Friday morning practice at Talladega.
Monday, February 28, 2005
Monday, February 21, 2005
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Race Report: Talladega Grand Prix Raceway
Racing is fun, expensive and dangerous. Having just completed my first WERA regional race weekend at Talladega I must say that the racing bug is still biting in a big way. Friday practice went well and I was able to turn laps consistently in the 1min 14 second range. Pretty slow compared to race pace but respectable for a 49 year old provisional novice.
Saturday dawned with mild temperatures and sunny skies, perfect weather for racing. After morning practice, lunch and riders meeting I was ready for my first race, MW Solo 20. This is a race of 20 laps for 600cc motorcycles. Being gridded on the 3rd row of the first wave made me a little nervous but by the end of the third lap almost all the faster riders had gotten by me and I settled in to my race pace and just tried be consistent. About lap 12 I started feeling tired and had to really concentrate hard to maintain my pace. Twenty laps is a long race, I discovered. Fortunately for me, but unfortunately for some rider, the red flag came out on lap 15 and the race was done. I finished last but I wanted to run a complete race and see that checkerd flag.
I would have my opportunity about a hour later in HW Solo 20.
The heavyweight 20 was for bikes up to 1000cc but since Talladega is a short, technical track the lap times of the fast guys would be about the same as in the MW race. Also the grid was smaller so fewer bikes to worry about in traffic. I was still gridded in the first wave so lap one traffic was heavy to say the least. By the 3rd or 4th lap I was settled in at the back and running consistent lap times. I didn't feel as tired this race and before I knew it my lap timer said I was on lap 15 and I knew I could make it from there. White flag, just one more lap and I was still running fine. Checkered flag, I had done it, I had finished my first complete motorcycle race. Saturday was a good day that I'll always remember.
Sunday morning was colder and windy. I went out for morning practice and felt fine but a little stiff and tired. Maybe I was trying to do too much that first weekend. First race of the day was the one I looked forward to most of all, Senior Superbike. I would be competing against other over 40 riders. If I could do well in Senior Superbike I would feel I had accomplished all my goals for the weekend. I was gridded at the back of the second wave. My starts on Saturday had been good and I waited for the green flag. It flew and I moved, unfortunately I had forgotten that I was in the second wave not the first!!!!!!!!!!!! A jump start means a stop and go penalty which I got on lap 2. I got back into the race and tried to run as hard as I could. I finished 11th out of about 15 riders in my group. Pretty good, I thought, considering the stop and go penalty. My friends were laughing at me for jumping the start and I was feeling better that I had not finished last like on Saturday.
Looking back it would have been a good idea to pack up after Senior Superbike and call it a day but I was signed up for more races and I wanted the seat time so I suited up for my second race of the day, C Superstock Novice. This class is lovingly referred to as "the meat grinder" because it is always the largest race class and therefore has the greatest opportunity for crashes. I was gridded at the back, thank goodness, so I knew I wouldn't be in traffic for a couple of laps. On lap two I exited the bowl and saw a rider go down hard. It was a guy I had gone through Ed Bargy race school with. I hoped he was ok and got back to concentrating on the race. I think I made another lap or maybe 2 when my luck ran out. I was running at the back of a small pack of riders that I actually was able to keep up with. Going down the front stretch they pulled away from me a little. At the end of the front straight there is a little right then big left hand turn. I was braking between those 2 turns when I accidentally hit a little gas instead of brake. The bike ran wide and I ran out of track on the exit of turn 2. I remember thinking that maybe I could ride it out but before I knew it the bike flipped on its left side and threw me off. I hit the ground hard on my left side and then rolled, rolled, rolled. When I stopped rolling I could hardly breathe. Broken ribs were what I feared but now it looks like they are just bruised along with my ego. My motorcycle was barely damaged so I should be back up and ready to race again in April.
Saturday dawned with mild temperatures and sunny skies, perfect weather for racing. After morning practice, lunch and riders meeting I was ready for my first race, MW Solo 20. This is a race of 20 laps for 600cc motorcycles. Being gridded on the 3rd row of the first wave made me a little nervous but by the end of the third lap almost all the faster riders had gotten by me and I settled in to my race pace and just tried be consistent. About lap 12 I started feeling tired and had to really concentrate hard to maintain my pace. Twenty laps is a long race, I discovered. Fortunately for me, but unfortunately for some rider, the red flag came out on lap 15 and the race was done. I finished last but I wanted to run a complete race and see that checkerd flag.
I would have my opportunity about a hour later in HW Solo 20.
The heavyweight 20 was for bikes up to 1000cc but since Talladega is a short, technical track the lap times of the fast guys would be about the same as in the MW race. Also the grid was smaller so fewer bikes to worry about in traffic. I was still gridded in the first wave so lap one traffic was heavy to say the least. By the 3rd or 4th lap I was settled in at the back and running consistent lap times. I didn't feel as tired this race and before I knew it my lap timer said I was on lap 15 and I knew I could make it from there. White flag, just one more lap and I was still running fine. Checkered flag, I had done it, I had finished my first complete motorcycle race. Saturday was a good day that I'll always remember.
Sunday morning was colder and windy. I went out for morning practice and felt fine but a little stiff and tired. Maybe I was trying to do too much that first weekend. First race of the day was the one I looked forward to most of all, Senior Superbike. I would be competing against other over 40 riders. If I could do well in Senior Superbike I would feel I had accomplished all my goals for the weekend. I was gridded at the back of the second wave. My starts on Saturday had been good and I waited for the green flag. It flew and I moved, unfortunately I had forgotten that I was in the second wave not the first!!!!!!!!!!!! A jump start means a stop and go penalty which I got on lap 2. I got back into the race and tried to run as hard as I could. I finished 11th out of about 15 riders in my group. Pretty good, I thought, considering the stop and go penalty. My friends were laughing at me for jumping the start and I was feeling better that I had not finished last like on Saturday.
Looking back it would have been a good idea to pack up after Senior Superbike and call it a day but I was signed up for more races and I wanted the seat time so I suited up for my second race of the day, C Superstock Novice. This class is lovingly referred to as "the meat grinder" because it is always the largest race class and therefore has the greatest opportunity for crashes. I was gridded at the back, thank goodness, so I knew I wouldn't be in traffic for a couple of laps. On lap two I exited the bowl and saw a rider go down hard. It was a guy I had gone through Ed Bargy race school with. I hoped he was ok and got back to concentrating on the race. I think I made another lap or maybe 2 when my luck ran out. I was running at the back of a small pack of riders that I actually was able to keep up with. Going down the front stretch they pulled away from me a little. At the end of the front straight there is a little right then big left hand turn. I was braking between those 2 turns when I accidentally hit a little gas instead of brake. The bike ran wide and I ran out of track on the exit of turn 2. I remember thinking that maybe I could ride it out but before I knew it the bike flipped on its left side and threw me off. I hit the ground hard on my left side and then rolled, rolled, rolled. When I stopped rolling I could hardly breathe. Broken ribs were what I feared but now it looks like they are just bruised along with my ego. My motorcycle was barely damaged so I should be back up and ready to race again in April.
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
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