WERA West, Jan 12/13th 2008. My first Expert race with WERA. Nothing much happened on the way out, except we lost the alternator on my dad's truck. We were lucky and made it to a shell station in a small town. I found a Kragen and my dad bought an alternator. I asked him to let me put it in, because I am taking shop and wanted to practice my "skills". Well it went in fine, my dad had to help with the spring tensionor as I put the belt on. We got it started after charging the battery with our generator. Got to the track and found that there were two garages left. We grabbed one down on the end by the Emergency vehicles, set up shop, and went to sleep in the garage. By morning we had a couple guys pitting with us, Doug who we pitted with before and his friend, we saved a spot for Mark McKinney, nice guy we like to hang with, and last years senior Champion. So Saturday comes we are set, get teched and go out to a trackday full of red flags. I was running on Dunlop Qualifiers, cause we had them, and was moving around pretty good time wise as well as moving around on the track. They work good, but they are not a race tire. I think I got into the 1:34s on them, we threw on a Ntek rear and I dropped it to 1:33s, but with all the red flags it was hard to get some serious time in. After practice we had the Trophy presentation for the 2007 season, my dad filmed it and posted it to google I think, but it was fun with Pizza and drinks. So Sunday morning comes, we have Dunlop DOTs on the front and back (ntecs) and I go out for practice. All is well and I am doing fine, feel good, a little nervous because the grids are going to be big. This race weekend almost felt like a National. So many racers, AMA pros, WERA Champions, AFMers, Canadians, Hawaians, everybody(Josh Hayes) and his racing wife were there. So my race is first and I am pumped. My Dad warns me again about the start, take it easy, look out etc... but I know at row 13 I need a good start. The flag drops and I nail it, hit second gear and move around a rider on the right side so I can get by. Then from behind another rider comes over and clips my bars sending me into a wild bucking bronco tank slapper and I fall off as the bike and I go into the Pit lane wall. I tumbled and rolled and slid while my bike bounced off the wall and ghost rode out to the cone at the chicane off the banking. I hit my head pretty hard, and was dinged out, my hand hurt and my bike was many yards away. They immediately redflagged the race, the pushed my bike to my dad who took it to the garage, I got back to the pits, and they restarted the race without me. Dave Moss came by to see how I was doing, and the damage to my bike was nothing at all. Then another red flag, to stop the race again, with a full restart. Dave bent back my shifter and brake pedal while my dad fixed the rear brake line. I put on a spare helmet, although to big, my dads, and went back out. I still wasn't feeling right, but thought get some points. I started at row 13 again, at 37 place, and made my way through some riders to finish 16th. Still I wish I could have done better for my first WERA expert race. I then went on to race again getting a 10th, (top ten, and my dad said if I made top 10 he would be so happy), then a 12th, dont' know what happened there, and a 6th my last race, so I was pretty pumped with the sixth. Also I found out I had the 3rd fastest lap in my second race with a 1:32.2, so I was really pumped. Well no trophies, but a learning experience and lots of fun. Can't wait till the next race. www.shanemcgoey.com
Actually yes. They never made mention of it at all. There were about 10 bikes there with the solo plate on the back, no one said a thing. :up:
Actually I was talking about the number being off to one side on the front which I am pretty sure is not legal but interesting on the rear plate too. I think you CA guys get away with a bit more than us east coasters would! Not trying to give you a hard time or anything. I read your story and its always good to see when someone that went down gets back up to get back out there. Good luck and hope you keep the black side down,
+1! I saw a vid of a guy i know almost eat it there where his rearset went into the dirt! Same weekend i think. good job on the 2 top 10 finishes!
I ran the front number plate on the side all last year at WERA and Miller, no problems. the single in back is new this year.
Yea, just read the rulebook for 08 and sounds like they will expext EVERYONE to follow the rules for the number plates, so it looks like we are back to the drawing board to come up with something. If you are not following the rules for the number plates, good chance you won't get scored. Sounds like they mean it too, for this year.
I captured a few pictures from your crash. Heres a few of them. I will try and get the rest of the pixs I took of you that weekend.
Lined up row thirteen, 33rd out of 52nd. Flag dropped, started , nailed second gear, another rider and I split around a slower rider, then he came over infront of the slower rider, tagged my bar with his elbow and sent me in the wall. The bike stayed up and ghost rode out to the cone. I got to restart after even another red flag, gave us time enough to get repairs done. He came over after the race and apologized, it was just a racing incedent. That's racing.