Deming Race Report: March 13-14, 2010
Deming Race Report: March 13-14, 2010
The weekend didn’t really get off to the start that I would have like to have. It ended up being a horrible week at work and I worked18 hours on Wednesday and Thursday. Then had to be there super early on Friday, which means multiple days with very little sleep before the weekend even go started.
After leaving work, I still had to finish getting the bike ready, get everything loaded, and get down to Abq, to meet up with Aaron. So that we could leave for Deming by 6am. It of course took forever to get my stuff together and loaded, I didn’t make it down to Abq, until after 8. Then there was the trailer issues, his didn’t have running lights, of course that was the one we had planned on taking. So after trying to fix/figure out the issue, we gave up and loaded everything into my trailer, and hooked it to his truck. By this time it was almost 11pm, this lack of sleep thing was really starting to get to me.
Well, the next day bright and early at 5:15 am, we started to finish loading the truck and then hit the road. The trip down was uneventful, but kinda long since we were both tired. I couldn’t believe just how nice it was down there, the temps were just about perfect. I only did a half track day on Sat. since, I wanted to have plenty of time to un load and get the few little things done that I didn’t get done the day before. I towed Aaron around for a few laps and then he was off. I’m still having some issues with how to ride this bike. I just can’t seem to roll on soon enough and I’m braking way too early.
Andreas was down there on his 675 and he followed me around for a number of laps and gave me some ideas of where I could improve. It basically came down to 3 corners that I was struggling with…. Of course they were THE important corners! LOL. Which had me running lap times that were a little slower then last year, but by the end of the day it had evened out and was a little better. I don’t know what the times were, since we had put my lap timer on Aaron’s bike. He was riding great, and killin’ it so I figured that he needed it more then I did that day. He did freak me out by dirt biking it off the track in the first corner, at one point, when I was right behind him. He kept it up, got back on the track and passed me again.
It was great fun to watch the Super Pole for Formula Arroyo after we were done riding. Roger, cruised around and won it with a 1.08 lap time. Wow! ASMA tech provided us with steaks for dinner and as always the company down there is first rate. I always learn something new when I’m down there. But, again, it turned into a latter night then I would have liked.
Getting up the next day was a killer, especially since; we lost an hour do to the time change. We made it out to the track at 8 am, and the track finally went green about 9:30. I would have rather been sleeping during that time. I got in two practice session, and it became obvious to me that I needed much more time then that on the track if I was to have any hope of getting it together.
I only had two races, MW Supersport and Formula Amateur. I was actually happy to be gridded at the back of the back of the pack. It was the first time that I had launched this bike. Let’s just say, it’s going to take some practice to get those better. Re-gearing it should help, since it’s still stock right now. I just can’t decide what changes I want to make, yet. So my launch was …ah.. shall we say weak. I was way behind entering the first turn. From there it just didn’t improve. After about 4 laps I had the Experts starting to lap me. That’s were it got interesting. I had one almost take off my front tire, I really don’t like that, it’s upsetting and few passes that followed that where unnecessarily aggressive. Like the two split me and then come together in front of me mid corner, and then went down. So I slowed up even more after that, and just wanted to finish without being taken out.
My second race was after lunch and it was the big Amateur race for the day. The grid had about 15 bikes. Lining up on the grid, was interesting, I don’t think that the last three rows were lined up correct; I know that I wasn’t in the right spot nor was Aaron. He had a great launch. I had a better one, it should get better and better the more that I do it. I came into the first turn with 4 other bikes, and it was here that I got unnerved by the bike to the inside of me; he stood it up and then leaned over again. I ended up getting stuck behind him for the next 6 laps. He slowed me down in the tight stuff and then just out powered me huge on the straights. If he had been more consistent in the corners I would have actually tried to get around the outside of him, but he was all over the place. It just wasn’t worth the risk to me, to make the attempt. Esp. since I wasn’t riding that well myself, but I know that I wasn’t that bad. After almost running up the back of his bike in the bus stop, I just slowed up. It was about 3 laps after that, the fast Amateurs started to lap me. They were at least much more kind then the experts in the first race and thank you Aaron for not stuffing me in the kink, like I half expected you to, since I could hear you behind me coming into it. Best thing I can say about it for me, was that finished the race with the rubber side down. I did manage to smooth things out, but it didn’t really drop my lap times.
Aaron had one more race after this one, the HW twins, which I should have done too. He had a great start, and by the 4th lap was up front. He’s first weekend down there and he managed to finish 2nd, 6th and 1st in his races. Nicely done, dude, I’m really glad that he called and asked if I would car pool down there with him. It made the trip, less exhausting.
