The year is ended and I'm quite happy. I DIDN'T CRASH THIS WEEKEND! YAY FOR ME! In addition to that wonderful news, I also got one trophy and three finishes with which I'm happy, out of three races.
Friday, Oct 2
I preregistered this week, for the first time this year, So I didn't go to the track Friday. It was pretty cool, but if I have time, next year, I will try to preregister AND get to the track on Friday, in order to be prepared for my first practice, which will be the second of the day, starting at about 8:15....
Saturday, Oct 3
One word pretty well described the first practice both days: COLD. It was in the high 30's as I drove in, so it should have been in the low 40's by 8am when practice started. Several people crashed in practice. I slid both tires through turn 3 for the first time. At low speed. This is something to avoid!
In response to some rider's concerns about the short runoff distance in turn 10 (actually, the ZERO runoff distance...) The layout of that turn was changed for this weekend: we turned sooner, went along the Nascar back straight briefly, then went around a cone barrier on our left, into the chicane through the North infield. This changed things dramatically, and I spent most of the weekend trying to find a new line. I watched a couple Expert races to see where they were going, and to see what passing strategies worked there. Because we were all looking for a line through there, it was a big mess-some people running wide, then making a big left sweeper out of it (I tried that, and it felt ok, and I got my knee down a couple times there, but I couldn't make it happen smoothly with consistency) and some people cutting 10 hard, then running almost along the Nascar line to get to a sharp left for 11 (I had poor luck with this-my drive out of 10 was horrible.)
The consensus among some riders was that this change had increased lap-times by 1-2 seconds. I think that by the end of the weekend, the difference was more like 0.5 seconds, if anything at all. So this week's times are not exactly comparable to anything that has come before.
Since I goofed in preregistration, and was NOT registered for the LW Sportsman race (#4) saturday, my first race was #7 (Prod,Twins). So I went to corner work for the first four races. One fellow slid into the tires past the apex, then got up and reentered the race. Otherwise, it was quiet. Yay!
My prod twins race pretty well set the tone for the weekend for me: decent grid position, ok starts, about 5th going into turn 1, then passed by 4 or 6 hotter folks on the brakes into and through turn 1, then play catch-up the rest of the race. I really need to work on maintaining my position into turn 1 off the start. I just didn't have the cajones for it, and wound up with a 6th for my troubles. As I was playing catchup, I'd get behind someone who was a second or two slower than me, and I'd be stuck there a while, often a whole lap, before I was ready to make a go at a pass. This made my passes cleaner than they have been generally, and quite sucessful. I think I made 5 or 6 out of each 7 attempts to pass. That's a big improvement over my results early in the year. I just need to learn to make the passes more quickly, as the leaders just run away and hide while I'm playing "get-around-the-slightly-slower-guy."
The GT3 and LW Sportbike races on Sunday went pretty much the same, good into turn 1, not so good out by the exit of turn two, then play catchup for the rest of the race, netting me a 6th and 7th. At one point, coming into turn 3, under a waving yellow, one bike ahead of me slower dramatically, and was passed by #902, who was ahead of me. I slowed for the slow guy, and passed him once we got by the incident. The cornerworkers were watching carefully that day, though, and #902, along with four or five other riders, was penalized a lap for passing under the waving yellow. I was gratified to see that. One person was DQ'd for "illegal equipment" I wonder what's up with that? I turned a couple laps in the mid 1:31's during the GT3, which made me pretty happy. The second race was my last of the year, so I didn't push very hard, wanting mostly to NOT spoil an otherwise great weekend with another crash. I consistently turned laps in the 1:34's, which ain't great, but got me seventh place finish.
My plans for the winter include assembling a second running bike, and installing a DAQ package on one of them, in anticipation of selling such services next year. I'm really anxious to get that system online. I'll write more about it when it's available. I'll be moving to Junior next year, and have already got the white plates with red numbers ready...
Summary
two sprint races = $100
one GT race =$80
Pit pass = $20
Gas truck/bike = $15
Food = 20 (mostly from home)
One 6th of 25, for 7 points
one 5th of 21 for 8 points
One 7th of 19 for 6 points
I have 15 races and 69 points toward the 10 races / 45 points needed to move to Junior.
Juniors HERE I COME!
BIKE SETUP:
Same final drive (14/42)
rear tire=beginning to look beat 150/80-16 Metzler ME33 Laser
front tire=decent 120/80-16 Dunlop K591
26psi both for a.m. practice, temp=45F
28psi both for racing, temp=65F
mesh air filter screen
Mystery front end: reportedly gold valve emulators, with UNK springs.
UNK fork oil weight
stock rear spring and Shock
Sintered EBC-HH
No forkbrace
93 Octane pumpgas
Rearsets, stock-mount lowered bars, short windscreen, stock seat
