What a great weekend. Unfortunately, OMRRA also had a race this weekend, so some of the classes weren't as large as they usually are.
Fortunately, all the fast guys in some of my classes were racing in Portland this past weekend!
First, it's a looooooong drive up from Medford to Shelton...close to 9 hours towing the trailer. My wife and only pit crew wasn't feeling well, so I wound up making the trip on my own. Huge thanks go out to Duncan (vintage racer) and Jay, (another 250 racer from Portland) and thier friends for helping out.
Saturday morning, registration is a bit of a cluster, but at least nothing seemed to be seriously wrong with the system, just a bit slow getting started. Race director says go ahead and to practice without paperwork, but make sure everything is in order by the time racing starts after lunch. That turned out to be a great call by Damon, as the 1) the line immediately shortened, and 2) it let the racers come back to registration between practices, and there was less waiting around for all. The whole WMRRA team did a great job, as always.
So first practice session (group 3, Ninja 250s and vintage bikes), there's a big cloud of white smoke on the far end of the front straight as I'm coming onto it from 16. That's never good. I realize that halfway down the front straight, I can barely see out of my visor. Turns out one of the vintage bikes lost a seal somewhere and was spraying a fine mist of oil. Luckily, not enough to affect the track, just our visors. Just as well, I was mostly getting a feel for the lines again and not really trying to go fast, as I haven't been on the track in about a year. The times reflect it....this is my first time running the track with a transponder, so I'm setting a baseline and just getting the hang of things again.
Lap Times, Practice 1:
02:43.032
02:31.718
02:26.942
02:26.995
02:28.270
Session 2 was much warmer. I didn't bother with the tire warmers for the practice sessions, but the grip was better. Times were better. There was just one little incident along the front straight where I had to dodge a section of exhaust pipe that had fallen off a bike. Did I mention we practice with the vintage guys? :p
Lap Times, Practice 2
02:29.959
02:21.433
02:23.052
02:17.615
Go time!
Race 1 for Saturday is 500 Supersport.
Wait, you're racing a Ninja 250 in the 500 SS class? I hear you ask. Good question. Turns out there are no 500s yet on the grid, so the other 250 riders have been running this class to have something to do on Saturdays. They talked me into changing to this class to race with them. And I'm glad they did. It was so much fun! It's a wave start with the 650 SS bikes leading off, and then we start ~10 secs later. I got a good launch, but hit the rev limiter trying to shift to 2nd, which killed my drive, and I dropped back a good 15 feet from the lead bike. So, I held the throttle just a bit longer into turn 1, and got the lead.
I managed to hold the lead for whole race, but I could feel the pressure for at least the first couple laps. I had one little moment going through turn 2. You'd thinking holding a nice tight apex would be a good thing, but right at the apex of 2, it's rather rough...rough enough to really upset the crappy stock suspension I'm still running. After the bike chattered halfway up the hill to 3, I had to stand it up just a bit, and wound up cutting the apex to 3, running about 8 feet through the dirt, and right back onto the track past the apex of 3. No harm, no foul.
Head down, chase the 650 guys when they go by, trying to keep up where I can, but I knew this was my best (probably only) chance, so I kept my head down and kept going as fast as I could. White flag...still no sign of either of the other 250s. Holy crap, I might actually do it....stay calm, keep on the lines, and I actually put together the best lap of the race. I think it helped that I had a faster bike to chase as some more of the 650s went past. Finished first!!
Lap Times, 500 SS
Nice 3 hours break before the LW early GP race in the afternoon, and we were running pretty late by then, so my second race didn't happen until almost 5. There was a mix up, I think, on the grid, and the other Ninja 250 got gridded in the second wave, instead of on the front with me. It was another race with mixed classes. Some of the LW early GP bikes are really fast in comparison to my 250, but it's nice having a rabbit to chase. ....the only moment I had was when I got a little offline to let one of them pass me going through 10 into 11. Apparently, if you get about foot off line going into 11, the asphalt gets noticeably slick....like riding on grease! I don't even break that hard, but it was enough to start the front end washing out. I eased back onto the brake, but again, it started sliding, so I wound up going dirt riding, dragged the rear tire long enough to get slowed down, looked back to see the third place guy go by me, and got back on, trying to chase him. I think he would have passed me before the end of the race, given that he was running about 7-8 secs/lap faster than me (I did mention I'm old and slow, right?), but it's frustrating to lose a position that way.
Anyway, since there were only 3 of us in the class, I got another podium.
Lap Times, LW Early GP
Sunday was much less eventful, but just as fun. Sunny, not a cloud in the sky, and temperatures running in the low 90s (track was something like 106 most of the day) made for a good, grippy surface, lots of crowds and the need to drink a lot of water!
Lap Times, Practice
First race was Ultra Lighweight Superbike, and there was a bigger grid for this one. 7 bikes started, I was 5th going into turn 1, although I was right behind the lead group all the way through 6, I just couldn't push that pace and slowly watched them pull away from me. I know there was one bike behind me that was pretty close for the first couple laps. I ran my own race, just trying to stay somewhat consistent, thinking the last bike was not too far behind me, but it turns out, he had a mechanical issue in the middle of lap 4. So, 5th out of 7, with two DNFs basically meaning I was last. Oh well, I don't have any delusions about being that competitive. It was loads of fun, and my lap times are getting both better, and a bit more consistent. One weird thing that happened: Halfway through the race, coming through turn 15, there was a small black snake crawling across the track, and right on the line just before the apex. It was enough of a distraction that it threw me offline for a split second....very odd thing to see. Last lap of this race was my best lap of the weekend.
Lap Times, ULW SB
There was a bit of a break until the last race of the weekend, Ninja 250 cup. This is my favorite, since there are only Ninja 250s racing, and the field is usually bigger (and usually much faster than me....) I was slower than all the really fast guys again. I wish the other guy that seems to run about my pace had finished, but he had a mechanical again, so I had a pretty lonely ride in 5th again.
Lap Times, Ninja 250 Cup
It was a great weekend. I got to meet some new people (and it's always good seeing the racers I know again). Had a ton of fun, got consistently faster, and can't wait for round 5.
Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you, and be sure of this, I will be with you always even unto the end of the age. Mathew 28:20
I raced moto-cross well into my thirties. Quite a thrilling and challenging activity. I have no photos... only memories.
John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son Of God.
Round 6 (final round) is done. One more podium (second place) that capped off a really fun week. There was some great racing to watch, and I had so much fun my last race. I shaved nearly 10 seconds from my lap times two months ago!
Also....first place overall in one of the classes I race in!
That's right, ya'll are in the presence of a motorcycle racing Champion.
Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you, and be sure of this, I will be with you always even unto the end of the age. Mathew 28:20
Navigation
View Thread
Luckily, not enough to affect the track, just our visors. Just as well, I was mostly getting a feel for the lines again and not really trying to go fast, as I haven't been on the track in about a year. The times reflect it....this is my first time running the track with a transponder, so I'm setting a baseline and just getting the hang of things again. 
