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6hrs at Summit Point

Discussion in 'WERA National Endurance Series' started by OreoGaborio, Jan 25, 2007.

  1. OreoGaborio

    OreoGaborio Well-Known Member

    Hey guys... just throwin this out there & thought i'd get some input.

    My teammates & I are hoping to be doing the 6hr WERA race at Summit Point. We're all licensed racers & two of us are LRRS Amateurs so we know the basics, but we've started doin our research & I was wondering what kinda experiences you guys have had specific to endurance racing that we could learn from to be a little more prepared so things go smoothly.

    We're gonna be racing an EX500 set up for LRRS Production Rules, so limited mods will be on the bike. But any basic tips or STORIES about how things go down that you could give us Sprint racers would be great. :up: And in the mean time i'm gonna start browsing this section of the forum to get a feel for things.

    I've already started lookin through the WERA rulebook to get an idea of what we need to prepare for & man, that thing reads like a frikkin encyclopedia. :rolleyes:
     
    Last edited: Jan 25, 2007
  2. Stiffy

    Stiffy Active Member

    Set aside 6hrs or so....:Poke:
     
  3. OreoGaborio

    OreoGaborio Well-Known Member

    I said we're riding an EX500 :Poke: ... we plan on setting asside at least 10hrs :D
     
  4. Bmann

    Bmann Well-Known Member

    Just watch out for the big bikes screamming by you.
     
  5. hazbin69

    hazbin69 forgot'n crewman

    bring beer goggles!!!!
     
  6. OreoGaborio

    OreoGaborio Well-Known Member

    I think you guys keep skipping over the "We're gonna be racing an EX500" part... we're used to big bikes blasting past us... like SV650's :D and of course we're bringing our beer goggles, EX500's don't exactly get you the hot umbrella girls :crackup:

    Anyway, I know this post made everyone say :crackhead: (been wanting to use that smilie :D) but some solid helpful feedback will be appreciated... but if it's just like doing one big long sprint race, lemme know that too.

    What we should be doing differently, other than the obvious?

    Tips for making things go smoother in the pits?

    A general overview of how things go down?

    Maybe a link to a ride report?

    What resources should a person looking into endurance racing check out to be more informed?
     
  7. hazbin69

    hazbin69 forgot'n crewman

    5 years in a row ontop of podium in this race ...it can be a sprint race for big bike for lil bikes its a battle of attrition .stay up and outta trouble,and outa da pits.pits stops cost u alotta time in this race.. to do well pit as few times as possible.try to make 90min stints= 3 stops....6hrs
     
  8. OreoGaborio

    OreoGaborio Well-Known Member

    Thanks Hazbin.

    We've got 4 guys goin so 90 min stints would work perfectly. Now I just gotta get a fuel stick in my EX to get an accurate fuel consumption for the bike so we can put enough fuel in but not too much. That'll be done at VIR in a couple months.
     
  9. Tortuga

    Tortuga Well-Known Member

    Hi and good luck. Sorry for this, but if you want to race a stockish EX500 in a 6 hour National you may want to have your heads examined. Trust me that is good feedback. There are teams out there that are doing this for a living and are not just messing around. They have top equipment and riders and the closing speeds will be down right scary if not unsafe. We're talking Tray Batey on a 1000 superbike. If you insist on bringing a pointy stick to a gun fight I would suggest wearing bright colors and painting the back of your bike yellow. Other than that make it easy to get the tank open and make sure everything is tight and wired. But I wish you would reconsider your bike choice.
     
  10. OreoGaborio

    OreoGaborio Well-Known Member

    Good point Tortuga and that's something we're still taking into consideration. There's still alot of time left to change plans.

    I've looked into the rulebooks & although the EX isn't terribly competative in the lightweight endurance class, it's still allowed.

    Also I know Loudon isn't exactly a high-speed course, but I've been in Am/Ex practices w/ everyone & their mother out on the track on big bikes w/ me on my little EX... and since the closing speeds are only a big factor in the straights, IF we decide to ride the EX, we'll be sure to leave a healthy margin for you on the outside.
     
  11. Tortuga

    Tortuga Well-Known Member

    I'm glad that you took my advice as constructive because thats how it was intended. It shows you've got a clear head about things. So let me further offer that the closing speeds on the straght will be severe, but it will be more so in all the braking areas as the experts on super bikes will have way higher turn speeds than you. Look at the times from last year on mylaps. For reference the fastest EX500 to ever go around Summit could do 1:26's and that is on a built one with an expert rider who has turned 1000's of laps there. You should expect to be doing 33 - 38's. That means you'll get lapped every 3 laps or so by the leaders. That kind of time difference is not made up on the straght alone. Racing is dangerous enough, right? You wouldn't want to be out there with someone who didn't wire the drain plug just because they didn't think they had time. The point is don't make it more dangerous for everyone just because its easier for you. I encourage you to try endurance racing, but do it on the proper bike. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
     
  12. OreoGaborio

    OreoGaborio Well-Known Member

    Hey, like i said, i appreciate all input... this is your playground, not mine. I'm just tryin to get a better picture in my mind on how things are gonna go. The truth may hurt but i'd rather it hurt now than after a 9 hour drive to a race I shouldn't be in.

    What other types of lightweights do you see out there in the amature ranks during an endurance race? If we're the only lightweight bike out there w/ 50hp that's one thing, but if we're one of many, I don't see why we can't be out there too.

    For a example, I've been out in races at Loudon which is a short 1.6 mile circuit with anywhere from 30-50 other bikes turning 1:25's on my EX w/ the slowest racer turning 1:30's-35's and yet Jeff Wood & sometimes Doug Henry are out there turning 1:16's. How does that compare to what we'd see at Summit?
     
    Last edited: Jan 26, 2007
  13. hazbin69

    hazbin69 forgot'n crewman

    sounds like tortuga wants to sponsor u...tray is a good enuff rider to get around u guys in a milli-second ,yes lapping will ocur in 3 laps it always does...dont feel bad just ride hard ride smart.remember you fill the grid also...
     
  14. hazbin69

    hazbin69 forgot'n crewman

    P.S. summit likes to eat fuel...stock ex tank probably wont make 90 min fuel window
     
  15. OreoGaborio

    OreoGaborio Well-Known Member

    hehe and EX's like to sip fuel :D But seriously, that's why i'm gonna be making a more accurate fuel stick when i go to VIR in a couple months... top off the tank, do a 20 minute session, come in, dip the fuel stick, make a mark, lather, rinse & repeat.
     
  16. vcr12 pit crew

    vcr12 pit crew Well-Known Member

    too much fuel...i never herd such a thing...stay out untill the fuel light comes on or your crew tells you to come in...untill either of those happen...stay out! good luck!
     
  17. vcr12 pit crew

    vcr12 pit crew Well-Known Member

    P.S. if you do race...take some extra time befor the race and wire or glue EVERYTHING you possibly can...alot can hapen in 6 hours..if it's not wired on or glued, by the end of the race you won't have it!
     
  18. OreoGaborio

    OreoGaborio Well-Known Member

    Thanks for the suggestions... All our bikes are safety wired according to CCS rules, but we still plan to go over the bikes & use silicone or wire on plenty more nuts & bolts.

    As for fuel, we've got no trip meter, fuel gauge or fuel light... and honestly, I'm actually kinda skeptical whether or not the EX could suck up a whole tank of fuel in 60-90 minutes... I'm almost willing to bet it doesn't, but we'll find out in another month or so :D
     
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2007
  19. vcr12 pit crew

    vcr12 pit crew Well-Known Member

    the best thing to do is fill the tank during practice and run it dry just keep track of your laps...good luck....don't forget...summit sucks some fuel...
     
  20. OreoGaborio

    OreoGaborio Well-Known Member

    Yeah, that's what i'm gonna be doing at VIR North in April. I had my EX pinned there for much of the course last year & figure that'd give me a good idea on fuel consumption.
     

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