In order to accommodate this we had practice on Friday. That was a bit tough for me. I had to work Thursday night running the stage lighting system for Elvis Costello at the Academy of Sciences opening night gala. It was fun, and a good show, but I didn't get to bed until 1am, and I had to be up at 5am in order to get to the track, and set up in time to make the first practice.
The first part of Friday practice was normal. After I got my pit area set up, and my bike tech'd I began riding my practice sessions. There was a lot of traffic, and I had a tough time getting an clear track. My lap times where all over the place and I think my best time was in the 1:53 range which isn't bad considering I had to get around someone on ever lap.
I had been invited to ride on an endurance team. Team Cyclops, due named after the bike owner Brian who only had one functioning eye. My friend Steve Babuljack, and a guy named Chase McFraland would be the 4 man team riding the beast. Bike #66. Brian had put this bike together in less than 2 weeks time, and it looked like it. It was so stock it barely could be called a race bike. It even had it's passenger seat, and a tail light! Friday in between practice session Brian and I would continue to prep the bike in order to get it tech'd. Right before out dedicated 45 minute endurance practice session we finally got it finished, and OK'd to take out on track. All of our team members where there, and we used out 45 minutes to mostly practice pit stops and rider exchanges. An order of who ride when was determined and out I went on the beast.
Wow talk about a different riding experience. My Kawasaki EX650 is a well prepped finally tuned race bike that handles very precisely, and has amazing brakes. The Beast is a Suzuki SV650 with a stock rear shock, and stock front end, with stock brakes, stock foot pegs and wow. It felt like I was riding a plush chair!. I rode a couple of laps then came in. We exchanged riders, and continued this for the rest of the session each rider riding a few laps then coming in to practice the exchange. When it was over me and Chase looked at each with a bit of worry. Chase is a new racer, but has a lot of experience racing supermoto so the two of us are the experienced riders while Brian, and Steve are first year racers. We're really going to ride this thing for 4 hours? The answer? Yes.
Saturday morning. Brian had acquired some rearset foot controls overnight, and I moved the handlebar clipons to match what Brian had on his normal SV650 racebike, and The Beast was starting to look like a race bike. I used my practice session to ride The Beast instead of my own bike knowing I needed more seat time on this unusual machine. The new controls felt so much better. Now we're racing. I started to pick up the pace as I got more comfortable on the machine and I could feel the brakes starting to fade. OK note to self need to flush the brake fluid. About half through the session I was heading into T2 I downshifted, and leaned the bike in when all of a sudden it slips out of gear into a false neutral (where the transmission is in between gears). The bike naturally stands up, and I begin to head off track when all of a sudden it drops back into gear locking up the rear wheel causing me slide out and when the wheel regains traction the two wheels want to line trying to pitch the rider off in a highside crash. So up in the air I go but I held onto the handle bars and land back on the bike as I head off into the dirt pointing straight at the air fence. I manage to get the bike stopped before hitting the wall, and I begin put putting through the dirt and back on track. I considered coming in to see if there was anything wrong but instead I stayed out not wanting The Beast to get the better of me.
The race: It was decided I would start the race as I had the most racing experience and would be less likely to throw it at the start. We moved all of our needed items down to the hot pit where we would be doing our pit stops and exchanges. Once again we where barely ready in time as the final call for the 4 hour race to start was announced. I jumped on the bike and got to try a couple of practice starts in the hot pit before heading out for the warm up lap.
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When the green flag flew I got a decent start, but oh what a hairball start it was. The 4 hour has 4 classes. FIV which is mostly 650 Twins, 600, 750, and Open so there I was running up the hill into T2 with the biggest mixed bag of bikes, and riders I've ever been with it. It looked more like bumper cars than motorcycle racing. I reminded myself I didn't need to chase the bikes, and to quickly settle into a rhythm. I wanted to chase the other SV's but I knew our bike was out classed so I just put my head down, and began to run off consistent laps, knowing it was a long day ahead. After 15 laps, or about a half an hour I got the signal from my pit to come in. OK one more lap to go, and I get to take a break. Coming out of the Carousel T6, at full lean as I was rolling on the throttle the bike made a loud crunching sound, locked up the rear wheel, and once again pitched me up into the air. I held on the bars, landed on the bike, and at first I thought it was that false neutral problem, but when I looked down, and saw the chain missing I knew what that crunching sound was. Here's where I saved the day. I knew that I need to get the bike out of the way and someplace safe. My first concern was that I didn't want to leave the bike on the hot track where other riders might run into it if they crash so I pushed it way down the the straight that connects T6, and T7, and put the bike behind a tire wall. That was a long push, and would turn out to be our saving grace. I thought this was the end of our day. I was exhausted. I had just ridden for 30 minutes, then pushed our bike up a slight hill, in 90 degree weather. I was almost relieved. The Beast was trying to kill me, and in some part of me was glad I wouldn't have to ride it again. I walked back to our pit with some dejection knowing our day was done when I found out Brian was talking to race control about us going back out there to fix it. In the mean time my teammates informed me that I had been doing 1:54's for most of my stint. That's pretty damn good considering what I was riding. After much discussion a new precedent was set. We where allowed to go back out onto the live track and repair our bike. The only reason they would let us do this is because the bike was left in a relatively safe area where we would not be a safety hazard. Yeah Me! The kicker was that we had to be wearing full racing gear when we went out there. So Me, Brian, and Chase put our leathers, boots, gloves, and helmets on, grabbed a rear stand, a new chain, and an ice chest full of tools and headed back out onto the racetrack to put a new chain on The Beast. That was a whole new exercise in patience. Bikes where flying by us on either side at 100+ mph, it was 90 something, we had out helmets on and couldn't hear each other, and the sweat would get in our eyes so we couldn't see very well, but we did it, and Chase rode the bike back into the pit.
We made some more adjustments,
and sent Chase out for his turn, almost 2 hours into the race.
Chase rode for about 8 laps then as he entered T7 he caught a false neutral and crashed. Yup. The two guys with the most racing experience where down. Chase nursed the bike back in, and now I knew we where done.
By this time I've met most of the AFM turn workers, race direction, and tech inspectors. I was told that the workers where all rooting for us to finish the race. We'd had a tough day, and where still fighting. Steve rode about 10 laps and brought it in for our one and only pit stop. We put Brian on the bike, and sent him out to finish the race.
There was much celebration at Team Cyclops.
And that was my 2008 AFM 4 Hour experience
I did my normal sprint races on Sunday. I thought I was going to do better, but I'm really struggling to get my bike to exit the Carousel under power. I need to get that figured out. I'm giving up a few tenths to half a second on that part of the track alone. I ran as high as 9th for a few laps, but I finished both races in 15, 18th position. Not where I wanted to be, but both races where dog fights, with lots of passing, and repassing. It was a good time.
There's one more race weekend left this season. It's hard to believe it's been a year already.
As always Thanks to the people that help me go faster.
Jennifer at Werkstatt Motorcycle Repair
Dave Moss of Catalyst Reaction
Dunlop, and Terry at Sport Tire Services
Paul Fine of Fine Design
Julio from Tommy's
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