Saturday, March 29, 2008

AFM round 1 Buttonwillow

Last weekend was the first race for the AFM season at the world famous Buttonwillow Raceway (just kidding).
One of the great things about coming to this track is that my Mom and Dad live only a couple of hours away.

With two races at other clubs under my belt my personal expectations where high. I traveled with one of my SFMC teammates Eric Schiller Thursday night. We stayed at the local hot spot, The Red Roof Inn. The accommodations where far from fancy but they suited our needs just fine, and give AFM racers a discount.

Friday morning we where up early to get everything set up. After the quick tech inspection we where out on track. I hadn't been to Buttonwillow in two years so I wanted Friday to be a mellow day of relearning the track and adapt more to the new bike. At this point the bike wasn't so new and scary. It did surprise me how fast things felt. BW has several very fast sections and I don't remember them being that fast. That makes perfect sense seeing how my old bike just didn't go very fast! On Friday I had anticipated purchasing a new front wheel for my bike from fellow AFMer Kim Nakashima. This was too be a very trick 16.5" wheel, normal is 17", made from forged aluminum weighing several pounds less than my current wheel. The smaller size is the ultra trick set up professional racers are using. By lunch I had found Kim, but the wheel wasn't there yet. Bummer, there's always tomorrow. On Friday I had a chance to chase around my old nemesis, not really, John Forman, and that was good for me as he showed me some lines that would prove useful later on. By hand timer I has best lap in the 2:05 range. Probably 7 seconds better than my fastest time on my 500.

Saturday morning: Our third teammate Jim Hoogerhyde, now joined us. On Friday afternoon my parents joined us with their 5th wheel camper trailer. We took a whole corner of the paddock and made one hell of a SFMC racing compound. Once again I tracked down Kim, and this time I got my sexy new wheel. Too bad it was for a different year than I thought and didn't center up on my forks. So I missed my first practice session, which is a bummer as Saturday practice only gets 4 sessions total. Even with the abbreviated day Saturday was good, and I ended the day in the 2:04's. I would have liked to be a couple of seconds quicker, but I was lacking confidence in a couple of places, like T2, T7, and T11.

Sunday race day: I put on a new rear tire just for the races. The first race would be Formula 650 Twins, also known as 650T. Since I had never raced this class before I was gridded in the last row. Something like 49th place! I knew it was going to be a long uphill battle with 48 other riders in front of me, but I was feeling good, and ready for game on!
2 Board drop the shield on the helmet, 1 board bring the rev's up to 7k, sideways, get ready , Green flag go! I got a solid launch and drove deep into the middle of the pack, but as we neared the first turn I backed off a little. You see I got taken out in a big way a few years ago by a guy who charged up the inside and couldn't make the turn, so I tip toed through 1, and then got on the gas after that. T2 wasn't much better so I went around the outside and passed several people. Charging down into T3 I gtt on the brakes a little early and #649 of Code-4 gets inside of me as we enter T3a. I'm here to do the passing not the other way around so I let off the brake early and carry a little extra speed and stay to his outside of T3a which gives me the inside line into T3b. I stay on the gas going up the little hill toward 3c, and 649 thinks he's going to try the same trick I just pulled on him. I don't think so as I get on the gas and drift wide forcing him to roll off to keep from running into me. Yeah sucks to be him, that's racing! I begin making my up through the field passing people every couple of turns. I don't know how many because I was always focused on the next rider. There where two more bikes left within catching distance. I can't tell you why but I sucked in Turn 11 leading up to the front straight. I was really good on the rest of the track but not so good on that part. The bad thing about that is the pursued rider would put a gap on me down the fast front straight, and I would close up on him around the back side, but lose it on the front. I had reeled this guy in, and I knew I was running out of time. I told myself I was getting around him no matter what. That is a dangerous attitude on a race track! I had pulled up within a couple of bike lengths of him on the front straight, and I knew if I could get him into Turn 1 I he would never get a chance to get back around me. The idea was simple really. Don't use the brakes until he does, then count to 1, and hit the brakes really really hard. hahahahaha. OK I see him grab a hold, I wait, and go for it. At this point I'm waaaay farther down the track than I had been used to so I pulled a little harder which puts the bike in a reverse wheelie or stoppie. Yes I go flying by him with my back wheel hovering a few inches off the ground. At this I have several things going on in my head. I need to start turning soon, I need to down shift 2 gears, I need to get the back wheel on the ground. In what I consider an amazing feet of mental control this is how it played out. While the rear wheel was still floating I down shifted twice, gently left off the brakes, and set the wheel down, as soon as it touched I started the turn, and a beat later I opened the throttle to accelerate out of the corner leaving my opponent high and dry. whew... All of that happened in less than 2 seconds time. It's amazing how slow things seem when it's the only thing in the world you are focused on. Next lap one bike to go. I suck right up on the back of him as we enter T1, and I know I'm going for the pass in T2. He takes a super tight line either by mistake or to defend against me. I know he won't be able to carry much speed as he exits so my plan is to enter late and carry extra speed through and pass him on the exit. Half way though T2 as I start to add gas BAM down he goes. Too tight of a line, too far leaned over too much throttle. The guy is now sliding directly into my path of travel. I stand the bike up attempting to not run him over which will end badly for both of us. I stay on the gas because I can tell if I get on the brakes I'm going to t-bone him. He makes contact with me head first sending me into a violent Tank Slapper as I head out into the dirt. The BW dirt is very soft and I know not to hit the front brakes so I go to step on the rear brake, and there's no lever. It's bent 180° backwards. That explains the violent shaking motion. The fallen rider hit the brake lever with his head. Ouch! I gain control of my bike, and tip toe back onto the track as I watch rider after rider go by. I limped my bike around the final lap just fast enough to not get passed again, and finished a disappointing 24th.

Up next was the Formula IV race. Even though I was gridded in a much better spot I still finished 24th. I had lost some of the fire after my "Soil Sampling" experience.
There was nothing memorable of super interesting that happened so enough said.

It was a great weekend none the less. Jim finished 1st in both of his races, Eric finished 3rd in 500T, and I went faster than ever before. As always I have to thank my Mom and Dad for coming out and supporting me and my friends with love and lunch! A special thanks to Jennifer from Werkstatt for her race support, and Dave Moss from Catalyst Reaction for helping me get my bike dialed in. Next up is AHRMA at Willow Springs!

Here is link to some lo res pics as I haven't bought the CD yet. 4 The Riders

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Gygax is Dead, Long Live Gygax!

Gary Gygax died yesterday

Most people will say "who?" That's OK. I played a lot when I was a pre-teen, but dropped it when I discovered girls in highschool. I picked it back up in college, and formed friendships that last today. I love fantasy fiction books, and I'll go see just about any fantasy movie, even if it's meant for kids. I can pretty safely say that comes from playing Gary's games. Later I played Magic the Gathering. I still have a stack of cards under my bed I break out when my friend Michael comes over.

This quote from John Kovalic over at Dane101.com really sums it up.

I saw shelves and shelves of roleplaying games like D&D, GURPS and Vampire, card games like Magic and Munchkin, miniatures games like Warhammer, just dozens and dozens - hundreds, in fact - of games, toys, dice, gamer comic books, gamer collectibles, you name it.

"You know," I said, to nobody in particular. "If it hadn't been for Gary and Dave (Arneson), none of this would probably be here."


Godspeed Mr Gygax, and thank you for the memories

The End Of An Era

Last week I sold my EX500.

And with that the end of an era for me. It seems so long ago that my friend Craig talked me into racing. Yeah I had to be talked into it. Craig is a great persuader. The conversation went like this "Mickey. I could buy this racebike, and you could work on it all the time, or WE could buy this racebike, and you could work on it all the time"
If only we knew how true those words would later be.

My 500 taught me so much. As a rider, a mechanic, a bike builder, and more. I'm not really good at selling bikes, because I hold such a personal attachment to them. But it was time. I have grown from those early days when Craig and I didn't have a clue where the hot pits where, or even what a "hot pit" was.

Now look at me with my fancy new race bike, running in multiple racing series all over the state, helping other new racers build race bikes, and start their racing careers. How did I get here?

Yes it may be the end of an era, but it's the beginning of a whole new one.




Here's how it all started.





















And this is what it looked like when it was time to move on.


The Fastest Road in the West (Revisited)

Once again in an attempt to gain an advantage over my AFM racing competitors I traveled south to get some much needed familiarity with my new Kawasaki EX650. During the third weekend of February I went to Willow Springs International Raceway, WSIR to race with the Willow Springs Motorcycle Club. This is the 2nd time I've been to this track, as some may remember I went there a year ago to try out for California Superbike School, but this is my first time racing with WSMC, and of course the first time I've been here on the new 693.

Lucky for me my parents live an hour away from the track so after the long haul to get there, I have a nice comfortable base of operations. The track is an amazing place, and I'll do a brief description of a lap around the track. You start off coming down the main straight and clicking in 6th gear, and wind it all the way to the RPM redline before braking for T1, that's about 135mph on my EX650. At T1 you brake hard, go down one gear, and try to carry as much speed as possible as there's a little rise at the exit. Between 1 and 2 you hold the throttle wide open and redline 5th gear. At the entrance of two you roll off the throttle a little tip in, and add gas the whole way through 2. T2 goes on forever, and you have to continuously add gas or it will load up the front tire, and dump you. You come out of 2 and hit a short straight once again pinned at redline before T3. At T3 you grab a handful of brakes, down 1 gear, and turn left (one of only three lefts), and up the hill for T4 "the Omega" as that's what it's shaped like. You double apex at the top of the hill, and try to hold a tight line as you exit coming down the hill, and you need to be on the gas or it will again load up the front end. Drive down the hill with as much speed as you dare, because T5 is a down hill left. Get on the brakes as late as you dare (down hill), enter the turn late, and carry the speed out because again there's a rise at the exit. I click up a gear between T5, and T6. Turns 6 and 7 are hardly turns at all, you barely changed direction so they are more of a subtle chicane. Down the hill after 6 click up another gear into 6th, and hold the throttle pinned through 7 (not really a turn), and into T8. Turn 8 is where you separate the haves from the have-nots, the men from the boys if you will. You hold the throttle pinned entering T8, lean all the way over, but stick out your knee, that will have the wind trying to rip you off the bike. Because here you are 6th gear 9,000rpm, 130mph, leaned all the way over. There is very short piece of asphalt between what is considered the exit of T8, and, and the entrance of T9. Here you roll of the throttle drop a gear, and carry as speed as possible through T9 and onto the front straight.

I did a half day of practice on Friday, and saw my times get into the mid 1.40's. I knew if I was to have any chance of racing I needed to get into the mid 30's. A daunting task. Saturday a guy named Eric Angel, pitted with me. He loaned my his transponder for the WERA race, and was now giving me tips on how to get around willow.

Eric's help is immeasurable. Without his guidance I would have been lost. I did 7 practice sessions, and my rear tire was toast!. I couldn't believe it. This was only the third track day on the rear, and it was a shredded sad pile of smoking rubber. The speed of T8 just destroys rear tires. By the end of the day on Saturday I had got down to the 1.37's. Good but I needed another 2-3 seconds to run with the pack. Where the hell was that going to come from? I knew exactly where. At this point I was still a boy, and rolling off the throttle going into T8 losing precious ticks of the clock doing so. I knew I had to find the courage to hold it open.
Sunday came around and a new rear tire is on, and I do two practice sessions that morning, again in the 37's.

I gridded up for the first race, and I knew if I could stay with the group I could find the courage to hang with them. The flag drops, and I got a great launch, unfortunately the guy in front of me did not, and I had to roll off the throttle to keep form hitting him, and that was pretty much the end of that race right there. I went into T1 about 2 bike lengths behind the front pack, and lost touch. By the time we got to T8 they where 8 bike leghts in front of me, and I didn't have what I needed to stay with them. I rode around for 6 laps by myself. Too slow for the front group, to fast for the back group. I finished 8th out of 14.

Race 2. This time I could feel it. I didn't care if I had to knock someone down. I was going to stay with that front group at the start no matter what.
That is the racing attitude I hadn't felt yet this year. Red Mist.
the flag drops, and off we go. I hold a tight line through 1 and come out 4th in the 2nd pack of riders, which would put in in 9th overall. This would turn out to be a great race. The 4 of us enter T8 nose to tail in a line, and I told myself out loud in my helmet "if they can you can" and I hold that damn throttle wide open all the way through, T8 and we come out on the straight 4 in line nose to tail. OK game on. i make a move on the brakes into T1, and get a position, but the guy goes right back past me exiting 1. We come around 4 8 again, I hold the throttle open again, and I realize that I close up on the exit of 8. They are rolling off mid turn! We come down the front straight again, and the guy two bikes in front of me runs off track at the exit of 1, but to his credit he stays on gas, through the dirt he's on the gas, and come back on track between 1, and 2. This mixes the 4 of us up, and I get two guys going into 2. One of them gets me back at the exit, and now I'm 3rd in the group of 4. Nothing really happens between 3-8. Sure we show each other a wheel, but always back off. T8 again. I hold it wide open, and go underneath one of the guys in front of me, yeah baby I just passed someone mid turn in T8. Unfortunately that spooked me and I rolled off too soon, and he got it back down the straight. We hammer at each other for 6 laps. On the last lap heading down the hill from T7 I'm once again 4th in the group. So I use my head. I back off just a little, and give them some room. I now know that I can carry more speed through 8-9 then these guys so rather than riding right on their tail. I give them 3 or so bike lengths going into T8, and I hold it open gaining on them as we apex 8, we come out of T9, and I slingshot right past two of them onto the front straight, and up a gear and on the gas I almost got the third at the start finish.

What a great race. I finished 7th over all, but in my book I finished 2nd, in what was a hard fought, smart race where I finally stopped being a boy. I was really proud. Not only had I overcome my fear of going fast through T8, but I had found it as a new strength that I could exploit over my competitors. That last lap of the 2nd race was my fastest lap of the weekend. 1.34.2
Later in pits I found those guys, and we all agreed it was one of the most fun races any of us had ever rode.

A special thanks to Dave Moss, Jennifer at Werkstatt, Slim Jim, Dunlop, and my mom, and dad.

Look out AFM here I come.