[scottieducati]

Future reports will be on my sponsorhouse page, but I can't post links yet... so copy and paste for now!

After much a-do getting the bike ready (welding the subframe, hanging the bodywork, getting frame sliders on, cleaning the carbs....) I arrived @ the track Friday evening and waited till 6 to get my pass and register, then unload. The bike was still sans # plates and my number 144 so a trip to street and competition to get numbers and plates sorted and the bike was ready by about 7:45 pm to go through tech the next morning.

Saturday AM - arrive at the track to meet Mike, who's helping video tape the season for a documentary project that is in the works... he follows us to the pits to catch all the action. Over to tech and passed with flying colors, and back to get buttoned up for first practice. I head out to first practice and am frustrated instantly. The bike is suffering from on / off throttle response, coughing and sputtering from the bottom until about 7000 rpm. Once it hits 7000 rpm, she comes to life and wails up till redline (9000 rpm). Not good. I pull in and head to the garage, and see some fuel dripping to the catch pan... a (now I've learned) tell-tale sign of a stuck float needle. So the bodywork comes off with help from my able-bodied (and gorgeous) assistant, and I can get at the carbs. I pull the horizontal carb and take the float bowl off and pull on the float, an audible "click" signals the un-sticking float needle, and I toss everything back together. Between my practice on Tuesday and this morning... I am not happy.

A few minutes to mill around until second session and I'm off, with crossed fingers hoping that she's sorted out. My trip down pit-lane tells the tale as she pulls smartly from 2500 rpm all the way up, and I start to get excited. Through pit-out and onto the back straight, she pulls hard and strong... very linear power all the way up until braking for Turn 3. WOW this is how she's supposed to feel!!! I use the grunt of this little 795cc 2-Valve Ducati motor to power up the hill and into the bowl. The tires are heating up and she's starting to purr. I spend the rest of the session getting re-acquainted with the 12 turn NHIS course which feels like grabbing a drink with an old friend... the same brake markers, apexes and transitions I had known so well are coming back to me and the laps are clicking off. I pull off the track after the checkered flag and into the pits with a smile from ear to ear... excited about my first race, GT Lights, which is the third race of the day.

We enjoy some sandwiches (thanks mom!) and plenty of water over lunch, and catch some of the rookie race, the familiar snarl of the engines at the start waiting for the green flag is a welcome sound (and one absent from practice sessions which feature a "rolling start" from the hot-pit), and I'm starting to get butterflies. I'm suited up again and straining to hear "Third Call" on the PA over the roaring engines circling the track. Finally the call comes, the tire warmers come off and I'm rolling to pre-grid.

My first thought no the grid was... "wow, there are a *lot* of guys ahead of me..." Since I post-registered, I was slotted 36th on the grid, way down on Row 8. Not only are there 35 other guys ahead of me, they're all experts... including multiple class champion Rick Doucette. Man this should be fun.

The sighting lap goes off and before long we're on the grid, the 3 board changes to 2, then to 1, and we're off!!! I get a cracking start and figure I'm about 20th into Turn 1. Things settle into a rhythm and I pick off a spot on the brakes into Turn 3 and power up the hill. Into the bowl (Turn 6) I get another position and roar over the hill and past the tree-house. Through 9, 10, across the back straight and into 11 I'm on the heels of two guys ahead of me. The flip flop chicane of Turn 12 leads onto the back straight and I get a draft and head up the inside of Turn 1. Not late enough on the brakes, I tuck back in and follow the two in front of me for another lap, again mounting a front-straight draft. I pull past one half-way through the straight and slide behind the second going into Turn 1. Through the esses and onto the back straight I dive up the inside of Turn 3 and head over the hill. It's a lonely ride to catch the next position, but as I come around the straight for the 3rd time, a red flag.... *ugh*

Back to the pre-grid. It's HOT and sunny now, at least 70 degrees (so much for rain??) and water is ran out to the riders as the track is cleared. A solid 10 minutes and we're rolling again for the restart... all the work from the first 4 laps has gone for naught as we're back to original grid positions.

The 2nd start comes and a slight wheelie is stifled, and I'm able to slide up with the main pack and figure I'm around 18th. This bike sure can launch! I make my way past 2 or 3 riders again and start to feel a bit lonely. I ease off to save some energy and click off a few laps. Then over the hill into the bowl, someone dives inside of me... an Aprilia RS250!!! This gets the fire going again and I stay on him to the straight... making sure to stay tight through 11, to the right through 12, and tight on the inside left of 12A to square off the exit to the front straight... and power past him into turn 1. Back around over the hill, and there he is again, sliding inside me into the bowl!! Well, I follow him again to the straight and motor past... trying to put my head down to pull a gap... past the white flag and into Turn 1, staying late on the brakes.. Down the back straight, up over the hill and into the bowl.. .I lean in and... WHOA there he is again, much tighter this time... the same story unfolds on the back half of the track, I follow him around the bowl, over the hill, past the tree house and into 9... through the back section, I'm much closer than before and think of going up the inside coming out of turn 10, but hesitate and decide to let the drag race decide things... into 11, keeping a tight line to the left, late turn right for 12 and a quick turn left for the front straight, squaring off the line and opening the throttle to the stop... I pull up, along side and catch the starter who sees us dragging to the line and starts waving the checkered flag with enthusiasm.... I pull along side... neck and neck, and pull a foot and a half gap at the line!!! That was fun, very... very fun!!

On the cool down lap, .we exchange thumbs up as we head into the pits... later on the rider comes by for some bench-racing and we're in mutual agreement... we'll have to do that again!

The battle was for 15th, not bad considering a start from 36th... I'm pretty happy with my first Expert race, and looking forward to tomorrow.

We pack up and head home for the day, as we leave... raindrops start falling. A sign of what's to come.

Sunday AM - Arrive at the track around 8 AM to off-on mist, and a fairly dry track. Patches of wet and it appears the rain will hold, so I mount some Intermediate rains in lieu of the slicks, and keep the full wets mounted and waiting in the wings. I've never ridden this bike in the wet, and roll out for my session to get a feel for things. The rear is squirly in the usual places, but overall everything seems copacetic, and I come in after about 7 laps and wait it out.

I head home and bring the slicks and DOT tires with me, for less to pack after the race. When I arrive back at the track, it's bone-dry and I'm worried I made the wrong call... sooo I rush home to grab the slicks, and of course, when I get back... the drizzle has resumed.

My race is approaching and the rain seems to be holding off. The track is wet, but drying. I inquire about the track to a racer who race was before mine and am assured it's still pretty wet, so I decide to run the full wet on the rear... rain riding is all about doing your business in a straight line, and I don't want a high side...

We mount the tire amidst the 2nd call for my race, and have her buttoned up just in time... I roll to the pre-grid and the weather is still questionable... but no drops at the moment. Sighting lap goes OK, I try to push a bit to heat up the rear, as it didn't have a warmer on it. We come around to grid and I'm on the last row, row 4. Started 16th. Green flag waves and I get a *great* start amidst some guys on DOT tires taking it easy, and wind up 4th into Turn 1. I see Mike Dube, Mr. Rockwell and another... all heavy-hitters whom I rarely can catch in the dry. I decide to put my head down and try to brake as late as possible for turn 3... I overshoot a little, and tuck in going up the hill, closing the gap into the bowl. Around the bowl and over the hill... left thru 7, right thru 8, and back lef... WHAM!!!! I'm down and sliding off Turn 9, into the gravel... Completely lost the front. Pick the bike up and notice a footpeg gone, a slider gone, and the last inch and a half of my clutch lever are gone... my race, and weekend... are over.

I nurse the bike to the pits (at least she started!) and assess the damage. Looks straight forward. I call "AxlJak" to get a new slider and he comes over to assess the damage. When I mounted them, the brackets for the frame support were of the wrong dimension given a mixup with my bike.... I have an old style motor, and new style frame, so the old style slider brackets don't fit.... this proved costly, as Jack noticed the engine case behind the upper-rear frame mount had cracked and I was missing a piece of the boss. *great* To top it off, my left foot is *throbbing* along with my knee, and right pinky toe.... the footpeg landed directly on the inside ball of my foot, which is now swollen and blue... but everything seems normal and no breaks...

Good news is, after the day's racing I walked up to Turn 9 and found the missing pieces... hopefully Tony of Stow Motorsports can get her welded back up and good as new for Round 2. I'll keep you posted on the progress, and thanks for reading. Lesson learned from LRRS Round 1: Take it easy in the wet!!!!!

Ciao for now,

ScottieDucati #144

[Hoss]

Dam fence...

[scottieducati]

You the MAN Hoss :-)

Good seein you and your lady up there.... hopefully more weekends to come?

Scottie.D

[a13x]

Oh that was you that dumped it in T9 in Ultralight Superbike? I thought it was Rockwell. Bummer man, I came around a few seconds later and saw you standing there. I was on slicks for that race, which made the first 3/4's of it suck. Stupid weather.


Former NU Alum right? Myself as well. We were there same time I believe.

[Hoss]

You the MAN Hoss :-)

Good seein you and your lady up there.... hopefully more weekends to come?

Scottie.D

Yeah, I plan on being up there most weekends to lend a hand for Jay where I can (not on these forums).


I have a ton more from the same race in 3. Most have the fence in the way. When I get the chance, I'll get them loaded up full size and send you the links. I'm just learning how to use the fancy camera, so hopefully the quality will get better as I play more (and find the money for a lens that will get in a little tighter)

[scottieducati]

Originally Posted by a13x

Oh that was you that dumped it in T9 in Ultralight Superbike? I thought it was Rockwell. Bummer man, I came around a few seconds later and saw you standing there. I was on slicks for that race, which made the first 3/4's of it suck. Stupid weather.

Former NU Alum right? Myself as well. We were there same time I believe.

Yeah man, I graduated May 06.... were you up racing?

What'dja major in?

Scottie

[Hoss]

Coupla more

[a13x]

Originally Posted by scottieducati

Yeah man, I graduated May 06.... were you up racing?

What'dja major in?

Scottie

I was at NU from 97-04. Super Senior in Graphic Design. Started racing in 2005. I had a Superhawk during my 2001-2003 years on campus as well.