jadeblue1
Wed 11/23/05, 9:07AM
This past weekend was beautiful at Willow Springs. It was mid 60’s-low 70’s, sunny, very little wind-perfect riding weather. The SV had a fork seal break, so I only rode the FZR. I hadn’t really ridden it in practice in over 4 weeks, and was hoping I could figure out a few new tricks before Sunday.
After spending so much quality track time with the SV, the first thing I noticed about the FZR was that I was shifting too low in the power band & killing my momentum everywhere. Most of Friday was spent getting re-aquainted with the throttle stop. The other thing I was working on was a different shift point in T3. For some reason, I shift when I’m leaned over. This works great in T9, T1, T5-6, but in T3, I was digging in a footpeg & making the back tire go all over the place. And I come out of T2 at redline in 4th gear, so I was trying to figure out where to get in the downshift before I actually make the turn into 3.
Even after not riding the FZR for awhile, the rhythmn fell into place fairly fast...there’s something about track riding whereyou can just sink into what you’re doing and focus only the gray ribbon in front of you & forget about everything else...just the wind rushing by your helmet...and the litre bikes passing you on the front straight...:D
Saturday was even better-there was no wind. I was feeling much better about going deeper into T1, T3 was still a little shaky, but overall I just felt alot smoother. 2 of the corner workers found me at lunch time to tell me that they could tell from the sound of my engine that I was no longer missing the shift out of 2 into 3. I rode every session -the same feeling of elation that I had on Friday was still with me...it was just awesome being on the bike...
Sunday’s race schedule put me in race 5,9,&14. I was feeling pretty good-hoping to shave a couple more seconds off my times, looking to have a good go-around with Amy-#737 (we were both pretty stoked -we were both dragging knee pretty consistently in T4b on Saturday, and were looking to do some passing).
Race 5-500 mod prod, I had a good grid position & got a jump on Amy at the start. I thought I was making pretty good time, then she got by me in T8. I aimed for her back tire as we went into T9, and set up for a low pass into T1. I got underneath her pretty good, but I stayed on the brakes a little too long-as I set up for T2-she went on the inside of me. I hopped on her tail-intent to pass her going into T8...as I came over T6 & slammed it up a gear, my neutral light came on & my bike didn’t go into gear. I grabbed some clutch & hit again & got in into 5th?, but now I was trailing pretty good, so I hammered it down the front straight, went alot faster into T1 than I really wanted, and was hoping to make up some ground. She was just entering T2-I kept telling myself I can do this, I can do this, like a dog chasing a rabbit... but she was just far enough ahead of me that I couldn’t quite catch her. Ok, just go faster...crap-white flag...I am catching her...as I came into T8 on the last lap I thought for sure I catch her before the checkers. As we came down the front straight, she got a better drive, but I had better momentum...passing the line...behind her, but on her butt going into T1...darn it.
Race 9-The flag drops, I completely choke on the start & as we head into T1, It’s a pig pile of bikes just starting to sort out for the top part of the track. As I turn into 4b, I catch a satisfying chuck of pavement with my right knee just as I get hit by a piece of bike & roll thru a cloud of dust & see clinton whitehouse rolling & bouncing just inches (it seems like) away from me. Tearing my eyes off him, I refocus on T5 & exit the track with everybody else. We got called back for a 4 lap restart, but my head wasn’t in this race. My start was mediocre, and I couldn’t seem to get my rhythmn back until lap 3. I was a little disappointed, but I shook it off-550 superbike was the last race & that one was going to be fun.
550 superbike is a fun grid, because there’s FZR’s, SV’s, Aprilla’s, Mototards, you name it-it’s mixed bag. The SV’s dominate this race, so I knew I wasn’t going to place that well, but Amy & I had already decided to just mix it up a little & have fun. The flag dropped & Amy got just ahead of me going into T1. I got right on her bumper as we headed into the top part of the track. I could’ve passed her going into T3, but I’m a big chicken about passing gooing into a scary turn. So I stayed right on her tail until T9-same thing-a little too scary to pass in that turn. I spent the next couple of laps like that-staying close enought to almost pass, but just not quite being able to do it before a turn. But it sure is a lot of fun having someone to chase. We went by the white flag, and coming out of T2, I saw a singles bike from the 2nd wave of our race headed into T3. Amy & I both got stuck behind it going into T5 & I could tell she was setting up for a pass over T6, but getting caught behind him slowed both of us down. He got on it pulled ahead just a little over the top of T6. As we came into T8, we’d finally got the Fzr’s back up to a rolling boil. I saw Amy setting up for a pass on the outside-I was right behind her & I thought I could get both of them, so I sat up on the inside. We split passed the singles bike as we entered T8 al most side by side, but I couldn’t seal the deal before T9...but it was still awesome, because I ‘ve never lapped anybody before (I’m ususally the one gettting lapped by the 1st wave). We got off the track & we’re both yelling WOOHOO! in our helmets & bouncing in the seats of our bikes... it was very cool...
So I didn’t get the lap times I was hoping for, but I did make some riding improvements, went a little faster, got smoother, but most importantly, HAD A BLAST! A big thanks to all my sponsors: Graffiti Palace, Crago Racing, Angelo’s Upholstery, Galfer, Motogirls, Lockhart Philips. Another thanks to my friends that helped with the bike & pits & wrestling me into my leathers this weekend-James, Sean, & Mark.:D
After spending so much quality track time with the SV, the first thing I noticed about the FZR was that I was shifting too low in the power band & killing my momentum everywhere. Most of Friday was spent getting re-aquainted with the throttle stop. The other thing I was working on was a different shift point in T3. For some reason, I shift when I’m leaned over. This works great in T9, T1, T5-6, but in T3, I was digging in a footpeg & making the back tire go all over the place. And I come out of T2 at redline in 4th gear, so I was trying to figure out where to get in the downshift before I actually make the turn into 3.
Even after not riding the FZR for awhile, the rhythmn fell into place fairly fast...there’s something about track riding whereyou can just sink into what you’re doing and focus only the gray ribbon in front of you & forget about everything else...just the wind rushing by your helmet...and the litre bikes passing you on the front straight...:D
Saturday was even better-there was no wind. I was feeling much better about going deeper into T1, T3 was still a little shaky, but overall I just felt alot smoother. 2 of the corner workers found me at lunch time to tell me that they could tell from the sound of my engine that I was no longer missing the shift out of 2 into 3. I rode every session -the same feeling of elation that I had on Friday was still with me...it was just awesome being on the bike...
Sunday’s race schedule put me in race 5,9,&14. I was feeling pretty good-hoping to shave a couple more seconds off my times, looking to have a good go-around with Amy-#737 (we were both pretty stoked -we were both dragging knee pretty consistently in T4b on Saturday, and were looking to do some passing).
Race 5-500 mod prod, I had a good grid position & got a jump on Amy at the start. I thought I was making pretty good time, then she got by me in T8. I aimed for her back tire as we went into T9, and set up for a low pass into T1. I got underneath her pretty good, but I stayed on the brakes a little too long-as I set up for T2-she went on the inside of me. I hopped on her tail-intent to pass her going into T8...as I came over T6 & slammed it up a gear, my neutral light came on & my bike didn’t go into gear. I grabbed some clutch & hit again & got in into 5th?, but now I was trailing pretty good, so I hammered it down the front straight, went alot faster into T1 than I really wanted, and was hoping to make up some ground. She was just entering T2-I kept telling myself I can do this, I can do this, like a dog chasing a rabbit... but she was just far enough ahead of me that I couldn’t quite catch her. Ok, just go faster...crap-white flag...I am catching her...as I came into T8 on the last lap I thought for sure I catch her before the checkers. As we came down the front straight, she got a better drive, but I had better momentum...passing the line...behind her, but on her butt going into T1...darn it.
Race 9-The flag drops, I completely choke on the start & as we head into T1, It’s a pig pile of bikes just starting to sort out for the top part of the track. As I turn into 4b, I catch a satisfying chuck of pavement with my right knee just as I get hit by a piece of bike & roll thru a cloud of dust & see clinton whitehouse rolling & bouncing just inches (it seems like) away from me. Tearing my eyes off him, I refocus on T5 & exit the track with everybody else. We got called back for a 4 lap restart, but my head wasn’t in this race. My start was mediocre, and I couldn’t seem to get my rhythmn back until lap 3. I was a little disappointed, but I shook it off-550 superbike was the last race & that one was going to be fun.
550 superbike is a fun grid, because there’s FZR’s, SV’s, Aprilla’s, Mototards, you name it-it’s mixed bag. The SV’s dominate this race, so I knew I wasn’t going to place that well, but Amy & I had already decided to just mix it up a little & have fun. The flag dropped & Amy got just ahead of me going into T1. I got right on her bumper as we headed into the top part of the track. I could’ve passed her going into T3, but I’m a big chicken about passing gooing into a scary turn. So I stayed right on her tail until T9-same thing-a little too scary to pass in that turn. I spent the next couple of laps like that-staying close enought to almost pass, but just not quite being able to do it before a turn. But it sure is a lot of fun having someone to chase. We went by the white flag, and coming out of T2, I saw a singles bike from the 2nd wave of our race headed into T3. Amy & I both got stuck behind it going into T5 & I could tell she was setting up for a pass over T6, but getting caught behind him slowed both of us down. He got on it pulled ahead just a little over the top of T6. As we came into T8, we’d finally got the Fzr’s back up to a rolling boil. I saw Amy setting up for a pass on the outside-I was right behind her & I thought I could get both of them, so I sat up on the inside. We split passed the singles bike as we entered T8 al most side by side, but I couldn’t seal the deal before T9...but it was still awesome, because I ‘ve never lapped anybody before (I’m ususally the one gettting lapped by the 1st wave). We got off the track & we’re both yelling WOOHOO! in our helmets & bouncing in the seats of our bikes... it was very cool...
So I didn’t get the lap times I was hoping for, but I did make some riding improvements, went a little faster, got smoother, but most importantly, HAD A BLAST! A big thanks to all my sponsors: Graffiti Palace, Crago Racing, Angelo’s Upholstery, Galfer, Motogirls, Lockhart Philips. Another thanks to my friends that helped with the bike & pits & wrestling me into my leathers this weekend-James, Sean, & Mark.:D