TrackHo Race Report #3 Infineon, May 30th

Trackho · 06-02-2005, 10:51 AM

Da TrackHo Report Numba 3
All is well that ends well. Interesting but fun weekend.

I was planning on running 4 races, but only got three--oh well live and learn.

Open SuperBike--OSB was my "throw away" race as I prefer FP and 4 races is ALOT, but I had nothing in the AM so why not OSB. I was gridded 23rd, and got a decent start but a "bad T1 effort". For some reason, I back off too much going between T1 and T2 as its "whos got the biggest balls/least to loose scenario" when you are starting mid pack--about 6 guys go flyin by me, including Dennis Anderson--oh well, no big deal we'll catch em later---I caught a few thru the carasoul and got Dennis in T7 later that lap as I really wasnt interested in staying tooo mid pack--my goal was to dice w/my buddy/archrival Gary Stewart who kept besting me in practice---well it wasnt to be as I got stuck behind a few more guys and he "got way"--in the mean time I passed a few more guys in T9(God, I love that chicane) and got on JDs ass. He was going really well, and I just didnt have enough time to catch him, we were dicing for "king of practice group 5" the day before and he didnt give me much trouble, but he was ON his game come race time--congrats. I ended up finishing 18th, JD 17th and Gary 14th. Top Novice--Best lap time was a 1:45.45 which was right in the "mix" for my race buds--and also 2 SECONDS faster than the month before.
THANKS FREDDIE SPENCER and KEN HILL

OPENGP--This is where it gets good. I got a similar, but better start as I was gridded 13th(?)--a few guys beat to T2, but again, nothing tragic, the race was on, one of my classmates Mark Nelson was in front on me so I concentrated on him first, I passed him going into T9 on the brakes--all good so far---Next Chris Weiss, got by him in T9(I think), 8th or 9th place and Gary Stewart is still in sight(6th)--time to knock it up a notch---the fun begins-- I believe it was on the first lap, there was a bike lying on its side about 50ft from the apex of T3A, under a yellow flag--there was considerable debris in the T3A apex--so we all went around it no big deal, on the next lap, the bike was gone, very small debris could be seen in T3A and there was a debris flag flying (and a "debateable oil flag")--I thought the small bits of debris were NO big deal and whent for the "proper" apex--0 traction, the bike lowsided, I slid on my ass, and hoped that my bike wouldnt impact the wall too hard. Lucky for me it stopped before impact. Rookie mistake, maybe, but after I saw Michael Ernest (leading the SVs) and the guy behind him do the exact same thing, I KNEW there was oil on the track--a few more bikes stacked and the race was red flagged. I guess according to the rules, I was DNFed because the red was thrown after I went down. I was under the impression they if they red flagged the race, they took the positions one lap before--guess NOT.
Bummer. BUT I got to do some "male bonding" with Michael and was happy he could stand after getting nailed in the lower back by another 90MPH bike. Get well Michael.

So this was race #5, broken right rearset, hella bent right clip-on, broken lever--not too bad. Next race FP #8, my brother, Kevo(THANKS KEVO you are AWESOME(Kevin)) all hauled ass to get the bike back together--thanks too Gerry Piazza for some very timely rearset tweaking--he is a Godsend to ahve at the races. By the time I got the bike teched, it was 2nd call--had cold tires,bars needed to be adjusted and opted to bag out of FP to be prudent as my next race was F40 which was next #9.

Formula 40: I was jacked from all the quick fixes/other. This time I got a decent start and stayed right behind Gary Stewart--my goal for the weekend was to beat Gary, so I tailed him, on the 2nd lap I tried to dive under him on the brakes into T7, I almost got clipped by his rear wheel on turn in so I had to overbrake--not too bad I think we were in 5th and 6th respectively, I tried again going around him in T11 and whent too deep, so he outdrove me on the straightaway. Gary was riding well, but I saw a few "soft spots" on in T6, so I tried to pass him on the outside of the carasoul, got parallel but couldnt get in front, time to back off. Then T9. Gary was foowing another rider on the outside line, maybe Bud Anderson, so I hualed ass down the hill and took them both on the brakes thru T9 all good, but Gary was right on my ass and I knew it, coming out of T6 I spun it up a tad and Gary was side by side--I gave him the "**** you" thought and fixed things on the brakes into T7--then I was hauling ass down to T9 to distance myself from Gary--I just went too deep (and I KNOW how to go deep thru T9)---so I went over the curb 5 feet from the apex and let Gary, and I believe Anderson and Demas by, I had to slow down whilst re--entering the track safely--so I had zero drive, I made a lame attempt to catch Gary in the last lap--but it wasnt happening so, I finished 6th Gary finished 3rd and Anderson/Demas where between us. Fastes time was a 1:45.218--again 2 seconds faster than last month. I had wanted to dice w/Gary for a while so the weekend was a complete sucess. With a little luck maybe I can salvage some points for OGP--

But it was truely a vivid reminder of how racers support each other is the good, bad and the ugly--this is truely one of the best gifts in racing w/AFM

Later

Pics:
K5 GXSR Passed on the brakes in T9x2/Exit of Carasoul/T2 start/Others:

__________________
Jeff Gruetter
AFM #704

Baketech · 06-02-2005, 10:55 AM

Kickass post....

No where the hell is the link to your review of the Spencer school...

luvtolean · 06-02-2005, 11:02 AM

Nice bro! I didn't realize you guys were racing I would've dropped by on my way home Sunday afternoon...

Red Rider · 06-02-2005, 11:05 AM

Nice job, Ho'! Other than the slip n' slide, it sounds like you had a good time.

Pete · 06-02-2005, 11:17 AM

Thanks, Trackho, and excellent job!

Trackho · 06-02-2005, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baketech

Kickass post....

No where the hell is the link to your review of the Spencer school...

Give me a few hours as I need to update it w/ the newfound 2 second laptime reduction at Infineon as thats what we pay the big bucks for. I would guess that there is another 2-5 seconds to be lost by perfecting his advice

RRWANTR · 06-02-2005, 11:33 AM

Good job Jeff. You coming out to BW on Monday?

BDA116 · 06-02-2005, 11:37 AM

Congrats on the progression.

WetShrub · 06-02-2005, 1:41 PM

I posted on BARF as well about the oil situation as I was racing at the same time as Trackho. I saw a standing yellow in turn 2. Then a waving yellow in turn 3. No oil flag. The turn in question is a blind hilltop cresting turn and all the debris was at the peak of the hill. I could see anything that stood up above pavement level. A rearset and some other junk all across. I chose the same like Trackho did and pointed the bike toward the inside line. Then I saw a shiny substance as I got higher up on the hill (higher vantage point to see down on the track) so I started drifting wide to avoid it and that sent me straight into all the debris and I rolled over that rearset with my front wheel. Sent the bike shaking and slipping a little and when I got control I was headed off track. Into the dirt I hit the rear brake only to find that the bike fishtailed pretty hard so I let off both brakes and ever so gently attempted to steer away from the rapidly approaching hay bails and concrete wall. I was able to keep it up and got back on a few seconds later. Then two turns later my front tire slipped. Not knowing if it was dirt, oil, or a flat tire from the sharp metal rear set, I raised my hand to indicate I was in trouble and cruised around off the race line a while to see if I could tell if I had a flat. When I got to turn 7 I noticed the black flag and just came in. Turns out no flat tire, probably oil. *fwew*

-Shrub

CBR929RE · 06-02-2005, 2:26 PM

I envy both of you for being out there dicing it up. My friends are now telling me I should go race. I'd love to but of course I'm not that good right now. I've never even been on the track.

WetShrub · 06-02-2005, 2:45 PM

Racing is certainly fun, super expensive even if you go total cheapie like me but a lot of fun. There is also a night and day difference between fast street riding and fast track riding. Good street riders can make good track riders for certain but it's a totally different type of riding. I would never recommend some one go straight from street to racing. Take at least a year or so and do at least 10 track days before. Then take out a new credit card and expect to spend $500/mo minimum to race.

-Shrub