2
Crap, this is long. Sorry. If I’d had more time it would have been shorter.
TL;DR Version
Friday Licensing: I fell off the bike but didn’t crash.
Saturday: Rookie race and Formula 2. I was slow but didn’t crash
Sunday: Starter 2. I was slow but didn’t crash
Weekend goal: Get a license. Don’t crash.
Where to start… Who knows. I’d been waiting until I could prove my bike to be in “functioning order” before signing up for my rookie weekend. I decided that wasn’t going to work, and just signed up with hopes that it would work out. I was totally uncomfortable with that. Fortunately this did force me to finish getting stuff safety wired.
Take the bike and first load of gear to the track Thursday night. No one much around so I just drop stuff off and go home. Don’t sleep much Thursday night, too nervous.
Headed to the track Friday morning. Unloaded the rest of my stuff and waited around a bit. Got in Colin's way as he was trying to get stuff unloaded. When the announcement about registration being open came over the PA I was there quickly, just waiting for something to go wrong. Everything was fine.
About that time Johnny arrived. I pointed him at where Colin and I were pitting if he wanted to join. He did.
Went through tech. The guy doing tech asked if I was planning on racing this weekend. I indicated that I hoped so. He indicated that I would need case covers to pass LRRS Tech, everything else looks good… "Is that something Miles would have?" "Yea, I think so." OK, now I’m in a bit of a panic. Otherwise I’m fine getting through tech.
I go to visit Miles. I buy a gas can and eject system (the purchase of the eject system was extremely presumptuous for me as I had plenty of opportunities to screw up before needing it, but my need to be prepared overrode my need to not be presumptuous, and I knew there were going to be some other noobs who needed one so resale value was there). I showed up with no fuel in the tank so purchase of a fuel can was necessary. I ask about the case covers. He’s sure he doesn’t have anything on site, but can’t check stock, as his computer isn’t up yet. Come back later… Hmmm. That doesn’t make me any more relaxed.
I’ve done a Penguin TE day before, so nothing particularly new at the riders meeting. Class started right after the meeting. There were supposed to be 11 of us in class, there were 9 there. We started without a couple. They came in with about 10 minutes left in the first session and Steve was asked to “catch them up”, while we went out for our first on track session. Lining up I did notice a yellow Viffer (which turned out to be number9) and remember thinking that signing up to race with a Viffer was a pretty strong move. First session is strictly follow the leader and at (relatively) low speed. While I hadn't spent more than 3 laps on the track this year, it was nice to know that I did basically remember which way each of the turns went. Unfortunately because of the pace I was unable to quell my fears about whether or not my bike was actually repaired. The only time that I had been able to get it to fail was “at speed” coming out of T12, and these weren’t close enough to “at speed” (even my low speed) for me to be comfortable. Unfortunately there was a tip over in T6 that happened to be number9 on the viffer. Since I hadn't been on the bike since early June it was nice to have a few minutes to remember where things like my feet went and the fact that a machine that revs to 14k rather than 6k does require a little bit of different driving.
After that some more classroom time. Nothing really astounding. 3 more laps of follow the leader and we were freed to run amok for the first time, but with the New Novice practice. First chance to actually turn some laps with the untested bike (like 2 laps). No pauses. No hesitation. It survived. I'm starting to feel better about things (but I still have that case cover thing to deal with).
Basics session blend together a bit, so I don't know exactly which session but in one of them... I go out ahead of John. I know he's behind me and just waiting to get around. I'm coming out of T12 with a lot of weight on the left peg and all of a sudden I'm off the bike. Not completely, but basically. My head is on the side of the tank. My left leg is dragging along on the ground. I'm still hanging on. Shit, I crashed. This is not going to be comfortable. What the hell. Wait... I'm still going. What the hell is going on? I don't know, but get the hell back on the bike. OK, back on. Where the hell am I going? Ohh, pits, good, let's go there. Again, left foot hits the ground. What the hell? There's the shift lever... Where is the peg? Peg is missing, that explains things. I pull into the pit. Colin looks at me like I'm an alien for being back in the pit. I collect for a few seconds and put the bike on the stands (probably with Colin' help). I explain what happened. He seems dubious of my account of the events. I go see Miles again (I needed to visit him anyway). He's confused by the fact that I'm running factory rearsets rather than Woodcraft. We finally find something with the same diameter pin as my factory rearsets. They still don't work because of the spacing from the pin to the mount. At that point I remember that I have the factory pegs in my spares box in the truck and question why I even talked to Miles, but as I'm there, follow up on the case covers. He has nothing to help me, but says there is a company called NRC that might have something to fit (this reminds me that at one point I bought some stuff that included an NRC side cover... I wonder what I did with that...). OK, thanks. Back to the garage. John pulls in and asks what the hell happened to me. I explained my broken peg theory. He said he was right behind me and was just hoping that I wasn't going to get my leg caught up in the rear wheel / chain and after watching me crash for a few seconds remembered he was on the track. I go grab my oem pegs and Colin switches one out while I do the other. I can't even crash right... But I finally got a knee down, I'm not sure I did it the right way.
Other sessions / classes are unremarkable (except there's a red flag virtually every session of the day). I'm slow. I know I'm slow. I'm playing the long game. Just keep my shit together. Mock start... I've been worried about this and the rookie race start for a while. I've decided to say eff it and just do a standard start. No reason to risk it. I'm slow off the line, maybe last. I don't care. Don't loop. Don't stall. Don't crash.
Registration goes reasonably well. I had my paperwork filled out before even showing up at the track. Fortunately I knew many of the new racer allowances from here. The lady taking my money knew less than me. No, my races are half price... She checks with Brenda. No you wave the late charge for me... She checks with Brenda. No my transponder is free... She checks with Brenda. No a 600 is a middleweight and a 650 is a lightweight, yes, I know it doesn't make sense, but trust me. OK if there is no middleweight is there a heavyweight or unlimited? OK, put me in that. No, I can't be in lightweight. I know 600 is less than 650 (and honestly this is confusing as hell, especially if you don't know motorcycles) .
Move all of my stuff from N19 to C2. Thanks to whoever is in N19 for putting up with me being in their way as I was trying to move out and they were moving in. Thanks also to Brian for letting me know about the space in C2 for some of us noobs and to Mark Fox who I think actually is renting the space. It really meant a lot to not have to worry about where I was going to be as well as knowing people in the area. If you haven't noticed I kinda like to have a plan... I didn't know what I was going to do for garage space until Brian offered. I can't say thank you enough for that.
Colin is heading out at this point and tells me to go home and get some sleep. I call BS and let him know I'm going to have a beer. He seems to approve of this decision. Spend some time chatting with people who are moving in and getting organized. I happen to be talking with Adam B. and Michael W. Adam, I think asks if I'm ready. I'm not. Not remotely. This side cover thing has me terrified. I'm not even sure if it's really worth even trying to get through tech based on what I know. Should I give up now? I've been looking all day for side covers. NRC was a good lead and they make a stator cover. Best I can tell no one makes a clutch cover. Tons of posts on boards about it and no options (if I had known Paul was at the track I would have walked over and asked, as it was, I was helpless). I explain that I'm not sure I'll be able to get through tech and why. Adam and Michael talk me off this ledge (of course, maybe I'm also looking for an out at this point). They say to go to tech, and if it comes up explain the situation. Come and get them if I need help. Like I said, this gets me off the ledge, and just to a normal state of panic.
I go home. I spend an hour looking for the case cover I have. Amazingly I find it. Throw it in the truck. I have no gasket with which to install it, but I have it. I'm still terrified about tech. I need number plates, numbers, to install my transponder and eject system in the morning. Probably some other things that I don't know about yet. I'm and old fat guy. I'm out of shape unless you count round as a shape.
As I'm not sleeping again I realize the easiest way to do number plates will be white duct tape. Blue, orange, green, black, grey, no white at home. That means home Depot in the morning.
I'm more sorer. I get to the track sometime between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m. Do the eject install. Install the transponder with some wire ties. Start the duct tape number plates project. It comes out ghetto, but upscale ghetto (which is about the best that can be expected from duct tape). Practice has started. I don't care. I haven't been through tech. I'm told I'm in practice 6 or 7 so who cares. Finally time for tech. I take the belly pan off and hang it on back. Helmet on. Remind my garage mate noob to take his registration paper and head out. Get to tech without my registration paper... Lean my bike against the wall and walk back. I get back to tech and they have already noticed a problem with my bike. No race approved side covers. So, I explain... "Miles can't help me. I've found a stator cover, but best I can tell there is no clutch cover." "OK, do you have a gasket for the stator cover?" "No. Of course not" "Does Miles?" "So far, Miles has nothing for this bike." "Yeah, it is getting pretty dated." "I appreciate that, but it's still faster than me." "I get that, but isn't this your 3rd weekend here without any protection for the side covers?" "Uhh, no?! I'm an idiot. I just took my basics class yesterday. I have no idea what I'm doing." "OK. We'll sticker it for this weekend, but get that left side cover replaced if you can." "OK. Thanks." Gasket ordered. I'm through tech. (I'm sure Rob is cringing at this).
I get back to the garage sometime around the announcement of practice 6 or 7 (which I think is mine). Yeah, I've missed that. I'll do second practice. I "relax" as much as I can relax in preparation for the practice before your Rookie Race. As I'm relaxing someone (Matt I think) walks by either my bike or John's and points out that we are in practice 3, not 6 or 7 (now I understand what that sticker means... Who knew? Not me) which is about to start. Panic prep. Get there late. Did I mention I'm sore? Did I mention haven't slept? Did I mention I suck? My goal isn't to turn any good laps but just to start to loosen up. I just do like 3 laps and come in.
There’s a mandatory meeting for noobs before the actual rider meeting. For some reason during this meeting Steve is talking about the start and I get convinced that I should try the “real start” thing rather than just taking off like a street start. This is a mistake.
After that is the regular riders meeting. We’re told racing will begin soon, so I go suit up and start getting ready. Then there’s an announcement that racing will begin in ~30 minutes… Hurry up and wait. And wait… and wait… and wait. Finally they call us out. I try that start thing. I suck at it and almost stall the bike. I probably enter T1 dead last in my wave. My starts need to be better, but in the overall list of things that need improvement starts are pretty far down on the list. Unfortunately I’m pretty spoiled by the torqueyness of the GL. You can pretty much just dump the clutch with it sitting at idle and it will go. The CBR will not. Meh, I’ll figure it out at some point. I remind myself that the point isn’t to win this race (not as if I could), but to finish this race. I only need to finish. So, I start some slow safe laps. Eventually I catch up with 777 Victor Micarone (he and I end up battling all weekend for last) and pass him in lap 3 I think.I don’t crash but am turning 1:45 lap times. Good grief I’m slow.
On the upside Pete was kind enough to cook up a burger for John and I after the rookie race. Didn’t know I was hungry before hand, but I certainly was after. Thanks Pete
The only other race I do Saturday is Formula 1. Similar story. I suck at starting. I catch up with Victor and we battle for last. Lap times come down to 1:39’s.
Sunday, I miss first practice. Second practice I decide to try and actually figure out some repeatable shift points as I’ve been extremely erratic with these. I at least had a repeatable pattern that I could follow last year (it might not have been a good pattern, but at least I was somewhat consistent). In my battles for last I’ve noted that 777 is much better on the throttle that I am, but I’m usually better on the brakes. If I can at least start to get in the right RPM range that can’t hurt anything. First couple laps are 1:41’s, then a 1:40, a few 1:39’s… Starting to feel better.
Only 1 race for me sunday, which is Rookie 2. As I’m going out for the race I finally figure out why people keep pulling over to the right side of hot pit… They are practicing starts there. Who knew? Not me. Ohh well. Amazingly my start isn’t completely turrible (don’t get me wrong, it isn’t great, but it isn’t as bad as it has been, so that’s something). I don’t go into T1 last. I have no idea what position I’m in, but not last. That’s a win . I don’t see the 777 of Victor anywhere (he’s behind me) so I just try to relax and ride. About lap 6 I find Victor as he passes me on the gas out of 10. I also get lapped by Duncan and John. John passes me out of T12, but I provide chase and keep close to him. He goes wide in 3 and (unbeknownst to me) dents his rim, which leaves him with a deflating tire. His lines become quite crazy and terrifying (which is understandable with a flat front tire). I follow him around at a distance (I’m in last, what’s going to happen, I’m going to be more laster). On the plus side lap times continue to come down slowly. Out lap is a 1:41, some 1:38s and a 1:37 were seen.
I’m leaving tons of time all over the place. I’m braking way too early in every corner that requires braking, and some that don’t (T9). I have a lot of opportunity to be on the throttle earlier and harder. My roll speed is horrible. I can even notice this as I’m in the turn (why the hell am I going so slow??). I’m still too grippy. I still need to get my head down and my ass back.
For my first track weekend of 2014 I’ll take it.
Oh, Hi Christian. I’m Jason
Some pictahs. Thanks Colin.