What a beautiful weekend! Eighty degrees and sunny, just some fluffy white clouds drifting by watching the racing from 36,000 feet+. We were first in points in WERA Formula 2 Expert and this weekend was a very important double points event. We had high hopes about staying in first and extending our championship points lead. Practice on Saturday was pretty uneventful. Having been off from racing for three weeks I used the first practice session to feel things out and see what the track was like after all the rain we'd had. The bike was fine but the track was just a little slick here and there so I noted where to take it easy. We didn't set any new personal bests just the usual 1:20's and 1:21's. A guy named Donnie Tingle from Delaware recently picked up a nice TZ and has been making big gains over his first two weekends so we decided to keep an eye on him. I'd follow him for a lap or so to see if I could learn anything about him then I'd pass him and go on about my business. His bike seemed pretty fast when drag raced down the front straightaway after exiting turn 10 side by side. He'd gain about a bike length or two by the end so we were pretty even with his being maybe a tick faster. By various stopwatches he was in striking distance of us, hovering a few seconds off our practice times. Hmmm...not too bad. Sunday came and the weather was picture perfect. We went out for our practice sessions and prepared for the F2 race. Formula 2 Expert was race 9 which would be around 3:15. Just after lunch, Eric once again showed why he was "Tuner of the Year" last year. I had one spark plug that wasn't firing properly because of carbon build up and we had a bad plug cap. He put in new plugs, changed the faulty plug cap and adjusted the jetting for temperature conditions. He said I'd notice a big change in performance. The call came over the loudspeaker alerting us our time was near. "First Call! Race #9 Formula 2 Expert." and the butterflies started to stir. Five minutes later, "Second Call! Race #9." By now I am in my leathers, boots on and one earplug in. The butterflies are starting to swarm and I try to settle them by chugging a Hansen's Energy drink. Three minutes later, "Third and Final Call! Race #9-Formula 2 Expert. Let's get 'em up here guys!" This sets off a flurry of activity in the pits. I'm stuffing my other ear plug in, strapping on my helmet and putting on my other glove. At the same time, Dad, Dianna and Eric are undoing the tire warmers, taking the bike off the stands and getting the ramp in place to lower the bike. As Eric backs the bike down and gets it ready to start, people pat me on the back, wish me luck, give me kisses (I hope that was Dianna...) and show me the thumbs up. Truth be told, I am so focused on the task at hand I probably don't acknowledge most of the well wishes but I do appreciate them. I hop on the bike, turn on the oxygen sensor, set the steering damper, flick the switch on the speed shifter and Eric gives me a push down pit road. As we build speed I click the bike into 2nd and let out the clutch and the bike comes to life. I proceed through the pits and pull into the staging area. I'm one of the first handfuls of riders in line. As we wait for the five minute board to go up I blip the throttle to keep the engine alive, because GP bikes don't idle, and the engine temperature starts to climb. We like the temperature to be 55-70 degrees, that's where it makes the most power, anything above that we are losing power and running a risk of seizing the motor. The five minute board goes up and we have a green track, time for our warm up lap. NORMALLY I wait and let everyone else go before I start the warm up lap. I like to wait the shortest amount of time on the starting grid so we build the least amount of heat in the idling motor. The planets must be out of alignment this week because I broke from my routine and went out early. Halfway around the warm up lap the bike tries to stall as I try to accelerate out of a corner. Oh-oh! Did we go too lean on the jets and seize it already? The temperature is 60 degrees, shouldn't be seized. Gas on? Yep. It finally coughed out what ever was choking it and seemed normal again but the seed of doubt was planted. I whistle past the other few guys already in their grid spot and pull into pole position. I look the bike over real quick, double check the gas, everything seems ok, what made it stall?. Temperature is at 70 and starting to climb. I look up and the 3 minute board is still showing. Temp now 75. The two minute board pops up, almost show time! Gotta get this bike moving to cool it down. Temp now 80 and the needle is moving faster than it's supposed to. Come on, start the race already! The one minute board is put up and for a split second and I see a concerned look on the starters face. He's looking somewhere further back in the pack and decides to put the two minute board back up! Temp @ 85. Now I'm starting to panic. Street bikes have fans that will kick on and pull cool air through the radiator but mine doesn't. How hot can it get and what will happen? The two minute board stays up for what seems like an eternity but is probably another 15 seconds. Temp now 90 and climbing faster. I'm really freaking out as I watch the needle sweep past 95 and head for 100. The gauge only goes to 110 for God's sake, c'mon! We finally get the 1 minute board, which is actually shown for about ten seconds. I step on the shifter, pull my visor down and when the board goes sideways the flag is thrown. I pin the throttle and feed out the clutch but the bike bogs down! First thought is that the motor overheated and expired but I'm not giving up. Pull in the clutch, more throttle and let fly the clutch again, more bogging, what the #@*$ is wrong?! By now the rest of the field is pulling away from me and so are those valuable double points I so desperately wanted. One more time, pull in the clutch, lift up on the shifter to be sure it's in first (did you catch that? In my panic I stepped DOWN on the shifter and accidently put it in 2nd! GP bikes are UP for first, street bikes are DOWN for first. Too many years spent riding street bikes I guess) and the shift lever pops up one gear. Well that explains it, no one gets a good start in 2nd gear. I finally launch the bike and set off after the pack. As I proceed down the front straight for my first trip into Turn 1 (T-1) I see the temperature is dropping now that cool air is flowing over the radiator, whew! As I accelerate out of two I can see the back of the pack up ahead and should be on them shortly. By the time we reach the carousel (Turns 5-9) I've come into line behind 2nd to last place and dive under two bikes into the tight left hand T-5. I zip by Rich Sturges in the short section between T-5 and T-6. Close up the gap on the next group of three stuck together and follow them through T7-8-9 and power by them going up the hill to T-10. The bike is running really well now, good job on the plugs, jetting and new cap Eric! Emerge from under the bridge and set up for T-10. Three more guys dead ahead. I get a good drive out of ten and pass the three pack well before start finish. By the time I get to the braking markers in T-1 I've closed on another four riders and see another group of three just ahead of them. Those would be the leaders. I go around the outside of two people in T-1 and duck under the other two exiting T-2. Ok, now I'm in fourth with 6 laps to go and the leaders are a hundred yards ahead. I've got some work to do but I have plenty of time to do it. On the straight between T-2 and T-3 I can see Donnie out front and he's looking over his shoulder to see who's chasing him. I pass for third going into T-3 and as I drive up the hill I can see Donnie checking his six again. I'm comin', I'm comin'. As I go over the hill into to the high speed T-4 sweeper I decide to test Brian Roach, also on a TZ250, probably the nicest one at Summit. I go around the outside of "Roach" at 100mph and into the braking markers for T-5. I get the inside line on Roach into T-5 and squirt into 2nd place. Halfway around T-6 I catch Donnie and follow him through the rest of the carousel. I catch my breath and settle in for what I hope will be a few fun laps dicing with Donnie. As we drive out of T-9 he looks back again and I am right there smiling at him. I could swear he shook his head in disgust before turning forward again to set up for T-10. I give him a little room through 10 and we are now gonna drag race the straight for 1st place. My bike starts closing the gap, and closing the gap and closing the gap even faster. I pull along side, give him the thumbs up and keep on going. As we enter the braking markers for T-1 I expect him to try outbraking my but he doesn't try it. I keep pouring the throttle on and keep my head down for the next lap or two trying to build a gap on Donnie. As I start catching lapped traffic, I turn to look over my shoulder and see no one. I keep on going, putting lapped traffic between Donnie and I just in case. I take the white flag, one lap to go. Let's have another look over our shoulder and....still no one. I proceed around the track, picking off three or four lappers in the process and took the checkered flag for our 2nd win of the year! What a blast! Our next event is a two race weekend. We head to Virigina International Raceway this coming weekend for a WERA Regional race Saturday, also a double points event, and a WERA National race on Sunday. I'll keep you posted on how things work out. I'd like to thank our sponsors for all their help and continued support: JT Motorsports II Yamaha in Leesburg, Va., Hansens Energy Drinks - stop by our pits for a free sample! www.hansens.com Fast Lane Cycles, Eric Knight's Tuning Services. Here's a copy and paste link to our photopoint album with some updated pics from this weekend: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1656237&a=12683907 Monty
When I looked back in turn 9 I knew you'd be there soon. I just smiled and hoped I could stay in front of you for a little while. Don't worry we'll do it again. This bike sure is a lot of fun . I also want to thank Eric too for the tips he gave me. Donnie
