WERA North Central Round #4 July 11& 12, 2004

WERA North Central Round #4 & North East Round #6; July 11& 12, 2004; Nelson Ledges Raceway; Garrettsville, Ohio.

Catherine [my girlfriend] and I took our time and made sure the borrowed pick-up with 175,000 plus miles did not implode either on I-71 or I-76. We had brief but pleasant stay at friend’s house in Atwater on Saturday night, which is about 30 minutes from the track. This saved us the cost of a hotel and we were able to have a warm bed and shower before the races.
On Sunday morning we grabbed a spot next track, close to main pit entrance. The truck had everything jammed in it, from full rain tires to stands to tools to an EZ-UP. Unloading took a while, but I got to registration and paid my entry, license and transponder (an electronic beacon for scoring and lap times) fees. The pit area was full as this was a race combining two WERA regions and a double point’s event.
So out in the first novice lightweight practice session and I’m trying to get loose and re-familiar with the track. It’s already hot, it’s early and I need coffee. Not to mention I’m still wearing a nice, bright provisional novice orange vest. I’m just following some racers and trying to get my bearings. The fastest time I could put in during the first practice was a 1:28.580, whereas the fastest novice was lapping at 1:17.076.
Before the second practice session and in the pit the bike’s suspension was still way too soft. Not much else I could at this point except wind up the rear preload and the front compression, while removing most of the rebound at both ends. Back out and I worked on keeping throttle open longer and generally staying out of everyone’s way. My best time was a 1:27.266.
The riders’ meeting was somewhat different than AHRMA. Everyone seemed a touch more serious, a little more focused. Maybe it was because I was new. In hindsight I think AHRMA lends itself to older guys who want to go fast to a certain point (that point being one of not landing in the hospital). WERA has a younger base, the bikes are newer and I think there’s an ‘I need to go out and win’ vibe that’s more at the surface.
So Catherine and I have a quick lunch and talk about the course of action needed to win. Not falling down was the first item brought up, which was kind of obvious. I think a constant theme all weekend was again to have fun, and just relax. And try not to scream with fear in my helmet, which was easier said then done (!).
Race one for me rolls around, so I suit up. Luckily I hit the bathroom, my nerves are on edge and I wouldn’t keep the water in me. It’s fairly humid out and mostly sunny, and heat would be an issue later on in the day.
The first race was Clubman Novice and I was last on the grid, due to no points and missing the first three WERA North Central Regional races. But unlike the previous weekend at Grattan I actually got my grid position correct! I got a decent start but was left in the dust by the faster novices. I mostly rode by myself in fourth place and the best lap of the day came in at 1:26.163 with an average speed of 83.563 mph. Series points leader James Gentry won the race on his Honda CRF450.
Next was the Motard Novice class, and I was again put last on the grid. I again got a decent start but on a very fast track (the overall lap record sits in the 1:07 range) the bike was under-powered and over weight. Bikes like the Honda CRF450 and Yamaha YZ450F just seemed to be better suited for this track.
My bike was holding the race line, but I couldn’t carry as much corner speed. At Nelson Ledges you want to just stay on the throttle all the time and I just couldn’t. I was a victim of soft spring rates. James Gentry (Honda CRF450) again won the race and closed up on Calvin Barnett for the series title, while I again got fourth place and a best time of 1:26.292.
Up last was ‘D’ Superbike race. At the start everyone was pretty hot coming in to turn one as I had was a little slow getting off the grid. Series points leader Shawn Alexander (Honda NT650) went for a gap that didn’t exist and t-boned James Nicolas (Aprilia RS250). The race was red flagged and restarted, Shawn suffering a broken collarbone and Jim ended up not restarting the race. By the time we got going I was left to fight for third place with Mark Monsey (Yamaha FZR400).
I was holding my own, but feeling pretty exhausted. And my tires were to the point of just being completely hosed, chattering through the slow turns on the course. On lap 6 Mark passed me down the back straight... like I was standing still. I was just whipped and couldn’t ride any harder, which was a bummer. In hind sight I think I was letting off the gas. Maybe I was delirious from the heat. I missed out on the podium by less than a second, with a best lap of 1:26.739. Sunny Chang won the race and took the points lead on his Honda NC30.
With no trophy to collect we packed up the truck, and I had to sit down for a few minutes. Sweat was pouring out of me, and better yet I was completely winded. So we left a little later than I wanted. On the drive home I felt good, despite not getting any of the top three positions. I kept the bike in one piece and got some much needed track time. I felt that I had some good experience under my belt for the next upcoming races, not to mention I was now able to ditch the provisional novice ‘orange vest’!