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Sure I did a track day a few weeks ago, but that doesn't count... Racing, however, does
Felt great to get back out there on the starting grid. My goal of the weekend was to be just w/in 5 seconds of my previous times which would put me under the 1:30 mark.... slow, yes.... but more than achievable, even for a gimp like me
I got there Saturday afternoon but just chilled out w/ the usual suspects... no riding other than around the pits & such. I had some issues w/ registration but Wanda helped me straighten everything out the next morning. In a nut shell, instead of cancelling 3 out of my usual 4 races as I asked in the fax (which they had a copy of right in front of them), they canceled all 4...
S-all good though, they let me post-register & pay the pre-reg price
I fueled up the bike in the morning planning on one 20 minute practice & a sprint race.... Turns out there were TWO 20 minute practices.... good.... and bad (you'll see why later)
In practice I turned out a best time of 1:27.999 and I was super happy w/ that. Still more than 3 seconds off my best, but two seconds faster than I had hoped
Race time comes & I'm gridded last.... but 3rd into turn 1
I procede to try & chase down Clayton and fellow fast guy Jonathan Vaughan and was doing pretty well keeping up with them, but come lap 3 my bike started sputtering comin outta the bowl.... and I knew exactly what it was right away..... It was a servere case of engine failure.... cause by an insufficient supply of VP MS93.1 and an excess of (in order of percentage) nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide and minute traces of neon, helium, methane, krypton, hydrogen, xenon, and ozone.
.... ie... I'm runnin outta mutha fukin gas..... damn rookie mistake.
I said "screw it" and decided to stay out there as long as I could. I was shortshifting all over the place & before I knew it I was sputtering coming out of practically every single corner. Turn 1, 3-4, 6, 10 & 12.... basically after every turn you're on the brakes for any significant amount of time & getting back on the gas hard. I was exiting all of those turns super tight so that I wouldn't get rearended as I coasted out of the turn.
Anyway, I managed to limp it all the way to the checkered, but not before being passed by Jason Morse while exiting turn 12... I almost caught him by the finish line, but no dice.... last place (6th). But I took the checkered and on the cool down lap my bike completely died coming out of turn 2 (couldn't have cut it any closer than that if I tried) at least I avoided a shamefull DNF.
My best time was a 1:28.5 on lap 2 - the last lap I completed before fuel issues. I was expecting better than that, but again, all I wanted to do was be under 1:30's... I didn't wanna go out there, push hard, fight at the front & risk hurting my wrist again, obviusly.
.... Monday & Tuesday's track days were awesome. I brought the 600 with me for that & instructed in the Yellow group with Ken C on Monday and Dan Murphy on Tuesday. Ken and I led a track walk (my first full track walk ever) with the yellow group & the old addage "You learn through teaching" really held up... even though the two of us were supposed to be teaching these guys I learned just as much as I instructed.
I rode w/ a number of people, spent alot of time talking about lines & body positioning & they were all very thankful after they went out & tried what we talked about... definitely put a smile on my face to get good feedback from those guys & girls.
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Originally Posted by a13x
