Race Report for Week 4: July 15 - 16, 2000
Find all of the weekends race results at the LRRS website here.
Having too much to do and too little time (so who doesn't?) I didn't head up to the track until Saturday morning. I had everything packed up Friday evening and hit the road about 5:30am. The weekend forecast called for a chance of rain both days and I saw some very light rain at times on the way up.
Made it through registration and was unloading by 7:30a. The weather was holding when I went out for my first practice. It felt like ages since the last time I was on the track for Nationals though it had only been four weeks. I felt good though and toward the end of the session got stuck behind a rider with more power on the straight but slower in the corners. I decide to go under him in T6. Well, it wasn't a good idea. I didn't make it to the T7 pinch off sufficiently in front of him and while trying to stay as tight as possible to the curb, I hit it. I got a little air and then made contact with the other guy. We both took to the dirt briefly on the inside of T8 but both kept our wheels under us. One more lap and the session was over. I caught the guy in front of the scales garage and apologized profusely, taking full responsibility. He obviously wasn't pleased with the contact but there were no hard feelings and we shook hands.
Second practice was pretty crowded and while I never felt like I really got going I managed to turn some 28's. Not great but OK given the amount of traffic.
I make it a habit to look at my tires regularly, usually when I'm putting on the tire warmers. I noticed that my front tire wasn't being worn to the edge. I had a fresh set of tires mounted up before the Pro Thunder race but didn't get to use them because of the switch to rain tires. The wear on the back tire look normal and I just chalked it up to my slowish practice times and not pushing real hard in the corners.
I'd been entering race 3 (GTL) all season but didn't for this weekend, partly because I had been running it to condition myself for the Pro Thunder race and partly because I thought I'd skip it during the hot months of July and August. So I had a long wait until my first race of the day, race 6. Turned out to be a good thing as Paul decided to toss it away during race 1 and I had plenty of time to help get him squared away.
Race
6, GP Singles - 11th
I'm gridded on the inside of the third row and, while I don't like
being on the inside, I realize I can run up the inside of both RS125s at
the start. I do exactly that and enter T1 about mid-pack. The
field soon sorts inself out with most of the 125s getting by early.
I find myself behind Brian and we're running about the same pace.
He's currently the better rider but I have motor on him. I decide
to wait before I make my move. We take the white flag and I pass
him going into T1. I know he's right on my tail and I expect him
to show me a wheel at any time. It doesn't happen and I take the
checkered. Talking with Brian later I learn that he was determined
to pass me in T3 but got in a little hot on tires that were at the end
of their life and ended up losing the front.
I'm still far from being able to run with the RS125s but at least only one junior got by (this is the only class where experts, juniors, and amateurs all start as one wave).
As I'm putting on my tire warmers after the race I note that my front tire still isn't scrubbed to the edge. I was turning 26s during the race and now I'm sure something isn't right. Upon closer inspection I see that a 120 instead of a 110 is mounted! Damn! I thought something felt different but, besides the month off, I had also moved my foot pegs to the highest position and just chalked it up to a combination of those two things. It wasn't necessarily a bad difference but it was a difference none the less. Prior to the Pro Thunder race I decided to have fresh tires mounted. Well, as we all know by now, the race was run in the rain and I ran rains and never got to use the new tires. Rather than rush to get a new tire mounted I decided to run as is for my remaining race of the day.
Race
9a, LW Sportsman - 12th
I have another inside grid position but this time there aren't
any slow starting 125s in front of me. I'm close to last going into
T1. As the field sorts itself out I get in a three way battle with
Nick and a Ducati. Nick is in front of the Ducati and I'm behind
both of them. I eventually outbrake the Ducati going into T3 and
start hounding Nick. I can't get by and on the next lap the Ducati
take me back going into the bowl. He's on a mission and takes Nick
in T8. He starts to build his gap and on the next lap I get by Nick
going into T9. I set out after the Duc but I'm pushing too hard and
find myself riding sloppy. We take the white flag and I dial it back
just a hair and finish behind the Duc.
Not a great finish but again only one junior got by and we ran mostly 26s which is OK but a few seconds off the pace. 26s are pretty routine now but I need to be turning 24s if I expect to keep close to the front. 22s or lower are needed to podium in this class.
After the race I pull my front wheel and get a proper tire mounted. If anyone needs a lightly used Michelin Pilot Race Soft 120/70 be sure to let me know!
Sunday morning we're greeted with lots of water. I listen to the pitter patter of rain on my tent and decide that I like that a lot more than the pitter patter of rain on my helmet. I sleep in. I get up a little bit before first practice and decide to hope the weather clears by my only race of the day, race 9. I leave my rain tires leaning against the garage wall and skip both practices.
Around race 4 I decide that the rain isn't going to let up and mount my rains. Sigh, wouldn't you know it but as soon as I'm done the weather breaks and the track starts drying out. The sky still looks threatening and every now and then a light mist falls so I leave the rains on and hope for the best.
Race 8 rolls around and the track is looking mighty dry. I add another pound of air to the tires. On pre-grid the choice of tires runs from full rains to slicks. A light mist is in the air but it looks like we're going to have a dry track.
Sunday,
Race 9, Super Singles - 5th
I'm gridded on the outside of the first row of the third wave.
Prior to this weekend they've released the second (MW Sportsman) and third
wave together. This time they start us as three distinct waves.
I get an OK start and I'm probably about 5th through T1. The tires
are a little squirmy but not too bad though I'm still not eager to push
them. On lap 2 a bike pukes going down the hill into the bowl.
The race is red-flagged while the mess is cleaned up.
We're told we have 6 laps left. I'm fourth into T1 on the restart. Although the tires feel pretty good I decide not to push with the rains on a dry track. About half way through the leaders of the first wave (Formula 40) come by. One less lap to cook my rains. :-) I take the checkered in fifth. My tires seem to have held up OK so I don't have to worry about getting new rains just yet.
Overall a pretty good weekend. My results weren't great but the 26s are coming consistently and without any drama. I came into the weekend ready to crank but my little practice incident and Paul's crash mellowed me out a bit. Crashing sucks and I'm willing to wait a little longer for my lap times to drop. But not too much longer! :-)
Let me just start by saying originally I was supposed to miss this weekend for a business trip to Paris. I was bummed about missing a race weekend, but psyched to be going to Paris. The trip was canceled. Oh well, at least I get to race! All things considered, looking back on this weekend, I'd have rather gone to Paris!
To start with, since I thought i was going to Paris, I had not taken Thursday or Friday off like I normally do, So I didn't get to the track until Friday night. Nor did I get to practice! Anyway, I arrived at the track Friday evening and unloaded and set my tent up. When I got there, Tim was already set up, and helped me unload and set the garage up.
Saturday
Get up bright and early to an overcast, but hot day. I got
myself all registered and got the bike teched.
Practice #1: Went out and felt good. I had the whole track to myself so I was able to relax, and just go at my own pace without having to worry about other bikes. I was running the DOT Pilots from the AMA weekend, and the rear felt a bit loose going up the hill in turn 4. I should have taken notice of that (read on), but didn't. I blew turn 1 twice when the bike jumped out of gear. The second time, I got caught behind traffic, which threw my pace off a bit.
Practice #2: Felt better than the first practice and pulled some good times. I started getting into some slower traffic, so I cut the practice short to save me, and the tires.
Race
#1, GTU. Gridded 2D
I got an OK start and went into turn 1 about where I was gridded,
i.e., didn't loose any positions which is good for me. I started
working my way through traffic in turn 3 and 4. Got the rear end
to slide out a bit going up the hill in 4, being a bit aggressive on the
gas. By the second lap, I was running in 7th, 3 seconds back from
the leader, and held there for a lap. On the 4th lap, I made a pass
for 6th in turn 1a, went into turn 2 and then..........I'm sitting in my
garage. That's what I remember.
Talking to others I found out I lost the the rear end when I hit the transition and low sided, but hit my head hard. I guess I got up, and then sat back down again. The race was red flagged, and the ambulance was sent out to check me out. I don't remember talking to the cornerworks, looking over my bike, talking to the ambulance workers, walking my bike back to the pits, telling people I was ok, or talking to Adam or John Falvey. Apparently, I answered all the EMT's questions correctly, because they let me go, but after asking folks in the garage the same questions 3 or 4 times, I went over to the infield med center with Bruce to get checked out.
I checked out ok there, but they recommended I head into Concord to get checked out further. Adam drove me to the hospital in my car, where we sat around for about 3 hours for me to get a cat scan. I checked out fine there as well, no bleeding, no bruising. I just lost about 20 minutes of memory. Many thanks to Adam for spending his afternoon carting my dizzy ass around and hanging out in the hospital!
The bike survived remarkably well (see the Gallery). A new windshield from Street and Comp, new switch gear from fellow racer David Arvidson (#143), the "OK" rom Peter Kates, and some duct tape, and I was good to go!
Sunday:
Was woken at 3am by pouring rain. My tent is old. It
leaks. I got wet. I moved around to avoid the drips, and got a few
more hours of sleep in, but come 6am, I gave up and got up. It was
raining, hard. Canopies, including Kits, did not survive very well!
I mounted up the rains and went out for practice.
Practice #1: It was wet, but not raining. There were very few bikes out, so I had the track to myself. About 1/2 way through the practice, it started raining hard. I came up on a slower rider, but could not get around him until he pitted. The track started drying out a bit, so I came in, not wanting to cook the rains.
Race
#2, MWGP, Gridded 3B
I was ready to redeem myself. I really like racing in the
rain, and tend to do very well. I got a good start and was hanging
with the lead group for the first half of the race, running in about 6th
place. Then, on lap 5, coming out of turn 12, my right clip on came
loose, just swung right out on me. I contemplated trying to run with
it as is, but being both my throttle and front brake, I thought better
of it. I put my hand up and circled to the turn 3 pull off.
I frantically asked the cornerworkers for a 5mm allan wrench, but no one had any tools (come to find out Kit did, but she was flagging at the time). Bruce came over to see what happened, and ran back to the garage to get me a wrench. I tightened the clip on, and took off just in time to take the checker, 2 laps down, but it was good for a 16th (dead last) overall, but 7th in class after all the DNS's and DNF's! Six points! Many, many thanks to Bruce!
So the weekend wasn't a complete loss, but not what I had hoped for. Thanks to everyone that helped me out, Adam for driving my "dizzy ass" to the hospital, and making sure I was OK. The cornerworkers, especially in turn 2, for picking my dizzy ass up. The Raceway Abulance crew for checking me out. Race control for red flagging the race, so I didn't get run over! :) To Peter Kates for checking the bike over so quickly and making sure it was good to go. And everyone in the garage for all their help getting the bike back together and for their support, even if they did make fun of me when I couldn't remember! And a very big thanks to HJC, whose helmet, I'm sure, saved me from any serious injury. It made what could have been a very serious accident into just an annoyance.
Also, many thanks to Bruce for being alert during the race on Sunday, and getting right out to me when I needed help in turn 3.
Next race weekend is mine!
Did not race this weekend. Was playing in France!
Did not race this weekend.
Did not race this weekend.