Le sigh!
Round 4 came around like alll others. Arrived Friday evening to the track and set up and got settled in. Hanging out bbqing and having a few beers with other racers. Mosquitos were killing me, so I slept in the truck. Not paying for a hotel room is a good way to offset gas and travel costs.
Saturday practice went well, breaking in new tires. Turned better and better lap times throughout the day. Evening was rolling around and almost race time. I'd been picking up speed in a few corners, mainly T7 and T8.
After getting the video system installed, I've got a cd of the practice runs. Dito took some good shots as well.
Race time: 4pm. Started out with the middleweight and heavyweight groups and after one restart it went thru.
Lightweight and Vintage was my race, and 1st call came out. After running out for the hot lap, I grided up front on Row 1, position 5. No nervousness, just wanted to get this thing going. 3 card, 2 card, 1 card, sideways...green flag!!!! Not a great start, but around the first corner without incident. By the time we were in T4 the pack was finding their spots with the 125 and 250 two stroke guys buzzing in and out like bees and taking off. Fucking fast.
I got around T7 and into T8 pretty fast. Faster than before, and used the entire track on T8. Not bad, but I knew I had to keep it in check through there. The first lap complete, I've passed 1 guy and working on the next one.
Coming around on the 2nd lap and into Turn 7 again, and full throttle, and into Turn 8 pinned and I used the entire track again...this time, using some of the candy stripe. At the end of the candy stripe, I was coming onto the track again, and apparently found the hole that is at the end of it. I hit it at about 95 mph or so, and felt a huge shudder on the bike....shook violently, but no crash and no wobble, just a very hard hit. The bike instantly died. WTF!?!??! I was going fast enough to coast up to Turn 9. Took it off track and off the line. Signaled that I was good and then checked out the bike.
Damage: Front wheel bent on one side ( I thought it was both sides), Rear wheel, bent on one side as well, and the fuse box was dangling above the rear tire, the relay missing, hence the bike died.
In retrospect it was good that the bike died, cause the front tire had a slash in it from hitting that hole, and I would have lost air pressure and then eventually tucked the front on another lap.
ce la vie
no race finish.
that's the way it goes. Mechanical, and out of my hands. A little less throttle thru that section and I would have been okay. But, that's Racing, right?
5 weeks to go to Sears Point. I will be ready for it. The spare wheels are on the bike, and the others are off to Gerry at GP frame to fix.
Came home early on saturday (1am) and spent the day Sunday riding my fixie around SF. That was fun and a good way to blow off some steam. Riding through GGP into the sunset was a great way to finish the weekend.
more to come.
Round 4 came around like alll others. Arrived Friday evening to the track and set up and got settled in. Hanging out bbqing and having a few beers with other racers. Mosquitos were killing me, so I slept in the truck. Not paying for a hotel room is a good way to offset gas and travel costs.
Saturday practice went well, breaking in new tires. Turned better and better lap times throughout the day. Evening was rolling around and almost race time. I'd been picking up speed in a few corners, mainly T7 and T8.
After getting the video system installed, I've got a cd of the practice runs. Dito took some good shots as well.
Race time: 4pm. Started out with the middleweight and heavyweight groups and after one restart it went thru.
Lightweight and Vintage was my race, and 1st call came out. After running out for the hot lap, I grided up front on Row 1, position 5. No nervousness, just wanted to get this thing going. 3 card, 2 card, 1 card, sideways...green flag!!!! Not a great start, but around the first corner without incident. By the time we were in T4 the pack was finding their spots with the 125 and 250 two stroke guys buzzing in and out like bees and taking off. Fucking fast.
I got around T7 and into T8 pretty fast. Faster than before, and used the entire track on T8. Not bad, but I knew I had to keep it in check through there. The first lap complete, I've passed 1 guy and working on the next one.
Coming around on the 2nd lap and into Turn 7 again, and full throttle, and into Turn 8 pinned and I used the entire track again...this time, using some of the candy stripe. At the end of the candy stripe, I was coming onto the track again, and apparently found the hole that is at the end of it. I hit it at about 95 mph or so, and felt a huge shudder on the bike....shook violently, but no crash and no wobble, just a very hard hit. The bike instantly died. WTF!?!??! I was going fast enough to coast up to Turn 9. Took it off track and off the line. Signaled that I was good and then checked out the bike.
Damage: Front wheel bent on one side ( I thought it was both sides), Rear wheel, bent on one side as well, and the fuse box was dangling above the rear tire, the relay missing, hence the bike died.
In retrospect it was good that the bike died, cause the front tire had a slash in it from hitting that hole, and I would have lost air pressure and then eventually tucked the front on another lap.
ce la vie
no race finish.
that's the way it goes. Mechanical, and out of my hands. A little less throttle thru that section and I would have been okay. But, that's Racing, right?
5 weeks to go to Sears Point. I will be ready for it. The spare wheels are on the bike, and the others are off to Gerry at GP frame to fix.
Came home early on saturday (1am) and spent the day Sunday riding my fixie around SF. That was fun and a good way to blow off some steam. Riding through GGP into the sunset was a great way to finish the weekend.
more to come.