Jeffro510
08-13-2001, 01:20 PM
Very Short Version:
In a word, OUCH!!!!
Not so short:
Hot temperatures all weekend. First time out on the R6 with the fresh motor. Saturday I immediately fell into a groove and dropped a second off of my best time at the track in the first practice session. Second practice on Saturday I dropped another second. Third practice I picked one of the fastest guys there and ran with him all practice, passing back and forth with him while comfortably turning low 1:17's. To give you an idea, the best time that I could turn up until this weekend was a 1:18.2, and Saturday morning I dropped down to a best of 1:16.95!!!! It takes at least 1:16's to win a race here. It felt good to run that fast, and it was fairly easy. It was one of those rare moments in time when I felt as though I was one with the bike. Every turn, every twist of the throttle, every pass felt right. The bike would slide happily when I wanted it to, and the power was awesome. I could easily run with just about everyone down the front straight, and the corners were mine. I didn't put a wheel wrong the whole morning. I knew that this was a weekend for podiums. Sunday morning practice I could only manage low 1:18's again, and was working a lot harder to get there. I felt as though I was getting heat stroke, extremely tired and weak. I figured that once in the race I would be able to drop my times. I pumped a ton of water, took some Potassium, and ate a decent lunch. I couldn't get cooled off and still felt bad when 2nd call came for my race. My first race was race 2- C-Superbike. I was gridded on row 2. As the race was getting ready to start, I popped it in gear, brought the revs up to about 10,000 rpm and the bike was creeping forward. I pulled the clutch all the way in and the bike was still moving. I was holding the front brake on to keep from moving, but the revs were dropping fast. When the revs got to about 4,000 rpm I had to either let the brake go and roll or stall the bike. I chose to let the brake go. It seemed to be at the same time as the green flag. The bike was slow off of the line, but I caught up to the pack by turn one. I hung on the back, and as we came around for the completion of the first lap I saw the infamous "Meatball" flag with my number on it. I acknowledged to Chuck and came around and pulled in pit road for my stop and go penalty. Since the bike was creeping at the start, I figured the clutch was screwed, and expected it to die when I stopped. It didn't so I took off with a massive wheelie. I set it down with the clutch and as I let it back out it wheelied again. The clutch was really grabbie and abrupt. When I came back out the whole pack was already going through turn two. Determined not to be last despite my misfortune, I started turning some hard laps. I dropped into the 1:17's and caught up to and passed a guy in turn 3. The next lap I did the same with the next guy in line. Unfortunately I ran out of time and we got the checkers right as I caught up to the next guy in line. I finished the race in a disappointing 10th place. Between races I looked at the clutch and it all seemed fine but it made me nervous. The second race was race 12- C-Superstock. I was gridded on row 3 for this one. This time I was determined not to jump the start and to finish much better. Instead of winding up the revs, I waited until right before the green flag and it killed my drive off the line, but I didn't jump the start. I was in the back of the pack into turn one. I got around one guy fairly quickly and came up on 2 riders battling for position. They were holding me up in the corners, but the whole pack was running together. It is the first race that I can remember seeing the entire field all the way around the track, lap after lap. I went around the 2 guys on the outside of turn 3 and had the position, but apparently they wanted it more than me because both of them stuffed me into turn 4. I actually did a stoppie going into turn 4 to keep from T-boning these guys. It was too close. I got around one of them pretty easily, and kept passing the other in turn 5 just to have him stuff me into 6. I don't know if he realized how close he was to hitting me, but he came close to taking me out several laps there so I knew that I either had to just follow him around or get around him and make the pass stick. I chose to make the pass stick. As we came around on the last lap I set him up through turn 5 and went around him on the outside. I got on the throttle harder and protected the line to keep him behind me. He didn't come around so I knew it was going to be a drag race to the finish line, well, I thought it was. As I was exiting turn 7 and rolling the throttle on the back end stepped all the way out almost to a full lock. The tires breaking loose was nothing new as it was doing it the whole race and I would just power through it. This time it went too far to power through, and when it caught traction it spit me off like a bucking bronco. Turn 7 is probably about 80-100 MPH, and I felt every bit of it. I broke the wind screen with my head, and flipped over the front of the bike. I hit the pavement head first, then my left shoulder, then onto my back. The bike landed on the left side and slid right behind me. I slid and rolled all the way out to the tire wall, and luckily the bike stopped sliding about a foot behind me. I tried to get up, but had the wind knocked out of me, so I had to catch my breath first. I was seeing stars and in pain, but the self assessment told me nothing was broken. The corner worker ran over and asked me if I was okay, and if I wanted a crash truck. I told him I was alright, and that if he could pick the bike up for me I would just ride it in. It was flooded so it took a minute to start, but it fired up and I rode it back to the pits. I got out of my leathers and looked things over. I was dizzy, had rash on my left elbow, a 3" round rash on my right knee, and felt like I sprained my left ankle. The bike only suffered some cracked body work, a broken wind screen, and a broken clutch lever. My helmet is destroyed, my gloves are destroyed, my boots are destroyed, and my leathers need repaired. Overall, all of the safety gear did it's job and did it well. The rash was from inside the leathers, they held up great. Barnacle Bill builds a mean set of leathers and these will be repaired easily. The helmet took a hard hit and will be replaced, but it held up great and I only got a very minor concussion. The Held gloves also worked great. They have 2 small holes in them, and a couple of the studs ripped out of the palm of the left glove, but I don't have a mark on my hands. After looking things over, I took the suggestions of my friends Stu (yes, that Stu!!!!) and Scott to go see Medical and get checked out. They thought that my left pupil was a different size then my right. Stu walked me over to medical, they looked me over and said I was fine. (we all know that is a matter of opinion) Ryan, Scott, Chris, Joe and Susan, and Stu and Kathy all loaded my gear into the trailer, and I opted to drive the first stint to keep my leg moving a bit. My right knee was swelling up a bit. I drove until right outside of Atlanta and Chris took over the rest of the trip. Besides some rain (in both directions) and a bookcase in the middle of the road on the way home, the road trip was uneventful. Special thanks to the FBR's for helping me out. It was a stupid move on my part that put me on my ass, but it happened. I was (am) having a hard time walking so I couldn't have loaded all of the gear without your help, and was too tired to make the whole drive home. Ryan, Scott, Chris, Joe, Susan, Stu, and Kathy: Thank you for your friendship, your company, your compassion, your help, and your sense of humor keeping me laughing. It's a tough crowd but a great one. I couldn't ask for better friends. Thanks. Thanks to Jen and the kids for putting up with this. Thanks to Big Daddy and 29 Dreams, sorry about the bike. The Bridgestone tires were awesome, it was the nut twisting the throttle that was the problem. Thanks to Ferodo Brakes, LP USA, Mary Lou's Team, Arai helmets (thanks a ton), Vortex sprockets, Motoace, In Your Face photography, Bell's Angels, Pit Bull, and the Floribama Riders for all of your support. Once I can move my left ankle, and get all new safety gear, I'll be back out there to try and try again. Not sure if I'll be ready to race again by the TGPR round, but I will be there either way. Thanks for reading...
In a word, OUCH!!!!
Not so short:
Hot temperatures all weekend. First time out on the R6 with the fresh motor. Saturday I immediately fell into a groove and dropped a second off of my best time at the track in the first practice session. Second practice on Saturday I dropped another second. Third practice I picked one of the fastest guys there and ran with him all practice, passing back and forth with him while comfortably turning low 1:17's. To give you an idea, the best time that I could turn up until this weekend was a 1:18.2, and Saturday morning I dropped down to a best of 1:16.95!!!! It takes at least 1:16's to win a race here. It felt good to run that fast, and it was fairly easy. It was one of those rare moments in time when I felt as though I was one with the bike. Every turn, every twist of the throttle, every pass felt right. The bike would slide happily when I wanted it to, and the power was awesome. I could easily run with just about everyone down the front straight, and the corners were mine. I didn't put a wheel wrong the whole morning. I knew that this was a weekend for podiums. Sunday morning practice I could only manage low 1:18's again, and was working a lot harder to get there. I felt as though I was getting heat stroke, extremely tired and weak. I figured that once in the race I would be able to drop my times. I pumped a ton of water, took some Potassium, and ate a decent lunch. I couldn't get cooled off and still felt bad when 2nd call came for my race. My first race was race 2- C-Superbike. I was gridded on row 2. As the race was getting ready to start, I popped it in gear, brought the revs up to about 10,000 rpm and the bike was creeping forward. I pulled the clutch all the way in and the bike was still moving. I was holding the front brake on to keep from moving, but the revs were dropping fast. When the revs got to about 4,000 rpm I had to either let the brake go and roll or stall the bike. I chose to let the brake go. It seemed to be at the same time as the green flag. The bike was slow off of the line, but I caught up to the pack by turn one. I hung on the back, and as we came around for the completion of the first lap I saw the infamous "Meatball" flag with my number on it. I acknowledged to Chuck and came around and pulled in pit road for my stop and go penalty. Since the bike was creeping at the start, I figured the clutch was screwed, and expected it to die when I stopped. It didn't so I took off with a massive wheelie. I set it down with the clutch and as I let it back out it wheelied again. The clutch was really grabbie and abrupt. When I came back out the whole pack was already going through turn two. Determined not to be last despite my misfortune, I started turning some hard laps. I dropped into the 1:17's and caught up to and passed a guy in turn 3. The next lap I did the same with the next guy in line. Unfortunately I ran out of time and we got the checkers right as I caught up to the next guy in line. I finished the race in a disappointing 10th place. Between races I looked at the clutch and it all seemed fine but it made me nervous. The second race was race 12- C-Superstock. I was gridded on row 3 for this one. This time I was determined not to jump the start and to finish much better. Instead of winding up the revs, I waited until right before the green flag and it killed my drive off the line, but I didn't jump the start. I was in the back of the pack into turn one. I got around one guy fairly quickly and came up on 2 riders battling for position. They were holding me up in the corners, but the whole pack was running together. It is the first race that I can remember seeing the entire field all the way around the track, lap after lap. I went around the 2 guys on the outside of turn 3 and had the position, but apparently they wanted it more than me because both of them stuffed me into turn 4. I actually did a stoppie going into turn 4 to keep from T-boning these guys. It was too close. I got around one of them pretty easily, and kept passing the other in turn 5 just to have him stuff me into 6. I don't know if he realized how close he was to hitting me, but he came close to taking me out several laps there so I knew that I either had to just follow him around or get around him and make the pass stick. I chose to make the pass stick. As we came around on the last lap I set him up through turn 5 and went around him on the outside. I got on the throttle harder and protected the line to keep him behind me. He didn't come around so I knew it was going to be a drag race to the finish line, well, I thought it was. As I was exiting turn 7 and rolling the throttle on the back end stepped all the way out almost to a full lock. The tires breaking loose was nothing new as it was doing it the whole race and I would just power through it. This time it went too far to power through, and when it caught traction it spit me off like a bucking bronco. Turn 7 is probably about 80-100 MPH, and I felt every bit of it. I broke the wind screen with my head, and flipped over the front of the bike. I hit the pavement head first, then my left shoulder, then onto my back. The bike landed on the left side and slid right behind me. I slid and rolled all the way out to the tire wall, and luckily the bike stopped sliding about a foot behind me. I tried to get up, but had the wind knocked out of me, so I had to catch my breath first. I was seeing stars and in pain, but the self assessment told me nothing was broken. The corner worker ran over and asked me if I was okay, and if I wanted a crash truck. I told him I was alright, and that if he could pick the bike up for me I would just ride it in. It was flooded so it took a minute to start, but it fired up and I rode it back to the pits. I got out of my leathers and looked things over. I was dizzy, had rash on my left elbow, a 3" round rash on my right knee, and felt like I sprained my left ankle. The bike only suffered some cracked body work, a broken wind screen, and a broken clutch lever. My helmet is destroyed, my gloves are destroyed, my boots are destroyed, and my leathers need repaired. Overall, all of the safety gear did it's job and did it well. The rash was from inside the leathers, they held up great. Barnacle Bill builds a mean set of leathers and these will be repaired easily. The helmet took a hard hit and will be replaced, but it held up great and I only got a very minor concussion. The Held gloves also worked great. They have 2 small holes in them, and a couple of the studs ripped out of the palm of the left glove, but I don't have a mark on my hands. After looking things over, I took the suggestions of my friends Stu (yes, that Stu!!!!) and Scott to go see Medical and get checked out. They thought that my left pupil was a different size then my right. Stu walked me over to medical, they looked me over and said I was fine. (we all know that is a matter of opinion) Ryan, Scott, Chris, Joe and Susan, and Stu and Kathy all loaded my gear into the trailer, and I opted to drive the first stint to keep my leg moving a bit. My right knee was swelling up a bit. I drove until right outside of Atlanta and Chris took over the rest of the trip. Besides some rain (in both directions) and a bookcase in the middle of the road on the way home, the road trip was uneventful. Special thanks to the FBR's for helping me out. It was a stupid move on my part that put me on my ass, but it happened. I was (am) having a hard time walking so I couldn't have loaded all of the gear without your help, and was too tired to make the whole drive home. Ryan, Scott, Chris, Joe, Susan, Stu, and Kathy: Thank you for your friendship, your company, your compassion, your help, and your sense of humor keeping me laughing. It's a tough crowd but a great one. I couldn't ask for better friends. Thanks. Thanks to Jen and the kids for putting up with this. Thanks to Big Daddy and 29 Dreams, sorry about the bike. The Bridgestone tires were awesome, it was the nut twisting the throttle that was the problem. Thanks to Ferodo Brakes, LP USA, Mary Lou's Team, Arai helmets (thanks a ton), Vortex sprockets, Motoace, In Your Face photography, Bell's Angels, Pit Bull, and the Floribama Riders for all of your support. Once I can move my left ankle, and get all new safety gear, I'll be back out there to try and try again. Not sure if I'll be ready to race again by the TGPR round, but I will be there either way. Thanks for reading...