codzilla70
Tue 2/20/07, 2:36PM
We got to the track Saturday and I got started on working on my lines through T2 with Kurt and helping him with T1. Cory Mann was in the mix with us this month having found some new speed and we had some fun laps swapping positions and trying new moves on each other. This month I switched to Bridgestones to try and win a couple bucks. The tires worked well and were an easy change from the Dunlops. The bike was working pretty well and I made some decent progress on my lines so I was excited for Sunday. I was still bottoming the front end so I had Dave Moss make some adjustments to try and help.
This month I did the practice starts for the first time since I did the new racers school back in 2001 and HOLLY CRAP was that scary! I forgot what it was like going into T1 with a bunch of novices on 600s. As soon as the group made it through T1 it was pretty boring though. They would charge on the straights then park-it in the turns. I did see Eric Angel check up and almost rear end some one in T2 and that was about the only excitement after T1.
Sunday rolled around and I got through the 2 practice sessions with out any issues then just sat around waiting for my races.
My first race was 550SBK and for once I was on the front row and God knows I need all the help I can get with my starts. The flag dropped and I got my usual crappy launch but this time I got the double whammy and hit neutral too! Oh Joy! I think everyone passed me into 1 but I got a few back between 1 and 2. After 2 I was behind Kurt then Cory comes by going into three. I think he may have passed me and Kurt there cause I just remember thinking I need to get around Kurt or Cory is going to get away. After a couple laps Kurt got passed Cory and then going into T8 I came up the inside of Cory. Just as I was passing Cory I noticed a waving yellow, OH S#!T I was thinking I’m gonna get docked so I start to slow just a bit and Cory re-passes me right before the start finish so I thought I would be Ok. Then the next time around we get the red flag. Some one in the first wave went down in T8 and it took a little while to get everything cleaned up. (I hope that guy was OK, the ambulance was on the scene and we all know how T8 is)
Once we get re gridded I was thinking OK, this is my second chance SO DON”T BLOW IT! It was only going t be a four lap race so I needed to get to work quick! I got a decent launch and going into T1 I was fourth behind the usual front runners. As we cross the line for the first time I made up a lot of time on Chris Rogers in T1 then when we got to 3 I came up the inside and out broke him into the turn. As I leaned into 4 I could see I was only about 3 or 4 bike lengths behind Andy Palmer and drafted passed him on the back straight! I remember thinking HOLLY S#!T I’m in 2nd place! Then we came down the front straight and I could see Kevin Jump a few bike lengths in front of me and when we went into T1 I was right on his rear tire. I actually had to back out on the exit a little to keep from hitting him. I followed him around until the back straight then drafted passed him up the inside of T8. There was a back marker on the outside between T8 and T9 so I drifted a little wide trying to use him as a buffer between me and Jump. When I came out of 9 I was in the lead but my drive out of 9 needs work and Jump was able to pass me back before the start finish. I stayed with him until T2 where I started to loose ground and then when I crested T6 I got a really scary (for me) rear slide that kind of killed my confidence and I started to loose ground. Then Andy came around me on the outside in the exit of T2. Crapp! So now I’m in 3rd, but it was going to be a short race and I just wanted to hold off Chris but it was not to be. Chris came by me out of 9 on the last lap before the checkered to take 3rd.
I ended up 4th but pulled off a 1:30.9 which is a new personal best for me and I got to lead for a few seconds so I felt pretty good going into the next race.
Next up was Formula Twins Light Weight and another chance to get a decent start. I got what I thought was a good start (I later found out that everyone just got bad starts) and was side by side with Andy until just before T1 then he pulled away. Going into T2 Chris and Jump came by, I must have forgotten what Kurt taught me. Then going Cory Mann came by out of 2. I followed him for a bit then passed him back I think in 8. The next lap I hit this groove on the crest of T6 and get a VERY VIOLENT tank slapper, I still can’t believe I stayed on! Cory and I continued to swap positions for the next couple laps seeing where we could make moves on each other. I got a little less headshake over T6 on the next couple laps.
Cory was stronger than me out of 9 but I could get him out of 1 and then he would get me on the exit of 2 then I would get him back in 8 and we would start all over again. The last lap Cory was leading into 1 and this time on the exit he drifted wide to try and block me but left just enough room for me to sqeeeeze around him taking the inside line into 2. As we come up to 3 I know Cory is right there so I try to block his line on the inside and brake as deep as I dare but he is in MADMAN mode and comes charging around the outside! We go side by side through 3 and I was thinking “He’s crazy I’m not going around the outside of 4” so I let him have the position also thinking I’ll get him back in 8. Well I draft him on the back straight and get real close setting up for the pass but Cory knows what I’m thinking and takes a tight line through 8! So now I have the speed but only one place to go. That’s right around the outside! Now most turns don’t scare me to much but the thought of going around someone at full lean and 130MPH well that’s different! I don’t know why but I went for it. So here we are side by side fully leaned and at full throttle and Cory starts drifting towards me (He later tells me his front started chattering!) we complete 8 and are still side by side going into 9! This time I figure my luck is going to run out and as we lean in I drop back hoping to keep enough speed up to try and draft him at the line. Well I didn’t and was about a full bike length behind him on the exit and couldn’t make it up and finished 5th. I was hoping for a better position but Cory rode like a maniac and won 4th fair and square. That was an absolutely awesome race and whether it was for 1st or last I had a BLAST!
Next month can’t get here soon enough. I’ll make a few adjustments then see if I can’t make up some time on the leaders and hope Cory doesn’t find any more time.
Thanks to MY sponsors: My wife, SoCalSVRiders.org, West Coast GP Cycle for sponsoring FTLW, Golden Cantina for 550SBK and Bridgestone. Even though I didn’t win any money this month the sponsors were still paying.
This month I did the practice starts for the first time since I did the new racers school back in 2001 and HOLLY CRAP was that scary! I forgot what it was like going into T1 with a bunch of novices on 600s. As soon as the group made it through T1 it was pretty boring though. They would charge on the straights then park-it in the turns. I did see Eric Angel check up and almost rear end some one in T2 and that was about the only excitement after T1.
Sunday rolled around and I got through the 2 practice sessions with out any issues then just sat around waiting for my races.
My first race was 550SBK and for once I was on the front row and God knows I need all the help I can get with my starts. The flag dropped and I got my usual crappy launch but this time I got the double whammy and hit neutral too! Oh Joy! I think everyone passed me into 1 but I got a few back between 1 and 2. After 2 I was behind Kurt then Cory comes by going into three. I think he may have passed me and Kurt there cause I just remember thinking I need to get around Kurt or Cory is going to get away. After a couple laps Kurt got passed Cory and then going into T8 I came up the inside of Cory. Just as I was passing Cory I noticed a waving yellow, OH S#!T I was thinking I’m gonna get docked so I start to slow just a bit and Cory re-passes me right before the start finish so I thought I would be Ok. Then the next time around we get the red flag. Some one in the first wave went down in T8 and it took a little while to get everything cleaned up. (I hope that guy was OK, the ambulance was on the scene and we all know how T8 is)
Once we get re gridded I was thinking OK, this is my second chance SO DON”T BLOW IT! It was only going t be a four lap race so I needed to get to work quick! I got a decent launch and going into T1 I was fourth behind the usual front runners. As we cross the line for the first time I made up a lot of time on Chris Rogers in T1 then when we got to 3 I came up the inside and out broke him into the turn. As I leaned into 4 I could see I was only about 3 or 4 bike lengths behind Andy Palmer and drafted passed him on the back straight! I remember thinking HOLLY S#!T I’m in 2nd place! Then we came down the front straight and I could see Kevin Jump a few bike lengths in front of me and when we went into T1 I was right on his rear tire. I actually had to back out on the exit a little to keep from hitting him. I followed him around until the back straight then drafted passed him up the inside of T8. There was a back marker on the outside between T8 and T9 so I drifted a little wide trying to use him as a buffer between me and Jump. When I came out of 9 I was in the lead but my drive out of 9 needs work and Jump was able to pass me back before the start finish. I stayed with him until T2 where I started to loose ground and then when I crested T6 I got a really scary (for me) rear slide that kind of killed my confidence and I started to loose ground. Then Andy came around me on the outside in the exit of T2. Crapp! So now I’m in 3rd, but it was going to be a short race and I just wanted to hold off Chris but it was not to be. Chris came by me out of 9 on the last lap before the checkered to take 3rd.
I ended up 4th but pulled off a 1:30.9 which is a new personal best for me and I got to lead for a few seconds so I felt pretty good going into the next race.
Next up was Formula Twins Light Weight and another chance to get a decent start. I got what I thought was a good start (I later found out that everyone just got bad starts) and was side by side with Andy until just before T1 then he pulled away. Going into T2 Chris and Jump came by, I must have forgotten what Kurt taught me. Then going Cory Mann came by out of 2. I followed him for a bit then passed him back I think in 8. The next lap I hit this groove on the crest of T6 and get a VERY VIOLENT tank slapper, I still can’t believe I stayed on! Cory and I continued to swap positions for the next couple laps seeing where we could make moves on each other. I got a little less headshake over T6 on the next couple laps.
Cory was stronger than me out of 9 but I could get him out of 1 and then he would get me on the exit of 2 then I would get him back in 8 and we would start all over again. The last lap Cory was leading into 1 and this time on the exit he drifted wide to try and block me but left just enough room for me to sqeeeeze around him taking the inside line into 2. As we come up to 3 I know Cory is right there so I try to block his line on the inside and brake as deep as I dare but he is in MADMAN mode and comes charging around the outside! We go side by side through 3 and I was thinking “He’s crazy I’m not going around the outside of 4” so I let him have the position also thinking I’ll get him back in 8. Well I draft him on the back straight and get real close setting up for the pass but Cory knows what I’m thinking and takes a tight line through 8! So now I have the speed but only one place to go. That’s right around the outside! Now most turns don’t scare me to much but the thought of going around someone at full lean and 130MPH well that’s different! I don’t know why but I went for it. So here we are side by side fully leaned and at full throttle and Cory starts drifting towards me (He later tells me his front started chattering!) we complete 8 and are still side by side going into 9! This time I figure my luck is going to run out and as we lean in I drop back hoping to keep enough speed up to try and draft him at the line. Well I didn’t and was about a full bike length behind him on the exit and couldn’t make it up and finished 5th. I was hoping for a better position but Cory rode like a maniac and won 4th fair and square. That was an absolutely awesome race and whether it was for 1st or last I had a BLAST!
Next month can’t get here soon enough. I’ll make a few adjustments then see if I can’t make up some time on the leaders and hope Cory doesn’t find any more time.
Thanks to MY sponsors: My wife, SoCalSVRiders.org, West Coast GP Cycle for sponsoring FTLW, Golden Cantina for 550SBK and Bridgestone. Even though I didn’t win any money this month the sponsors were still paying.