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Race report for 5/17/14
So where do I start? I have been neglecting my blog and race reports because of disappointing racing results and feelings of defeat. I have never been good at accepting defeat so I regrouped and reassess myself. After doing so I feel I am on the right direction now. In the future I will be more active on my blog and with the race reports so stay tuned.
Intro to race report
After running into problem after problem with my 00 R6 and the blown second gear that I was racing on since late last season I decided to sell the R6 and try to find anything without a problem that I could race. I posted the bike everywhere. Told the good and the bad about it, and said I would be willing to trade for working race worthy SV. No one seemed to want it but someone did reach out to me from craigslist. He said that he didn’t want my bike but he did have a racing set up SV sitting in his garage that he would like to sell. Said it had been sitting for over 3 years and he would take 2k but couldn’t get it to start and stay running. I said if we can get it started and I can hear the engine and know it’s not an internal engine problem I will take it for the 2k. I pulled the 2k out my 401k the check came Friday before race weekend. My palms were sweating. I wanted to get to the bike and go over it before the races this weekend see if I could get it running. But my wife was in Atlantic City for work and I have both the kids. Bike is two hours away. Making that trip with a New born won’t be easy wait till Saturday. Saturday comes wife gets stuck in traffic on the way back won’t be home till 6ish I have to pick up the bike and then make 3 hour ride up to track and then go over bike and hope I can get it running. Fuck it Take the kids with me to get bike. Baby slept the whole way there and back God is good! I get to the meet up spot to get bike at 2pm Saturday. The gentleman hooks the bike up jumper cables and connects them to my truck as I look over the bike. First thing I noticed was no racing engine covers. I say to myself damn if Miles doesn’t have any for this bike I won’t be able to race it. I mention this to him because he said that the bike was a race bike and was all set up already. I asked did they let you race this without engine covers cause I don’t believe that is legal; also the tires are old and look pretty rough. He tells me he never put the bike on the track that he brought it meaning to but never did. Just then he goes to start he bike it turns over then cuts right off. He tries again no go again and again no go. He tells me he poured a ton of fuel stabilizer in it and that may be it. I tell him I think it’s rather the battery, the alternator, along with/ or the carbs. I tell him I brought the 2k as promised but would only give him 1500 since it won’t run long enough for me to give the engine a good listening to. He said ok. Other than that the bike looked pristine! So I was stoked and scared I was taking a gamble going to race a bike I just brought and don’t even know if I can get started. Got home with bike around 5pm Wife was just getting home loaded truck up tried leaving without my 5 year old son and he started bugging “Daddy I want to go I want to see our friends at the track please daddy I miss the track too. Zahir no I don’t have room your mom isn’t going and I don’t have no one to watch you. My son “ Dad just pic someone up what’s the matter you don’t love me anymore? Why I can’t go with you. I love the race track too.” I tell him I’m sorry it’s not like that and as I leave he is sitting on the couch crying his eyes out silently so I know he is hurt.. I go pick my buddy up from RSP racing Eric, but before I went to get him I picked up my lill cousin to watch my son. I couldn’t leave him behind. We load up Eric’s bike and gear. My son calls again just as we finish. Daddy your coming back to get me right you’re not really going to leave me are you? So on the way out I go pick up my son. We are off to the races!!!!
We get to the track around 10pm unload the bikes and my good friend Mark Fox is sitting in the pit as I pull new sv of truck. Dude Sweet! He says I’m like yeah but I don’t know if I will be able to get her started. He says let’s find out. First thing he does is rip his bike apart to give me his battery. We hook it up it cranks up but then shut’s right off again. We get it to do this over and over but we can’t get it to run. By the time I get my tool box of my truck Mark had the tank up and carbs half off. I turn around again as I unload more stuff and he has the carbs apart and is cleaning them up. He’s telling me how perfect they look and says it was more than likely cheap gas or the stabilizer he poured in the tank. We pop the carbs back on run into some issue with the air filter and she started right up and ran. It’s now about 12am without even buttoning her up we call it a night both tired as hell.
Get to red roof in and they are all full FUCK! Should have reserved would have pitched tent but I have my son and he needs a good night’s rest to not be cranky. 30 min ride to landmark hotel in Laconia. Check in P&B for dinner. Sleep by 2:30am. Up at 6am, have to get bike battery from Miles, change tires, change races from Novice middle weight class to Novice light weight and pass tech before practice starts at 8am.
I get it all done but not before first practice. I also ran her over to GMD pit to see if they could give the suspension a looking over I was told it was sprung for my weight but just wanted to have them give it a look over. They gave it a push and a pull and said it was slow but ok go have fun and off I went.
I made second practice. Didn’t really push bike it was a GP shift something very new to me. Never had a bike set up for GP shift before. It took quite a bit to get used to. I got about six laps in on this new bike before racing it. after getting home and seeing my lap times for this practice when I got the shifts right I didn’t do too too bad for my first time on that bike. Mostly 1:33’s & 1:35’s not good but not horrible for someone that has never sat on an SV before never mind rode her around the track.
THE RACE
Race time! My race is race 4 of the day. I am on place at 7A on the grid. My mates Dan and Brian are on the line in front of me. Dan is directly in front of me and Brian off to the right. I know mike is out here as well just don’t know where. Wave one gone, wave 2 gone, Number board up engine is on number board tips in, RPM’s up, bent over tank flag drops clutch drops and we are off. At turn one I’m in sixth turn three I’m late on the brakes and now I’m in 5th right behind my team mate Brian. We are going into the bowl bike is feeling good and I am debating trying to give Brian a run for his money. Just then I watch the number 3 guy go down front end wash, ½ a second later on same line number 2 man goes down and then like a domino number 1 man goes down all on the same line. Now I didn’t hear of any oil in the bowl but seeing that had me convinced I didn’t want to be on that line at all today. I go high Brian goes low around the mess we go and off we go. I’m on Brian’s ass until turn 11 I miss a shift coming out of 12 he’s off I’m still trying to remember its GP shift and missed a shift or two. Going down the straight I hit rev limiter twice. I have to get used to shifting more often with this bike is all I keep saying in my head. Lap 1 time 1:36. By turn one Brian has at least a 2 second lead on me but I can still see him so I know I can still catch up to him if I get it together. Lap 2 was just me chasing Brian. I saw no one else around Brian has put at least another 2 seconds between us but I can still see him. Just then I say to myself you’re in second you just chill and you will get your first podium don’t crash this bike trying to catch his ass! I chill trying to catch him and relax Lap 2 time 1:33. Lap 3 going into turn 1 hey I see Arcey in the corner. Shit pay attention you got to make turn 1a shit almost blew that one, going into turn 3 I see Brian running into traffic he is lapping the back of the pack going into 4. I say to myself fuck it lets pick it up traffic could make the difference. And stay focused stupid. Damn A.D.D! sorry for me this is where Brian started to put a tone of time between us. By the time I got to the bowl I could no longer see Brain in sight. Brian has 1st I tell myself just chill out and take your second just finish and don’t crash bike. Lap 3 time 1:34. Lap 4 I was by myself for the most part. I didn’t notice anyone else around lap time 1:33. Lap 4 I figured I was pretty much alone and started just working on my line. I’m going into the bowl remembering last years advanced class I’m looking to find and replicate the line Shane and Eric taught me during that class. I see the tar line I see the crack to fully turn in at I choose my line and I go for it. no one around so I push it a little in hard get right to braking point and OH SHIT I’m not alone here is one of my best buddies Mark Fox on my inside. Shit I can’t take that line now he has it what the fuck do I do I came in too fast to think about changing my line fuck just go a little wide and hold it, OH FUCK the guy fighting Mark for First place in the Am class is right there. Shit I’m on that line I don’t want to be on!! The one I saw three fucking guys go down on in the first lap. Shit I don’t want to crash this bike I don’t want to be on this line I really really don’t want to be on this fucking line. Brake more let them pass get off this line. If I brake to hard I will lose the front don’t do that lift her up go wide get on the upper lip of camber and then just get back in race after they pass shit I’m going to hit the gravel pit don’t look at gravel pit look away look at corner get off brake and lean the fucking bike over don’t look why are you still looking at gravel pit fuck I’m in the gravel pit. Get the bike back up is all I’m saying in my head now I go to lift it the corner workers run over and help I noticed that the shifter pedal is broke but it bent in a way I can still shift so I’m trying to get bike back on track and workers are taking it away. I scream to them I wont to finish there is two laps left! He is still pushing bike away I’m thinking no bring my bike back the whole field is going to pass me. I scream again I want to go back out please give me back my bike. he hears me he goes to turn bike around and he noticed the broke pedal shit I’m out.
I ride bike back to pit feeling so fucking hurt. Not physically but spirit wise. I was full of regret. Had I not been scared to crash I more than likely would have just put my head down and prayed she stuck for me and more than likely would have finished in 2nd of my class. Instead I let fear control my decision and cause me to do that which I was in fear of, crashing my brand new bike. I hustle to get her fixed in time for race 11. Mark Fox and team mate Mike along with Miles from street and comp gave me parts to fix my bike. Trouble not done just yet on top of crashing my bike, when I went to start the bike up I could not get bike in neutral so I was holding the clutch in and starting her hoping that would free up the trans and allow me to put her in natural. Needless to say holding the clutch in didn’t stop the rear wheel from spinning and when it did it tore up a brand new woodcraft tire warmer. Fuck fuck fuck. Out comes the solider iron and electric tape. 50 min before race time. 3rd call for race 11 helmet on warmers off on bike out pit shit cant shift gears WTF!!! Pull back in pit bring bike to Miles, he looks at shifter and tells me Knuckle is on wrong. I got so pissed at myself there was 3 other SVs in my pit all I had to do was look. 60$ gone down the toilet. Stay tuned for round 3 Maybe if Brian doesn't get bumped to AM i can give him a challenge since no other novice is at this point.
Big Thank You to My Sponsors For giving me this opportunity to race
Smoke Shack Southern BBQ
Woodcraft-CFM
AXO
DP brakes
Suomy Helmets
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