In all a great weekend, I really love this track. I may have to find a way to live here.
Friday was supposed to be a practice day but we didn’t get to go out on the track until the afternoon, too much rain and lighting. I swear the storm was right over the top of the track it caused the power to go out in the garages 2x. It was great to have some time to finish safety wiring the bike and to swap tires around. Since the track was dry after lunch, I did get 3 20 minutes sessions in… which was less then 10 laps. When you’ve got that many corners on a track you aren’t familiar with it’s hard to remember where you are.
I did lose my way a few times, I’ve ridden the full course so I really wanted to turn left after turn 6, but the track goes right, for what ever reason I struggled with Witchcraft in all those sessions. After my last session I rolled the bike into Tech. so I’d have less to do the next morning. I really hate rushing around trying to get on the track.
WERA is an RACE organization. They don’t care if you get any practice time; I hear that’s not what they are there for. Sat, we all got 1 15 min practice session. Then they ran their 6 hour endurance race. So we hung out watched the start and then went home to make a great dinner.
Now the good thing about this was it gave us time to watch the video I took from the bike on Friday. After watching it and getting some great advice from The Michael Carr I thought for sure that I’d be able to drop some time. He kindly pointed out I was coasting into a few corners and that it was costing me. There were also a few suggestions on how to fix a few lines around the track. I think the best lesson he gave me was on the way to the track. We were coming up on Sheep Ln, I was following Mike. He started to slow down, not quickly just gradually. I was thinking what in the world is he doing? The Suburban behind me was not impressed and blasted around both of us then turned onto Sheep Ln. Then Mike’s brake lights came on and I was thinking why bother you don’t need them to make the turn. Then, he hammered it and sped away. I couldn’t help myself I burst out laughing… I knew exactly what he was doing. Teaching me a lesson about coasting into my turns… Dang he’s one smart dude.
So on to the Sunday races, we got 2 15 min practice sessions, it really isn’t enough to allow you to work on any thing its just to see if the bike starts and rolls and let you loosen up a bit. I thought that I’d planned out what I was doing fairly well, but not so much. I had the first race and the third race, dang. I was tired after that. Turns out NOT coasting is a lot more work. Who knew? The first race was interesting being gridded on the 24th row, in the second wave. No chance of being anything but a back marker. It was a good lesson and it got me ready for the Women’s super stock race.
The second race Women’s super stock was the whole reason I decided to come out and run this round. I want to grid up with some really fast women and see if I could learn a few things about how to go faster. As it turns out, I did but I had no idea that I’d be gridded next to Melissa Paris. Talk about intimidating. As I expected she was off like a flash. The three women that finished in front of me were gone by the time we hit the first turn. I thought hey this could be okay, I could live with 4th. Then I missed my second down shift and coasted through turn 6 just like I had done in turn 5. At that point Kat went by me, I was thinking, no way. I just can’t let her do that. I decided to see if I could stay with her. I was actually surprised that in Toole turn and Club house I almost ran into the back of her. I started thinking, wow, I think I can pass her. So I made it a point to stay close to her until we got on to the front straight. When she just walked away from me, but once we got around to turn 3 I was back on her. I waited for the drive out of Witchcraft I got a great drive and made the pass up the inside coming into the Attitudes. I made sure I hit each apex after that until we crossed the start finish line. I’m not aggressive when I race which is part of my problem, but I was really pleased with the pass. I didn’t over think it for once.
The rest of the weekend was anti-climatic after that race. It would have been great to actually place in front Mike for a change, but I just couldn’t get it done and after I scared myself coming out of turn 6 on the gas on the rumble strips with the backend of the bike dancing from side to side. I decided that it wasn’t going to happen and I’d just settle for finishing behind him. It was the only down side to the weekend really… Just once I need to beat the dude.