Friday
I made my way to Sears Point (Infineon Raceway) for the ZoomZoom Trackday event. After last months disappointment I wanted to really focus on a few small things to try to bring my confidence up, smooth out some areas, and of course go faster. Unfortunately the weather was not going to make it easy as it was cold, and the wind was blowing. No matter there was work to be done. ZZ has their own suspension technician so Dave Moss of Catalyst Reaction can't set up his own shop, but he can work with his sponsored racers like me. My biggest issue to work on suspension wise was the rear tire was hot tearing on the right side. Hot tearing is when the tire gets hotter than it can handle and the rubber peels off and and looks like little worms at the edge of the tire. The down side to hot tearing, other than the tire wearing out early is as a race goes on the tire loses grip as it gets too hot, and then starts to slide, or spin when you should be accelerating. So even though it was cold and windy after a couple of track sessions you could see the hot tearing starting. Dave and I worked on some small changes trying to solve the problem. Other than that the bike was handling well. As this is a trackday and not a race practice ZoomZoom offers instruction so I grabbed AFM mentor coordinator, and 650 fast guy Dan Sewell for some pointers. We did one session of follow the leader. I led first so he could observe my lines, and I made sure to ride at full pace. Dan is fast and I didn't want to him just pass we at will when it was my turn to follow. Well I guess I made it a little harder than I meant to as braking into T9 Dan tries to come around the outside of me and we collide. Being skilled riders no one goes down, but I was like "damn, that's some personal instruction" His advice later on was about taking the entrance to T3 without using the brakes, and exiting T11 wider would prove to be hugely beneficial throughout the rest of the weekend. I continued to work on the things Dan pointed out to me the rest of the day. Friday evening Kate showed up to help get the camping stuff set up, as did by buddy Robin. It was damn cold.
Saturday
I wasn't originally planning on riding Saturday, but I'd made the deal with myself if it was sunny in the morning I'd ride. Well sure enough the sun was bright and shining, but it was still cold. Up early I got reg'd and the bike all tech'd. I'm in practice group 3 so I have plenty of time to get the tire warmers on, and generator going. I was pitted near my buddy Nick Haymen, co-owner of Munroe Motors, and his Ducatti gaggle of friends. Chatting with those guys about racing big bikes the phrase of the weekend came out. Even though we all rode pretty well we lacked the "testicular fortitude" to take it to the next level. What we needed was more balls. I continued working on the same things as before while working with Dave to get that hot tearing to stop. First we tried increasing tire pressure, but that wasn't doing it. Then we tried reducing rear shock rebound but that wasn't fixing it either. Eventually we added some preload on the shock, and that helped. I got 4 sessions in and had some good laps with 650 fast guy Scott Leisnewski, and 650 rival John Forman. Robin has picked his speed up and was in my practice group so we got to do some laps together. Unlike other Saturday nights there were no off track antics. Partly with some of our riders missing do to a competing series in Utah and partly because it was so damn cold. There were no slow bike races, or other debauchery which is all the better for Sunday's races.
Sunday
Robin and I were up early. He wanted to jog a lap around the track and I borrowed his bicycle to join him. It was a nice way to start the day as the sun was shinning, and the temperature wasn't as cold as the day before. It was going to be a great day for racing. I was assigned to practice group 4, a first for me.
Forumla IV was my first race of the day and it was Race 1. I was feeling confident, but not cocky. I've been working on my starts, and felt I was getting better at my initial launches. I had skipped the FIV race last weekend as I wasn't feeling it so I was gridded a little further back. Robin was gridded a row in front of me as was rival Forman. The goals of the race were pretty simple, ride fast, beat Forman, and Robin. It's good to have goals. Green flag dropped and I got a good launch easily moving forward a row, but what I need to work on is carrying the success of the initial launch further up the field. Instead I got hung up by slower riders in front of me giving up my launch and slotting into the pack. The pack bobbles and weaves it's way through turns 2,3,4 before starting to single file as we head into T5,6 then down the back straight where everyone will try to out brake each other. I prefer to stay out of the that fray as I think it will eventually wind up as a big pile of bikes. I know if I am going to get a decent finish I need to get a move on, and start passing people. I make my way past a bike or 2, and on Lap 2 I out brake Robin into T1. Not a common place to pass, but you take 'em where you can get 'em. At that point I was with Forman, Spencer, and Elrod, all fast guys. Spencer is in the lead of this group and holding us up. We are deep into the pack of the previous wave, and using the poor slower riders like speed bumps. It's a very dangerous thing that the slower bikes start in front of us, but so be it. As we battle with each other we make some scary close passes on the slower riders. This is an area that I used to be a lot nicer not wanting to do anything too risky, but if you want to finish close to the front you need to develop some testicular fortitude and take some chances. There was no way I was going to let someone put a back marker between us. By the time we sifted through the traffic Forman and myself had dispensed of Spencer, but Elrod was gone. Fine the battle would be between me and #65. I had good speed through 3, and 3a, as well as 8, 8a, and would suck right up on the back, but not in a place I could really use it. John rides smooth, and doesn't make a lot of mistakes so I had to try to use my advantages where I could. I knew I wasn't going to get it done out braking him into T9 so I'd have to risk a pass into T6 "The Carousel" John has always been better than me through that turn, but I had much more speed over the top of the hill. So I let a little gap grow between us as we made our way up from T1 so I could build a good speed advantage as we came down through 4. I rocketed past him in the very fast turn 5 as we headed into T6 and as we rose to the top of the hill there was a standing yellow flag. NOOOOOOO Danm it. No passing allowed under any flag so I had to slow down, and let my yellow nemesis back by. I tried to pull up to him through 7, but I knew by the way we had been riding that my best chance was behind me, unless John made an uncharacteristic mistake I was stuck behind him. We crossed the checkers 10th and 11th. Not too bad of a finish, and a damn good time.
Race 6 of the day was Open Twins, which is a fund kinda throw away race for me. I like to run with the big Ducatti's. When the green flag dropped I got a great launch, and carried good speed up the hill into T2, just as the yellow bike of Panaforce racing started to tuck the front. He managed to save it but just like last weekend he pushed me wide, almost into the dirt. That guy seriously needs to stop focusing on how cool he is off the track and learn to ride within his limits. He's going to cause someone to get seriously hurt. I gathered myself back up, and took off after the pack that was leaving me behind. As we dipped into T4 once again yellow bike guy blows the turn and goes wide. I had a good drive and stuffed it underneath him as we entered 5. By the way he stood his bike up I don't think he was expecting someone to make a pass on the inside of him. I chased some Duc's for awhile then I had a moment in T11, and exited the track. I felt like my bike was not dropping the rev's when I rolled off the throttle, and not wanting to be a risk to my fellow racers I left the race. I went back to my pit, and pulled my tank looking for the problem. In hind site I don't think anything was wrong. Sometimes the problem is in your head.
Race 9 was 650 Twins. I was gridded 7th, and was determined to finish well. The green flag dropped and I got a great initial launch, and being so far up front there wasn't anyone slow me down. I drove up the hill in 5th place and then made an amateur mistake. There was a standing yellow flag, and I slowed down. The 4 guys in front me did not. dumb. I gathered my thoughts, and pushed hard, but Rob Campbell, and Drew Patterson went by me. At the top of 3A it looked like Ricky Ford either had a moment or wasn't moving as fast as Drew thought so Drew checked up just as Rob went to pass him, and the 2 of them slowed each way down to outside giving me the opportunity to dive underneath them. I pushed hard, and had to grow out of my comfort zone if I was going to stay with the lead pack. As I rounded T7 I couldn't believe I was in a train of riders I usually only read about. Dan Sewell, Dave Raff, Scot Leisnewski, Ricky Ford and me. I knew it wouldn't last with Dave and Drew behind me, but it was damn good to be there. I'm pretty sure Drew got me going into 9, and Rob came around me going into 11. I tried my damnedest to keep their pace but in racing when you "try" hard you usually make mistakes, and so I did. Then I made more mistakes trying to make up for my mistakes. I had lost touch with the lead pack, and I settled down and focused on hitting my marks, and riding clean laps. I took a moment to look back on the last lap and I could see Tom Dorsey catching up. No problem. Don't do anything stupid, ride clean, and he'll stay back there. I finished 8th. Finally curing my case of Cranial Rectumitis, and leaving room for some Testicular Fortitude.
ie: Once I got my head out of my ass I had some balls to ride fast and take chances.
Despite the wind, and the cold it was a great weekend. There were great people we were pitted around, Robin and his family are fun, Kate my girlfriend is a great pit partner, and hanging out with all the people I've come to know over the years is always a blast.
Thanks to the people that help me go faster.
Dave Moss of Catalyst Reaction
Jennifer at Werkstatt Motorcycle Repair
Dunlop, and Terry at Sport Tire Services
Paul Fine of Fine Design
Julio from Tommy's
UPDATED PICS:
A special thanks to 4 The Riders for giving us a few pics.
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