I showed up Friday afternoon around 7ish and got everything unloaded. I hadn't had time to do much to the bike because I had finals, but I managed to get an oil change done. When I got there the bike would not even start. Went to bed at 12:30 and got up at 5 to do my first valve adjustment. Intake valves should have been .006" and I couldn't even get a .0015" feeler in. Changed the shims from 1.6 to a 1.25. Bike started 3rd kick after the change. I can't believe how easy it is to do the adjustment now. Also changed the jetting from a 180 main to a 170 main and from a 42 pilot to a 45 pilot.
After practice the bike was still down on power. I tried going back up to a 175 main and kept the 45 pilot.
Race 4 - Super Singles
Got a bad start which seems to be the norm for me as of lately. Worked my way past a couple people into T1 and found myself in 3rd. Had a big gap in front of me and behind me. But I ran all of my laps except the out lap in the 24's! The bike is coming along and I feel like it won't be long before I get down into the 23's! Ended up finishing the race in 3rd behind Trevor and Chancey. GREAT ride by both of them. Chauncey was flying!
Race 8 - Ultra Light Weight Super Bike
Got a bad start again and was battling AJ and Trevor Arvidson for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. They would gap me huge on the straight and I would catch them in the corners. I got AJ in turn 6 and took the lead at one point. They both passed me down the straight again and I would catch them in T1. I had just passed Trevor in T8 and was trying to catch AJ, but was off line in T9 and the front washed. I hit the airfence at the apex of T10 and threw it into the track. Head wasn't in it so decided to not go back out. Bike was fine. Thanks to Lou for taking care of me.
During the afternoon/night after the races finished the bike got tore down again. Turns out the valve cover breather was throwing oil into my air box. There was literally a puddle in the air box in the filter. We removed the line from going into the air box and plumbed it into my catch can in the front. Also went and asked clark about his jetting. He was running a 165 main and a 42 pilot so that is what I changed mine to. Thanks to Pete and John (trouble) for the help. (Have to take the subframe off to get the air filter out.) Bike ran much better and started 3rd kick after having the bowl drained of fuel! Oh and thanks to Tony for the moral support and advice. (Good thing he ran out of wine.)
Race 2 - GTL
Got a bad start and had 4th by T3 after I passed cooner on the inside. Was going to giggle in my helmet when I saw Mike Weyant down in T11 up ad ok, but I knew what karma did when he did that to me. So I pretended to giggle. Race was red flagged because AJ crashed in T12 and cropped some fluids. Got a bad start again, but managed to get up to 3rd again. Checked out on both sides and finished in 3rd.
Race 6 - Motard
I knew both Trevor's and Chauncey were in this race so it was not going to be easy to get a podium. I got a crappy start and was behind all of the 3 that I just mentioned. Trevor Arvidson crashed in T12 and I had the inside line as the bike slid upwards. Trevor Chappisi was trapped behind the bike and I took the opportunity to take 2nd. After another lap Trevor passed me on the front straight and I tried to keep up but couldn't. I was really dragging ass in turn 3. At about lap 4 I looked behind me and saw a bike a good distance away as I entered T5. Next lap same place I saw the bike again but it was much MUCH closer. Next lap I saw it was #560, FUCK IT'S CHIPPAH! I tried to turn it up, but he kept gaining on me. I knew he was catching me in T3, but I also wanted to keep it rubber side down and finish. I decided to do nothing different and just keep my lines and markers the same. He passed me on the inside and put a little gap on me. I caught up to him and Trevor by T11 and they gapped me a little down the front straight. Caught back up by T2, but again gapped at T3. Let me say that Chip was FLYING. Major props to him for stepping it up in the rain after his getoff in practice! I ended up taking 4th. And during the race I was getting really bad chatter in the dry the day before and in the wet. The reason for the chatter I figured out was the bolts that hold the bar mounts to the triple clamps were loose. I wil have those safety wired for the next event.
Thanks to Mark (TLRMAN), Pete Gaboriault, John Linn, Trevor Arvidson and his dad, Adam Clark, Tony Iannarelli, Tyler Sweeney (for the tire warmers), Keith Beaurivage, Mike Kurtz, and my dad for all the help. Couldn't have done it without you guys. Also thanks to all of the sponsors listed in my sig.
