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Friday Penguin School
I got up to the track nice and early Friday morning and got unloaded and settled in the garage for
The Penguin School. The weather was great and I was anxious to get started to say the least. I have
been buying gear and everything else that revolves around racing/track-days for 2 years now to get to this point.
This sport is Expensive, and I love every minute of it so it was worth it.
Penguin started with the riders meeting with Mr. Woods telling us some stories and so on. Then we went for some
classroom time and then follow the leader sessions. As soon as I got out there I knew the day was going be a shit show.
Some guys just can not follow directions even with FTL.
So after an afternoon of classroom time and some on track time the afternoon schedule started to get us on the track.
4 sessions later I managed to get in 2 solid laps. The others were a waist as the red flag just kept popping it's head out.
Twice I managed to get to turn 3 and once to turn 6, then 2 solid laps till the red flag again. (Frustrating to say the least).
The instructors were great and they did what they could EMPHASIZING PLEASE do 3 laps before hitting it out there, just some
of the students couldn't get it through there thick heads
I actually gave up my last session of the day to let MotFreak get some laps in as he had bike issue's and I was to flustered to be out there.
I was not in the right mind and did not want to do anything silly. Go figure, he gets a solid run out there with like 7 laps...Good for him! WOOT!
Took my written test and got my certificate. (WooHoo I got a 100 on the test...yea, it was just common sense) But I was glad it
was over and I was on my way to get licensed.
Saturday Rookie Race
So I get to the track a bit late in the morning, and was under the gun from that point on. I decided to sleep in some to catch up from MANY late nights leading up to this point. I was wiped and it showed. I needed the sleep and don't regret it.
Got to the track, unload and head to the Rookie Meeting, (yea I should have got to the track MUCH earlier). They are going through what is going to happen and all of a sudden...BAM...Butterflies in the worst way. My stomach is doing flip flops, I am getting hot and have clammy hands, I literally feel like I am going puke. I must have been as white as a ghost sitting there. Holly cow I think to myself, WTF is this shit! I never get nervous like this.
So once I get through the meeting I sign up for Rookie Race & Race 3 and go on the search for numbers and get to tech. I am under the gun bad by this point but I work better that way, Or so I think anyways. I literally have 5 minutes to get to tech by this point. Get my numbers on with the help of Chippy, (Thanks) and get through tech with no problems (Thanks Moto Addiction for tech'n my bike the night before!)
I hear the call for the Rookie Race, Get my bike and get out there a bit early this time (I am learning). They let us out for warm up lap, get gridded and then the butterflies return. I am thinking I am going to screw this all up. I managed to get my laps done with no issues, hit the cool down lap, toss the workers the thumbs up and I am feeling really good now. I am not nervous and this almost feels like a track day for me now.. Thank God!
The "new to me" bike is doing what I ask, but I need to get back into my groove with Body positioning and my brake/shift points as everything is different on my bike now. i am just trying to get my smooth & fast(er) back for the most part. I am feeling good which was the most important thing for me at that moment.
Race 3
Remember what I said about feeling good and not being nervous? Yea, that went right out the window. I was good right up to when I grid and see the numbers. I am thinking in my helmet stay cool, relax, this is a piece of cake. Do what the instructors said. Bike in gear, on the brake, clutch in. No problem right?
I am gridded in 5c, the numbers are going down, 3-2-1 the noise of reving bikes, the flag drops and bam..I am doing a wheelie off the line, off the throttle, back in and again...wheelie, off the throttle and again...wheelie..WTF...I don't know how to wheelie!!! The roar of bikes are all going by me....
I manage to get it together enter turn one and I beat one bike..WOOT! i am not last anyways. I am running on adrenalin and nothing else matters. I need to make up some ground, get to three and shoot down the right side and pass a few bike, get past 6 into 7-8 and pass, hit the straight and I am making up time for the most part. I just lock onto the guy in front of me and say to myself "SELF...Get your ass in front of that guy" twist the throttle, I need to get past him.. I love this shit!! I am having a fucking ball doing this. WooHoo!!!
I dont really remember the how's or when's out there, but I managed to get back up the line and finish 14th out of 30 riders. 3 did not finish and I believe we only got 6 out of the 8 laps before the red flag ended the race. I had an "Official" personal best of 1:26.666 for my first race and was feeling pretty good considering my horrible start.
I hope to do better next weekend, with more races. I had a couple issues with my bike that needed to be fixed so I did not stay till Sunday. Mentally I was wiped and made the decision to head home and square away my bike. My Quick shifter stopped working during race 3, I figured out you DO NOT want rubber lines on your bike going into turn one, my clip on brackets were on backwards and a couple little gremlins I needed to chase down.
All in all this was one of the funnest weekends I have had in a long time and I want to thank EVERYONE that helped me along the way. I really couldn't have done it without ya's!!!!
Chippy...Stu...Moto Addiction...Freak, & any others I don't know your names..... Thank You so much!
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