other bike (fzr) in lightweight-the other sv’s ride lightweight practice).
the rest of the practice was a little disenheartening, because although i was getting more comfortable with my changes on both bikes, i still wasn’t comfortable with the pirelli tires, and i still hadn’t figured out my new shift points on the fzr. so i decided to just run for fun, took all the timing devices off both bikes, rode 2 more sessions, put them away, got a beer & watched the solo series races before dinner.
sunday morning was rushed-i was going to be running in races #1,4,7, & 9. i wanted to get both practice sessions in to do some fine tuning on the sv. during the second lightweight practice, i was on the fzr entering turn 7 going to 8. i was setting up to pass a slower rider, #533, on the inside. i had plenty of room & speed. as i was showing him tire and going by-i saw his head turn. i thought “OH CRAP!!!”-quickly grabbed some front brake as he cut over to the inside & missed my front tire by inches. i didn’t gun it & go because i was already in 6th, and was only halfway by him when he decided to change his line. i’ll give up a line in practice to avoid a situation, because it’s only practice. but it was a little unnerving, so i started getting really nervous about race #1 alot sooner than i normally do.
race #1 starts like 5 mins after the riders meeting & national anthem, so i was running back to my pit to get my helmet & gloves on, jump on the bike & get on the track. the sv is definitely out gunned in bott middleweight by the ducatis, but i wanted the practice. so i line up on the grid-dead last because i have no points in this class. the starter throws the flag-and we’re off! i chase the pack into t1, and in t2, my tires slide a little & i back off the throttle a bit as we head into 3. i’m just concentrating on trying to hang off the guy in front of me, but i miss a shift going into 6, and he gets away... i’m now heading into 8 & i see a dust trail kicking up off to the side that ends at a gianormous dust cloud... i make myslef look away as i see the crash truck barreling towards it and throw my hand up as the red flag comes out.
as i pull off the track, i see kurt’s mom & friend headed towards the fence & i think-no way, it can’t be.. and his mom heads over to me in tears. i give her a hug & tell her “it’s ok-the ambulance is over there-i’ll meet you by the fence” i put my bike in the stand, pull my helmet off, grab my pit bike, and hurry over.
i see another crash truck headed that way & i ask them-hey, did he hit the berm? & they said yeah-but he got up so he’s not hurt too bad. i got to the fence, could see the crash truck guys loading the bike up-not much else. so i turned to his mom gave her a big hug, told her the crash truck guys said he had gotten up so he’d be ok, but the bike is probably a little messed up. i held on to her for a second-because i felt bad that she was upset-and the trucks weren’t moving yet. then i went over to his friend & gave her a hug & told her the same thing & not to worry. i’m sure getting bearhugged by a chic in a heavy leather suit is not the most comfortable thing in the world, but i also knew this was the first time she’d seen him race, so it must have been a little disturbing.
the trucks were starting to move, so i headed back to my pit & jumped back into my gear & onto my bike. i knew if i didn’t get back out-i would lose the nerve to do this race. we lined up again for a 6 lap restart, and when the flag dropped, i hit it. the only way i can describe how this one went is the thought going through my mind the whole time flipped between “AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHshite!” & “I have no idea what i’m doing!” but i decided saturday i was just going to ride for fun, so after the 2nd lap, i settled into a pace i could handle & keep the bike on the track. the guy in front of me started pulling away, but i just kept on with my own pace. i knew is was going to finish this one where i started out-dead last, but i was going to have fun doing it. i came around 9 for the last time-saw the checkers & pinned the throttle...after all the races were done & i checked the times on all my races, ironically this ended up being my fastest race...
the next 2 races were on the fzr, and as we gridded up for mod prod, i was feeling that giddy feeling you get when you’re a kid pulling up to the gates of an amusement park. the flag dropped & i got a horrible start, but get on it & ended up in a little 3 pk with amy-#737 & #533. i was slightly behind them & as we headed up the hill into 3, i was planning on going around #533 to get behind amy on the back straight. but he was swinging around like he kept trying to squeeze by on the inside-even in t4. so i just held my line & stayed right behind them, because i couldn’t see daylight between them & knew they were going to smack together at some point.
we headed into 8 & 9, and as we headed down the front straight, i moved around to take the inside line in 1, but i had one eye on #533 as i started heading by him. sure enough, he cut my front tire off again & i had to grab some brake to avoid a colllision. he tried to get under amy at the apex, but she stayed ahead of him. now i’m getting mad, because at this point, i’m not racing, i’m trying to figure out how to get around this whole thing & avoid an accident. but the pace was just fast enough that i couldn’t get the drive up hill after he cut me off.
so i dropped back to 2 bike lengths, because #533 was still peppering amy’s behind & riding way too close. around 8 & 9 again & down the front straight-i’ve decided I ‘m going to take the higher line in t1 & slingshot around this joker & amy in t2, because i drive deeper & am later on the brakes in 1 than both of them. so i set up for the outside & hold the throttle pinned way longer than i want to & as we go into t1, i see #533 successfully get under amy & come up beside her. i knwo they’re going to connect & into going to pile drive into both of them when they go down beside i close enough that i can’t even react.
so as they connect-i watch him push her 4ft off her line right into the middle of mine. I grab some front brake-amy straightens out & we both head for turn 2. the joker that hit her just went around her into t2 like nothing happened. that’s the 1st time i’ve seen the “human berm pass manuever” & i’m thinking “screw that-i just want to finish” so i stay behind amy & setup for a pass on her down the front straight. as we come out of t9 & head towards t1-we see a huge cloud of dust & 2 bikes off in the dirt. the red flag comes out & we head in. turns out the #533 tangled with a ducati that was lapping him & they both went off track. apparently #533 had decided to change lines in the middle of a turn again...i’m really glad that neither of them were hurt too seriously, but when there’s people out there riding like buttheads, it’s going to happen.
for the 2nd 500 race, the formula twins was 1st wave -we were 2nd. the starter dropped the flag & they ‘re off....all except this one guy on a big red bike that can’t seem to get it started or out of the way. so he’s trying to start it, or move & the 1st wave is now almost halfway around the track. the starter & the other line guy run out, push this guy out of the way & we got a real quick start- really quick becuase they sent 2nd & 3rd wave together.
i guess it would be bad if we were still sitting on the grid when the first wave came around... so we took off like chickens on fire & i actually got a really good start. i was ahead of amy for almost an entire lap & then we started our dicing in 8. she got by me in 9, & i set up for a pass in 1, but it would be a close one, so i backed off & got her in 2. as we headed down 4b-5, kenny kopecky went by me.
the first wave never catches us this fast, so i realize there’s going to be a lot of big bikes passing us that we’re not used to seeing on the track with us. but it does make for interesting lap traffic... so t8, amy catches me again, t2 i catch her & t4 i hear something big behind me... ducati #2 goes around me in 4a & i just do my best to hold my line & not chop throttle...great, now i am going to have a freight train coming up behind me. so back around to t8-amy passes me, i decide this time i’m going to pass her in 8, so i can do it on the checkers lap if i need to. the plan is going weel, i’m right on her tail....then the freight train catches me- about 5 bikes long- in t4 down to t5, and now she’s got a good jump on me. but that’s ok, i’ve got drive & i’m motivated... so i get the charge on the front straight, making up some time...feeling good... then 2 more big twins at the top of the track pass me.
that’s ok-i’m almost done being lap traffic-i don’t remeber that many bikes in the field, but ok...so now i’m coming around to the front straight & chris from track days on his big hayabusa-looking bike goes around me & i’m like damn- how many bikes were in the first wave anyway? & i realize amy has now got about a 1 sec lead on me. this is the checkered flag lap, so i’m going to run the tires off me bike. as i head around t8 for the last time with the fzr set on “puree” - i head for the checkers like i’m actually racing against somebody. as i come out of 9 & straighten up, i see the big red bike that stalled on the line come around me & get 1 bike length ahead of me for the flag. dang & i cam so close to beating a formula twin too!
550 superbike is the last race to run-i had already agreed with amy ahead of time that after our dice-fest in the first 2 races, to just keep racing each other. i knew i wouldn’t be able to set some new lap record with dixie, so i just wanted to keep having fun. the flag dropped & i got a half way decent start & by turn 8, she started getting around me, so i let her by, knowing i could get her in 1. an aprilla rs250 snuck by witth her too& i thought cool-i have no idea what an sv can do against an aprilla, but let’s find out.
so down the front straight, i hammered it & got by both of them. i stayed ahead thru the top part of the track & knew she would go by me again in 8. 8 is bad for me on the sv because the pirellis do this slip-n-give thing that i’m just not used to so i slow down a little when they start doing that. sure enough, i saw tire about 1/2 way through 8. this time though, as we headed down the front straight, i was getting tired & didn’t want to do the dive pass again. my arms were starting to go away & i still had to hang on for the rest of the race. i stayed close to amy & the ‘priller, and on the last time down the stright, i thought i would go by the ‘’priller, but at the line he had me by 1/2 a bike .
i dropped 3 more seconds off my time on the fzr this month, and dropped 6 seconds off the sv. i now have enough points to go from probationary expert to expert. i think i’m going to wear a tiara & feather boa over my leathers for the license picture-it can’t be any worse than my drivers license photo...
a very BIG thank you to:
my sponsors: crago racing, angelo’s upholstery, graffiti palace tattoo, lockhart-phillips, sdlara comix, reflex gear, galfer brakes
and an especially BIG THANK YOU to zoran (twf) for setting up my forks, kurt spencer for loaning me a shock so i could race the sv this weekend, big steve for helping me do the heavy work on my bike & setting it up, james (nomadrip) for helping me safety wire everything & helping with the bikes in general- and also the pretty blue brake lines.