Motorcycle racing, It's The Pits! (but charitable)

I will be once again racing the M1GP 8 hour (8H3) on April 24th solo for charity! I have teamed up with It's the Pits (http://www.itsthepits.org/) rescue. For those that don't know I did this at the first 8 hour in 2008 on my YSR and failed to meet my goal of 242 laps for $1000. I did on the other hand abuse my body more then I ever have and really suffered. So, lets do it again, maybe a lttle less suffering and a few more laps! I will be once again on my Yamaha YSR50.

I am currently working with Pitbull (http://www.pit-bull.com/) to possibly get something from them as a raffle item. In addition Cycle Sector in San Diego (http://www.cyclesector.com/) and MotoDepot in Inglewood (http://www.motodepot.com/) have stepped up to offer up a few more items as well. I am pushing to make several of the raffle items to go just to the people who have pledged as an incentive for making a pledge. More details to come soon.


If you can, please make a pledge, even just 5 cents a lap will add up when many people contribute. And come watch me put myself through hell again! No amount is too small! You can contact me directly to make a pledge using Paypal, cash, or check. I am working on a direct Paypal link to the organization (in case you don't feel comfortable sending it to me). Checks can also be made out to It's The Pit's and sent directly to the organization (or me, and I will hand them all in together).

And just so you know, I am not taking a single bit of this as "expenses" or anything. All damage, wear and tear, etc is coming out of my pocket. Everything you pledge will be going to help the puppies in need. I will also warmly welcome donations of sports drinks and food if you choose to attend

A little something from last time: http://pitbullrescuesandiego.com/help/tootell.htm

I will be once again racing the M1GP 8 hour (8H3) on April 24th solo for charity! I have teamed up with It's the Pits (http://www.itsthepits.org/) rescue. For those that don't know I did this at the first 8 hour in 2008 on my YSR and failed to meet my goal of 242 laps for $1000. I did on the other hand abuse my body more then I ever have and really suffered. So, lets do it again, maybe a lttle less suffering and a few more laps!

I am currently working with Pitbull (http://www.pit-bull.com/) to possibly get something from them as a raffle item. In addition Cycle Sector in San Diego (http://www.cyclesector.com/) and MotoDepot in Inglewood (http://www.motodepot.com/) have stepped up to offer up a few more items as well. I am pushing to make several of the raffle items to go just to the people who have pledged as an incentive for making a pledge. More details to come soon.


If you can, please make a pledge, even just 5 cents a lap will add up when many people contribute. And come watch me put myself through hell again! No amount is too small! You can contact me directly to make a pledge using Paypal, cash, or check. I am working on a direct Paypal link to the organization (in case you don't feel comfortable sending it to me). Checks can also be made out to It's The Pit's and sent directly to the organization (or me, and I will hand them all in together).

And just so you know, I am not taking a single bit of this as "expenses" or anything. All damage, wear and tear, etc is coming out of my pocket. Everything you pledge will be going to help the puppies in need. I will also warmly welcome donations of sports drinks and food if you choose to attend

A little something from last time: http://pitbullrescuesandiego.com/help/tootell.htm

 

Working out the final details. Thanks to Young at M1GP for brokering the deal for me!

 

Event is Saturday!

You know you don't want to ride a YSR for 8 hours in the desert. So let me take the discomfort, you get the credit for donating

 

Any donations made to this event will put you in the raffle for a front or rear stand from Pit Bull. Just tell forward proof of donation to my email.

 

There you go folks! Just donating may win you race stands. How can you lose?

 

8hrs? Now that's as "True Grits" as it gets....you need an Yamaha RX50 for that run...same motor...but more comfort.

 

I have the option of being on an XR instead, but I am choosing the YSR instead so I have to work harder for it.

 

Mad props to you bro not only for brutally riding a YSR for 8 hours but also doing it for one of the most misunderstood breeds ever. My wife and I are involved in local Pit Rescues groups also. We own one as of now but have help to rescue and foster several others. Donation on the way :up: I could use another stand also, so make sure you pick my number j/k

 

I thought there was a link for donations. Please email me at [email protected] so I can make my contribution :up:

 

http://forums.13x.com/showthread.php?t=250864

 

Ever since my wife brought home our little Corinne after a local dog fighting right was broken up, I have never been the same. She really changed my life (for the better)! Don't get me wrong, I love all of them in my house, but Corinne is the one that actually changed my thinking.

Thanks for the contribution. Make sure you copy the e-mail address for Pitbull so you are sure to be entered for the drawing!

 

Thx for donations!

 

Tomorrow is the day!

 

I did 197 laps at the 8H3. I have been up since 5:30 Saturday. *Thud*

 

www.Motodepot.com donated a brand new HJC helmet that I raffled off at the event, one of the event racers donated a motorcycle alarm system, and Young from M1GP donated a couple of hats. I will be submitting a list to Pitbull for the race stand raffle as soon as I am done collecting pledges.

 

197 laps? That's a lot of laps on a little bike:up:

 

The math says I did more laps on the YSR (the slowest and most difficult bike to ride) then any other rider did on any other bike

 

No more getting around it, no more procrastinating, I have to write this report.

Saturday was the 8H3 which as you know I raced in solo for the second time to raise money for It's the Pits Pitbull rescue (www.itsthepits.org). After getting my ass kicked the first time I tried it I took the second attempt a little more seriously.

I made sure my bike was as well prepared as I could with a fresh top end and fresh tires and took to the track. I actually started the race on those fresh tires only having the warm up lap to break them in, which wasn't enough as all the sliding I did for the first session out proved. I knew from the beginning that I was only racing myself so I had to do everything I could to turn off the urge to try and keep up with the faster bikes. On a sprint race I will take chances, but I have 8 hours to get in laps, being risky isn't going to pay off if I crash and break the bike. So I made sure to take it easy, opting to short shift a little more, tuck in a little less, and just pile in the laps. My system was to just take a break when I thought it was prudent. So I would pull off, drink an entire bottle of Gatorade, eat a banana or Powerbar, and then head back out. I figure I was on track for about 35 minutes at a time, and off track for about 15. The system seemed to be working. as the hours went by I didn't seem to feel as tired as I thought I did the first year. However when I heard the report while I was taking a break that we just passed the 4 hour mark, I did feel a little depressed as it sure felt a lot longer then that already. But I sucked it up and kept going.

At one point I got off the track in time to hear the announcement that I had completed 132 laps so far with at least another two hours to go. I found a whole new level of motivation knowing that I had over an hour to go 9 more laps to beat my previous effort of 139 laps, obviously, that would be easy. I could go run laps on the track and complete that if I needed to! So now it was time to see, could I go 200? It looked like it may be possible, the mental calculations made it seem that way, which was a distraction and I nearly ran off the track a couple of times thinking about it.

After the next break I was nearing the 160 mark, which seems incredible considering that I didn't feel like pure death like the first year, yet I was already well ahead of the curve. But still, is 200 possible? I better go back out an find out.

On the next break I was well into the 170's (174 I think). Oh man, yes, I am going to do 200 laps! I just knew it! So I took my last rest waiting to hear how much time I had left and how many laps I needed to do it in. I had already planned to use up the last of my energy during the last hour of racing, and I was al set to push it as needed to break 200. Then, as I was suiting up to head back out, I heard the announcement. I had 30 minutes to complete about 25 laps, and i knew right away I couldn't do that. Even at what would be for me a blistering speeds at 1:20 laps that I just didn't have enough time. But maybe, with any luck, the announced time was slightly off and I could do it. And maybe the last of my energy would be enough.

So I put down the best laps I could. It was 7.5 hours into an 8 hour race, and I put in my fastest lap of the day on lap in that time frame. I went just one notch short of sprint race efforts, only because even during a sprint I only have to go 12 laps, and here I had to go double that. I didn't have time for any more rest, so I pushed it. And in addition, I didn't ease off the racing line for everyone like I had before. If you were going to pass, I wasn't going to give you the line. For one it gave me something to concentrate on other then my knees and exhuastion, and it also meant faster laps by staying on the line.

When the checkered flag came out, I honestly though I had did it. I was beyond excited, 200 laps in my mind was incredible. But the final results were announced, and I find out that I was 3 laps short. If I had spent just 5 more minute on the track, even just shaving one minute off of each break. Not checking my fuel level since I knew I had enough, drinking just a little faster, I would have done it. While it is kind of rediculous, I felt let down that I was so close.

Final results are 197 laps complete in 8 hours. Mathematically I completed more laps on the slowest bike on the track then any other one rider did on their faster bikes. I completed nearly 60 more laps this time then I did on my first try. And now, I have a goal for next year.

And yes, I will be doing this again next year. However, I am hoping that next year I have a functioning front suspension as the sensation of my front end bouncing over bumps with any sort of lean was unnerving to say the least.

 

I have submitted the list of people who made their donations to Pitbull for the raffle!

 

Out of 20 donations, Partha Chandrakant was randomly selected in the raffle. I used a random number generator to come up with the winner. Thanks for the donations!