NV - 878 Round 5 Race report

[wiggeywackyo]

Arrived Thursday night at some stupid hour again. Didn't get to bed until about 3AM. I decided to skip out on full day practice and hit the snooze button for 2.5 hours. Didn't get up until about 9:30 and then it was a mad dash to get the oil changed and fix a bunch of nagging issues. Got everything figured out and had time to relax before practice after lunch. Noticed that the bike was hesitating from about 11k to 13.5k and then surging from there to redline. This was very distracting going up the hill coming out of 3 as it meant no drive up the hill and then a huge surge as i came over the crest. I ended up trying to ride around this little gremlin all weekend.

Saturday:
NV MWGP - Gridded in 4A for this race, I got a great start and ended up 4th after turn 1. Guy on a Kawasaki? got past me in the initial turns and joined up with the front. Those guys took off and I didn't see them after T4. That left me heading up the second pack and it remained that way for the entire race. At some point, one of the guys up front must have lost it in the 1-1A complex. Towards the middle of the race, I could hear a bike near me and that lit the fire under my ass. He attempted a ton of moves that never stuck. This lasted about 3 or 4 laps until the last lap, I went in T1 way wide and I knew it. I looked back to see if he was going to set me up for 1A but he ended up coming through in 2 on the left. Note to self: never look back. I almost got him back a few times but I could never quite get there. Gave that one away and I'm not very happy about it. Lesson learned.

Sunday:

1st Practice - Went out and the bike is still stuttering and acting all kinds of funny from 11k and up. Came back in and had a talk with Todd and Joel and they said it sounded like it was sputtering really bad. We decided to try to remap the PC3. I also got some pointers for 3.

2nd Practice - Went out and the bike was still acting up. Todd's wisdom helped me improve through 3.

NV GTU - Gridded 3C for this race. I couldn't even see the flag drop from where I was and totally botched the start. I started when everyone else took off . Went into 1 and threw it in from way wide. I guess the announcer mentioned something about it. I was in 3rd/4th from here on out and I guess someone crashed out? My entire race was spent fending off a Ducati NV #192. I could hear him the entire time. I could tell it got really close a few times and my brother's pictures confirm that. My endurance was much better this race and I mostly concentrated on being consistent around the track and just making it until the end. The sputtering was present as ever and I ended up just finding a way to ride around it. When the flag dropped I was completely relieved. Came in 3rd for this. My first "podium".

The rain scared me away so we packed up and left. I'm going to have to pick up another set of wheels.

This weekend went fairly well. The bike will have to be sorted out at some point. I still think it's a mapping issue. Might have to get it on the dyno and see what's up.

I took over 3 seconds off my last PB. I am down to 1:25.4 now.

I have to thank: Todd, Joel, Dan (legalspeed), my brother Dan for the hand in the pits, the 1A boys, a bunch of other faces. Also put more faces to names on here.

Unfortunately, work has me in China for the next month so I won't be at the next round, in fact, I am typing this in Beijing airport. I'm going to try like hell to be there for October though. Addicted.

[Chippertheripper]

Good luck overseas, hope ya make it back for the last round. Keep talking with Danny all you can. He helped piggot a ton and got him going real fast, real quickly.

[brady]

Dropping 3 seconds on a sputtering bike is impressive, and congrat's on the podium! No stowaways in your trailer this time?

[PainfullySlow]

Congrats on the podium AND a new PB! Sounds like you had a great weekend despite the little performance gremlins doing a number on your bike. Hopefully you will be able to make round 7!

[CBR929RE]

you're coming along

[Boosh]

Good job ! Have a good trip

[Mad Max]

Nicely done out there dood! I hope you can get the bike smoothed out a bit for next time!

Thanks for the burrs, company and help loading my stuff up too.

[FirstDuc-1098]

great racing with ya, I kept closing in on you closer and closer but just didn't have enough to take you, another lap or 2 and I may have gotten you But it was nice chasing you, you've got good clean lines

NV #192

[wiggeywackyo]

Good luck overseas, hope ya make it back for the last round. Keep talking with Danny all you can. He helped piggot a ton and got him going real fast, real quickly.

Yea, he's got some great insight on all aspects of racing. In fact, it seems that there is something to learn from everyone. Even you crazy motarded bastids with your braking markers by the end of the pit wall.

[wiggeywackyo]

Thanks all.

Dropping 3 seconds on a sputtering bike is impressive, and congrat's on the podium! No stowaways in your trailer this time?

Yea but it's certainly not 1:24's on an SV that you are riding to and from the track on impressive. And on the stowaways:

Nicely done out there dood! I hope you can get the bike smoothed out a bit for next time!

Thanks for the burrs, company and help loading my stuff up too.

No problem brova mang. Hope you get it all back together.

great racing with ya, I kept closing in on you closer and closer but just didn't have enough to take you, another lap or 2 and I may have gotten you But it was nice chasing you, you've got good clean lines

NV #192

The sound of that motor being that close really got in my head. It was great to have some pressure though. I thought for sure you had me a couple of times. I gotta see what kind of voodoo you're pulling from 10-12. It felt like you were really closing on me back there.

Did you happen to notice my motor sputtering going down the straight? Did it only happen in certain areas?

PM me your email addy if you want some pics my brother took. There's a good one of us coming out of 12.

[FirstDuc-1098]

yea, you were sputtering on most of the off/on throttle areas, like 9 down to 10 and into 11a

The 11/11a/12 area I think I'm getting better there by watching the super fast guys there. I keep thinking about how Wood, Greenwood, Doucette and all the other fast guys basically come thru there on full throttle. So I keep trying to force myself to stay on throttle into there longer and longer. My problem there is I don't know how to pull a pass there or maybe just to scared to pull a pass there. But I'll get it.