Oreo report: Season wrap-up.

[OreoGaborio]

Here's to another season in the record books.

The last race weekend of '08, as I'm sure everyone already knows, was a wet one. But as far as rain racing goes, the weather couldn't have been more perfect... Just wet enough to keep the racing line wet, but not pouring hard enough to eliminate all possibility of seeing what the hell was right in front of you. Even the fog wasn't bad on my face shield, which was very surprising given that I couldn't find my Respro Foggy mask (a MUST for wet/foggy weather) ANYWHERE before leaving the house Of course after unpacking my car I found that it was in my back seat covered in shit all along

Never the less, I was able to see just enough to squeak out some very good results & cruise home with wood in all but one of my races.

GTL on Saturday was basically my Saturday morning practice. Having only one set of rims meant bringing my rims to the boys of Boston Moto to pull off the DOT’s. Having NO rain tires () meant that I had to "borrow" some used rains (including a pretty shagged rear tire which would come into play later) from Mr. Kurtz/Daviid. (Thanks again, guys ). The race went very well considering I’d never ridden the SV (a bike that’s still relatively new to me… and with shot suspension) in the rain before. I rode a consistent race, improving lap to lap & came across the line in 4th place (of 12 entries, 9 starters)


LWSS on Saturday was an AWESOME race. I had an EPIC battle with Geno Wetherall of ECK Racing and Josh Kruse of Duncanmoto. All three of us (if I remember correctly) had our turn at the front of the field with lead swaps almost every lap. Josh and I finally broke free of Gene (who was actually racing in the Formula 50 class) and freight trained for the last two laps with me hot on Josh’s heels. I thought back to the previous laps & made the assessment that I had 4 possible chances at making a pass…. Into turn 1, into turn 3, into turn 9 and MAYBE…. MAAAYYYBE into turn 11.

Turn 1 comes & no dice… not close enough as I couldn’t get a good drive out of any left hand corner (remember that shagged rear rain tire I mentioned earlier?).

Turn 3 comes & once again I couldn’t stay close enough out of turn 2.

Coming out of turn 6 I was a good ½ a second behind him but I kept that throttle pinned through 7 and into 8 and by the time we got to the entry to turn 9 I was RIGHT on his rear tire but just couldn’t bring myself to make the outside pass w/ that rear tire all shagged on the left side.

I got a good drive out of turn 10 and pulled along side Josh early in the entry turn 11 around the outside. By mid-corner I had him by ½ a length but he runs me wide. I give the throttle a good squirt out of 11 and grab a fist full of brakes to make the VERY shallow entry to 11a. I square up turn 12 and put as much power to the ground as that rear tire would allow. Josh does the same & is able to get underneath me & make the re-pass. Just as his rear tire clears my front he spins it up big & the bike pops him up out of the seat as it re-catches…. I stayed hard on the throttle & began pulling on him but the finish line came too soon & he beat me by ½ a length. Josh, myself and Gene all cross the line within a second of eachother. Daviid finishes 3rd in class a handful of seconds back.

LWGP on Saturday is hardly worth mentioning. I wasn’t feeling it by this point in the day and with only 4 entries is was a pretty quiet race for me. I foolishly let the other 3 gap me out by the end of the first lap and I cruised through the white flag in a distant 4th place. I opted to pit in before taking the checkered as to not take the hit to my index and hurt my POSSIBLE plans to bump to Expert for ’09 (a decision I have yet to make.) As it turns out it would have done my index a lot more good if I had decided to finish as the 2nd and 3rd place bikes BOTH crashed out of the race and Daviid took the win.

LWSB on Sunday was also a pretty quiet race. Although I did my best wet lap times of the weekend, without the ability to power out of the all three of the important left handers (12, 2 and 6) I was unable to drop below a 1:31 and let the lead pack break away once again. However I was still able to take home a 3rd place finish and improve my index in all three races that I finished.


A big thanks to the guys at BostonMoto for swapping my tires from DOT to rains and back again, another big thanks to Kurtz and Daviid for loaning me those rain tires and of course thanks to everyone else who came up to cornerwork or cheer on the NESR racers.


See you all at the Drunkathon!

[OreoGaborio]

After doing the math my unofficial index is a .476

[Pittenger5]

Are they really picky about index from AM to EX? Or are times the most important factor? Cause I bumped to AM with a like .400 index.

[TLRMan]

...and you are welcome for helping you out and getting your bike to shift better....Jackass....

[Kitt]

Are they really picky about index from AM to EX? Or are times the most important factor? Cause I bumped to AM with a like .400 index.

I always thought index mattered - since it's in the rule book and advancement lists... however seems like people are bumping with bad index's, and times...

I'd rather wait until I am eligible by the rule book (and both time even later than that for experience' sake), but I think Don makes exceptions for those who aren't loose cannons. # of races seems to be important, but if you remember ryan bumped right through am in a handful of races (his times were smoking).

[Mr. Kurtz]

Fun weekend Pete, and thanks again to you and David for having a few guests in your pits for the last 2 weekends.

[OreoGaborio]

My first weekend on the SV was piss poor with an idex of .298... but the last TWO race weekends I scored a 0.667, 0.750, 0.500, 0.846, 0.800, 0.750, 0.769 which averages out to a .727. Even still, my overall index as an amateur is medeocre at best.... The EX really killed me over the first 1/2 of the season.

I suppose if I wanted to bump I could write something up for Don, tell him I'm running 22's in the dry... Maybe he'll let me throw on some white plates for '09. We'll see.

...and you are welcome for helping you out and getting your bike to shift better....Jackass....

Yeah... that too It's still a little stiff but switching to GP really saved my toe.

[Pittenger5]

My thing about index is I'm running classes that I have no shot in, which obviously kills my index. I mean, I come in last or second to last in GTL every weekend, and its 90% the bike, 10% my riding ability that keeps me back there. If I only did PTwins my index would be smoking, but I like being out on the track, and Im not gonna do a race just to come in on the last lap just to save my index (no insult to Pete there, just how I roll)

[OreoGaborio]

We roll the same way, but being on an SV means I'm more competitive in more classes, making my Index more relative to my ability... thus I chose to do what I could to minimize the damage done back while I was still riding the EX.

I have a .523 since switching to the SV despite the crappy 1st weekend on it.

[Pittenger5]

Is can dig what you're saying. And Im sure Don realizes that too, so I hope index isnt everything. Course I got a LOOONNNGGG way to go before I need to start worrying about bumpin anyway

[seth399]

being new to the road stuff I dont really dig this 'index' stuff, but I'm sure it makes sense overall.

Either way, nice job pete, you look awesome on the sv fo sho

[tjspeed3]

We roll the same way, but being on an SV means I'm more competitive in more classes, making my Index more relative to my ability... thus I chose to do what I could to minimize the damage done back while I was still riding the EX.

I have a .523 since switching to the SV despite the crappy 1st weekend on it.

Pete, this is a load of B.S. . You were faster than me for a long time on your EX, and should have gone to Expert before I did. I've raced nothing but an EX, had a terrible end of the year last year (and this one started horrible too!) and still became an Expert riding an EX.

You're a great competitor, I just don't see the EX being the source of your troubles. You probably will move up faster though at the expense of the PTwins guys and their 50hp/400+ lb. bikes trying to compete in the GTL. But that's life racing the EX.

I'm not sure of my index now, but I am sure it would relative to my below-average ability. And for what it's worth, the fastest times I've done have been in the GTL, a class my bike's not competitive in but I have a lot of fun in.

Tom

[Pittenger5]

Well Tom I think youre confusing riding an ex with Ptwins.
If we went based solely on PTwins my index would be well enough to win. But I race 4 races every weekend, GTL, LWSM, PTwins and ULSB. PTwins I finish top 1-3 almost every weekend, LWSM about mid pack, and the other 2 dead last, or maybe 2nd to dead last. Do those two races make my ability any worse? Of course not, but the bike just cant keep up with the other ones.

[OreoGaborio]

You were faster than me for a long time on your EX

Yup... I WAS... then I reached a pleateau & fell off the other side while everyone else took off up the ladder.

I did a 1:24.8 back in 2006. In 2007 I don't think I ever did better than a 25 flat.
This year I couldn't even break below a friggin 1:29 until I jumped ship to the SV.

[TheIglu]

Yup... I WAS... then I reached a pleateau & fell off the other side while everyone else took off up the ladder.

I did a 1:24.8 back in 2006. In 2007 I don't think I ever did better than a 25 flat.
This year I couldn't even break below a friggin 1:29 until I jumped ship to the SV.

Same here. I think I'll stick with it for a while though. I hope I can get to the root of the issue (me).

I understand your frustration, we both got beaten with the slow stick early this season.

[tjspeed3]

Pete- very sorry for the hijack. But anyway...

Well Tom I think youre confusing riding an ex with Ptwins.
If we went based solely on PTwins my index would be well enough to win. But I race 4 races every weekend, GTL, LWSM, PTwins and ULSB. PTwins I finish top 1-3 almost every weekend, LWSM about mid pack, and the other 2 dead last, or maybe 2nd to dead last. Do those two races make my ability any worse? Of course not, but the bike just cant keep up with the other ones.

Richie, obviously I'm not confusing the races. I raced LWSM to hope to finish mid-pack, be the first EX to finish, and get faster chasing someone on a bigger bike. I raced GTL for practice, to be the first Ex to finish, and to get faster. GTL hurt my index the most, but it was the most valuable time on the track for me. Everytime I set a new PB (and it's now at a laughable 23.6), It was during the GTL. It certainly delayed my advancement to Expert (and Amateur for that matter), but it gave me the most value for getting faster (and increase my abilities as a racer) of all the races. I raced the PTwins as my only real race of the weekend. It is me and my Ex against you and your Ex
and since all the bikes are the same (differently colored pos's), that's the place where your ability was matched against everyone else's.

Are you sure the bike can't keep up with everyone else's? Two years ago Jeff Wood ran a 17.7 on Dana's Ex. If you could do that, where would you finish in the GTL and ULSB then?

It's not the bike.

Yup... I WAS... then I reached a pleateau & fell off the other side while everyone else took off up the ladder.

I did a 1:24.8 back in 2006. In 2007 I don't think I ever did better than a 25 flat.
This year I couldn't even break below a friggin 1:29 until I jumped ship to the SV.

It's not the bike.

Same here. I think I'll stick with it for a while though. I hope I can get to the root of the issue (me).

I'm not trying to criticize anyone's abilities- I just don't believe that changing the motorcycle that you race improves your abilities unless you're just uncomfortable riding it. Then it's the bike.

Tom

[Pittenger5]

True, its not entirely the bike, but to use Pete as an example, if he can hop on an SV and go 6 seconds a lap faster, well, his skills didnt jump 6 seconds, but the bike sure helped.

[Pittenger5]

What are we arguing about again? SVs are faster than EXs?

[OreoGaborio]

Tom, I don't understand what the point is you're getting at. I never blamed the bike (unless I was having a mechanical issue)... I just wasn't meshing with it anymore and I couldn't get back into the groove on it.

For that reason and a few others I decided it was time for a change.... and it's a change I'm happy with.

[SVRACER01]

i think pete was having some minor mechanical issues on top of the fact he wasnt getting along with it.
i think the EX is a good entry level race bike. some people are happy racing it for a long time while others may just long for something different.

[seth399]

I don't have much exerience with road racing yet but it seems to me like keeping an EX is kinda equivalent to riding a 1991 kx125 in motocross against abunch of 2008 250f bikes?

I give alot of credit to those who can ride around the track fast on them but I would personally upgrade once I had the skill/money to do that.

[Pittenger5]

I don't have much exerience with road racing yet but it seems to me like keeping an EX is kinda equivalent to riding a 1991 kx125 in motocross against abunch of 2008 250f bikes?

Yes, but it also has its own class in which to race. So youd only be racing 1991 kx125s. But the rest of the weekend sucks.

[seth399]

Yes, but it also has its own class in which to race. So youd only be racing 1991 kx125s. But the rest of the weekend sucks.

ah cool, well that makes it much more worth it. But ya, like in your case where you want to run abunch of classes I guess it makes the other races not so fun

[TheIglu]

Pete wanted a change, I can't blame him for going the SV route. I'd do the same if I had the chance. He has plenty of skill on an EX which translates into faster times on a faster bike. You need to be a little "nuts" to get an EX going as fast as we had been going for a while. Sometimes you'd rather work on your riding than bettering your "crazy".

The EX is NOT a "beginner only" bike. You race on the same track in the same races as a lot of other bikes. The rules are the same or stricter than any other class in Ptwins. It is harder to be faster on an EX in Ptwins than any other class at Loudon. It is a stock-class with very limited modifications. No motor work, stock airbox, stock exhaust, stock front end (internals allowed), etc. The ONLY way to get faster is skill.

Any bike you race is a racebike. If you take a HD Roadking out there and go as fast as you can on it, or as fast as the bike lets you, it's still racing and you have to be very skilled to do so. You exhibit riding ability, traction management and risk management while doing so on ANY bike. The dangers are the same (some say more-so on an EX due to it's handling deficiencies) on any racebike at Loudon.

Or, continue to think the way most people do. But do me one favor; take an EX500 (you can use mine, I've let people before) out for a race. Try to go fast on it. Hell, just try to go a mediocre pace, lets say a 1:26. Come back to me and tell me that isn't on-the-edgeracing just like any other bike. Then look at BJ's, Mark's, Dana's laptimes in the 1:21's.

If times are what this is all about, then nobody here is really racing top level bikes since you all aren't on GSXR1000's flirting with Jeff Wood's 1:11 laptime. Last time I checked, me and Pete's PB were less than 3 seconds off the Expert class champs times. Can even a small percentage of people say that? Didn't think so.

Race what you want, enjoy it and strive to be the best at it.

[OreoGaborio]

Yeh, what Dollah & Clayton said.

The EX may be old & out-dated, but it's got a GREAT race class all for itself in Production Twins... And with a good rider it's competitive in other lightweight classes (at least in Novice & Amateur). If it weren't then I certainly wouldn't have gotten my fair share of wood on it in '06 and '07 like I did. I've had just as many memorable battles w/ SV's and Motards in GTL, LWSM and ULSB than I have other EX500's in PTwins. The fact that those other light-weight classes are tougher to be competitive in just drives an EX500 racer to be better and makes what wood you do get in those classes that much more satisfying.

I've always said this & I always will - There's NO better bang-for-the-buck road racing bike at Loudon than the EX500 and I can't say I won't miss my days on it but it was just time for me to move on, that's all.