redbean
Wed 11/23/05, 3:48PM
http://www.roadracesw.com/images/trackmaps/FirebirdWest_sm.gif
John Reynolds Am#321
2000 SV 650
CCS South West
Chandler Az. 19-20 Nov.
Firebird International Raceway West Track
Results:
Sat. Practice – Did not crash Track Kicked my Butt !!!!
Sun. LW SuperSport - 3rd
LW SuperBike – 3rd
LW GP – 2nd
LW Thunderbike – 1st
Best Lap: 1:05.03
Recap
Racer Alex 255 and I arrived at the track entrance Friday night around 930 or so and were third in line. Cha Ching. To celebrate we cracked open a few Coronas and partook. After chatting with a couple guys about the track and discussing the best place to set up in the morning we decided to hit the hay. I never sleep well the night before a race weekend. Don’t ask me why. Maybe it has to do with the 6 hour drive, the beer and or pre-race day anxiety. It could also have to do with the drag boats testing their engines all night. Nah that couldn’t of been it.
The gate opened a 7 and I was up at 2, 4 and 6. Big Headz racers James 241 and Doc 813 joined us and after playing circle the wagons for 15 minute we decided to set up along the fence between turns 2 and 3. It was a good spot and we were now 4 bikes deep with 3 SV’s, an R1 and three pit bitch volunteers Erin, Virginia and Earl. We were set. Now the fun starts. For some reason it is always hectic the first morning. Pit set-up, last min bike preps and tire changes, registration, riders meeting and first practice combine to create a race all on its own. Go figure, it was the first race I lost. I change tires from 207 GP’s to 209’s. By the time I got the tires mounted the first practice was underway and I still needed 30 more min of tire warm up before I went out. I know what your thinking, I should have went out on cold tires and warmed them up on the track right but I was warned by the Dunlop dealer Jim Cox that the combination of new cold tires, cold track and cold air would have caused the tires to tear and not to go out on them until they were warm so I stayed in.
When I finally got out I spent the rest of the day working the track. It was my first time at this track and the first track I’ve run counterclockwise. It was tuff finding markers and figuring out my braking point. Turns 8,9,10,and 11 were not being very friendly to me and I never got comfortable going through them. By the end of the day I had gotten down into the 108’s but I knew that wasn’t going to be good enough to win in any of the classes I was in. I had a lot of work to do Sunday if I was to have any hope of placing well.
The first race started off just as I thought it would. I got a great whole shot and was in with the experts by the first turn. I was in 5th overall and second in my class at the end of the first lap but I was losing ground already. By the half way point #110 passed me in turn 3 on the outside. Damn it! It was a good pass and we both had good drive coming out of 4. I knew I could brake late into 5 so I got just inside of him and waited to see if he was going to go deep. He didn’t and I got passed him again but as before he passed me in three and this time he shut the door in 5 and it was over. I finished 3rd behind # 214 and #110. Had a lot to think about after this race. Got the track map put and started planning for the next race.
The second race start went the same as the first except it was a two wave start. No chance to put some expert bikes between me and #110 who was consistently a second or too faster a lap. My only hope was to get out fast and put some distance between me and him. Didn’t work. He passed me early on the outside again coming out of three. RRRRRRR. Again back in the pits more to think about. At least I was getting faster and a little more comfortable on the track but I was still really slow thru the 8-11 combo of turns. Finished third again.
I decided race three was my race. It was a single wave start, I knew I could get in with the experts by the first turn and I had a plan to run more defensively to close the door on #110 if he got passed the guys behind me. I got the great start I was hoping for and by mid race I was where I wanted to be, in first place, but because a throttle and brake mistake coming off the straight into turn 5 I went off and didn’t get back on till after I was passed by and Expert and #110. Damn it. I had that race and seeing where #110 was I knew he would not have caught me by the end. Oh well No one to blame but myself. And I had to settle with a second.
Thunder Bike. My last race of the day and the last chance to I’ll get a win. I knew I had a good plan just needed to make sure I didn’t make any mistakes this time. Again, a great start and I was out in front. I put my head down and drove hard but by mid way threw the race I started to see a shadow in my peripheral vision as I came out of some of the turns. I didn’t know who it was but I had a good idea who ever it was, was going to try to pass me in turn 3 so I drove hard into the turn and went wide to shut the door. It worked. He tried it again on the next lap and failed again. YES!!! Coming up on the second to the last lap and he changed tactics and came under me in 3 and got by. It wasn’t a great move because it put him shallow into 4 and forced him to drive wide onto the straight. I got more drive and went under him and took the lead back as we sped down the straight. All I had to do was keep him off for two more laps. I had my work cut out for me. I don’t remember when he got by me again but do I remember as I was chasing him into and threw 4. That when it was his turn to make a mistake. In an attempt to out drive me he went wide again but this time he was in the dirt. He blew it. I drove passed his cloud of dirt and what sounded like swearing. I looked up and saw the white flag and rode onto the win. I did it I won. I was elated. I felt like Haden at Laguna. I t was a win I could be proud of. I win I earned. IT WAS THE LAST AND BEST RACE OF THE SEASON.
John Reynolds Am#321
2000 SV 650
CCS South West
Chandler Az. 19-20 Nov.
Firebird International Raceway West Track
Results:
Sat. Practice – Did not crash Track Kicked my Butt !!!!
Sun. LW SuperSport - 3rd
LW SuperBike – 3rd
LW GP – 2nd
LW Thunderbike – 1st
Best Lap: 1:05.03
Recap
Racer Alex 255 and I arrived at the track entrance Friday night around 930 or so and were third in line. Cha Ching. To celebrate we cracked open a few Coronas and partook. After chatting with a couple guys about the track and discussing the best place to set up in the morning we decided to hit the hay. I never sleep well the night before a race weekend. Don’t ask me why. Maybe it has to do with the 6 hour drive, the beer and or pre-race day anxiety. It could also have to do with the drag boats testing their engines all night. Nah that couldn’t of been it.
The gate opened a 7 and I was up at 2, 4 and 6. Big Headz racers James 241 and Doc 813 joined us and after playing circle the wagons for 15 minute we decided to set up along the fence between turns 2 and 3. It was a good spot and we were now 4 bikes deep with 3 SV’s, an R1 and three pit bitch volunteers Erin, Virginia and Earl. We were set. Now the fun starts. For some reason it is always hectic the first morning. Pit set-up, last min bike preps and tire changes, registration, riders meeting and first practice combine to create a race all on its own. Go figure, it was the first race I lost. I change tires from 207 GP’s to 209’s. By the time I got the tires mounted the first practice was underway and I still needed 30 more min of tire warm up before I went out. I know what your thinking, I should have went out on cold tires and warmed them up on the track right but I was warned by the Dunlop dealer Jim Cox that the combination of new cold tires, cold track and cold air would have caused the tires to tear and not to go out on them until they were warm so I stayed in.
When I finally got out I spent the rest of the day working the track. It was my first time at this track and the first track I’ve run counterclockwise. It was tuff finding markers and figuring out my braking point. Turns 8,9,10,and 11 were not being very friendly to me and I never got comfortable going through them. By the end of the day I had gotten down into the 108’s but I knew that wasn’t going to be good enough to win in any of the classes I was in. I had a lot of work to do Sunday if I was to have any hope of placing well.
The first race started off just as I thought it would. I got a great whole shot and was in with the experts by the first turn. I was in 5th overall and second in my class at the end of the first lap but I was losing ground already. By the half way point #110 passed me in turn 3 on the outside. Damn it! It was a good pass and we both had good drive coming out of 4. I knew I could brake late into 5 so I got just inside of him and waited to see if he was going to go deep. He didn’t and I got passed him again but as before he passed me in three and this time he shut the door in 5 and it was over. I finished 3rd behind # 214 and #110. Had a lot to think about after this race. Got the track map put and started planning for the next race.
The second race start went the same as the first except it was a two wave start. No chance to put some expert bikes between me and #110 who was consistently a second or too faster a lap. My only hope was to get out fast and put some distance between me and him. Didn’t work. He passed me early on the outside again coming out of three. RRRRRRR. Again back in the pits more to think about. At least I was getting faster and a little more comfortable on the track but I was still really slow thru the 8-11 combo of turns. Finished third again.
I decided race three was my race. It was a single wave start, I knew I could get in with the experts by the first turn and I had a plan to run more defensively to close the door on #110 if he got passed the guys behind me. I got the great start I was hoping for and by mid race I was where I wanted to be, in first place, but because a throttle and brake mistake coming off the straight into turn 5 I went off and didn’t get back on till after I was passed by and Expert and #110. Damn it. I had that race and seeing where #110 was I knew he would not have caught me by the end. Oh well No one to blame but myself. And I had to settle with a second.
Thunder Bike. My last race of the day and the last chance to I’ll get a win. I knew I had a good plan just needed to make sure I didn’t make any mistakes this time. Again, a great start and I was out in front. I put my head down and drove hard but by mid way threw the race I started to see a shadow in my peripheral vision as I came out of some of the turns. I didn’t know who it was but I had a good idea who ever it was, was going to try to pass me in turn 3 so I drove hard into the turn and went wide to shut the door. It worked. He tried it again on the next lap and failed again. YES!!! Coming up on the second to the last lap and he changed tactics and came under me in 3 and got by. It wasn’t a great move because it put him shallow into 4 and forced him to drive wide onto the straight. I got more drive and went under him and took the lead back as we sped down the straight. All I had to do was keep him off for two more laps. I had my work cut out for me. I don’t remember when he got by me again but do I remember as I was chasing him into and threw 4. That when it was his turn to make a mistake. In an attempt to out drive me he went wide again but this time he was in the dirt. He blew it. I drove passed his cloud of dirt and what sounded like swearing. I looked up and saw the white flag and rode onto the win. I did it I won. I was elated. I felt like Haden at Laguna. I t was a win I could be proud of. I win I earned. IT WAS THE LAST AND BEST RACE OF THE SEASON.