I just wrapped up one hell of a good weekend!!
After Gingerman the weekend before, I need to address a few small oil leaks as well as get my oil tank breathing under control. I had a small catch can with sight tube and a bunch of fittings on the shelf for my street bike, so I was able to get things put together quickly and have a functioning catch can for my catch can. That system will get some revisions soon enough.
We got to RA Thursday afternoon and got set up and prepared for a full day of Friday practice. I wasn't that familiar with the track given my bad luck from last year, so a full day was welcome.
I was able to get to 3 of the 4 sessions on Friday and had expectations of lap times based on last year. Last year (stock engine, heavier bike) I was right around 3:30 a lap, and thinking that with the new bike and new lighter me, 3:05 to 3:10 was in sight. Session 1 on Friday resulted in a 3:15.7 as the hot lap. I knew there was a lot left on the bone out there and started really working on braking points and application, as well as position. If you have not listened to Ken Hill's pod casts on racing, you should as it was a wealth on good information for a newer racer like me.
Friday rolled on and I started seeing some more oil mist around the shifter cover and my stator plate. Between weekends I had pulled each main stud nut and coated threads and flange with thread sealer, hoping to rid myself of this issue. Well, it was still seeping from somewhere but was hard to tell where. I put and oil diaper between frame rails to both catch the oil and help find where it was coming from. I got back on the track with some new thoughts on how to get around fastest and the results started speaking for themselves, 3:11.2 best time for this round. I was going in the right direction but I knew there was a lot more there. Ken and his crew from Cycle X made the trek to RA to set up a booth and see my machine in action. What a great group of guys! They really knew their stuff. One of Ken's guys, Don, took a look and after about 2 minutes of staring, pointed to the rear #2 main stud near the stator plate, and said, there it is! I told him what I had done to fix it and he suggested teflon tape instead. Pressure was clearly pushing through the sealant and the thought that tape would hold that back made sense. I pulled the nut and cleaned everything up and applied some thread tape and retorqued. It was time for the next practice session after lunch. I have no clue where I ended on lap times for that session, must have missed taking a pic, but I was getting faster each time out.
Oil issue fixed, weather amazing, bike getting better and better, it was time for race day practice. This session I was able to lay down a 3:07.9! I was getting better and reflected on the day and day before on brake points, tip in points, brake application and body position. There was more out there, and I knew the bike could do it. I only did the one session as there as no need to beat up on the bike before the big show.
I started all the way on the inside of row 2, in the first wave. I knew a good launch could help me get out front and at least give me more of a shot to stay in play. Lots of fast guys on fast bikes were in the class and everyone was looking really good throughout practice. My launch was phenomenal and I was able to pull right in behind my cousin, riding a VERY fast Yamaha XS. He is nearly unstoppable but trying to keep up with him makes me faster and better so I tried my damnedest to stay close. While that didnt last very long, I knew I was putting down the fastest laps I ever had there. Eventually my uncle (current #1 plate holder for class, on an XS as well) got by me and he gave me another person to follow. He was chasing his kid out front and disappeared fairly quickly. I figured it was only a matter of time before I got picked off by other guys in my class. Eventually I heard the howl of a bike pull beside me and I realized that I was getting passed, but it was a guy from another class!! OK, I can live with that, but clearly he is faster than me, so Ill follow him and learn something. Well he got me nearly every turn and I got him back on nearly every straight, proving I had the motor that could pull really hard when needed. Laps ticked by and I only ever battled with him, keeping in mind that we were not in the same class, so no need to get too crazy. White flag, Im 3rd in my class! "Don't f*ck this up Matt! Just keep riding like you have been and get it done" is all I can think. I hit every brake point and every tip in point as best as I had all weekend. The bike and I felt great and as I pulled out of turn 14 to race to the checker, I didnt hear anything except the howl of my own bike, shifting at 10k, 3rd, 4th, 5th, checker flag!! A solid 3rd place, with #4 in the class about 9 seconds back. This was vindication that the bike deserved to be in the class and that it could compete at a high level there. It felt damned good. As soon as results were posted, I was anxious to see lap times. A best of 3:01.268 proved that when it was race time and there were people to chase and people chasing you, you can ride far faster than any practice session. My worst lap that race was a 3:02.883, proving that consistency was also in my favor throughout the race. Breaking 3:00 a lap was in sight, but I had another oil issue, this time from the pressure gauge adapter I was using. I new oil pressure was strong, and I cannot see the gauge when riding anyway, so I chose to pull it and use a small plug instead just to get through Sunday.
As Saturday wore on, weather became a hot topic. Rain was called for as well as colder conditions, neither of which I am wild about. Know that Saturday went so well, I decided to tech the bike again. If they were going racing, so was I! Well, it rained Saturday night, but by the time I got up in the morning on Sunday, it was done raining, or so we thought. I skipped the earlier practice session in the morning, deciding to do a later session right before lunch. We were race 2 again, so would be the first one after lunch, as #1 had run before the break. The bike felt good, but with a wet track, lap times weren't even worth checking, knowing I was off pace. It did allow me to check once more for any oil issues, which at that point, had been totally eradicated!!
Lunch came and went and it was race time. The track was dry and it had warmed some, so I knew that we would be on full race pace just as yesterday. One guy from the class scratched for Sunday with oiling issues, so I moved from #4 spot on the 2nd row to #3. I was right behind my cousin Nick, the guy to beat. A good start was again key, though apparently my brain took a short break. I was NOT ready for the start! Things moved faster than I had anticipated, so it was good that my shield was already down and I was able to get in gear and while my launch was a bit weak and a tad slow, I was able to grab a 2nd in the drag race to turn 1, right behind my cousin Nick. This bike pulls so damn hard. I cannot believe what an animal it really is. I was off and following Nick through turn 1, 2 and 3, keeping him in sight through the first big straight of the track, down to a hard left in turn 5. Execution on my part was the best it had been all weekend and I pulled so hard out of 5 that the front wheel got light as I shifted going up the hill. Turn 6 is blind so you have to have reference points to know when to brake or you WILL overshoot your turn. I had been working up to a really good speed for 6 and it paid off. I was finally able to drag knee through a turn and it was quite the experience. For whatever reason I had not been able to up to that point, but that little scuff at the apex told me I was going fast and technique was on point. Nick was in sight through 7 then another hard left into 8, which leads to the carousel of 9 and 10. This part of the track requires a high rate of speed but a long duration of neutral throttle. I had been working up to this one all weekend as well and it felt better each lap that passed. My weakest spot on the whole 4 mile course is the kink at turn 11. Too low a gear and Im redlined before standing the bike up on the other side and too high, it lugs. I favored too high as it was close to where the cam comes on for revs so it didnt really lug too bad. I was able to really get the bike howling after coming out of that corner, heading to 12, Canada corner. You are hauling a ton of ass down this part of the track and need to make full use of the brakes to get slowed for a 90ish degree right hander. Coming in too hot here blows the setup for the next corner (at least for me it did) so execution is key. I still had Nick in sight though he grew smaller and smaller by that time. His dad Jeff (my uncle) was close behind and pulled me somewhere in turn 11-14 on that lap. He points to his tail to get me moving and I knew I had someone to chase. Chasing Jeff the next couple laps pulled me even faster than I had gone on Saturday. There were a few points that a door was opened that I thought I could get him back, but they never materialized. I came in hot to Canada Corner and nearly went off track, but recovered and kept my position. Aside from chasing Jeff for a couple more laps, I never saw anyone else in the class. White flag again, and I was in third, but by how much I didnt know. Execution for the last lap felt good and very fast and as I crested the hill after 14 again all I heard was my own bike howling, crossing the checker for another solid 3rd place!!! I was only 17 seconds off the leader, and the next guy behind me was 23 seconds back!! I had competed a great weekend with 2 podium finishes. Again anxious to see lap times, knowing that giving chase to a faster guy would make me faster, I was blown away to see a fast lap of 2:58.846!!! Breaking 3 min there is quite an achievement on a bike like this, so I knew I had won the day in my corner of the world.
Congratulatory beers were consumed, but it was time to pack up and head home to Michigan. I got a chance to catch up with Old Scrambler after the Sunday race, and I always enjoy meeting another forum member. We discussed the finer points of the bike and I have a few ideas that I can mull over between now and Barber, only 115 days away!!
Overall it was such a great weekend and proved that I had built a competitive bike that deserved to play with the big boys. Letting the big dog eat at RA is the experience of a lifetime.
Awards ceremony Saturday evening:
Out there getting after it:
Drag race with Uncle Jeff!
Really laid over in a corner (get your toes up!!)
Jeff and I at full tilt:
