Riding Quads at Imperial Sand Dunes (Buttercup)

Mike Kirkpatrick (James Gang Racing’s crew chief) had invited Shawn and I to go to the dunes at the Daytona 8 Hour last year.  Mike came into town recently so we made plans to go ride with he and his family, friends.  Now usually the only time I ride a quad is when I am dragging the harrow in the paddock to clean up after the horses. Granted, that’s not fun or glamorous so I wasn’t exactly sure how I would like riding in the desert on 4 wheels since I am well accustomed to 2. I do have a rear sand paddle for my TTR but it’s really hard on the motor.  So after many set backs we were actually able to head out to Imperial after all.

It took us about 4 hours to get there, but I must tell you a quick story first about a restaurant we stopped at called La Posta Diner off of Kitchen Creek Rd. Actually, I had to go to the restroom because I started the day off with a mimosa (Shawn’s doing). Now, I am not one to just stop and use someone’s facilities without buying something, I feel it is rude. So we decided to stop for breakfast.  So we walk in and there is a distinct patriotic-Veteran-sniper-Do-Not-Tread-On-Me-John-Wayne-lovin-American-pie-baking-down-home feel to it. Now, let me add that this did not make me uncomfortable nor did I lose respect. I was mesmerized because you just don’t see this type of freely displayed sense of pride and country anymore, much less in California! The stories told by the waitress were amazing. From the owner having a mountain lion as a pet to a 101st birthday party of the oldest surviving Pearl Harbor Vet who received the medal of honor to be celebrated this upcoming July 24th. It was quite an experience. Plus the food was great too!

A few hours later finally make it to the dunes at Grays Well exit, at “Buttercup” in Imperial. It is windy, overcast and I am cold. Bundled in my huge Element parka, I eventually make why way out to the toy hauler to say hi to everyone. Mike laughed because I though tit was cold. It said 65F but I reeeeally doubt that. The breeze was chilly. It felt as though it was about the low 50s, which to ME is cold.  Then again, everyone had just come in from Wisconsin and that was bitterly cold. I should thank my lucky stars.

So we gear up and are assigned quads. Mike told me to get on mine and check it out, As Shawn explains it I got on and within 30 seconds start doing donuts. Well, can you blame me? After my highside over a year ago, I wanted to see just how stable these quads were. Okay, okay…my quad is a Can-Am 400 heavy quad, clearly not designed to go racing around in the desert.  We then head out and follow Mike around the dunes and he shows us the Great Wall of America (359 miles so far of huge steel “picket” fence which protects our borders from illegal crossings). The death of a border patrol agent by a drug trafficking party did not go in vain when his passing triggered the construction of this great wall. We take tourist pics and lo and behold there are regular patrols, cameras, seismic sensors, etc. Cool, my tax dollars at work.  After pics we went on a little tour all over to see the perimeter trails around the bigger dunes. And when I say Dunes, these things were HUGE. I have been to the Gobi desert and some of it was pretty comparable! Well, without the camels.

So after the little tour we split up, more advanced in one group, not-so-advanced in the other group. I was bummed, I was sent to the equivalent of kids’ card table at Thanksgiving dinner. But that’s okay, I don’t need to be jumping right into something I have no idea how to do, right? [Some of you who know me are laughing right now, I just know it.] But it was a good thing because when we were following the rest of the whole group we came up to a what I thought was severely steep at the time hill and I thought hell no I am not going that. So I shook my head. Then the 10 yr old with us went down it and then Mike’s g/f who had been quadding for just 3 days passed me too. Okay, f*ck it, I’m going no matter if I wad it or not now! hehe. It went well, a little bit of rear brake made me comfortable. Victory. It is worth mentioning that Buttercup (on the Mexico side of the I-8) is safer because you can’t really get lost, the Great Wall runs sorta parallel to the 8 so you can always find your way back. Plus go touch The Wall and you WILL be found. Maybe mot by your quadding party, but I assure you, you will be found. On the other side, you can get lost, run out of gas, break down, be screwed totally and die of exposure. So take care.  Hence the importance of a chase team!! Mike’s sis had a Kawa Teryx, which is an awesome version of the Mule. This thing can go almost anywhere. So off I go following the Teryx (way too much fun to ride in when your destiny is in someone else’s hands BTW!) and the others. Shawn went off with the hardcore riders and hopefully learn my way into the more advanced group. I will get to that story later.

We finally make our way to Comp Hill and I am looking at this hill like “They expect us to do this? I mean do I even have the power??” So after watching the others go up I decide to try it. Shawn rides next to me and I am told to keep it pinned in 2nd. Now you can probably hit it in 3rd and then drop down to 2nd but the moguls at the base keep you from hitting it much faster than mid-range in 2nd. Then you have to pin it once it gets less bumpy.  Done deal. Yay!  I try it a few more times, as does Dana and we are solid Even the Teryx was able to finally go up after they unloaded some weight (i.e. passengers). After conquering Comp Hill, we again split up and went back to camp, with the guys taking the hard route through the dunes. I essentially rode with the support party and wanted to go up with the guys. So I finally get allowed and I screw it up lol.  Within 1 minute I was trying to ride a ridge and then I started sliding sideways down the ridge. Well I turn to go up it and then I just start burying my rear wheels in. I am stuck. Nicht gut! Shawn pulls me out and I sheepishly say the obvious. “I’ll go meet the others.”  This was the 2nd time I did it, so no 3rd chances lol

So Mike is kind enough to later have us all follow him as he picks a route that he feels we all can do, including the Teryx. That was  lot of fun. We made it to what we call the Daytona Banks. A huge bowl that you can pin it in top gear and be pretty much almost sideways. Then it falls away into the basin at top speed where you hope you don’t eat it. Well, you don’t thankfully. What fun!!!!! OH MY GOD. I wish I would have had video of that but someone who had the video camera didn’t think to get footage.  I have to go back, it was glorious

Anyway, so I got into the Teryx and decided to take pics of everyone, while trying to hold on to dear life mind you. I actually had a great time in the Teryx because it was scary as hell having someone else in control of whether or not you roll haha! Those things are amazing, who knew they could jump and climb so well. We bottomed out on a few dunecrests a couple times but nothing bad. The sand was really soft and billowy. The dunes were free of rocks except in some basins.  It was GREAT!

At the end of the day we were spent. We had been riding from 11 am until 4 pm pretty much solid, with only one break to eat some Fritos and Poweraid. Then off to ride again… We finished off the evening with a visit to Lute’s Casino for their famous potato tacos (essentially potato taquitos) and a couple drinks. What a day!  I can’t wait to go back. Everyone was so awesome ))

Quick Video of our day:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFsfhjAL11w

More info on the Dunes: http://www.duneguide.com/sand_dune_guide_isdra_buttercup.htm

 

 

FastrackRider’s Trackday before WERA Event!

Yesssss. I love trackdays FastrackRiders was putting on an event before the Sunday WERA race and I, of course, took the opp to lay down some rubber. I hadn’t been at Auto Club Speedway since before I changed my whole bike around (fiberglass fairings, headlights and other useless weight removed , back to OEM dogbone so it’s higher, smaller front sprocket, more experience, etc. ) and I was looking forward to it!Even better? I had a credit so it was like “free” since it had been a few months since I paid for it, lol. Shawn took the opp to test out his new R6 racebike and I had a little fun. Granted, I barely had any seat time due to the amount of red flags that day–okay, I had a good few sessions but is enough really ever enough?? Not in my book.

In one session I was braking pretty deep on T10 and when I put the clutch in to change gears it was time to turn in so I let the clutch out– TOO HIGH RPMs!!!  It went to highside so I feathered it back in and leaned it and then let it out slowly and backed it in. Scared the crap out of me. I’ve backed it in using the rear brake on dirt but I did not like it on the track. The corner worker gave me the thumbs up and I made a mental note to be more careful next time. Or get a slipper clutch. I came back and told Shawn who was not happy at all. Yeah, because he has NEVER done that. Must be nice to have a slipper clutch although I have been on his R6 racebike and even at 8 grand on a downshift it still has a bit of hopping with the slipper.  It doesn’t save your ass as much as I thought. Anyway, lesson learned. And I got my ass chewed to boot.

And then… I ran out of fuel with about 3 laps left on my last session. Seriously. My fuel sensor is off but I always check it manually. I need about 6 liters for 9 good laps.  Well I apparently had way less than that, not to mention I run with my RPMs higher now. It boiled down to my feeling the awful chug as I crossed the finish, so I ran it at a lower RPM and shook it a bit and decided I could make it back.  Well, I rolled to a stop at the last corner worker on the last turn. *shaking my head*  People were passing me on the way to pitlane and giving me an inquisitive thumbs up (??) – Yeah, I’m just a loser that’s all. lol  I waited about 8 minutes or so and the truck came and picked me up.  Funny part (well it’s funny to me), Shawn saw the truck with my bike in the back and didn’t see me so he said he felt sick to his stomach because of the reported almost-highside in my last session. Then he saw my head and the thumb’s up and the signal for fuel. Then he just laughed, sighed in relief and then went out for his session. Good. Now he knows what it feels like. Thankfully the crew helped me with my bike and got it on the stand and I measured out some fuel.

My next two sessions were awesome and the last session Shawn followed me and I him so he could gauge my progress. I hate that I am riding my ass off at this speed and he is one-handing it.  [You suck.] It’s as bad as playing a videogame and you suck so badly that when someone else plays it and they get a high score, they type in your name when to make you feel better. I assure you, it does NOT make me feel any better. Well, mission accomplished…I actually made him nervous braking deep into T10. He was surprised I was braking as hard as I was in turn 1, 4 and 10. Good.

I really don’t know what my times were because it seemed every time I settled in a red flag was thrown or I ran out of fuel, heh. I remember seeing a 1:58 which is NOT good enough.  It is 2 seconds faster than I was last time at Auto Club, and it was in the first couple sessions. I am waiting for them to publish all of the times so I can see if that was the best, or if I did better. But I need to get in the 1:42’s regardless.  That is an absolute minimum.

Gearing Change On My CBR – Wheelieville!

So I woke up Christmas morning with one of my gifts being a card from Shawn that simply said that my Christmas gift was one of SPEED! I was instructed to put my gear on, go outside and get on my bike and take it for a spin down the street. His instructions were to bring it to about 7500, back off a half a second and then give it some throttle.  Well, I did and he heard me scream from down the street! I wheelied my CBR!! FINALLY! BY GOD I WHEELIED MY CBR!!! The grin behind my helmet shield was enormous

Firstly I knew something was up (more than likely gearing) because 1st and 2nd were very short compared to before. Sho nuff.  So down the street I went power wheelie-ing…Turns out he put a new Vortex front sprocket on my bike.  What a difference! And this was only 1 less tooth (from a 16 to a 15).  Now, mind you I can’t hold it for very long but they were all smooth touchdowns and I can stay up high and long enough that I can turn the front wheel a bit and get it all straight again before kisses the street again.  Me likey    I’ll admit I did a small one leaving hot pitlane at Fontana this past weekend hehe. Accidentally of course

Draggin’ a Knee

Well, I finally did it. Consistently. However, it was on my TTR fitted with soft compound DOTs.  New Year’s day, after fair amount of champage for breakfast (and a few gin/tonics for lunch) I got thrown on the TTR and full gear and told to ride around in circles until I got it down. Well, I got it down alright. I crashed a few times, busted my elbow (leathers too large and armor rotated)and broke off a clutch lever (imagine that.) So  it took a few hours to do so without crashing.  The pic is from day 2, and is dark because it took me all evening to get it right. By the next day, I was doing way better and could correct rear slides.

The problem was that the tires weren’t correct for the bike and created a bit of rear sliding. The front sliding was corrected with pressure changes. But the rear had a very small margin in lean angle, so you essentially had to get it perfect and maintain that or tripod your knee and hold the bike up.  My arms seem to be a tad too short to get the correct lean angle. To correct the amount I could hang off and the angle with which it was done so was corrected by moving the grips (mostly the right grip) over on the left so I could hang my cg off more, and keep the bike not leaned over as much.  Dig?

Another adjustment which had to be made was body position!  It seems that I would lean off too much to actually touchdown a knee, but this was too much lean for the bike and too much weight kept off the rear.  I also kept leaning towards say, to 11 o’clock and this was difficult to tripod my knee outwards to keep the bike up in th event I had to support it. So less hang off and more perpendicular knee position created a perfect amount of lean and control of the position of the leg, and weight distribution.  Viola! my knee pucks are shot now

If I can get a hold of some good supermotard tires (17) this would be so much better. The DOTs were for a larger bike and were essentially pull-off race tires. My set-up may have been motarded, but I accomplished what I set out to do. It worked, albeit it was difficult but I learned to do better on less–which is better than doing poorly on better. 

New Videos Posted! Bad BASE Exits…

High Nose

 Video: Headlow Scorpion Off High Nose

I posted a few videos of  some not-so-great BASE exits while making earth jumps. Be sure to check out the “cool”  vids, too! Sometimes it pays to post your I-am-scared-out-of-my-effin-gourd videos as well. Reminds you to stay focused. You usually don’t see the scared vids from people. They don’t usually want you to see how nervous they have been. They either post the awesome, edited versions with great music showing how badass they are. Or the opposite, they show their near-misses. Well, two of these aren’t what I call near-misses but they sure as hell could have ended quite badly.

La Mousse

Video: Headlow Scorpion Off La Mousse

Nonethless, you can see how freakin apprehensive I am. Jumping walls was a huge mental obstacle for me because I had always felt that it was hardest to jump off the earth than say something manmade like a bridge or antenna. All psychological I know, but it is what it is. We all have our phobias and for me, I don’t even like getting near a wall edge without a rig, but I’ll sit on the edge of an antenna without one.  When I started jumping High Nose and getting off on the good foot later on, I felt a sense of accomplishment getting over any major fears I had.  Doesn’t mean I would never be nervous again. It just means that it has a certain amount of mental and physical  process one goes through.BASE isn’t like jumping into the pool. Just remember not to look down too much when you exit. The car goes where the eyes go… 

Jump safe!

Kawasaki Sold! And I Need To Sell My Dirtbike

I want a Honda CRF150R. I need a better suspension than my TTR has and a little more power.  So, the object of my desire is…

Oh and this!! I likey! Me want!!

But I can wish in one and and poop in the other and see which fills up faster.  My TTR and  ’06 CBR will have to do for now…

I sold the Kawa to a pretty cool, young guy who is upgrading from a SV650 to an inline and he was very happy with the bike. Funny though, I am not sure if I intimidated him or he was just being conservative because it wasn’t his bike when he test rode it. I think it was the latter because I heard him take off once he had the title inhand, lol!

He came over and I said let’s go ride. You break, you buy.  All I had was my trackbike and since I live in the country, I decided to take my chances.  So I throw on my leathers and hop on my bike and take off. Well, he is going 35 mph. Okay, the speed limit is 50. So I put-put along and finally I just pinned it. Potential buyer? What potential buyer? I am on my bike and it is a glorious sunny day so I scream down the road and look around and he is way behind. So I pull over and ask him if he wanted to ride the turns and see how it handled and he said he had to ride it back all the way home and declined.  So we went back, and he said he wanted it. Yay!

After he left I could hear the high pitch whine and he was off, lol. He texted me when he got home and was thrilled   Then said he hopes to eventually get on the track. Good. I’m happy. He’s happy. Everyone is happy.

Now I need to sell my 72 Camaro SS.  Classic cars are wasted on me. It is a shame but I don’t have the time and patience, or interest and knowledge for that matter, to keep it up.  They are more high maintenance than dating a stripper.

2009 IGSA Bonelli US National Championships

I should be closer to that first cone. © Justin Tolman

 The 2008 Bonelli race was my first streetluge race ever, I had been luging for about 4 months before I entered that race. This year I was hoping to do way better.  And while I thought I did better: rode harder and faster–my times clearly show differently.  

My best qualifying run out of 2 this year at Bonelli was 1:11.340 .  My best time last year? 1:11.167 and I am pretty sure I only did 2 quals last year as well.  WTF. 

But I had fun.  That’s what’s important right??  I am starting to wonder.  Then again, would I do it again if it resulted in the same finish? Yes.  So I suppose I am still having fun regardless.  Still I am disappointed in myself.  

The problem this year was wobbing out in a few runs at the exit.  Granted, my trucks were looser for sure, I had better bushings this year, stickier wheels, and more experience.  Honestly I don’t know how I did better last year on harder compounds, my exit speeds were surely better this year?? I still think I was apexing better this year.  Still all I can think is “WTF”. 

Photo © Zenith Photography

I must say I had more control this year. In my practice runs I felt my performance had improved. In one run I was right up Ronnie’s a$$  while drafting him into the corner and politely and very smoothly moved my legs so I wouldn’t hit him in the head.  In another, Kyle hit the hay and I was behind him (thankfully further back than I would have liked). Spectators thought for sure I was going to run over  his stretched out arm. But I turned super fast and missed it, looked back and saw he was okay and tucked in to the finish line.  Everything seemed to slow down instead of being a chaotic blur.  As with any sport I have engaged in (especially BASE and being on the track), things seem too fast and all a blur as you are learning to comprehend every detail.  As you gain experience, everything slows down as though you are looking at each frame separately. 

If improvement is winning, I felt I did very well. My awareness, control, and smoothness has greatly improved.  Therefore, it was a great race and a learning experience :)  I have to remember that every streetluge competition is helping me to improve.  I expect roadracing will be the same, if not more disappointing, lol. Disappointing when you compare yourself to others, yet rewarding when you realize what you’ve learned. And invaluable if you can put the lessons learned to good use. So Confucius say, don’t f*cking give up. 

Photo © Zenith Photography

 

Photo ©Zenith Photography

My destroyed shoe after a pretty good crash

International Gravity Sports Association
Event: Bonelli US National Championships Promoter: Bob Ozman
Location: San Dimas, California, USA Chief Steward: Marcus Rietema
Date: 15-Nov-09 Starter: Art Sanchez
Event Level: National Track Conditions: Dry
Weather: Warm, Sunny Course Length: 1km / .6mi 

Pos 8
No. 95
Guarena (Female) Marianne USA
Best time: 1:11.340   (best time last year: 1:11.167) **best times are only out of 2 qualifying runs**
Points: 275.61
Current World Points Ranking: 30th (604.04 points)

Hungry Valley Off-road Park Near Gorman

  

I'm at the top, it's steeper than it looks.

This is the best off-road area I have ever been to.  Hands down.  And we didn’t even begin to scratch the surface of the park. Gorman is about 3 hours away, so we never pack it up and travel that far with Wildomar being so close to the house (about 45 minutes because of the terrain). Well, it pays to travel.  G0rman is about 40 miles from Willow and since we were out there anyway, we took the dirtbikes to use on the way back home.  Gorman is a mecca for offroaders.  From db’s, to quads, 4×4 utility vehicles and Jeeps, and more, there is definitely something for everyone. Plus camping for 6 bucks!  

At first I was a little irritated because I am supposed to be taking it easy and Shawn wanted to climb the biggest mountain in the  park first thing.  Not to mention I had had two very large Mimosas (from champagne left over from Willow, hehe) for breakfast and riding up a huge, craggy mountain on a TTR 125 Small Wheel was not my cup of tea. Plus I had roadracing on the brain anyway so I wasn’t even in the mood for dirtbikes. Nothing could beat my weekend at Willow. 

I decided to rest where my bike dumped me

So, he conceded and through the little foothils we went.  I am not near as fast or as experienced as he is so I pretty much am in the dust trail every time. Which is fine because when he is behind me I step it up and I feel like I’m gonna crash every 5 seconds.  His bike is way better than mine and my steering is shot anyway. Enough complaining, let’s ride. 

Apparently I have improved my db skills because there is only 1 area I decided not to even try (which he could barely get up with his dirtbike. *not pictured) 

Almost at the top of Mt Frazier! Traded bikes with Shawn for a while.

So at the end of the day, we decided to go up this huge hill on East Frazier Trail.  I was getting tired so I just motored over anything and everything.  I navigated my way through the big rocks but anything else was my victim. 

Once we got to the top I thought to myself FINALLY!!! Of course that was when I was still thinking there’d be an easy way down right? Wrong. East Frazier happens to go off the trail map and we could only find a dirt road that lead as back to the main road (possibly!?!).  However, we felt the dirt road would have taken much longer, at higher speeds (which meant using more gas)  and we had about 1 1/2 hours to beat sundown.  So the accomplishment (and the major amount of whining ) was quickly replaced by anger induced by fear.  I admit, I was furious.   

I was so tired halfway down I began just dragging my feet and not putting them back on the pegs because everytime I did I had to catch myself from falling over 2 seconds later anyway. What was the point. 

 In the end it was just easier to turn off the motor and ease the clutch out to slow down (instead of the front brake). It was difficult to retrain myself into clutch in for gas, clutch out for brake. But I actually coasted down hill faster and with less effort.  My arms were severely exhausted.  Have you ever been to the point where you start thinking about building shelter and holing up for the night instead of continuing to ride? I was at that point. But I knew the temperature was going to be less than we would handle and we had only a few ounces of water left.  Not to mention if the rangers saw our truck and gear and  no campers in sight, they would have more than likely began searching. We had to keep going. 

By the time we made it to the bottom of the mountain–we then had to ride the trails back to the truck–it was getting really cold! Those of you from California know that when the sun goes down or gets blocked behind anything (whether a hill or a building) the temperature drops significantly.  So I was exhausted, torqued AND cold. But we finally made it back to the truck and I could scarcely move so I rested and watched the full moon rise while Shawn tore it up in the foothills.  

Quiet Time

What was amazing was the quiet once he disappeared past a butte.  I only heard the coyotes while I watched a great swarm of white moths replace the bees buzzing back to their hives for nightfall.   It was the moths’ turn to enjoy the buffet of desert wildflowers without competition.  It was quiet magical.

Streets of Willow Was Rad!

Rather than the usual dress up and drink or hawk candy this Halloween, I decided to go to the track.  Our friends, Kathlene and Jerry, let me know about the TrackDaz special for October 31- November 1 at the Streets of Willow at Willow Springs Raceway in Rosamond, CA.

I had never been on the Streets and had only run the big track so I was a little disinterested at such a smaller, slower track. Jerry said that the track would actually improve my riding skills because it was more technical so I decided to at least try it for one day (Oct 31) and then we planned riding dirtbikes the following day (Nov 1) so Shawn wouldn’t be bored out of his gourd after pitting for me the day before.  So we packed our stuff up and met J&K out at the track early Saturday morning.

Already I knew it wasn’t going to be the usual track day.  We had a transmission issue in the truck on the way there and couldn’t get out of 3rd gear for many, many miles.  I had a riders’ meeting at 8 AM and the GPS advised that that ain’t gonna happen! We were really running it close. 

 We finally got there with 10 minutes to spare. Kathlene greeted us dressed as a witch, and the TrackDaz crew were all dressed as various ghouls, ghosts and hilariousness. Nothing like being black flagged by Tigger. 

This trackday was different, all I had to do was to check in and attend the riders’ meeting.  I came back to my pit and my canopy was set up, my carpet and chairs were laid out, my cooler with my drinks, food all in place, my bike was on stands with warmers, engine being warmed up, everything being checked, it was already teched, he was putting in the amount of fuel I asked for specifically, base notations of compression, rebound, tire pressures, etc were being recorded.  Shawn had taken care of everything. Now I know what it is like to have “a ride”. Well, without the money, glory, sponsors, or the speed it takes to garner such. But nonetheless! I know what it is like to have a pit crew! And to boot, Shawn can now fully appreciate what it is like to be the pit crew.   Holy shit! I could get used to this!!

I started out in group C [as usual] and after the first session Shawn had mentioned he felt I might be able to move up to B since it appeared I was being held up behind slower riders. The track was a lot more technical than I expected. It was a lot of fun though. Sure enough after my second session Gil from TrackDaz came by and asked if I wanted to move up. I was thrilled! I said I was nervous about it so maybe I could get him to follow me and I follow him to determine if I could handle it. One of the other guys from TrackDaz said that it would be the best thing because I would progress faster. So I did it and felt like I was bonsaiing it, nervous as hell that I was holding people  up and what not. I came back off and they said not to worry and Gil said he’d follow and lead me the next session.  So he showed me some lines and what not and we let the faster riders go around us at the right spots and I got faster and faster. Then I got slower. Like 10 seconds slower! WTH! Shawn came up to us and was not thrilled (soccer Dad!! He just read this and said “Damn straight! UN-ACCEPT-ABLE!!” :p) Well, I thought I was going faster. hehe.

Then I was left on my own (kicked out of the nest), and I improved my time better each lap. A few times I had come off the track early because I was so tired.  One other time because I hit my knee on the curb of turn 2 and I was not thrilled about it. It was the first time I had ever dragged a knee and it didn’t feel good. So the rest of the day I was apprehensive about dragging a knee, so I began dragging my bike.

Yes, I am aware that I need to file my nails shorter. I didn't have time.

So after scaring the crap out of myself the first 2 times in turn 2 and 1 time in #3 when hitting the peg (what an awful sound) I stopped leaning as much, but somehow improved my time. I don’t believe I was hanging off more, so honestly I just was not near the limits of the tires in the turns. Ergo, I could go faster.  On the last turn before the front straight, I felt the rear sliding a bit so I just kept the throttle smooth and it was so much gentler than I expected.  I decided after experiencing that twice, that I could not exit any faster at that angle so I went a little wider and came out screaming in 1st and kept it that way until just below the limiter to hit 2nd.  My speeds on the straight were better than most because of keeping it in the band and my bike was shrieking compared to most.  But still, I was in the rear of Group B with some slower riders behind me. But not many. I wasn’t exactly Johnny Rockpage (I’m kidding!), but damn it I was in Group B!

All in all, this was the best track day ever.  I was so thrilled and was completely bummed to leave the net day.  We were staying in J&K’s RV at the track and although it feels as though I have stayed at a track a million times this past race season, not ONCE did I feel like I did that morning. When the bikes were starting up and the announcer began his morning welcome over the loudspeaker. The track was calling to me. Not Shawn, ME!!!  I had this yearning feeling like I absolutely had to get out there and do better, pull a faster time, more, more, faster, harder. You know the feeling. It was fresh in my mind and body and I knew I could do it. But today was not my day.

Surprise! Shawn saw I wanted to ride and he found out there were cancellations. There were a couple of spots and I was taking one of them!  This time I could make real improvements now that I knew the track better.

The day before I had a habit of  knocking down into 1st before turn 2 with some rear chatter. NO biggie. We don’t need no stinkin slipper clutch!  So Shawn said try braking harder and later and then downshifting before turn 2 and I vastly improved my entry speed, and subsequently had a wider line and faster exit. Which had me better set up for turn 3. And on and on it went.  I had managed to considerably improve my performance IMHO and pulled a 1:37 which Shawn then said he wanted to pull me off the track at that point because I shouldn’t be improving by 3 seconds a lap. As he says, “too much.” 

Well, we both know why I began improving. My pseudo-nemesis was on the track.  I targeted, drafted and passed and then pulled away. It was an act of God I tell you! Shawn said that he thought, “don’t do it baby, back off.”  And then he said, damn it, there she goes.  Then he was proud after he saw I was in control of my riding, lol! He applauded me when I pulled into the pit and had a huge smile.

The last session of the day was AWESOME.  Jerry and I went back and forth on the track (he was on a Yamaha WR400  and was kicking my ass in the turns. SO I would pass in the straights and exits (My weakness is not braking deep enough and corner entry) and he would pretend like he was going to kick me heheh. He said he thought, ‘NO! You’re gonna park in the corners’, lolol Take that! Jerry!  There was barely anyone on the track so we had a lot of fun. The mid corner speed and exit of the back bowl was so intense my last lap I started thinking, “look ahead, look ahead. look ahead” and then started breathing for a few breaths like I was in Lamaze class HAHA!  I think I even let out a woo hoo when I could finally stand the bike up again.

The one thing I really wish I would have done was hang off more and get my knee out there. I would have been dragging all day. Something about it freaks me out. 6 Track days under my belt and I’m still apprehensive. All I had to do was hang off and rotate my leg out a little.

Turn 2 where I first dragged a knee--on the curb.

Shawn said I was doing so much better.  And Jerry and I were closer than I had been all weekend on the last sessio. Even Gil had followed me and told me in my last session that “I was smooth”.   I felt like I had made some leaps and bounds.  Next time hopefully Shawn will be out there with me and train me even more.  

Many thanks to Shawn for pitting for me so well that I had not one worry, thank you to Jerry and Kathlene for letting us stay with them at the track and for inviting us to begin with, and of course the good times, also to Gil and Trackdaz for their help and encouragement, the track cafe for their delish Garden Burgers and Cali Photography for the great pics. Can’t wait to get back out there! The Streets is now my favorite

Bike Flicks Like A Gazelle Now! Woot!

When I first got my CBR it was a mite high for me on the street so I mistakenly had it lowered. There were two lowering kits, a 1 inch and a 3 inch kit. I chose the 1 inch. Well, that made it a bit difficult to flick in the esses, or any turn really.  So Shawn talked me into putting the OEM dogbone back on. Now, the person who lowered my bike apparently kept my old one so, he ordered me a new one.  A week later, it came in the mail and we put it on as soon as he came into town.  Then I waited about a month to even get on it. Once I came back from Daytona I had to wait even longer.

So today, Shawn shook it down as I followed behind on my Kawa. Then, I got on it. Oh. My. God.  Ohhhhh myyyyy Godddddd………I cannot wait to  go to the track tomorrow!!! I am  going to ride the shit out this bike! And Shawn is kind enough to be pitting for me tomorrow to boot!