trey_loco
Tue 7/10/07, 6:24PM
Well, as I now have 3 race weekends under my belt on the SV, I figured it's time to write a race report. I had a WERA carryover from the cancelled event at California Speedway in January and decided to put it to good use at the WERA event there this weekend.
What an interesting weekend it would be. I didn't feel like paying the $260 for the Fastrackriders practice day and decided to try a pair of Bridgestone take-offs to experience a tire manufacturer other than Michelin. So, to summarize: 1st time I've had the SV on that track, used tires that I'm not used to, and no practice. Yep, should be interesting.
Lightweight Superstock
Because I was running slicks, I was DQ'ed from the race before I even started. But like so many others, I used this race as an extra practice round. I started from the back of the grid and had a mediocre start as well. The first lap or two were pretty uneventful, but by lap 3, Chris A and I began a healthy battle that had both of us swapping positions throughout the race. He was very strong coming into the infield and would take the inside line. This would give him the position, but prevented him from having a good drive down the small straight. As we entered the horseshoe, I'm not sure if he ran it a bit wide or just took a different line, but I saw an opening underneath and darted in. I could sense that he was trying to power back past me on the outside, so I drifted wide to hold him off. Pass complete and time to go after the next guy. To be honest, I don't remember the details of the next pass, but it happened and I finished 3rd (out of 5..small grid).
Lightweight Superbike
Thanks to the first race and my very attentive cheering squad,(Stacy, Monica, Steve) I learned where I was strong and where I was weak. Again, gridded last, but this time I had a mediocre start instead of a horrible one. I passed Chris A within the first lap and never really heard from him afterwards. By the 2nd lap, Chris Speights was in
my sights and I was eager to catch him and pass him if I could. I caught up to him in lap 3 and passed him in the infield. I figured he'd want that spot back and I expected to get some pressure from him, but it never came. As I entered the front straight on laps 4 and 5, I kept looking behind me, but he was nowhere to be seen. As it turns out, Chris decided to take the scenic route into the infield and dropped back a few places. I ended the race 7th overall and 1st in the Novice class. My first place trophy.
Formula 2
Due to a myriad of red flags and extremely poor schedule planning on the part of WERA, the final few races were dropped to 4 laps. This was a bittersweet announcement as I was fucking exhausted, but at the same time...I wanna race! I had a great start that propelled me from dead last into 6th place before we reached the infield. By lap 2, Chris Speights was two spots in front of me and I was determined to catch him. I made a couple mistakes throughout the race that prevented me from passing him, but I was able to sneak in right behind him when the guy between us overshot one of the infield chicanes. I finished 4th overall, and claimed my second 1st place in the
novice class. The biggest accomplishment of the race was turning a 1:41.8 on lap 3. To put it in perspective, when I started the day, my first lap times were in the 1:51 range. I dropped 10 seconds with just 22 laps on the track.
I didn't know what to expect with that bike on those tires on that track, but I have to say, I left a very happy man. I learned quite a bit about braking and tight corners on the SV and I'm anxious to apply it to WSMC this coming weekend. And special thanks goes to Stacy, my wonderful girlfriend, who happens to be the best one-woman pit crew. Without her, I'd still be wandering around the track with my head up my ass looking for my keys, earplugs and sanity. Thanks to Steve for hanging out and Chris S. for...well..he knows what I'm thanking him for.
And of course, thank you to my sponsors: Motorcycle Performance, Cali Photography, LP, and Vortex Racing.
What an interesting weekend it would be. I didn't feel like paying the $260 for the Fastrackriders practice day and decided to try a pair of Bridgestone take-offs to experience a tire manufacturer other than Michelin. So, to summarize: 1st time I've had the SV on that track, used tires that I'm not used to, and no practice. Yep, should be interesting.
Lightweight Superstock
Because I was running slicks, I was DQ'ed from the race before I even started. But like so many others, I used this race as an extra practice round. I started from the back of the grid and had a mediocre start as well. The first lap or two were pretty uneventful, but by lap 3, Chris A and I began a healthy battle that had both of us swapping positions throughout the race. He was very strong coming into the infield and would take the inside line. This would give him the position, but prevented him from having a good drive down the small straight. As we entered the horseshoe, I'm not sure if he ran it a bit wide or just took a different line, but I saw an opening underneath and darted in. I could sense that he was trying to power back past me on the outside, so I drifted wide to hold him off. Pass complete and time to go after the next guy. To be honest, I don't remember the details of the next pass, but it happened and I finished 3rd (out of 5..small grid).
Lightweight Superbike
Thanks to the first race and my very attentive cheering squad,(Stacy, Monica, Steve) I learned where I was strong and where I was weak. Again, gridded last, but this time I had a mediocre start instead of a horrible one. I passed Chris A within the first lap and never really heard from him afterwards. By the 2nd lap, Chris Speights was in
my sights and I was eager to catch him and pass him if I could. I caught up to him in lap 3 and passed him in the infield. I figured he'd want that spot back and I expected to get some pressure from him, but it never came. As I entered the front straight on laps 4 and 5, I kept looking behind me, but he was nowhere to be seen. As it turns out, Chris decided to take the scenic route into the infield and dropped back a few places. I ended the race 7th overall and 1st in the Novice class. My first place trophy.
Formula 2
Due to a myriad of red flags and extremely poor schedule planning on the part of WERA, the final few races were dropped to 4 laps. This was a bittersweet announcement as I was fucking exhausted, but at the same time...I wanna race! I had a great start that propelled me from dead last into 6th place before we reached the infield. By lap 2, Chris Speights was two spots in front of me and I was determined to catch him. I made a couple mistakes throughout the race that prevented me from passing him, but I was able to sneak in right behind him when the guy between us overshot one of the infield chicanes. I finished 4th overall, and claimed my second 1st place in the
novice class. The biggest accomplishment of the race was turning a 1:41.8 on lap 3. To put it in perspective, when I started the day, my first lap times were in the 1:51 range. I dropped 10 seconds with just 22 laps on the track.
I didn't know what to expect with that bike on those tires on that track, but I have to say, I left a very happy man. I learned quite a bit about braking and tight corners on the SV and I'm anxious to apply it to WSMC this coming weekend. And special thanks goes to Stacy, my wonderful girlfriend, who happens to be the best one-woman pit crew. Without her, I'd still be wandering around the track with my head up my ass looking for my keys, earplugs and sanity. Thanks to Steve for hanging out and Chris S. for...well..he knows what I'm thanking him for.
And of course, thank you to my sponsors: Motorcycle Performance, Cali Photography, LP, and Vortex Racing.