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Tucker Lancaster's race report from the WERA National in Georgia

Discussion in 'Race Reports' started by TuckerLancaster, Mar 20, 2013.

  1. This weekend, Mike Pascarella, my crew chief, and I made the long haul from California to Georgia, 5,400 miles round trip, for the first WERA National held at Roebling raceway near Savannah, Georgia. We left mid afternoon last Monday 3/11, and arrived in Georgia late Wednesday night. To save money on gas, we packed the van full of all of the important things that we need at the races, and left the trailer at home. On Thursday at 5:00 we were let into the track to get our pit all set up. On Friday I had a trackday, and put my first laps in at Roebling. After the first couple of sessions I wasn’t liking the track very much. As the day went on I was getting faster and faster, and the track was becoming more fun. I learned that I have to be very smooth, and the faster I tried to go the more mistakes I would make which made for slower lap times. I had to focus on hitting all of my marks and not making mistakes. At the end of the day I had qualifying for the 600 superstock race that was on Sunday. In qualifying I was doing the same thing as in the practice sessions, keeping focused, hitting all of my marks, and not making mistakes. I went out and did 4 or 5 laps then came in and checked my lap times with Mike. We were trying to save my tires, so we wanted to do as few laps as possible, and still get the fastest time. This track was eating up front and rear tires really bad. I went back out and did a few more fast laps, then it was the end of the session. I had the fastest time with a 1:13.7, 3 tenths faster than second place!!

    On Saturday morning I had 2 practice sessions, and was signed up for 2 sportsman races, C superbike, and C superstock. I was feeling really good in morning practice, and I was ready to race! My first race was race #1, C superbike. I started from the middle of the 5th row, and I got a great start, and actually got the holeshot!! After that it was a pretty boring race. It is usually hard for me to stay focused when I am leading a race, so I have been able to work on keeping focused while in the lead at the last few races. I ended up winning the race by 4 seconds! After my first race I had a very long break until race #12, C superstock. This time I was starting from the outside of the 6th row, and I got a pretty good start again. I had a good launch, and was planning on going up the outside around everyone going into turn one. The guy right in front of me ended up moving over a little bit which forced me to make a ballsey move, and hope for the best as I passed him literally on the edge of the track. I was up to about 6th place going into turn one, and coming out of turn one I was up to 5th. Coming out of turn one I made another pass and was up to fourth. Going around turn 5 I made another pass, and was up to 3rd. When we came around on the front straight away I was still in 3rd, but made a pass going into turn one which put me in second. The next lap I made the same pass and was now in the lead! For the rest of the race, it was once again pretty boring, but I was still pushing myself to go faster. I ended up winning by 7 seconds!

    I had a good day on Saturday, and that gave me a lot of confidence going into the National races on Sunday. I had 2 practice sessions in the morning. I felt really good in practice, I was able to do some fast race times, in the cold morning practice, so after practice I knew that it was going to be a good day! I was signed up for 4 races, C superstock, Csuperbike, B superstock, and B superbike.

    My first race was race #4, C Superstock, the 12 lap race that we qualified for on Friday. I got a good start from pole position, and got the holeshot. This was my first time this weekend that I was on brand new front and rear Pirelli tires, so I was expecting some good lap times. I knew what I could do on used tires, so now it was time to get work done on the new ones. On the first lap, I knew that I was going to have to push hard to get away from the pack, and I did just that. Mike said that on the first lap when I came onto the front straight that I already was pulling away! There was a strong headwind going down the front straight, and it slowed everyone down a bunch. I was able to do 1:13’s consistently, and threw down my fastest lap of the weekend so far at a 1:13.4 on the 9th lap! That shows how well the Pirellis last through the race, after 8 hard laps I was still able to put my fastest lap in! I think that I could have dipped into the 1:12’s if it weren’t for the headwind, but I wasn’t using that as an excuse for not trying harder to get those fast laps in! I kept pushing until I saw the checkered flag. I won the race by 4 seconds! I won my most important race, but I still had to stay focused and win the rest!


    My next 2 races were back to back races, races #8 and #9. Race #8 was B superstock. I was starting on the inside of the 3rd row, and I got a great start. I ended up getting the holeshot. I was running a slick, that is usually meant for a 1000 cc bike, but I like it on tracks with long sweeping turns like this one because it has a bigger contact patch than the 600 tires, and I can get on the gas a lot sooner. I was working on getting faster and staying focused, but I didn’t put any faster times in. I did a 1:13.6, and I won the race by 9 seconds. I came into the pits, filled up on gas, then went back out for race #9, C Superbike. This time I was starting from the inside of the second row. I got a good start, and ended up getting yet another holeshot! In this race I actually had a little bit of a battle with Jimmy Merck. On the third lap he passed me up the inside going into turn one. The next lap I did the same thing to him. I decided that I would let him be in front on the last lap, and then draft past him before the finish line. That would have worked if it weren’t for the lappers that we ran into on the last lap. Jimmy was in front with me right on his tail, going into turn 5 we caught the lappers. Jimmy got around them, and I wasn’t able to get around them as quickly as he was. I wasn’t too far behind, but far enough to where I couldn’t draft him. I ended up in second place.

    My last race was race #11, B Superbike. I was starting on the same grid position and got the same start, holeshot! This time, I knew to not let Jimmy get in front of me at all! I made sure to not leave the door open each lap going into turn 1, and it worked. He was never able to get up the inside. On the last lap I knew that once we were into turn 1 and I was still in the lead that he wouldn’t be able to get around me. I made it through turn 1 in the lead, and I decided to just make sure I didn’t crash, and not make any mistakes. That wasn’t the case though, going into turn 5, a turn I knew was slippery, but that I always trail broke into, I ended up tucking the front and going down. I was super mad, because I had made a point to not crash, and I ended up crashing. Oh well, I couldn’t be too unhappy for the first time at Roebling I did pretty well. The next National is in about a month at Talladega in Alabama. Mike and I will be driving out there again for that round. I will be riding next week at Thunderhill, at a Pacific Track Time event. If you have not signed up for that one, make sure you get signed up!

    Here are some links of press releases done about the WERA National in Georgia: http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/...le-road-races/

    http://www.nextmotochampion.com/

    I am still currently seeking sponsorship for my WERA National program. Any interested parties should contact me direct by visiting my facebook. www.facebook.com/tucker.lancaster.5

    I would like to thank everyone that is helping me out this year: My mom and dad, Pirelli tires, Chris and Corey at CT Racing, Leon from Competition Motorsports South, Orion Motorsports, Jason Pridmore's Star School, Mike Pascarella, Motorex, EDR Performance, Cortech, Shoei, FMF, Full Spectrum batteries, KFG Racing, Zero Gravity, Arnette, Drippin' Wet, GB Racing, and Rider's Discount, Uncle Mark, and Grandpa Jack. I would also like to thank the fantastic staff, corner workers, and all. If you have not raced a WERA National, you are missing out on some good fun!

    Thanks,

    Tucker Lancaster
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Shenanigans

    Shenanigans in Mr.Rogers neighborhood

    Great job Tucker, look forward to watching you rip it up this season.
     
  3. Sheik Abdul ben Falafel

    Sheik Abdul ben Falafel Well-Known Member

    Your bike looks badass!
     
  4. kanatuna

    kanatuna You can't polish a turd..

    Great write up. I got passed by Tucker in a practice session and was like WTF was that thing.... All I saw slide by was neon lights. lol
     
  5. CTracetires.com

    CTracetires.com West Coast Pirelli

    Fantastic results and a great race report to boot!

    Great job Tucker, I'm so proud of you kid!

    Chris.
     
  6. Thank you! I am looking forward to racing the rest of the national series with you guys!
     
  7. Thanks!
     
  8. Thanks! It was my dads idea so he can see me when I'm on the track!
     
  9. Thanks Chris for all your help! Ill bring you back a crawdad and a taterbug next time!
     
  10. Elsinore

    Elsinore Well-Known Member

    Excellent riding and writing. Congrats and good luck for the 2013 !!
     
  11. CTracetires.com

    CTracetires.com West Coast Pirelli

    Tucker Lancaster posted up this video..!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmD2XpKU6C0

    Some good racing from a kid who's never rode the track.
     
  12. ed who?

    ed who? the opposite of eharmony.

    great job Tucker! Its awesome working with ya, so quiet off track yet ridiculously fast on track....

    Props to Mike too..for keeping your EDR engines and bikes maintained..so many racers dont have someone helping to care for them or fail on that end of things so huge thanks to Mike P for keeping the bikes up and running good when i cant be there with ya


    i hope the AMA kids in SS pay attention for 2014... :)

    Keep it up..see ya at Sonoma!
     
  13. DucatiBomber

    DucatiBomber DJ Double A

    Was great meeting Tucker and Mike.
    Tucker is a really nice kid that is super fast!
    A little story...
    I was in the Pirelli trailer talking to Pirelli vendor and Tucker walks over after the awards ceremony with one of his trophies in hand and gives it to the Pirelli vendor and thanks him for mounting the tires, etc. That really impressed me. Kid "gets it".
    Will be watching him all year and hope the best for him and his program.
    Yea and his EDR bike was FAST.

    Ride safe,
    AAron
     
  14. ekraft84

    ekraft84 Registered User

    Fast bike, nice kid, very clean rider. Great combination.

    Best of luck this season. Can't imagine the gas is cheap, doing all that driving from CA.
     

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