|
This is Jay Fooey's second race report. Great stuff! If you have not read the first, be sure to check it out!
This weekend I pitted with the usual WSMC novices Kris, David, Poncho, and Kris and David's friend, whose name escapes my mind at this time. Kris, Poncho and myself are pretty evenly matched as for lap times...
Going into this weekend, I set a goal for myself to run 1:30's and to get a podium finish...
Saturday practice was lots of fun, but for some reason I got stuck running consistent 1:33's - 1:32's. It was pissing me off, I wanted at least 1:31's since I ran that the month before in the NRS... But it wasn't happening not matter how hard I tried. In one of the late sessions of the day I was passed by 7 Ryan Gagliano, I watched him well, I saw the line he was taking through turn 8 and turn 9! The line through 8 is pretty much normal, but turn 9 he hangs way out there until about the 3rd cone, and dives in he has an almost straight drive at the apex going down the front straight. (it gives a great drive out of 9) I talked to James Morse (Cyclemall.net/CRS suspension tuner - CSTX instuctor) about where I felt I was loosing some time, and he gave me some tips on turns 5/6, I also talked to 7 Ryan Gagliano. He told me that I need to go FAST in turns 2 & 8, I talked to 391 Brian Kovarick (CSTX instructor) on my starts, I get ok starts usually 6th into turn 1, but shit I need to be a top 3 performer! But then you have to consider where I've been starting from as well... Practice starts were just that just practice, I'm not happy with them, but they will have to do for now... Fastest lap time of the day for me is: 1:32.643. I swap out my tires at the end of the day, because I didn't want to run into the problems I had last month, in not having time to do anything race day morning... Handled it!
2/17 race day...
I get there early and save a spot for the usual guys, Kris, David, their friend, and Poncho... I get the bike tech-ed, do the 2 morning practice sessions and hey I'm running 1:31's Woot!! I rub it in on Poncho... hehe, trying to psych him out! haha... and running the fastest lap time of our little group  I was pretty jazzed!
The heavyweight novice race was the 2nd race of the day. I gridded 11th. On the start going into turn 1, I held the 6th spot... by looking at the recorded lap positions (mylaps.com), I held 6th for 2 laps. On the 2nd lap I was making a pass into turn 1, I completed the pass but came in too low, too fast, & late on the brakes. I tried to make the turn, but the bike was pushing out towards the edge of the track. I saw dirt and got nervous, I stood the bike up and went into off the track into the dirt (I didn't crash, just went dirt biking for the 2nd time) I lost 5 positions. I get back onto the track, (I was pretty lucky that I was so far ahead that all the other racers didn't pass me) time to get back in the groove and make up some ground. I pass 3 racers, now in 8th place, I've been trailing racer 616 for almost a lap. Trying my best, I show him a tire in turn 8. I decide to get a good run on him on the front straight by doing Ryan's line. I'm a ahead by a little, he just creeps up, we're neck and neck, I want to reach out as we cross the finish line, he beat me by .002 of a second!!!! I finish 8th out of 25 racers!!! I also have the 3rd fastest lap time of the race!!! the 2nd fastest time the guy finished in 10th place, I could have pretty welled podium-ed!!!!!
My fastest lap of the race: 1.30:080... Woot!! I'm almost in the 1:29 club!
3 out of 4 of the guys in our group did 1:30's! We finished 2nd (Poncho), 4th (Kris), 8th (Me), and 14th (David) great company leads to fast riders!
I don't like to look back on what could, would, should of happen in my turn 1 excursion, but I think I probably could have made the turn, but I chickened out when I saw the dirt, that's racing inexperience for you...
Well I accomplished 1 of the goals I set out to do, I have a new goal and a old goal for next month!
Thanks to my Sponsors: ~ Cal-Sportbike.com ~ Cal-Sportbike TrackXperience ~ KB Sportbike Services ~ Cyclemall.net ~ RAT (Rub and Tickle racing) ~ Countrywide Home Loans ~ BTP (Black Top Prayers)~ Cyclemall.net ~
|
