Elite racing club seeking new members

Done that! -Barber Vintage Festival 09. I am sure CY will vouch for my other qualifications as well.

 

new inductee


I'll admit it , after waiting on the hot pit out for about 5 min when the whistle blew I revved the engine dumped the clutch and hit the concrete patch that had a puddle over it and got throw down harder than I ever have . To top of the woeful weekend I lost my keys , missed my second race waiting for a locksmith to get me in so I could get a spare made . Upon returning from that debacle Rusty had already got the keys by asking one of the few guys I didn't .
WAIT FOR IT ...
The clutch was slipping on the F3 in practice , exiting T2 on the checked of second practice I thought I threw a chain , well I didn't the bike was in gear revving and not doing anything . So I will see the inside of a V7 honda engine also !
Hopefully I got 2 years of bad luck out of my system
At least I got a partial refund .:up:
I will regroup and be back in June

 

Hey Mike, sorry to hear but I know you'll get it sorted. Are you done with the V1 honda?....has it been blamed / sacrificed to the luck gods?.....I hope not.

And Brad, heck, I dont think knocking someones back wheel out from under them as your jumping curbs will get you in this club, but I could be wrong....you do appear to have excellent credentials in other areas....including Mikes locksmith story above!....I'll let you tell that one. was that the same race you tucked?...hope you boys up in Rome are all good......Also for the record, I think the induction committee should give you some points for riding to the track in the short red bus.

Jeez....the weather at summit sounds like tally.

 

Reading all this brings back memories of the GNF in 2005 for me. 2005 was my first full year racing and was up and down all year as I slowly figured things out. I went into the GNF with low expectations as the original Kawi 500 was a handful and I often felt like a rodeo cowboy that year.

I had very few F500 points and was on the back of the grid. I was still new enough that my wife overheard two guys talking as one asked the other "who's that guy on the weird looking Kawi?"

The race starts and I get my usual shitty start on the triple from the back of the grid. At this point its been a long year, I see everyone disappear in front of me and I basically give up mentally. I started to pull in but decided I'd just ride and try to enjoy the day. On the second lap I'm starting to really enjoy myself, on the third lap I start passing people, over the next few laps several people drop out.

As I start the final lap I realize I'm in third which comes as quite a shock. I'm gonna get my first podium at a GNF! I can't see anyone in front or behind me. I look up as I exit turn 7 and I can see Bob M cresting the first rise on the back straight at Road A.

I can still hear the words in my head like it was yesterday - "I can catch him."

So I wind up the Kawi up and sure enough I'm closing the gap fairly rapidly (I don't think Bob had any idea I was back there and was probably cruising it home). As we get to 10A I'm a couple of bike lengths behind. I brake so late I'm scaring myself, look up and realize how close I am.

The red mist takes over at this point and I go to the throttle way early coming out of 10B.

From that point the memory becomes a collage of sorts. Blue sky, upside down bridge, red dirt, gravel, a face talking to me with no sound.

Cost for this education? Four broken ribs and a concussion.

The cornerworkers came over to see me at the end of the day. They gave me a 9.5 for the height of the highside and a 10.0 for the full somersault.

 

The 350 is still going to be there , that was the one I dumped heading out to warm up ... the F3 was an offer I couldn't refuse and a challenge I happily look forward to .

MIKE

 

Mike,
Welcome aboard, matey!

...the video proof is in a secure location as you requested.

 

Send it to me , and my head and neck still hurt today

MIKE

 

I remember that, and I think Rus tossed it on the cool down lap somewhere around pit in in F500 or maybe F-2Stroke.

You were new??? I can remember I first met you at CMP in 2002

 

I think the first time I met you was at Nashville 2005. I did 4 or 5 races in 2004 on the Aprilia (including CMP). I tried to race the triple in 2004 several times but never completed a race on it. Broke the crank on my first outing at Jennings, igintion failed at Barber.

 

I crashed on a scrub lap during the warm-up of a race I wasn't in. Does that count?

 

Not only does it count, but it should be good for extra points! :up:

 

2010 GNF V5 race. After winning the race and cruising around on the cool off lap I managed to fall at turn 10. I had my right hand off the bars waving to the corner workers and the next thing I was on the ground.

I had no idea at first what had caused it but I felt like a turd for holding up the races while they cleaned the track.

As it turned out the AN fitting on the oil line had split right where it had been drilled for safety wire.

 

:wow: now THATS the stuff right there!:up:

Hey Eric...I know I'm not in the club, much less on the committe....but I would appreciatte it if you would consider Brads (DrGonzo's) application....he's a good dude that has made some poor choices that I think may qualify him for your elite membership.

An example of his humble nature....he forgot to mention crashing while in the WERA riders school, I think, or at least still orange shirt....help yourself out here Brad!

 

I heard that Chuck join the club,and could have one up on all of us.......he crashed in the pits on the way out for his warm-up lap.......

 

there is a girl who took the penguin school, many of us know, who crashed i think 3 of their bikes during the school. from what i heard, when they gave her the last one, the told her, "if you crash this one, youre done. because we'll have no more bikes to give you" she passed, finally, and actually went on to win at daytona a couple of years later. haha.

 

I can join this club, unfortunately. In Shannonville, 2008, 1st race back after a bad crash that knocked me out, broke left collarbone and busted my left shoulder up. Went out for a heat race on sat. and crashed 2 corners before the grid. Went over on my left side again, stress tested the collarbone plate ! Wife was not impressed, once she saw me get up and I appeared ok she says to the people she's sitting with " now I'm gonna go kick his ass ".

 

Chuck goes right to the top of the board. Got taken out by a golf cart in the pits on his way to a re-start. He should prolly explain...

 

Steve, you can kiss my a**.

"lets crash out on the warm up lap" - nope, did it in the pits, so I'm not eligible.

Quoting from a race report I posted elsewhere, race was just red-flagged:

"We roll around back to hot pit and the officials tell us to shut the bikes down while they clear the wreckage and put Jesse into the ambulance (we find out later it was a broken foot / ankle). When the coast is clear, we are instructed to return to our pit and use our starters, then get back on the grid. Since the race was less than half way over, we will restart from our original grid positions and have a shortened 6 lap race.

Back to the pit I get the bike started on the rollers and start to ride it away but stall it. Crap. Back on the rollers, start it again, proceed to ride back towards pit out. Now, I was pretty adrenalized and probably riding a bit faster than I should have been in the pit area, which was full of specators and racers milling about.

And a golf cart. Rolling the same direction as I, no rear view mirrors, no situational awareness, and making a left Uturn directly in front of me. I dodge to the left but don't completely clear him, clipping the front corner of the cart with the bike. Broken clipon ( I yanked my surgically repaired hand away in time, thank you very much), dented exhaust, bent footpeg.

Back to the pit, people flock out of nowhere with a spare clipon bar, tools, and thrash to get the bike operational. Back on the roller, start it up, proceed to pit out only to be denied access as they had already restarted the race.

Crap end to another crap day. Scored in third behind the crashed guy."

 

You may think that you're not in this club, Charlie, but you are, after all, the one responsible for its existence. You did identify it as such, nominate several members, and gave it a name,

(LCOOTWUL)

Any of us is more than capable of qualifying at any given moment...it just takes the right track conditions combined with proper motivation and poor judgement.

If you really would like to secure membership I suggest you follow an established member on the warmup lap, say Bowie or Walker, and try to beat them to the grid. You'll get in soon enough.

 

Well, thanx Eric

Maybe its a confidence thing, but when (not if) I'm up to the task, I'm sure you'll be one of the first to know.....Learning from those 2 pro's should help, huh?

Wadda ya think about Ol Brad?....I'm thinking you may need more info from the man himself...lets just say he has a flare I think you may enjoy....step up to the plate Brad!...stage is all yours!

Also, I think Brads crash coincides with a good story about Bowie badmouthing Jack, AND getting into a Ninja fight in the pits!:wow:

Dang Chuck, a golf cart?.....again, Eric is the Director of Membership, but I'd say broadsiding a golf cart in the pits autta get you in....Steve, wadda you think?