My first race...Roebling Road - Very long

Well...first weekend out of the way, and...hmm...I guess I would call it
pretty interesting. Friday I took Ed Bargy's class. For those of you that
don't know, Ed's class works like this: There is a lecture period of about
one hour, then you practice what he talked about for 15-20 mins on track,
then another lecture, then another practice, etc. We started out by taking
a slow ride around the track three times. We had a lecture, then we went
out for our first semi-fast laps. Ed's had four other instructors there as
well as himself. We would line up in the pits behind the instructor that we
wanted to follow, with each of the instructors being different speeds.
Since I had already taken Frank's class, and felt semi-comfortable, I got
behind one of the "hot shot" instructors. There were four other people in
front of me. We started off around the track, with the instructor supposed
to be showing us the line, and the rule was no passing. So, about halfway
around the track, the third guy in our line was about a corner behind the
instructor, in other words, I couldn't see anything about the line the
instructor was following, and I wasn't supposed to pass. We went through
the whole session like that, even being passed by Ed Bargy and his students
(what happened to no passing!?). So I was kinda bummed after the first
session.

I haven't really said anything up til now about Frank Kinseys class, but let
me at least comment a bit on his class. I took it two weeks ago. Franks
class consists of one lecture in the morning, then several twenty minute
sessions on the track (we only got in three before the rains started...).
The weekend I was there, he was the only instructor in the class of about 18
people. In his one lecture, he tells you that he doesn't want you to use
the brakes on the track, and that coming out of turn nine down the straight
(Roebling Road), you should hold whatever speed you have all the way to one.
It all sounded very strange to start with, but it actually worked out very
well. No brakes really gets you up to speed on the corners fairly fast. I
mean, if you can't break, you better just turn that sucker into the corner
. The other part of his track rules, the no accelerating down the
straight, works really well too, especially since you've got a lot of new
riders on many different classes of bikes. I was on my FZR400, and I was,
by far, the smallest bike there. I was, however, much faster in the corners
than many of the people on their 600's and up, so it worked well in that I
could pass them in the corners and then didn't have to worry about them
flying by me on the straight and being forced to pass them again in turn 1-2
or 3-4. I mean, we were all new riders, so how much passing do you need?

Anyway, back to Ed's class. The things about Franks class that I liked I
didn't like about Ed's class. Since we really weren't instructed about how
to break or where to break until the very last lecture, you had people
coming out of turns and breaking really hard going into the next turn, which
was really causing me some headaches to work on my cornering speed (more
about cornering soon...). Also, once Ed said we could start passing, I
would end up passing people in the corners (after some work on my part!),
then getting them blowing back by me on the straight where I would have to
pass them again...I guess thats racing, but in a class situation, I think I
prefer Franks methods.

Ed did have MUCH more classroom instruction then Frank, and his many
instructors, although we never really got any feedback from anyone about how
we were riding. We could follow the instructors around the lines, but that
was about it. The classroom instruction covered many topics from lines to
throttle control, braking, and shifting. It was definitely interesting to
hear Ed's positions on topics that I had read about in Keith Codes book
TOTW2 and what Kinsey had said in his short lecture. How three experts can
come up with viewpoints so opposed makes me wonder if there is any right or
wrong in racing.

After about the second track session, Ed said if we were waved by an
instructor we could run on our own, which I was, and did most of the rest of
the day. I would pick up an instructor here or there around the track and
follow them for a few laps and see their lines. It was good track
time...all the way up to the last session...when...well, I had been having
problems going into turn four. Coming out of three, I would need to brake,
then downshift, then dive into four. Since this was the first day I had
been working on breaking and downshifting, I wasn't real smoth. I ended up
high and hot in four, but attempted to just crank the bike over and hang
with it (what else can you do?). Yup, its working, I'm making
it...going...wait...what happened...lowsiding...sliding, ouch, my
pinky...pull up arms...sliding...dirt, ack...dirt in my eyes,
mouth...tumble...stop...still able to move fingers, get up, run from bike.
Yup, lowsided. Tore some skin off my pinky knuckle on the right side.
Little bruises on my shoulder and hip. No big deal. Bike? Broken clutch
lever and windscreen. Again, no big deal. Ok, so I'm ok, bikes ok...what
the heck happened? I have never ever, even when hot in the corner, gotten
my knee to the ground (although my right toes have hit several times with
the ball of my foot on the footpeg). How come I lowsided before my knee
ever got down? Was it the tires? Some people said four is slick outside
the line. Ok, I'll buy that, guess I just need to stay on the inside of
four and not drift.

So, I missed the mock race, but passed my written test, and Ed graduated me
to pretend racer status .

Whew...Friday done. I was quite a bit concerned about my lowside in four.
I still don't know what happened...did I hit my footpeg on the ground? Was
it really that slick out there? Are my tires shot? Why did I lose the bike
out from underneath me?? Will it happen again?

So, Saturday morning, wake up bright and early, and head to the track. I
get signed up with WERA for the lightweight solo 20 Saturday and F2 and D
Super on Sunday. I decided to get new tires Saturday morning, and after
chatting with some people, decided that I wanted to try some Dunlops (sorry
Derek!! I got afraid of the Bridgestones after going down, even though I
have absolutely NO idea whether they had anything to do with the accident or
not, and as you will see later...). So I got fitted with new tires, missed
the first practice session, but was ready to head out the second session.
I'll admit it...I was afraid that session. I kept waiting for the bike to
slide out from underneath me again. I was still having a lot of problems
going into four, and four was still scaring me. I was still having problems
with my downshifting.

I did, however, make it through the session, and began to feel a bit more
comfortable. The second session was better...feeling more comfortable.
Still having problems getting into four, but the thought of the bike sliding
out from under me was gone. Broke into the 1:30's that session, my best
ever (I'm not concentrating on my time at this point, but my girlfriend is
being kind enough to time me for reference). Ok, time for my first race,
the Solo 20. I went into that race figuring that there was no way that I
would complete all 20 laps, but that I would use it as more practice time
and do as many laps as I could stand. This was my first start, I did
good...launched by a couple three people and headed off. A bit nervous,
these people were fast...very fast. Trying not to be competitive and just
do my thing. Lap three, coming out of turn three, brake, clutch, downshift,
blip throttle, leeeeeeeet ooooooooouuuuuttttttt
ccccclllllluuuutcccccchhhhhh.....ack! Too late! Too hot! Can't make turn!
BRAKE!! Let off brake before hitting sand/grass...brake slowly....wheew!!
Kept it upright, turned it back around, looked for a break, and back on the
track. Ugh...turn four. Next time around, scared of turn four, went in
high....lap five, high again. I'm too wound up...into the pits for my first
DNF.

Spent the rest of the day watching people go out of turn three into four.
Sunday practice went MUCH better. I was getting things flowing really well.
Breaking and downshifting into four good...staying right over the rumble
strips. Down into the 1:29's. Both practice sessions felt really good.
First race was D Super. Not a great start...went the first three turns in
the wrong gear...finally got geared back right before going into four. Ran
the rest of the laps (well, I ran seven of the eight ). Started
12th...ended 12th! Hey, I finished! Felt pretty good too. Those F2 bikes
were fast!

Ok...about an hour later, D Superbike...my class. I figured I might finish
pretty good. I knew in practice I was running a lot of people down, so I
figured I might run some people down in D Super. First lap, passed one
person...second lap, coming up on turn one again, two people in front of me,
I know I can outbreak them into one. Don't know where they are going to go,
so decide to go around on the outside. Brake! Downshift, downshift, turn!
Oh boy...in too hot...too high, must have missed my turnin point.
Ok...backing off the throttle a bit, scrubbing speed in the turn, I should
make it...lean over...coming into two....NOT AGAIN! The bike slides out
from under me, I go skidding along the concrete and off into the grass.
What the heck? Again, no knee (I haven't had my knee down, ever). What
happened? I'm fine, just bruised my bruises from Friday. Bike...broken
brake lever and broke my bellypan, easily fixable. What I don't understand
is what is going on? Why is my bike coming out from under me? Is it just
that slick outside these corners?

Ok...now its time to regroup. Get the bike put back together, and head to
Roebling September 1st for CCS. Maybe I'll just do practice on Saturday and
skip the races Sunday. I was feeling good...I'm just not sure what
happened. Very frustrating . I'm glad that I didn't take anyone else
out. I really did enjoy the weekend. All of the WERA people are great.
Everyone I met was very friendly. Guo, Tom, TIW, Tony, Derek, Microphone,
Wrenn, everyone else I've forgotten, you guys are a great group of people.
I hope that I don't get blacklisted because of my bad misfortune this
weekend. I plan to learn everything I can from it, because I surely do not
want to have that happen again.

Shawn

 

Don't worry about the knee! Your puck is a natural pavement magnet, it will touch down in time. Mean while, turn your toe out and move off the seat more Something about shifting your center of gravity or something.

I just tried to relax this weekend and not even think about the knee, it just happened. Sorta like the light at the end of a tunnel. Beware however, as sometimes this light is attached to a moving locomotive