Friday was only a practice day, and after we got new tires installed on the bike, I registered, teched the bike, and got ready to ride. It was about 75 degrees with clear skies and a slight breeze. My first practice was an easy one just getting used to the track again and trying to stretch out my leathers a bit. I was getting motored pretty easily by most of the bike out there. My second session I got into the low 1:20's but was feeling really tight. My calf muscles were cramping up. I came back and drank a ton of Gatorade and had a few Bananas. After lunch I felt a little better and managed to get my times down to a best of low 1:19's. Not a bad time, but not where I wanted to be either. The cramping never went away. Friday night we all loaded up and headed into town for some pizza, beer, and telling lies. We got back to the track and were ready to sack out early. Saturday was just practice for me again. I didn't register for any races so after my practice I was done for the day. I just hung out with Jacob and watched the other guys race. It was a great day again, about 70 degrees and sunny. We all loaded up at the end of the day and headed in for some Mexican food, Margaritas, and more lies. After dinner we set out to find a Wal-Mart to get more blankets. We ended up driving around for about an hour and a half and asking several people for directions before we found one. When we got back to the track we headed around the pit area to socialize a bit, and Tony Pentecost (WERA official) asked us where we been. We told him we were looking for a Wal-Mart, and he said that there was one about 5 miles down the road. Doh!!!! Oh well, now we know. We hung out for a little, then headed to the trailer for the night. Sunday was race day. I entered C-Superbike, and C-Supersport. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate. We woke up to cloudy skies, cooler temperatures, and rain. We brought the GSXR with us to use if it rained, so I skipped first practice and we put the rains on it. I went out for second practice and felt okay, but Roebling is a terrible track in the rain. There are patches all throughout the corners, and they are like ice when they are wet. I had a few slides, but nothing too major as I was just creeping around in survival mode. I was running 1:35's with a few 34's. After practice we at lunch and waited to see what the track was going to be like. It was still raining when the racing started up again, so we decided to run the rain tires for my first race. C-Supersport was race number 5 of the day. I was gridded on row 3. I got off the line okay, but the clutch is shot in the GIXXER and I missed second gear. By the time I hit turn 1 I was in last place. Okay, time to work. The track was just damp with a few dry spots. I was having an easy time passing people in turn 3, which is where the gang was watching the race from. I got down into the 1:25's and passed 6 people total. From what they told me they were going nuts watching me pass people through there. I finished the race in 11th place. Not too bad for coming from last. My second race was race number 10, C-Superbike. By the time I raced again, the track was pretty much dry. We already had the warmers on the R6, so I just jumped on it and headed out for my last race of the day. I was gridded on row 4. The green flag drop, and my front end launched. Damn, I need to figure out how to start a race!!!! I set the front wheel down, and was once again last into turn 1. On the second lap there I passed 2 guys directly in front of me, and didn't see anyone else in front of me. I just thought "oh well, don't let those guys back by you" so I put my head down and started running some hard laps. My lap times were dropping every lap and I got down into the 1:19's. A few laps in I saw a group of riders going into turn 1 as I was coming onto the front straight. They had at least a 3-second lead on me. I was reeling them in every lap, and around lap 5 of 8 I was right on them. There was a 4-bike battle going on, and they were running 1:24's. Now I had to try to get around all 4 of them. I spent the next 2 laps trying to get around them in every corner. I got by one of them, but couldn't get around the other three. I was carrying more corner speed than they were in every corner, but they would go 2 or 3 wide into the corners, and there was nowhere for me to pass. On the last lap I tried to get a better drive onto the front straight to draft them and ended up on the rumble strips on the outside of the track. I didn't have the power to get around them so I was hoping to get by them in one of the 9 turns left on the last lap. As we sat up at the end of the front straight and leaned it into turn 1, the 3rd guy sat up and raised his hand. I had to run wide to avoid hitting him, and when I got around him there was a little gap between me and the other 2. I pulled them back in going through turn 3 and tried passing them in turns 5,6, 7, and 8. We made the final drive onto the front straight and all 3 of us finished in enough space for 1 bike. Very close and exciting race, but I finished at the tail end of the pack in 10th place. Results just don't tell the story. You had to be there. Loads of fun. I was on pace to finish at least 5th, but my terrible starts end my races before they even get started. If I can ever figure out how to get a holeshot, I'll be running up front. Anyone out there know how to holeshot? Anyway, we packed up the trailer, and hit the road around 4:30. With a food stop, and an unscheduled stop to help a friend change a tire on the side of the highway, we got home at 2:30 am. I want to thank my son Jacob for being such a great little kid. He is the joy of my life, and I really enjoyed having him with us this weekend. You da man Jacob. I just can't thank Greg enough for all of his help, support, and friendship. Between the race sponsorship with 29dreams.com Racing, the amount of help with the bike, and the amount of help with Jacob, words can't say how thankful I am to know you. I need to thank Jen and Zoe, the rest of the equation in my wonderful family. Thanks to 29 Dreams Motorcycle Resort, Ferodo Brakes, Stickboy and Bridgestone tires, LP USA, Traxxion Dynamics, Graves, Arai, Mary Lou's Team, "Bell's Angels", In Your Face Photography, and the Floribama Riders. If you made it this far thanks for reading... [This message has been edited by Jeffro510 (edited 03-28-2001).]
Don't know if iy will help ya, but I went from an f3 last year to a 01 gsxr600. I let the clutch out pretty fast without a lot of revs and then right when the clutch is almost all the way out I roll on the gas as hard as I can until the front wheel is in the air a few inches. Ed Bargy once told me that "If you can just carry the front wheel you are launching the bike as hard as possible any more and the bike will wheelie too much." On the old f3 I could just pinn it once the clutch was out, but the Suzuki will go over backwards if I did that. I usually pass a few people on most of my starts. Just practice...go to the drag strip. It is the perfect place to practice. It's al about the start in that kind of racing.
I appreciate the help. Man, if I ever get at least an average start you guys will all be in trouble!!!! I have won races before, ran great races in the past, but right now the thing that would feel the best out there would be to grab the holeshot in a race. I would probably pass out!!!! Thanks for reading that shortened version of my long ass report too...
Jeff, when will Jacob be spinning wrenches for you How did the family like camping in the new trailer? Hopefully the weather will be dry this weekend at Roebling when I go out to play. Bruce B
Bruce, Have fun at Roebling this weekend! I hope to see you at a couple of WERA events this year. The GS has served me well. Ryan
He already does!!!! He loves "helping" me. He has a blast at the races... The new trailer rocks!!!! It's nice to have a hotel room right at the track. So Bruce, when will we see you at the races again?
Jeff, I slept in the my traveling hotel on wheels at the track this weekend too. I had two second place finishes with that other organization that Stickboy mentioned this weekend at Roebling. I was slow on Saturday trying out gearing choices and just being plain slow . Sunday was better but there was a head-wind gusting 30-40mph on the front straight. I learned a lot playing with different gearing so it was a good weekend. It wasn't so good for many of the other riders, lots of crashes and red flags which limited everyones track time. Over two days of practice and two races I only got about 90 miles on the track. Hope to see you guys at TGPR at the end of April! Bruce
