WERA West; Round 4 Buttonwillow; May 9-10, 2009

As usual, starting the report off with thanking everyone who's help me thus far with all the support, encouragement, and aide along the way.

This weekend went well, though I personally feel, and KNOW, that I could have performed better. But we'll get to that later.

We got to our hotel at Buttonwillow at about 11:30PM on Friday night, not too bad considering we had dinner off Azusa before we left. I slept about 80% of the way there with Ian driving and Gina in the back listening to her own music.

Woke up Saturday morning, Ian pissed because there was no SpeedTV like they had advertised, and we left for the track. We got to Buttonwillow a little bit early, with me not really remember what its like anymore since it's been a whole 7-8 years since I've been there...with my Celica...yea..that's how long ago it was. Went in...vaguely remembering the paddock area, we quickly made a few turns around to find someone we know but ended up pitting in an area close to the tires. Ian, Gina and I started setting everything up, getting our tent up and then getting a few other things organized to be prepared for the first practice. With Ian groggy and me can't waiting to get on the track, we got eveything setup...though it seems we broke the easy-up in the process....sorry Phi...I'm buying you a new one.

I went to go register for the Solo race that afternoon and bumped into a few guys inside I knew, quickly making some small talk with me secretly trying to steal as much knowledge of the track as I could. Matthias was out so I couldn't ask him to tow me around the track...and I wasn't really trusting of some of the other guys, which made it even harder for me to figure out what to do. 8:30AM rolls around and we begin getting ready for first practice. My goals for this wknd? 2:02 first practice. 2:00 second practice. 1:57 by end of Solo. 1:55 by race time for the two Sunday races. Well...lets just say that didn't happen as planned. My first practice (if you can even call that jumbled mess of me bouncing left and right and up and down all over the track surface practice) ended with a 2:06...FML...I'm already 4 seconds off pace...and I only get 5-6laps per session. Back to the pits feeling like a slug trying to move over carpet, I tried to figure out what to do. Plan of action...next session I'll push a lil bit and see if the suspension is a lil more comparable. Good decision until I was trying to adjust my line coming out of the sweeper. I was thinking to myself...hmm...how close can I get to the inside curb there to ease my line out? Well..I got too close. So close...half my tire hit the rumble strip...where there was a bump...launching my front end off the ground for about 30 feet and sending me straight into the dirt. Not good. Ok...keep the bike up...make it back on track with no one behind me...I'm safe. Back to practice pace for 2 more laps...no improvement. I dropped down to 2:02s, which made me feel a lil better, but that also meant that I'm now still 2 seconds off my expected pace. Not good since temperatures were now changing and what I had just learned about 40min earlier means nothing at this point. I went into the Solo 20 race with the intention of using it to learn some more lines and get my own pace figured out. The first half of the race went well, slowly picking up the pace at least in my mind and finding out a lot of points on the track of where I should and shouldn't be at. By the 10th lap...it occured to me that I'm tired. Yes...lap 10...out of 20...I was feeling strained and desperately looking for the white flag. Wouldn't it have been nice to have my camelback right now? Nope...no such luxury...push on Dave...push on. By lap 15...I was becoming delirious. Passing through the sweeper I caught myself thinking "....ok....push here...smoothen out...hold this angle looking for... oh hey...look...its a blue porto-potty.. i wonder if the trak mar...DAVE-TRACK-RUNNING-WIDE-STOP-LOOKING-AT-PORTO-POTTY!!! " as I drift wide again onto the outside rumble strip off the sweeper. I bounce off it this time so hard that the next 3 laps I feel my ankle swelling up a bit...FML I sprained it. Ok...I think I need to focus. And oh look...here comes Mark Crowley...passing me...goodbye Mark....I can't keep up with you right now...I'm exhausted... I finish the race in 3rd place behind Mark, ALMOST in 4th when I went wide yet again a few laps later shooting straight into star mazda. Got off the track with blisters on my right and left palms from trying to stay on the bike...damn that was exhausting. Trying to hold onto a bike that's taking off from under you while trying to steer it in the right direction that it doesn't want to go in...oh the fun!

But hey! 3rd place = $30....which I was hoping to use for dinner that night...until all three of us fell asleep at 5PM after getting back to the hotel...only to wake up the next morning at 5AM. Yes...we slept for 12hours. Well..had a break here and there...Ian woke up a few times...Gina was reading sometimes...and I woke up a few times only to go back to sleep.

Sunday morning was an absolutely beautiful day. We got up and picked up some breakfast on the way to the track. My mind thinking the whole time from yesterdays romp on the 20lapper figuring out where I can go and how I can smoothen out. Our 1 session of practice goes by fast and we end up getting two sessions in, which really helped me a bit because during that second session I did a change to my suspension setting which seemed like it helped quite a bit. Also , I'm not on a B (medium) compound rear because our buddies at Michelin ran out of my C(hard) compound.

First race start does not go well as I was still thinking about yesterday's lines so I totally blow the start with Mark passing me into turn 1 and Bob Pilgreen (whom has apparently done 5000laps at this track) right on my ass. I chased Mark back almost right away and checked out after the 3rd lap. After yesterday's 20, this 6 lap sprint went by so fast I couldn't believe it. Towards the last 2 laps I saw a glimpse of Bob and though to myself..I think I can catch up. Started pushing...and then...along comes mechanical issues. My bike starts sputtering like its killing the ignition to shift...when I'm not trying to shift. It does it a few times, but I don't get too worried until it did it once mid corner through riverside. That wasn't fun. I almost lost the rear end again....so onwards I push...losing a lil bit of my pace but apparently running my fastest lap in the final lap, setting a 1:57:2 and finishing second after Bob.

I come back and chk out my shifter for a bit because my next race is also the last one of the day. Sit back and relax in the pits...got to bump into Sean Uryu who got his leg busted up by an ATV a few months back at Willow Springs. We basically hung around the pit just chilling...like asians in a parking lot.

Last race of the day...we head out to warmup. I f-d up the launch again...dropping the clutch just a lil harder than I should have shooting my front tire into the air...let it down...drop clutch again...only to shoot it into the air again. Beh...go into turn 1 in 2nd place behind Mark. I get into a good groove and just start pushing...until ol mister 313 comes by with his nicely setup slicks and full suspension. I see him as we both pass Mark and I start chasing. Every turn I see him pull away from me bit by bit...all in the faster sections where I can use much gas nor can I push the front late. What made it worse was the areas that I could have made up time with acceleration out of the turn..I lost...because now my bike was sputtering again...FOR THE WHOLE RACE. I end up taking 2nd with a lead finish 2 seconds in front of Mark (whom by the way was the person I passed at Vegas before my hand blew up into a million pieces).

Overall...I'm glad for the weekend...but not happy. I could have taken both first places...I could have done so much better...but wasn't able to. Was it cuz I couldn't focus? What was going on? Next time...next time I'll take it.

Thanks again everyone, special thanks to my crew chief Ian and special guest Gina for coming out with me this time. Time to check out for a few months as I get my suspension worked out...and getting ready for Fontana August 23rd!!!!

 

Good story. I wish I could have been there. Stupid shoulder.

 

what happened to your shoulder?

 

tore my rotator cuff rock climbing. Had surgery 5 weeks ago.

Damn recovery. How did you like the track? All suspension setting go out the window for me at that track.

 

I think the track was pretty cool...need to be really smooth through the first half and then just gun it the rest of the way...at least for me. That's what got me to find a good line. Suspension went STRAIGHT out the window... nothing worked...all weekend. I couldn't feel the front...rear was sliding out of certain areas...but then again I'm on bone stock suspension which felt good in canyons when I was 210lbs, but now I'm 165 and preload it backed all the way out along w/ compression...got almost all the way in on rebound and i still have almost 2" travel left on the front.... I'm sure with a decent suspension setup that's at least sprung for my weight it'll make going through the first section of the track much easier...i'd be able to get a better drive out of riverside as well as the sweeper and the last turn onto the front straight. had a lot of issues there where the front wheel wasn't staying planted and i had to ride out a number of front end wobbles passing the finish line.

 

WOW dude. CONGRATS! lovin' the write-ups, keep 'em comin'!

 

i remember the first time we rode together like 3 years ago, IN JEANS!!!

good read again Dave, keep it up!!! :up:

 

hahaha seriously...i remember that...and then i crashed...lol...my first real crash...poor roxy... still a blast riding w/ ya!!!