Man, we were living like rock
stars. I took off work for the whole week and we headed up to
Road America on Monday night to get a head start on round 5
of the 2008 CCS season by getting ourselves and the bikes dialed
in at a couple NESBA track days at Road America on Tuesday and
Wednesday.
The weather could not have been
prettier for the whole week, except for some storms that blew
in on Wednesday. When the rain hit the track, we hit the hotel
and slept and watched TV. Rock stars, I tell ya! While honest
folks were out there working a real job, we were laid up in
a hotel sleeping or out on the track racing motorcycles at over
180MPH! Awesome, just awesome.
This was my first "National"
event as I entered the ASRA superstock race in addition to the
normal CCS MW regional races that I am competing in this year.
This was also a Suzuki weekend which meant that the money chasing
fast guys were showing up to race for that big Suzuki contingency
money. I also had an opportunity to do my first endurance racing
as I teamed up with AMA Pro Garth Cloyd for the ASRA Team Challenge.
What an awesome opportunity to
learn from the "real" fast guys. My goal for the weekend
was to get my pace down into the low 23's or below. I was able
to run some 27's at the NESBA day on take-offs on Tuesday and
I was able to run some 25's last year while racing Dustin and
completely riding over my head. But if I could get comfortable
in the 23's this year, then perhaps I could run close enough
to some of the fast guys to learn a few things.
NOTE: My cameras did not work
very well over the weekend. I think my rechargeable batteries
just would not hold enough charge to let the camera's record
for more than a few minutes. As a result, all the vids are pretty
short.
Friday, July 4th
Team Challenge
- 3rd Place
This was first endurance
event and I have to admit that I was a bit lost. I definitely
had the physical and mental stamina to run a bunch of hot laps
since I am accustomed to riding almost non-stop at NESBA events
as a control rider. But, I had no idea how to do the pit stop
and rider switch, etc.
As the race started,
Garth set a blistering pace and was completely destroying the
field. This was a good thing for us, so I kicked back and waited
for my turn to ride. After about 19 laps, Garth brings the bike
in with a big lead over 2nd place. The refueling doesn't go
so well as the "quick fill" was anything but "quick".
So once I got on the bike, I immediately put my head down to
turn some quick laps not really knowing what position we were
now running.
After I ran a lap
or so, I checked my pit board and I thought I saw "PIT
IN". I was totally confused at this point and questioned
if it was really MY pit board or if I had mistakenly read someone
else's pit board. So I decided to do one more lap and really
check my pit board this time around.
As I topped the
hill on the front straight, I got all the way over on the right
to get a good look at my pit board and sure enough it said "PIT
--->". So, I finished that lap and raced down hot pit
lane and slid the bike to a stop in front of our pit area. Right
as I stopped, I saw the track marshall waving his arms at me
to GO! So I put the bike in gear and raced out of hot pit back
onto the track and did another lap. I once again pitted cause
I thought the team needed me to pit. Finally the team told me
that we had been black flagged and docked a lap. So, I just
put my head down and tried to pass anything and everything I
came upon every lap for the next 18 or so laps.
In the end, we finished
third because we lapped everyone except two bikes.
Friday, July 4th
GTO (25 minute)
- 4th Place
The GTO race was
my first chance to learn from some of the fast guys and provided
me with about 12 laps of quality instruction.
I got a great start
and had the hole shot into turn 1. I continued to lead the race
until right before turn 5 when a young gun from Las Vegas named
Chris Clark flew by me at the end of the middle straight. Wow,
I thought my bike was fast but he must have had a solid 10 mph
top speed on me (and he probably got a bit of a draft as well).
As I struggled to
respond and pass Chris back for the lead, Jeff Wood made an
awesome pass into turn 8 and then barged his way past Chris
going into the bend to take the lead. I immediately tried to
make the pass by following Jeff around Chris and then me and
Chris banged into each other coming out of the bend. This delayed
my drive enough to let Chris get a sizeable gap on me.
As I finished the
first lap, Andy Feuerstahler drafted past me at the end of the
front straight and all of the sudden in one lap I go from leading
this thing to running in 4th! And unfortunantly, this same ol'
story would be repeated all weekend long. This is for sure,
it is much more fun to be the hunter rather than the hunted!
In the end, I was
able to get my pace down into the 24's and get comfortable there.
I was also able to bring home a respectable 4th place finish.
We made a couple of suspension
and geometry changes to try and get the bike to settle down
a little bit under heavy braking and then we got ready to do
the qualifying session for the ASRA superstock race.
Friday, July 4
ASRA Qualifying
As time drew near to the ASRA
qualifying session, it was announced that qualifying was canceled
and that we would be gridded up based on point standings. Well,
since this was my first ASRA event, I had exactly ZERO points.
So, I was lovingly welcomed to last place on the grid. :-)
Saturday, July 5
Unlimited Superbike, Race
1 (5 lap sprint) - 4th place
The bike was definitely better
under braking as I lined up for my first race of the day on
Saturday. I got a good start and the hole shot again. As I drag
raced Chris Clark down into turn 1, he had the inside line and
I had to let have the position. Andy came by me up the inside
going into turn 3 and I chased both of them down and caught
them on the brakes going into turn 5.
School was in session as Matt
Hall showed me where the braking marker was for Canada Corner
as he passed me on the brakes. I put my head down and fell in
behind Matt and went to school. As I pushed hard to keep pace,
the front was sliding and the rear was stepping out through
many of the corners. I had never ridden this hard and the lap
times showed it.
I again brought home a 4th place
finish, but more importantly a better understanding of where
the "edge" of traction really lives.
Saturday, July 5
Unlimited GP, Race 1 (5 lap
sprint) - 3rd place
I was feeling more and more confident
as the next race began. There is no teacher like experience
and as every race went by, I was feeling more confident running
the pace.
Even though I did not get a good
start, this confidence led to my first podium finish of the
weekend.
Saturday, July 5
Unlimited Supersport, Race
1 (5 lap sprint) - 2nd place
Ended Saturday with a great 2nd
place finish. Brian Boyd did not make it easy as he and I battled
for position lap after lap. I clicked off several 23's as I
pushed past my comfort zone and really enjoyed some close racing.
Sunday, July 6
Chapel Service
We all met for chapel on Sunday
morning and it was really good to be reminded that there are
more important things than racing motorcycles. We all prayed
for the family of an injured rider and it was a very encouraging
time for me and the team. It is times like this when I am reminded
yet again just how good God has been to me.
Sunday, July 6
Unlimited Superbike, Race
2 (5 lap sprint) - 4th place
With Sunday came much stiffer
competition and new challenges. The first race of Sunday ended
with a very similar result to Saturday...another 4th place finish.
It seems that I was stuck. I had hit a wall and couldn't really
drop my times past the high 23's and low 24's.
Sunday, July 6
Unlimited GP, Race 2 (5 lap
sprint) - DNF
Everyone seemed to be getting
faster, but I was stuck running my same lap times that I ran
on Friday and Saturday. How can I pick up another second or
two? Isn't that the questions all of us come to eventually?
Well, this video shows what not
to do. I decide to pull off my huggies and chase the fastest
one of the fast guys, Jeff Wood. While Jeff (with years of experience)
set sail on a record breaking 2:16's pace, I decide to turn
off the switch and try to keep up. It worked well till turn
5 of the first lap when I tucked the front. Not good for the
confidence.
Sunday, July 6
Unlimited Supersport, Race
2 (5 lap sprint) - 9th Place
Last CCS race of the weekend.
This is the race that pays a lot of contingency. All the money
chaser are lined up and foaming at the mouth. Time to head into
battle with the "fast guys".
Gotta get the bike put back together
first and then get out there and get my mojo back...quickly.
This is where the growing takes place. This is where you decide
if you really want to do this or not. This is where you get
better.
The good news, I was able to
get right back up to my pace. The bad news, my pace was only
good enough for 9th place. Ouch.
Sunday, July 6
ASRA Superstock (8 lap sprint)
- 8th Place
This was my first national event.
Almost everyone lined up on the grid was an AMA licensed racer.
I was gridded on the last row. Time to pull off the huggies,
put on the big boy britches and go to work.
I got a decent start and fought
hard all the way up to 4th place! I was running my best laps
ever for the first four laps. Several of us were passing each
other several times a lap and just flat out scrapping like crazy.
This was awesome racing and I was loving every minute of it.
However, it was short lived.
At the start of the 5th lap as
I approached turn 1 at near redline in 6th gear at the end of
one of the longest straightaways in America, I could have sworn
I saw some farm animals crossing the track up ahead. I don't
know...maybe it was exhaustion...maybe it was mild dehydration...maybe
I am just out of shape and getting old. Whatever it was, I just
couldn't keep up the pace and started to fade.
In the end, I finished 8th. Not
as well as I would have hoped, but the thing I was most excited
about was the lap times that I was able to run at the start
of the race. I ran several low 22's and was really able to scrap
it out with some of the big dogs...even if it was just for a
few laps!
Great ending to an awesome week
and weekend.
Summary
I got a 2nd, a 3rd, a couple
4ths, an 8th, a 9th and a DNF. I got all these finishes running
pretty much the same lap times, give or take a second or two!
It was a crazy weekend, full
of highs and lows. I learned that you can not make any mistakes
when you are racing at the front. In order to finish on the
podium, you have to be not only fast but also extremely consistent.
You also have to be willing to take more than a few risks in
order to actually win.
Again, I learned a lot this weekend
and I am pleased with how things went overall. In hind sight,
I ran my best times ever at Road America, I took another step
forward in learning how to setup the bike and I learned a ton
about race craft.
