Well Hawkers, I've been busy. Real busy. I got that stupid job - tons of business travel, and them kids, plus I'm restoring a minty CB360T for my architect in exchange for his services in designing my new garage. To top it all off, I had some racing!
For those that don't know, Flat Out Friday is an indoor arena event held in Milwaukee:
Here is a pretty good recap of the event:
https://info.sscycle.com/performance...ce4OCkao0KUIy4
I was pitted next to the guy with the JetSki bike, he and his co-builder are regulars at the dirt track where I usually race.
Race Recap:
This was my first indoor in well over a decade. This was my first indoor on the Champion Yamaha. I had little ability to predict the setup or even how to ride on such a small paved track. Over the summer, I took my CRF Sumo out to a parking lot to try and practice, which seemed to help. Nonetheless, I knew I would face an uphill battle being fast.
Practice:
At my last meet of the season, the bike was a hair on the lean side on the rocket fuel I had been feeding it. Knowing it would be cold in Dec., I went up one size on the mains. You could not run the bike inside the stadium, so there was no opportunity to check my assumption before I gridded up for practice. We only get 6-8 laps, which takes all of 3min to complete! Immediately, my jetting was off, the damn finicky 2-stroke would not pull at over 1/2 throttle. In spite of this, I was quite adept on pavement and the grip level was High. I lapped the entire field in my session only using 1/2 throttle. Needless to say I was feeling good.
Heat:
Knowing that getting a good start would be key, I was trying to launch the bike in 2nd, saving myself a shift into the first corner. This track was 2nd gear all the way around (normal short tracks are 3rd). This would later prove to be a bad plan. I rejetted the bike, but it still wasn't running right. Lots of smoke and no pull on the top end.
I launched slow slipping the clutch all the way. In spite of this I knew I had the pace, and was feeling good, there was only 6 riders in my heat, and I only had to get in the top 3 to transfer. I knew I could pass 3 guys! I didn't have much work, because on the second lap, a big crash caused a red flag, putting 3 riders behind me. I launched into 3rd, passed a guy and set sail to catch the leader (who was incidentally last year's FOF Vintage Class winner). I caught him quickly, but in trying to pass on the inside I hit his foot(!) which tucked my front wheel mid corner. Going so slowly, with high grip on the track, it was like grabbing the brakes, and I crashed. Fak! You can imagine I was pretty pissed I hadn't just settled for 2nd, or at least been more patient in my pass attempt. Keep in mind, I'm still riding around at half throttle!
Semi-Final
Owing to my crash, I now have to finish in the top 3 of the Semi, just to make the back of the grid for the main. I messed with the bike some more but it still wasn't pulling. No choice, I gotta make the top 3 or this is over. I had another slow 2nd gear start, launched into 3rd and made a quick pass for second. The leader had a pretty good jump, and I measured my gain for about 2 laps. Seeing that I wasn't making much ground, and I had an equal gap behind now, I just cruised for the final laps and took 2nd. At least I made the main, albeit 10/12 instead of 4th or 5th if I had held on for my heat!
Final
By now the arena is full. There are something like 9k fans in the stands. I have been futzing with my bike since the semi final, and after a few trips to the cold outside to fire it up, I figured out that I must have fouled my plug way back in practice, or even in the morning when I first fired up the bike! With a new plug in there, and the jetting reverted to last seasons setting, my bike was ripping again. It was still a little lean, but it was gonna be fast.
With nerves and finally confidence in my bike, I gridded up to hopefully transpose matter and apparate between 10 riders in front of me in under 8 laps for the win. I was on the outside of the second row. The guy in front of me Red Lighted the first start, and went to the back. Awesome, I now at least have a clean shot to the first turn! I have the bike wound up, clutch draggig slightly, brake down to keep it from walking. Heart rate like 200! Light goes green, I dump the clutch..... and stall it! Aghhhhhhhh!
The rest of the field takes off. The starting marshal is freaking out cause I'm parked on the racing line. In an inhumanly fast instant, I re-kick the bike, start it, and take off. As I leave the line, I look back and the leaders are already coming out of 4! With a clear track, and my bike running right, I catch the tail of the field inside of 1.5 laps. It must've looked impressive. I worked the last place guy on the inside and passed him. Tried a kamikaze pass on the next guy, bailed at the last second and hit his exhaust pipe on the outside of 3/4, which set me off to the concrete wall. I bermed the wall and shot a little wheelie off of it (which felt sweet), I then went waaay wide/hot into turn 1/2, gathered it back up, and just started to work the inside. I passed another guy, and at some point the leader lapped me and I let him by. I then proceeded to follow him through to make one more pass before the race ended. It was over so fast! It was like a car wreck, just bikes and elbows everywhere.
In the end I had fun as a first run, but I was a little disappointed, because I knew I had the speed to finish a lot better than I did. Bench-racers will never know how much luck is a part of it! There will be another FOF in March, and I'll apply. If I get in, I have high hopes I'll fare better. I won't be starting in 2nd gear, that's for damn sure.
For those that don't know, Flat Out Friday is an indoor arena event held in Milwaukee:
Here is a pretty good recap of the event:
https://info.sscycle.com/performance...ce4OCkao0KUIy4
I was pitted next to the guy with the JetSki bike, he and his co-builder are regulars at the dirt track where I usually race.
Race Recap:
This was my first indoor in well over a decade. This was my first indoor on the Champion Yamaha. I had little ability to predict the setup or even how to ride on such a small paved track. Over the summer, I took my CRF Sumo out to a parking lot to try and practice, which seemed to help. Nonetheless, I knew I would face an uphill battle being fast.
Practice:
At my last meet of the season, the bike was a hair on the lean side on the rocket fuel I had been feeding it. Knowing it would be cold in Dec., I went up one size on the mains. You could not run the bike inside the stadium, so there was no opportunity to check my assumption before I gridded up for practice. We only get 6-8 laps, which takes all of 3min to complete! Immediately, my jetting was off, the damn finicky 2-stroke would not pull at over 1/2 throttle. In spite of this, I was quite adept on pavement and the grip level was High. I lapped the entire field in my session only using 1/2 throttle. Needless to say I was feeling good.
Heat:
Knowing that getting a good start would be key, I was trying to launch the bike in 2nd, saving myself a shift into the first corner. This track was 2nd gear all the way around (normal short tracks are 3rd). This would later prove to be a bad plan. I rejetted the bike, but it still wasn't running right. Lots of smoke and no pull on the top end.
I launched slow slipping the clutch all the way. In spite of this I knew I had the pace, and was feeling good, there was only 6 riders in my heat, and I only had to get in the top 3 to transfer. I knew I could pass 3 guys! I didn't have much work, because on the second lap, a big crash caused a red flag, putting 3 riders behind me. I launched into 3rd, passed a guy and set sail to catch the leader (who was incidentally last year's FOF Vintage Class winner). I caught him quickly, but in trying to pass on the inside I hit his foot(!) which tucked my front wheel mid corner. Going so slowly, with high grip on the track, it was like grabbing the brakes, and I crashed. Fak! You can imagine I was pretty pissed I hadn't just settled for 2nd, or at least been more patient in my pass attempt. Keep in mind, I'm still riding around at half throttle!
Semi-Final
Owing to my crash, I now have to finish in the top 3 of the Semi, just to make the back of the grid for the main. I messed with the bike some more but it still wasn't pulling. No choice, I gotta make the top 3 or this is over. I had another slow 2nd gear start, launched into 3rd and made a quick pass for second. The leader had a pretty good jump, and I measured my gain for about 2 laps. Seeing that I wasn't making much ground, and I had an equal gap behind now, I just cruised for the final laps and took 2nd. At least I made the main, albeit 10/12 instead of 4th or 5th if I had held on for my heat!
Final
By now the arena is full. There are something like 9k fans in the stands. I have been futzing with my bike since the semi final, and after a few trips to the cold outside to fire it up, I figured out that I must have fouled my plug way back in practice, or even in the morning when I first fired up the bike! With a new plug in there, and the jetting reverted to last seasons setting, my bike was ripping again. It was still a little lean, but it was gonna be fast.
With nerves and finally confidence in my bike, I gridded up to hopefully transpose matter and apparate between 10 riders in front of me in under 8 laps for the win. I was on the outside of the second row. The guy in front of me Red Lighted the first start, and went to the back. Awesome, I now at least have a clean shot to the first turn! I have the bike wound up, clutch draggig slightly, brake down to keep it from walking. Heart rate like 200! Light goes green, I dump the clutch..... and stall it! Aghhhhhhhh!
The rest of the field takes off. The starting marshal is freaking out cause I'm parked on the racing line. In an inhumanly fast instant, I re-kick the bike, start it, and take off. As I leave the line, I look back and the leaders are already coming out of 4! With a clear track, and my bike running right, I catch the tail of the field inside of 1.5 laps. It must've looked impressive. I worked the last place guy on the inside and passed him. Tried a kamikaze pass on the next guy, bailed at the last second and hit his exhaust pipe on the outside of 3/4, which set me off to the concrete wall. I bermed the wall and shot a little wheelie off of it (which felt sweet), I then went waaay wide/hot into turn 1/2, gathered it back up, and just started to work the inside. I passed another guy, and at some point the leader lapped me and I let him by. I then proceeded to follow him through to make one more pass before the race ended. It was over so fast! It was like a car wreck, just bikes and elbows everywhere.
In the end I had fun as a first run, but I was a little disappointed, because I knew I had the speed to finish a lot better than I did. Bench-racers will never know how much luck is a part of it! There will be another FOF in March, and I'll apply. If I get in, I have high hopes I'll fare better. I won't be starting in 2nd gear, that's for damn sure.
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