I wish I had better results to report, but this just wasn't my weekend. All of the experience in the world won't do you a bit of good if you don't take heed when you spot the warning signs. In spite of the fact that I had many warnings from the rd that it wasn't well, I ignored all of them, went out and wrung it's little neck and siezed it in v3. To properly affix the blame on my shoulders, we need to go back to Jennings, where I had first heard a strange noise. Though I retired from the V-3 race in Jennings with clutch problems, the noise I was hearing was induction related and seemeed to be coming from one cylinder. I had 3 weeks to figure out what it was, but put everything off to the last minute and barely had time to get the clutch fixed, let alone go looking around the top end for anything wierd. I DID install some new TDR reeds, replacing the 3 seasons old Boyseens. You'd think that since I had the pipes off and the intake manifolds off, it would have just been another 10 mins to pull the top end off and snoop around.....oh well...... ANYHOW, I had to work late friday and didn't get on the road till 8:45. My friend, Kazi, had offered to bring my bike up for me, so I could at least drive up in my car, instead of my POS Astro van. (Thank You!!) I arrived at the track around 2:30 am and fell immediately to sleep. Alarm went off at 6:40 and somehow, I managed to get up and drag myself over to registration. Another long, slow line, it took 1hr20min to get registered!! Took it easy in the first round of practice, just circulating around, trying to remember the fast way around the track. The noise from Jennings was still there, but the bike was running really well, so decided to keep on riding and keep an eye out for any problems. (Warning #1) Between sessions, I installed some fresh plugs for a plug chop and mixed up gas for the rest of the day. Second session, I put my transponder on and went out with the intention of putting in some fast laps. Only problem was that I got stuck behind a pair of ex's that were pretty fast, but not REALLY fast. What I SHOULD have done was run through the pits to get a gap, but I wasted the entire session, getting balked at the apex and then motored on the straights, so I never got a decent lap in. I did get a good wfo chop under the bridge and coasted to my pits. I got lunch while the bike cooled and then went to the riders meeting. I checked the practice times and was pretty disgusted to see a best of 1:35, but relieved to see that my closest competitors were all in the same boat. (Not counting Jesse Morris, who is actually an alien sent from another planet where everyones fast who took the rocket boosters from his spaceship and installed them on his vintage Triumph and actually doesn't NEED to practice because he's just so darned good!!) (Roper is too!!!) I forgot about the plug chop I had done and started pulling the plugs as 1st call was announced. Right plug looked great, but the left plug didn't really have any color to speak of on it. (Warning #2) For some reason, I decided to race instead of investigating further. Lack of sleep? Plain stupidty? I knew I didn't have a chance against Jesse, but I figured 2nd was anyones to take if could get a good start and get some clean track. I nailed my start and passed a bunch going into one, putting myself into the lead of V3 and about 6th overall. Pased 2 more on the brakes going into 5 and found myself behind the ex from morning practice. Wayne Shelton was right in front of him. Just like practice, the guy had good lines, but was a little early on the brakes and a little slow at the apex. At least I was getting a good tow down the straights! David Keeley motored by both of us, down the straight on lap 2. I was starting to get frustrated with the ex because, not only did I feel he was holding me up, but he was taking really defensive lines, making a real chore to try to get by. Jesse motored by on lap 3 with, I shit you not, a 20mph speed differential!!! I finally managed to get around the guy on the ex with a bold move going into 3, but he squared it off and passed me back between 3-4. Knowing he was much slower in 4, I tried to ride around him while braking for 5 and he took me almost to the dirt, so again, I was rebuffed. Out of 5 I heard a sound that I'm VERY familiar with: a single, loud PING as I shifted from 2nd to 3rd. (WARNING#3) As I rolled off to half throttle to settle the entrance to the carousel, I heard some more pings. I Immediately backed off and started short shifting. I lugged it pretty good going down the front straight and let off very early, giving a few blips with the clutch in to se if everything was ok. No siezure, so I kept on, letting a couple v5 bikes back by. Lap 4, Rich Oldakowski came by and I decided to bring the revs up a tiny bit to see if I could stay in his draft. Not a chance! 1st trip down the straight, it let go, losing power at the end of the straight. I pulled in the clutch and coasted around the turn only to look at the tach and see that it was still running! I let the clutch back out and gingerly rolled on the gas......hoping.....yeah, right! It was cooked. I coasted to a stop and watched the race. Lance Yeager won v5 by a mile and Jesse won V3 by the same distance. (2nd overall...) I was pretty disgusted with myself for both: beating on the bike so hard for positions that weren't in my class; and ignoring the signs my bike tried to give me that all was not well in the motor dept. I decided to just pack up and go. When I went over to say goodby to Rusty and Wayne, I noticed 2 rd's under a canopy that I had seen in riders school. Mitch Bullock had just taken riders school and had no objections to me "shaking down" his stock 350. I took a scrub lap on it with the V2 race, and we made some changes to get it race-ready. The plan was to circualte for points, but I figured I might have shot at 3d if I rode at all decently. When the green flag dropped, I forgot about 3rd when Gene Lucas went by. I hadn't ridden with him in a long time(5years??) and forgotten how fast he was. I settle in in 4th, enjoying the challenge of learning a new bike. Another thing I'd forgotten is how fun a stock rd can be!! The bike had Bassani's on it, so it had a nice midrange hit the FELT fast, though the laptimes proved otherwise. Still, I was enjoying myself when Mark Harrison came by on his sr. The next 3 laps were the most fun I had all day, w/ me chasing after Mark, finally catching him and swapping 4th place back in forth a few times, when it all ended when something went wrong on the rd. It was breaking up in the higher rpms, much like a total loss ignition does when the battery is running down, but it would run fine, as long as I didn't rev it out. I finished the race lugging it around in 6th gear and got 5th place points. By the time I'd said my thank-yous and goodbyes and gotten all packed up, it was time for the v6lw/f-2stroke/v4 race, so I parked at the outside of the carousel to watch. Lance had a GREAT start and arrived in t5 with about a second gap on 2nd. (#52 on an fzr400)They both pulled away, with #52 eventually catching Lance and taking the win. There was a tz250, #7 that was doing really well, battling with 3 fzr400's over 3rd for most of the race, but then he obviously had a mechanical "issue" as he dropped back and it sounded like his bike was now a 125.... Rusty lead the F-2stroke race on his rd, but was being pressured by Keely. Every time I saw them, Rusty was in the lead, but I have a feeling David might have been leading at the "straighter" portions of the track. David eventually dissapeared, (I later learned he siezed as they were tipping into t1, almost highsided, but managed to save it!) and it looked like smooth sailing for Rusty, when all of the sudden Tommy D was right there. He must have a had a bad start, because he was WAY back in the early laps. He never really looks fast the way he rides, but he was FLYING and actually put in the fastest lap of the race! (for a F-2stroke bike...) Rusty didn't know he was coming but still crossed the finish line a scant .7sec ahead of Tommy!! In V-4, Wayne pulled steadily away from Rich and Bucky Sexton, both on Yamaha singles for the win. Well, you can't win them all, especially if your an idiot!!! I'm mad at myself for ignoring my bike and racing hard when I didn't have to. The whole focus this year is on f-500, not getting in battles w/ guys on v5 bikes, or, even chasing v3 points. I'll get the bike back wed, so I can tear it apart. I suspect the cause was an airleak, probably a sucked base gasket, but I'll let you know when I get it apart. Bye the way, it was not only a bad day for Yamaha 2 strokes, with SEVERAL DNF's, but it was also a bad day for collarbones, with Mike Ewer and one other at Summitt. Also, at AHRMA TGPR, Scott McCain fell off his rd and broke his as well. Everybody heal up, fix your bikes and get back out there!!
