Well, I did it again this past weekend. If you care enough to read
all this, you may want to get a beverage. If you skip it, I'll take
no offense.
This is also written with some formatting @ http://rookieroadracer.wordpres=
s.com/
There are only a few crappy pics up for now, none of the battles or
apex's. It's only Monday, gotta let the camera people sort though all
their stuff. I'll update the above link w/ more pics as they become
available.
I had another awesome weekend. Here it is, read it if you care, skip
it if you don’t.
Saturday:
My dad came up to see what this whole deal was about Saturday, which
was very cool but resulted in a slightly later start than I’d have
liked. Thanks to a fairly quick registration and my bike breezing
through tech, that turned out to be less of an issue than it could
have been.
Spent some time during open practice Sat AM trying to decide if I was
going to switch to rains or not. Having never done it, I didn’t want
to be too rushed to switch back and forth. (Note for the future: Some
night when I’m not doing anything go back and forth a couple times,
get it down.) Smokin Joe was going out for 2 laps on rains to see how
it felt, but was only doing a couple due to wanting to save the rains
for his race, if needed. Unfortunately by the time he came back they
were switching to numbered practices from open. So, I missed first
practice. That’s not like me, but oh well, no big deal. 2nd Practice I
was good to go. Track was wet with dry lines, too dry for rains but
not dry enough for optimal DOT traction. I worked on T1 approach quite
a bit in practice, and decided I like the tight line advised to me by
many. Went in hot once and didn’t like the feedback I was getting from
the front DOT on the wet spot, so I backed off a bit when I should
have slammed it over and ran the turn wide. I probably could have
stuck the turn but I didn’t want to tuck the front in practice pushing
DOTs in the wet with my dad there. Oh well. Ran a bunch of 1:41’s with
a partially wet track on DOTs not pushing too hard. I’ll take it.
Race 8, my first race, I got a HORRIBLE start. Started off front row
closest to the pit wall and was in dead last in seconds. I REALLY need
to work on my launches. Worked my way back into the pack bit by bit. I
also changed my entry for 3 based on the advice of a teammate, Brendan
I believe? I think that helped me carry corner speed out – when it
worked. I’ll need to get used to turning in so early, it almost makes
it so I’m pre-turning for 1 instead of just throwing the bike over as
hard as I can. Alex crash out, glad to hear he was OK. Got Harrison in
my sights and chased him for a while… he’s a hard man to pass! Was
with him (well, a few bikes to a bike depending where) looking for a
way around until we caught an SV we were lapping. Harrison passed him
fast and smooth just past the tree house, and I didn’t have time to
follow. I ended up following the slower SV through 9 at his pace,
slowing up a touch more to slingshot through 10 and around him. By
then Harrison was already going into 11, and this was final lap. No
way I was catching him. Took my 3rd place with a smile.
Was very pleased to see that I clicked off a 1:29.961 for my fastest
lap. My previous personal best was a 1:31.4 & my best last weekend was
a 1:32.2. I’ve been saying for at least half the season I wanted a
1:29, even if it was 1:29.999, just to get rid of that damn three in
front of the number. Unfortunately our individual lap times were not
in the tech garage due to some malfunction. Got them off the LRRS
website after. Turns out they were:
1: 38.011 (HORRIBLE start)
2: 33.659
3: 31.977
4: 32.362
5: 32.741
6: 31.498
7: 30.740
8: 29.961
Sunday:
Sunday had a messy start. Late getting started, showed up after 2nd
practice was already over. After getting my 1:29 I wanted to work on
consistency, and I find that hard to do in NV GTL bumping and grinding
with 600’s and getting yellow and red flags thrown like the system
needs testing, so I entered LWSM. All dirt bikes, so I’m expecting
DFL, but at least I should be able to get some consecutive laps in
without constant flags and dodging downed bikes. Got onto the grid
with no practice for the day, but feeling good due to my performance
Saturday. Got yet another horrible start. There were 2 different races
out here, so I thought we’d have 2 waves. When nobody came out to tell
us we were wave 2, I held the revs and waited to see what happened.
Flag went, all the guys in the race in front of ours went, all the
other guys in my race went, so I went too. Not the best start, but I
didn’t want to be that guy to launch with the wrong wave either. Just
put my head down and ran consistently for a fairly uneventful 7 laps.
Then, on the last lap, as I came into the chicanes at 12, we had a
waving yellow. Bike down in the apron, looked like a lowside from T12.
Then I saw a dirt bike come around me using a different line for 12…
straight through the dirt, damn the chicanes! On a waving yellow at
that! No way in hell I’m losing my position on that move. Not
happening. So I come out of 12 onto the oval hard on the gas and
keeping tight to stay well away from the incident and workers. Once
past it I was helmet on the tank, throttle on the stops as I reeled
him back in just before the checkers! Turns out I got him by 4/10ths
of a second, good for a 3rd place trophy. I was pretty happy with
that, especially considering I didn’t think I had a chance of placing
against a group of dirt bikes. Also, the dude who passed me off-track
talked to me after the race, it was an honest mistake and we’re all
cool now (although I was a tad miffed when it happened, whatever, it
was an honest mistake and a racing deal. It’s all good now).
Made some progress on my consistency in that race too. Overall I’m
happy, I feel like it’s coming together nicely.
1: 36.781 (poor starts are not helping these out laps!)
2: 31.929 (not sure what I messed up here)
3: 30.857
4: 30.650
5: 30.066
6: 29.577 (another personal best!)
7: 30.821
8: 31.960 (this was the yellow flag/dirt pass/downed bike in track
lap)
Goals for next weekend:
1) Body position, especially in 6, needs improvement. I caught a peg
coming out of 6 so hard it threw the rear of my bike (and maybe the
front, but I don’t think so) to the right a few inches. I think I’m
not off the bike enough, so the bike is leaning more than it has to. I
need to not repeat that move.
2) T1. I’m getting better, but still need to go in hotter and throw it
in harder. There is more time to be had there by going into it faster.
I’m not at or near my lean or traction limits @ the 1 apex, and I
should be at least close.
3) Improve my turn in for T3. I know what I need to do and started
doing it Sunday, but I need some more practice with it.
4) 2nd place at least in PTwins. Another trophy in LWSM perhaps, even
though my bike has no business in that race.
Special thanks:
•Smokin Joe, for the back protector that allowed me to race and the
help w/ the rains call.
•Brendan, for the loan on the warmers when mine got left @ home.
•BJ, for the usual garage/advice/show running/etc.
•Seth, for saving me when all my drinks were 100 degrees, I was out of
ice, the machine was sold out and the café was closed.
•Kitt, for the trailer/truck offer. It was just too early man, I got
an offer for later that allowed me to race. Doesn’t mean I don’t
appreciate it.
•Everyone else that helped me out with advice, congrats, etc.
•The corner workers, for being there even though I didn’t make any
unscheduled visits.
•Duck aka Sheppo for my new “Dangerous Dan K” hand painted helmet,
which apparently brought me some luck.
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