Rehab Update

It's been 8 months since I took flight at Buttonwillow and destroyed my elbow upon re-entry. The initial surgery did a good job of repairing the fractures, but as it turns out, I tend toward a condition called heterotopic ossification. In a nutshell, that means I started growing bone in places it wasn't originally. Eventually, it complicated my rehab and left me unable to move my elbow. I walked around with a permanent crook in my arm for about 6 months.

Once my original fractures healed, we scheduled follow-up surgery for 11/6 to chip away the extra bone and restore movement. I had a low-dose radiation treatment and some medication to keep the extra bone from growing back. The surgery was quite successful, and after a short stint back in the hospital, I'm back at home rehabbing and once again able to move my arm.

It'll be a few more weeks of confined movement of the joint, then a lot of physical therapy and exercise to restore strength to my atrophied spaghetti arm. But prospects are good for a very good recovery.

In the meantime, the AFM season rolled on without me, and my friend Dave Raff won a few races and took the 650 Twins Production championship. My former teammates in the endurance race missed a podium finish by 1 lap, and Dave Canzano built up some good karma by turnworking a couple rounds. If I'm unable or unwilling to ride next year, that will be my means of return to the world of competitive moto-craziness. I still consider the turnworkers and trackside medics the unsung heroes of the sport.

Stay tuned for the continued adventures of #859.

Cheers...

We'll miss you, sweetheart

This is not motorcycle related in any way, but yesterday we lost our small grey friend Annie. She had been our constant and loving companion for almost 13 years and we will miss her terribly. She was loved much and will always have a place in our hearts. Goodnight, grey kitty.

The Big One

Oh shit. That hurt.

After a half-day practice to learn the track on Friday, Saturday morning I rolled through tech and took to the track. First couple laps I warmed up the tires and picked up speed.

3rd or 4th lap of the session, the rider behind me (I heard later) saw puffs of smoke then a nice plume start coming out of my bodywork. Something in the motor had broken and was spewing oil on my rear tire.

At the exit of Riverside, a very fast long right-hander, I felt a little slide from the rear. New brand of tires and some pressure adjustments had me thinking no big deal.

After a short straight, the track takes a left-hand kink off toward the Lost Hills complex. But I never made it. Full-throttle in 5th gear (over 100mph), the now well-lubricated rear wheel slid out, turning the bike sideways, then it caught traction, flipping the Heritage Service Centre SV650 and its erstwhile rider skyward. A classic highside. See this for a representation of what it might have looked like.

I don't remember the flight or the impact, just tumbling along seeing sky, ground, sky, ground for a while. The rider behind me said I cleared the bike by a good 3 or 4 feet.

When I was sure I'd come to a stop, I started the post-crash inventory. Wiggle the extremities and make sure everything's still there. I sat up and started flexing various joints. I couldn't see very well because my visor was all scratched up, but it seemed that my left arm wasn't moving exactly in time with my efforts. Uh-oh.

The heaven-sent AFM medical crew was at my side in no time, helped me get my helmet off and walked me to the turn box. We got my leathers off the top half of me, and they made me a fantastic Boy Scout sling to immobilize my arm to my chest. I caught a ride with the crash truck over to the ambulance in the pits and we started taking inventory. Left arm jacked up in some way. Left foot very painful. Right knee had nice road rash. Luckily, that seemed to be the extent of it.

We decided to take the ambulance to to hospital in nearby (45min!) Bakersfield so I could get pain meds on the way. Long story short, the only significant injury was shattering my left humerus just above the elbow. After escaping Kern Medical Center and coming home in a splint, we found an elbow specialist at UCSF in San Francisco to take care of me.

I had surgery on 4/3 to screw it back together. We're looking at a long road to full recovery with physical therapy and probably some follow-up surgery in a few months to clean up scar tissue and extra bone.



So sadly, this will serve as the 2008 season wrap-up for Rusty Camaro Motorsports. I'll be out of commission and off the bike for quite a while as we concentrate on getting me functional in the real world again.



For shout-outs this time, I can't say enough about the quality protection my Helimot suit and Sidi boots provided. I beat the bejesus out of all my gear, and came out remarkably unscathed. The elbow injury probably couldn't have been prevented no matter what, and nothing else broke despite some pretty obviously heavy impacts.

And of course, when you mess yourself up to that extent, you become dependent on the generosity of those around you. I can't say enough to thank Dave C., Dave R., Ana the NMP and my other pitmates for taking care of me and my stuff. The AFM turnworkers and race organization are also without peer.

But of course, once I leave the track I am completely in the care of the lovely and ever-patient Michele, who has put up with more than her share of trouble during this episode. She's been by my side non-stop and has provided care, soothing, encouragement, and all-around love and support. I'd be completely helpless if not for her.

Cheers...

Two Points

My goal for the Round 1 weekend is two points. One in each class. To do that I need to finish better than 39th place and beat at least 1 person in each race. Given that I have next to no time on this track and I've never raced there, that is possibly a taller order than it sounds. But it should be fun, and the payoff if I succeed will be sweet.

The AFM does the starting grids for the first race based on points from last season. Since I have a couple points from last year, I should be gridded in front of any new riders. With luck I'll be able to stay in front of at least a couple. Gridding for subsequent rounds is purely based on points from this season. Since lots more people come to Infineon rounds than Buttonwillow, if I get my one point in each class, I should be gridded in front of literally dozens of folks. Key to a great season!

Stay tuned!

Another Off-Season Comes & Goes

Off-seasons bring with them big plans. Strip the bike to the frame, rebuild the motor, paint the new bodywork, get the forks redone (correctly this time, one hopes), fix the cracked fairing stay, figure out how to take up a little slack in the throttle cable, replace the front brake master cylinder, and a never-ending list of other little tasks.

How many accomplished?

Well, it was a short winter. February came fast and there was a track day at Thunderhill where the weather looked nice, and it was time to knock a little rust off the rider, so we'll just put that stuff on the list to do in between rounds this summer. It's time to RIDE!

I'm trying different tires for the first race or two, giving Pirelli a shot. Did a couple practice sessions with the new rubber at Thunderhill, they felt OK, but still got some tearing on the rear. I will tweak the shock a little bit and see how they hold up. I did remember how to turn the throttle and apply the brakes and look around corners, and got back to something resembling my race pace by the end of the day, so a positive experience.

First race is rapidly approaching, and for once the work emergencies seem to have subsided, so I'll be heading off to beautiful Buttonwillow, CA for round 1 the weekend of March 22-23.

Endurance Weekend Adventures

Once again the AFM Endurance weekend proved to be quite eventful. It was to be the first time I would be racing on someone else's bike. Friday practice was split between getting comfortable on Bryan's bike for the endurance race and shaking down the new settings on my own bike.

The morning sessions I spent on Bryan's bike. It's an SV650 like mine but a newer model, and of course set up quite differently. Bryan is quite a bit smaller than me, and he sets his bike up to be very sensitive. Quick on and off the throttle, very touchy brakes, very quick steering. As a contrast, my bike I would characterize as big, squishy and comfortable. Sort of reflecting its rider. A little mental adjustment and we were off and running.

Friday afternoon I got the first opportunity to take my bike out after the suspension changes. I thought it felt a little strange and bouncy in the front end warming up the tires before I went out, but I had faith. First lap I took very easy to bring things up to temperature, second lap I picked up the pace a little, passed my endurance teammate Pat at the entrance to turn 7, then promptly crashed at the exit. Pat says (since he had such a good view from right behind me) I started shaking my head as soon as I hit the ground.

My Helimot suit did its job, keeping me perfectly protected as I surfed on my butt across the track. The bike slid for a while but stayed on the pavement and didn't tumble, so very minor damage was quickly repaired.

Post-crash analysis showed that my fork rebound damping settings were completely wrong. Remember that the suspension's job is to keep the tires firmly planted on the track. When I applied the throttle to exit the turn, the front end got light, and the lack of damping allowed the tire to bounce right off the ground. No contact = no grip = no more riding.

I visited Dave Moss from Catalyst Reaction Suspension Tuning, who did a quick re-set and check of all my settings, and I was able to get in the last session of the day to confirm that everything felt right again.

Saturday was the endurance race. We planned on 4 1-hour stints to minimize time lost in pit stops, and I was in the #3 slot. Bryan started, since he's the fastest member of the team and it's his bike, and did a solid hour, cracking off very consistent laps. Thomas was next. We were a little nervous because he didn't get a lot of practice on Bryan's bike, but after an adventurous first couple laps, he settled down and put in very consistent laps. When my turn came, I just concentrated on conserving energy, because 60 minutes is a long time on track. Minimizing shifting and being very easy on the brake and throttle, I got through the first 30 minutes pretty easily. The next 15 took a little longer, I was starting to get very thirsty and tired. About 45-50 minutes in, there was a red flag due to a crash. I was stopped at the top of the track, we waited there for a few, then pitted while they finished the cleanup. Not a moment too soon.

When it was time to go back out, ironman Pat jumped on, and wound up doing about a 70-minute stint to finish us off in grand style.

We had a great time, everyone did very consistent lap times, and we finished pretty well in our class and overall. Definitely worth doing again.

After the 1-hour stint ordeal Saturday, 8-lap sprint races on Sunday seemed like a walk in the park. The morning race I gridded up, got my usual slow start, but hooked up with a small group of riders. I had a good dice for most of the race with #52, passing and re-passing a couple times at different places of the track. Finally, last lap, I was behind, but able to take a different line through turn 11, get on the gas a little bit sooner and outdrag him to the line with my superior horsepower. It was a lot of fun and a great race.

Over the lunch break on Sunday, I had a couple colleagues from work appear to cheer me on, just about the time I decided that all the excitement of the weekend had taken its toll and I was pretty exhausted. Rather than risk being a danger to myself or others, I decided to sit out the last race. So bummer for Jessica and Andy and Andy's mom, coming all that way and not seeing me ride, but we got to watch the really fast race together, and it was still a great weekend overall.

Thanks to Laura and John, who came all the way from NYC to watch the endurance race on Saturday, and Jessica, Andy and Andy's mom for coming out on Sunday for what turned out to be a bit of an anticlimax. Nonetheless, it's great to have visitors and fans, and I promise I'll put on a show for anyone who comes out to watch!

Work 2, Rusty 0

For the 2nd time this year, work has intruded and the #859 Suzuki stays safely nestled away in Rusty's lair while the rest of the AFM gets sideways at the track. I was able to do a little maintenance and suspension adjustment, but next on-track opportunity will be Friday practice on the 21st for the next race.

But, I have landed a ride for this year's 4-hour endurance race. I'll be joining my garagemates Pat, Bryan and Tom on Bryan's bike (another SV650) and we'll be taking to the track as the Asphalt Pummeling Madmen.

That will happen on Saturday the 22nd, then it's the regular schedule of sprint races on Sunday the 23rd. Come on out, it's the AFM's last visit to Sears Point this season.

Cheers...

Check-up results

Trundled the old 859 Heritage Service Centre Suzuki down to Phil Douglas at Aftershocks today for a "setup". I showed him what was going on with my tires, he put me on the bike, measured a few things, turned a few screws and got it all figured out.

We wound up raising the rear end of the bike a little, and I have a prescription to lower the front by about 4mm. Should make it much more stable on the brakes and turn in better. Some tweaks to damping in both the rear shock and the forks, and Bob's your uncle.

One of the nice things you get from a real suspension expert is a setup sheet, which shows all the settings. My bike has compression and rebound damping adjusters on both the shock and the front forks, in addition to spring preload and ride height adjustments. Now, thanks to Phil, I have a baseline of those settings, so we can always start from a known place should I need to change anything.

I also got the story about the tearing on my rear tires. In Phil's expert opinion, it's caused more by too low pressures than suspension hop, because it's only occuring in a narrow band. The Michelin tires I'm using this year are a new construction that the tire guys say can run at really low pressure because they hold their profile better. But a couple more pounds above what the tire guys say (24psi rather than 22) should do the trick.

We shall see. Next weekend is race weekend at Thunderhill. I'm hoping to make it up for practice on Saturday and see what the bike feels like with this new setup, but Sunday races are out of the question due to having to work in the afternoon and evening.

Stay tuned for some on-track updates.

Cheers...

Suspension Rx Needed

I discovered after the last round in May that I was starting to get an interesting wear pattern around my rear tire on the right side. I put the bike away and didn't think much of it. Back on track, I noticed it again after 1 practice session -- the surface of the tire was tearing off in a strip on the right side. I went ahead and used that tire for the race, and it started to slide a little in right-hand turns, officially messing with my head and modulating my throttle hand a little bit.

Changed to a harder tire for the second race and came in to discover a similar wear band, this time on the left.

When tires are tearing like that, it generally indicates a suspension problem. The suspension mainly serves the purpose of keeping the tires on the ground and gripping. If the rear shock is not set up properly, the tire can hop, skip, slide, spin and do all sorts of other things as the bike rolls over bumps, changes direction and tries to get the power from the engine to the ground. This can lead to the sort of problems I'm starting to see.

I've never spent much time worrying about suspension setup because I've not felt fast enough that it would be a limiting factor. Now that I'm picking up some speed, it's time to start paying attention and learning a little bit about it. So it's off to Phil Douglass at Aftershocks to have the bike worked over. Who knows, I might find a couple seconds on track once the suspension is behaving better.

Stay tuned.

Cheers...

Race Report: Tire Shredding Madness!

The AFM Season rolls on to round 5, back at Infineon, this past weekend. I hadn't been on the racebike since Memorial day, so I took some extra practice time on Friday. And boy was it needed. 3 months of street/commuter riding had degraded my once-smooth control inputs to a jerky, grabby mess. Kind of like Gov. Schwarzenegger at a Hooters. Once I figured out that was my problem, I refocused my practice time and tried to recapture the smooth.

Flash forward to race day. 650 Twins is the first race of the day. We gridded up, and you know the story. Good launch, roll off the gas, let the whole pack by. Luckily for me, there was a crash and a bike blocking the track, so they stopped the race and I got a do-over. Second launch was better and I let fewer people past and hung closer to the ones in front. I had a pretty good dice with a couple guys going until a lurid slide in turn 5, the fastest turn on the track. Thanks to that, I lost some confidence in the rear tire, so I was a little easier on the gas the rest of the race and brought it home in one piece, 35th out of 45.

For the next race, 2 of my colleagues came from as far as New York City to watch the Heritage Service Centre #859 cruise around. Thusly inspired, and with a fresher tire spooned on the rear, my start was a little better, the pack stayed closer together, and the race was a lot more fun. I diced for 2 laps with a quickly improving #916, finally put a nice block pass on her at the top of turn 6, and set sail towards more victims. With a race finally going the full distance without a red flag, I was able to track down and pass 5 other riders with a variety of audacious moves.

Then, starting the last lap, #721 was out in front of me with a pretty healthy lead. I tried to make up as much time as I could, but exiting turn 10 he was still a little too far out of reach. But he had encountered a slower bike from the other race (remember, most of the time there are 2 races on the track at the same time), and was being too polite, slowing just enough so I could close the gap. On the gas out of the last turn, I got as small as I could behind the windscreen, twisted the throttle for all I was worth and took the position at the line by .102 seconds. Final tally was 37th out of 49 and the most fun I've had in a race so far.




Rusty's agenda for the next couple weeks could be busy. I need to visit a suspension doctor and figure out why I'm suddenly tearing up tires, do a little work on the brakes and think once again about a paint job. Next race is back at Thunderhill on Sept 9th. Work may intrude once again, so it's 50/50 if I'll make that one. Following that is a triumphant return to the home track at Infineon the last weekend of September.

Thanks this time out to Mariah and Laura for helping support the back of the pack, the lovely and unflappable Michele for providing yet another paddock feast fit for kings, and of course Heritage Service Centre, where nearly 50% of the management team believes my knee sliders actually get used.

See you at the track!

Cheers...

No Race Report: Willows, CA? 109 degrees.

After the last time I attempted to race at Thunderhill in July, I decided that I'm doing this because it's supposed to be fun. Struggling to stay hydrated and subjecting yourself to extreme triple-digit temps turns out not to be so fun, so for the 2nd year in a row, I'm giving the Central Valley a pass and remaining at Heritage Service Centre racing headquarters.

The AFM travelling show comes back to Infineon in August, so stay tuned!

Cheers...

Race Report: Memorial Day At Infineon

This will be short. AFM Round 3 at Infineon Raceway was Memorial Day weekend. I came away from it a little discouraged. I was riding pretty well and managed to lower my personal best lap time. But my slow starts continue to plague me and I loped home to finishes behind people I should have been able to beat. My thinking is my riding is improving but my racing is not. Unfortunately, there's no substitute for seat time and this has not been a good year for it. But chin up, the rest of the season awaits.

And more importantly, Dito of GotBlueMilk.com captured what I'll call a definitive wheelie pic as I was coming out of turn 11. Close inspection should reveal a tiny bit of clearance above the pavement. It's not much, but we do what we can.

Next race is Thunderhill in July. Unless there's a drastic cold front, they will have to go on without #859. The heat up there is no fun.

Cheers...

The Only Fan Who Matters

Month after month, round after round, I throw shout-outs to those who come and watch me do my little thing at the back of the pack.

Most times, it seems, I neglect to acknowledge my #1 fan, sponsor, pit crew and cheering section. None of this would be happening without the love and support of my best girl Michele. She's the often unmentioned and underappreciated constant in the Rusty Camaro stable, and even after lo these many years somehow continues to put up with me.

The wheels wouldn't turn without her in my life.



Cheers...

Race Report: Dodge-em Bikes!

We had a special guest in the Rusty Camaro Motorsports garage this weekend, my mom was out visiting from Michigan and for some reason wanted to see a race. So we did our best to put on a good show.

After a good day of practice on Saturday, the bike was in good shape with a new set of brake pads and tires, and I was feeling OK, if not completely confident. The new turn 1 is alleged to add 3 seconds to a lap time, but best I could do in practice was about 5 seconds slower than last year. But the bike felt good and it was time to race!

My first race of the day Sunday was 650 Twins. A HUGE grid. The green flag waved and I actually got a good launch, but a winter of inactivity had sapped some of my aggressiveness and I let a lot of people back past me between turns 1 and 2. At the end of lap 1 the race was stopped because of a crash in turn 2. This was a continuation of a theme that had been running all day. Crashes, red flags, restarts, delays, etc.

For the restart, my launch wasn't quite as good and the guy in front of me stalled his bike, requiring a quick course adjustment. A little better through traffic, but a lot of the pack started to drift away. I was hanging with a small group of riders and managed to pick a couple off, then we caught up to another small clump on the last lap. I had one last victim in my sights, got a great drive out of the last chicane and through turn 10 and was ready to pass him on the brakes into turn 11, when a yellow flag (no passing zone) spoiled my plan. Someone in front of us had tried his own heroic move in T11 and fallen over, so no more passing for me. Final placing 41st out of 50.

Next race was Formula 4, with another large grid. Again, a reasonable launch but timidity through traffic meant letting lots of people past. I settled into a couple battles, getting close then making my move in the turn 5-7 complex, where I seem to make up time on people. Quite a bit of the race was spent dodging debris and crashers. There was muffler packing, bodywork, and various bikes (at least 4 separate crashes) scattered at intervals around the track. All the flags from all those incidents disrupted the flow of the race (excuses, excuses) and left me unable to pass the next guy in front, even though I was turning faster laps and had caught up at the end. Took the checkers 36th out of 46 and waved to the turnworkers, happy to escape upright.

So a successful return to the competitive track. The trusty #859 Suzuki SV650 is running well, I was able to beat some folks, and I have some things to work on for next time. Notably passing people at the start when they're much closer together. The mayhem should subside as well, as people shake off the new season/first race jitters.

The thank-you list gets longer every time. This time out, thanks to my mom who soldiered through a long day at the track, Dr. Dialtone, who showed up to cheer us on, my pitmate Dave, who completed a marathon weekend of 4 races, Race-oil.com and Foremost Insurance, for sponsoring the 2 classes I ride in this year, and of course, Heritage Service Centre, without whom Rusty Camaro Motorsports would not be the same.

Next round is in 3 short weeks -- Memorial Day weekend back at beautiful Infineon Raceway. Come out on Sunday and watch some races before heading to your barbeques.



Cheers...

#859's Season Kicks Off This Sunday!

After a long winter (made longer by missing the AFM's first round) Rusty Camaro Motorsports is preparing to hit the track for AFM Round 2 this weekend at Infineon Raceway. Practice is Saturday, then Sunday we'll take the track for Formula 4 and 650 Twins race action. Both of my races will be in the afternoon, the weather is supposed to be perfect, we've got a garage rented and an out-of-town cheering section coming in. Should be a good time. Lemme know if you're interested in coming out and I can give you details on logistics. If not, stay tuned for a full race report!

Cheers...

Yellow plate --> White plate

Sharp-eyed observers will note that pictures of the trusty #859 in previous years have had a yellow number plate with a black 859. In the AFM, this indicates the rider of that bike is a Novice (their term). You remain a Novice until you've successfully finished races on 6 different dates, then you become an Expert (again, their term).

Thanks to my crash in 2005 at Thunderhill, I missed getting all my race dates in my first season, then 2006 got off to a slow start thanks to the thieves. I met the requirement for Expert-hood at the Thunderhill round in June, but didn't bother upgrading at the time. Over the off-season it happened automatically, and now my AFM license says "Expert" and my number plates will be white. I've done a couple track days with the white plates already, but they don't appear to have made me any faster. The color scheme will be a little easier to manage, though.



Cheers...

Sears Point Practice Day - 4/8/07

Easter Sunday turned out to be a perfect Northern CA day, and the waitlist for a rare weekend track day at Sears Point moved pretty well, so Rusty Camaro Motorsports was able to get out and shake out the cobwebs on our home track.

The track configuration has changed this year, turn 1 is now slower, with more of a severe turn. This is in order to reduce speeds pointing at the big embankment just on the outside of the track. The old turn 1 was a test of bravery, the new one is a test of skill, picking a turn-in point and getting on the gas in a hurry. It'll add about 2 seconds to a lap time but should reduce potential for serious injury should someone go off-track.

It took me a while to get my head around the new line, but I came pretty close to my race times from last year, and the answer to Turn 1 is out there. The bike was feeling good; I have a short list of maintenance items before race weekend, but nothing major.

In short, a nice day out at the track, and the #859 appears to be ready to rock! Come on out to the track, April 29 is race day.

Cheers...

Buttonwillow Round 1 Report 3/25/07

My race report for the kickoff of the '07 season is short and sweet -- I had to work and didn't ride. Over the winter I had planned on making the first race, and made the long drive to do a track day there and learn the track, but when push came to shove, the AFM season got underway without #859. So we're starting out in a little bit of a hole points-wise, but I'm feeling good for round 2 April 29 at Sears Point.

Stay tuned!

Cheers...

Tentative Schedule for 2007

The AFM has released a tentative schedule for next season. These are all weekends with Saturday practice and Sunday races, with the exception of 9/28-30, which is Friday practice, Saturday endurance race and Sunday sprint races. The new season is just around the corner so start making your plans early!

3-24/25 Buttonwillow
4-28/29 Infineon
5-26/27 Infineon
7-7/8 Thunderhill
8-18/19 Infineon
9-8/9 Thunderhill
9-28/29/30 Infineon
10-20/21 Buttonwillow

Where are these tracks? Buttonwillow is about 4 hours south of the Bay Area, nearest big town is Bakersfield. I've never ridden there but I want to try it this year. It's pretty technical and quite bumpy, so I'm told.

Thunderhill is about 2 hours north of the Bay Area, nearest big town is Sacramento. It's incredibly hot there in the summer. The track is fast, with long straights and fast corners and requires some bravery to really get good times.

Infineon Raceway (Sears Point) is about 30 minutes north of San Francisco at the start of Wine Country. Our home track and one of the most technical in the country. It's also used for national-level motorcycle and auto racing including NASCAR, whose seemingly bottomless supply of money has made all kinds of improvements possible in the spectating and paddock areas.

Cheers...

2006 Season Wrap-up

Well, the need for continued paychecks won out and the #859 SV650 stayed in the garage while the rest of the AFM ran their last round of 2006 down at Buttonwillow Raceway. I was bummed to miss it, because it was a new track configuration so I would have been on equal footing with everyone else. But there's always next year!

I have to say the 2006 season has been one of ups and downs, with the theft and replacement of my entire race kit, some discouragement with my early results and a late-season rally to start taking some positions back, and a fairly steady improvement in lap times and confidence.

Having only made 4 of the 8 AFM rounds this year, I'm pretty happy with the final results. 12 starts, 12 finishes (yeah!), including a 5th place in Lightweight Clubman and 37 laps in the endurance race. I finished the season 77th out of 88 in Formula 4 with 7 points and 53rd out of 76 with 24 points in 650 Twins. My best lap time at Thunderhill went from a 2:21.6 to 2:15.6, and at Sears from 1:59.4 to 1:54.6.

I'm already putting together the off-season checklist and establishing some goals for next year. Some conditioning work, a little more track time, maybe a refresh of the motor and a paint job and we'll be ready to stage a serious campaign in 2007. Keep checking the blog at http://rustycamaro.blogspot.com for updates throughout the offseason and keep in touch. Only 5 months till the first race!

Even with no race action this time out, let me thank once again those who provide encouragement and support for this back-of-the-packer. Tom and Jim and the crew at Heritage Service Centre, the rest of the Michigan and Virginia folks who stand by waiting for results, Nate and Roger, who for some reason continue to come out to the races and cheer me on, my pitmate Dave Canzano, who is poised for a breakthrough season of his own, and of course the lovely and long-suffering Michele, without whose support none of this would be possible.

Cheers...

Video!!

Thanks to a nifty little digital camcorder thingy, Rusty Camaro Motorsports is officially entering Web 2.0! Check out the attached video. It was made in a practice session on Friday before the last race weekend. The camera was attached to the right side of the bike just in front of my knee. So in the right-hand turns where it looks like we're inches above the pavement, we're actually inches above the pavement.



Cheers...

Endurance!

Thanks to an eagle-eyed citizen, San Rafael PD found my purloined SV650 last week, safe and sound in some lowlife's backyard. Just in time for the 4-hour endurance race! We got 4 riders together, threw on some fresh tires and brake pads (thanks EBC!) and team "Knife in a Gunfight" was ready to rock on Saturday.

We had planned to do 30-minute sessions and switch, each rider taking 2 rounds. Dave Raff was our ringer and can do laps about 10 seconds faster than any of the rest of us, so he stayed out longer (40 minutes) for the first session. Then Dave Canzano got out and clicked off consistent laps for a solid 30 minutes. Matt Sappington was next, but he's the only one of us who doesn't normally race an SV650, so he had some trouble adapting to the bike. He pulled in after 15 minutes, done for the day. My turn. I did a 45 minute stint to get us back on schedule. Raff took another long turn, leaving Canzano and myself to split the final 45 minutes. I had the honor of taking the checkered flag and waving to the heroic AFM turnworkers on the cooldown lap.

Unofficially we finished 13th out of 20 entries in the 600 class (much more powerful bikes) and 33rd overall out of 59 entries, completing 115 laps. More importantly we had lots of fun figuring out strategy, doing pit stops and rider changes and being part of a team.

Sunday came and it was back on my regular bike for the sprint races. In race #3 (Formula 4) I got a reasonable launch for the first 30 feet then rolled off the gas and let a bunch of people by. Moron. Spent the rest of the race picking off as many as I could, and finally worked my way up to 35th. My first lap was a 2:02, the rest were 1:54-56, and I really could have used that 6 seconds to catch some more people. Afterwards Michele reminded me that the race starts at the green flag, not 1-2 laps later. Hmm.

After lunch race #9 (650 Twins) gridded up and I had the eye of the tiger. At the green flag I kept the throttle open, nobody got by and I passed a couple others on the way up to turn 2. All the folks I usually spent the whole race chasing down were already behind me, and the 2 riders I usually can't catch were right ahead! I was able to hang with them for a few laps and plan my moves. The first one, #894, helped me out by running wide at the exit of turn 11 so I got hard on the gas and outdragged him to turn 1. Then it was me and #758. I closed up and shadowed him till the last lap. I am very strong at the exit of the Carousel, so I got a running start on him up the dragstrip toward turn 7, got inside, held off the brakes a tiny bit longer than he did and slipped past at the turn entrance. My slowest parts of the track are 2 of the last 3 turns (9 and 11), so I really blasted through the esses to create (I hoped) enough of a gap so he couldn't get me back in my weak spots. I braked deep into 9, wide open through 10, and took a tight line into 11 so he'd have to go around the outside. He didn't even show me a wheel. So full throttle and up through the gears to the line to take the checkers! The strong finish was good for 24th place, my best so far in that class. First lap in this race was a 1:56, which made all the difference. Michele confirmed that this is what happens when I get my head out of my ...

Next (and final) race for 2006 is at Buttonwillow Oct. 21-22. Right now I'm planning on going but it's a long drive and work is heating up, so the situation is a little fluid. Stay tuned!

Thanks this time out to my endurance teammates Dave, Dave, and Matt, to the San Rafael Police Department, to EBC Brakes for providing us with 4 hours worth of dynamite stopping power, and to my Guru bicycle, for giving me the fitness to survive over 100 laps this weekend at race pace. And of course, we can't forget the fine folks at Heritage Service Centre, whose encouragement and support are unmatched.

Cheers...

Last Chance Race Weekend

This weekend is the final round this season at Sears Point, so local folks wanting to check out the paint-swapping knee-dragging tire-shredding action be warned!

There's a special event this time out, the AFM's annual 4-hour endurance race, which thanks to some crack police work by the San Rafael PD we have a bike and a 4-rider team for. We'll be riding entry #64, Knife to a Gunfight, a 70hp SV650 in a class with some of the fastest riders in the club on 120hp machines.

Myself, Dave Canzano, Dave Raff and Matt Sappington will be taking to the track Saturday afternoon to complete as many laps as possible in 4 hours, complete with refueling pit stops and rider changes. This is an event taken on with varying levels of seriousness by teams, usually there are 4-5 who are really out to win the overall or class events, and the other 50 teams are there to have fun and see if they can finish.

Sunday is the regular slate of sprint races, I'll be in race 3 (11-ish) and race 9 (3-ish), as will Dave C., who with his brilliant performance last time out made the qualifying lap times and will be joining us on the grid in Formula 4 and 650 Twins.

Stay tuned for updates, and if you wanna come watch the fun, lemme know and I'll clue you in on logistics.

Cheers...

Race Report: August 12-13 Infineon Raceway - Competitor vs. Participant

After June's encouraging results at Thunderhill, I spent a lot of time visualizing the track at Sears Point and mentally working on my trouble spots. It seemed to work.

I practiced really well on Saturday and made lots of progress in the areas I had been thinking about. It came time for the Clubman race and I was gridded on the 2nd row, closer to the front than I had ever been. I got a good launch and held my own through the first few turns, and when things had settled down a little I could see the leaders as we went through the Carousel. New experience. I had a really good dice with some guys, passed most of them and finished in 5th, with a best lap of 1:55, a full 5 seconds faster than I've gone before. This will probably be my last Clubman race, because they are likely to kick me out now that I've gotten faster. But the result still counts and I made the papers (Check out http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=26721 and scroll all the way to the bottom)!

Sunday I had 2 races, Formula 4 and 650 Twins. In the Formula 4 race I got a reasonable launch but immediately lost a bunch of positions and spent the first half of the race riding behind slower people. Finally I remembered this was a race, picked up the pace a little (1:57 this time) and beat a handful of riders, finishing 39th out of 47 starters. I looked at my lap times from the race and I was really slow the first 4 laps, which doomed my results.

Next up was 650 Twins, after lunch. This is a tougher class and I've never done well in it. But I had talked to my pitmate Brewmaster Pete about aggression for the first lap and put it to the test. I blasted by the row in front of me at the start and kept on the gas, passing clumps of people in the first lap. I hooked up with a very large man named Ozzie (and I say this knowing I myself am a very large man -- he's got at least 60lbs on me) and we swapped places at least 3 or 4 times, all the while advancing through other traffic. I came up about a bike length short at the line, but I was quite pleased with my performance nonetheless. 29th place in probably the most competitive class in the club! I did another 1:55, but more importantly, all my laps were fast this time out and I was riding with real confidence. It's the first time I've ridden full race distance at Sears and not been lapped. Suddenly I'm improving.

Pass of the weekend: Formula 4, mid-race, got a great drive out of the final turn and headed for a little opening between rider 720 and the wall on the outside of the front straight. She started drifting a little wider to set up for turn 1. I swallowed hard, aimed for daylight and hoped I got by before she closed the gap completely. I was in 5th gear, throttle pinned, over 100mph and squeaked through with maybe a foot to spare. Fun stuff!

I also need to give a shout out to my pitmate Dave C. who, after a little suspension work on his bike, came out riding like a changed man, took about 10 seconds off his lap times and finished a solid 13th place in Lightweight Clubman.

Also thanks this time to Michele, who once again provided encouragement and a paddock feast fit for a king, and Nate, whose presence on Saturday inspired us to great results. And of course the unwavering support from Heritage Service Centre, who makes this whole program possible.

Next round is Sept 30-Oct 2 back at Sears. We may be riding the 4-hour endurance race if we can find another lunatic or two. Stay tuned for details.

Cheers...

#859 Spooling up for this weekend

This weekend marks round 6 of the AFM season, and the Heritage Service Centre Suzuki #859 will be taking to the track once again.

We sat out the July round at Thunderhill out of deference to the soaring temperatures, but now we're back at Sears Point and ready to rumble.

I'll be in the 2nd Clubman race on Saturday afternoon, probably getting underway about 3:30, then Race 4 (11:30 or so) and Race 7 (2:00 or so) on Sunday. Race 8 is the main event, Formula Pacific, so you can see some really fast guys if you wanna hang out.

If you're thinking about coming by and checking out the action, let me know and I can give you the lowdown, otherwise stay tuned for updates next week.

Cheers...

Sitting out the July Round

It's Saturday of race weekend and the #859 Heritage Service Centre Suzuki and its rider are still safely tucked away at corporate headquarters. Weather prediction for Thunderhill today is high of 100, tomorrow 103. We leared last year that a) That's really hot and it's a battle just to stay healthy, and b) No one I could ride with shows up when it's that hot.

So I'm taking this month off and preparing for a triumphant return to Sears Point next round, August 12-13. I'll expect to see everyone there!

Cheers...

What's with #859, anyway?

In the AFM, each rider is assigned a number. Numbers go from 1 to 999. 1 through 10 are assigned to last year's championship riders. 11-99 are reserved for long-time members of the club and are fairly coveted. The rest of us get the 3-digit numbers, and most first-year riders are randomly assigned something in the 800s or 900s. After the first year, you can request lower numbers if you want.

As a first-year rider, I wanted a number with a little meaning, so I picked one not assigned already and that I could live with for my racing career. #859 it was.

What's the origin? My 3 favorite Baltimore Orioles: Cal Ripken (#8), Brooks Robinson (#5) and Brady Anderson (#9). Now a purist might wonder at the inclusion of Brady with the other two all-time greats, and I might be inclined to agree, but he played with a sort of reckless abandon that appealed to me. And #854 was already taken.

You'll need to look up who #4 is.

Cheers...

How To Ride a Motorcycle Fast

Ever wonder what I'm talking about in these race reports? Here's a little background on what makes good lap times on a racetrack. Any ninny can twist the throttle wide open down a straightaway. The magic happens at the end of the straight where the track turns.

To make the turn, you need to slow down and lean the bike over to start turning. As you roll through the turn, there comes a point where you no longer are entering, you're exiting. That's called the apex. Once you get to the apex, you stand the bike up and accelerate toward the next turn. String a bunch of those together with some straights (where you twist the throttle like a ninny) and you've got a lap.

Each element can be done better for faster lap times. On corner entry, if you brake later and harder you'll be going faster longer on the preceding straightaway. Improve your body positioning and mid-corner speed improves. Get on the gas harder and you're going faster down the next straight. All of this is balanced against how much traction you've got from the tires and how your suspension is working. If you ask too much of your bike you'll crash.

But there's an effective limit on how far a given motorcycle can lean over, so mid-corner speed can only get so fast. But if you can change your path through the turn so you're on the gas sooner, you'll be going faster down the next straightaway. If it's a long straight, a little faster at the start of it equals a lot faster at the end of it. If 2 turns are in rapid succession (like S-curves), the best line through the first turn is the one that puts you in the best position to get out of the second one the fastest.

Find the right line and combine it with good fundamentals and suddenly you're riding like a racer.

Cheers...

Race Report: June 17-18, Thunderhill

After last month's disappointing results, I took it upon myself to get some more track time and basically learn how to ride again. So off to Thunderhill I went. Turns out it was a good move. I pitted next to Ernie Montague, who at 50+ is far faster than I'll ever be. His advice regarding passing other riders: "In front of him is redemption. Behind him, damnation." Heavy stuff.

Whether it was Ernie's wisdom or some other catalyst during the 3 practice days I had, a lightbulb came on over my helmet and I started riding more like a racer and less like a scared street rider. Both effort and lap times came down dramatically.

Saturday afternoon rolled around and it was time to grid up for the Clubman race. Confidence at starts has been a problem in my short race career. This time when the green flag waved, a hole appeared in front of me not unlike the Red Sea parting. I shot through like I had a rocket pack. The euphoria of finally getting a good launch and keeping the throttle pinned lasted through turn 1, until people started passing me back in bunches on the way into turn 2. But I gathered my wits about me and hung in the group for the first lap. Things started sorting themselves out and I was at the back of a little cluster of 4-5 bikes. Another lap and I started making passes. I got one on the brakes into turn 10, another one on the gas down the front straight. But my crowning achievement was riding around the outside of my victim in turn 2 (long left-hander), then slipping up the inside on the entry to turn 3 (right-hander), earning admiring remarks from the track announcer, I'm told. At that point there was a gap to the next little cluster of bikes, and I sadly ran out of laps before catching them, but I had a blast. Unofficially I finished 18th, and my lap times showed 2:22s until I decided to start passing people, then I picked up the pace and finished the race with a string of 2:15s, and felt in easy control the whole time. Redemption.

My first race Sunday was with the much faster riders in the 650 Twins class. I got a reasonably good start but had to roll off and dodge debris from a crash in turn 1. I found myself behind 2 riders I had diced with in Saturday's race, so off we went. It took me a lap or two to get around the first one, but I did it on the brakes with a very tight line into turn 10. The next rider ahead of me was #357, a woman from Southern CA. Turns out we were pretty evenly matched. I caught up but couldn't get by and we finished nose to tail after a couple laps. 29th place for me and some more 2:15 laps. More fun and smiles all around.

The second race (Formula 4) was the very last one of a very hot (99ish) day, and nobody was at their best. After the start things sorted themselves out and I was chasing #357 again. This time I was able to attempt some passes, showing her a wheel in turn 9, turn 10 and turn 14 on successive laps. But each time she was a little braver on the brakes and held me off. The last lap she ran a little wide entering turn 9 and gave me a golden opportunity, but I got bogged down in the wrong gear and couldn't make the pass. I settled for 33rd place right behind her at the line. We managed a couple of 2:18s but I was very glad to see the checkers and be able to cool down.

All in all, it was a very successful weekend and a welcome contrast to the way things went last time at Sears Point. I had a lot more confidence and felt like I could put the bike anywhere on the track and try some different lines.

Next round is back at Thunderhill in July. Average temperature there in July is 110. The jury's still out on if we'll participate. Then back to Sears for August and September.

Huge thanks this time to Dave C, who once again hauled my stuff to the track and had a successful weekend and a good Clubman race finish. And of course to Heritage Service Centre, without whose support we'd go shirtless in the pit area. Not anyone's idea of a good time.

Cheers...

Race Report, May 27-28, Infineon Raceway

I heard a passerby on the street the other day quote a purported Chinese proverb: "When a man has an excuse for everything, all he has are excuses." So there are plenty of excuses, but I won't use any of them.

The weekend started out well, with practice on Saturday. The new bike felt very familiar (since it's the same as the old one), so there weren't really any problems with it. Different suspension and brakes took a little getting used to, but nothing major. I spent some time with a suspension guru who tweaked and fiddled and I could actually feel the bike getting better each time. I picked up speed through the day and by the end of the last practice session, I was back within a couple seconds of my times from last October.

The AFM has a new class this year, called Clubman. It races on Saturday afternoons and is for new racers and those who can't meet a lap time cutoff required for entry in the Sunday races. I signed up for the Lightweight Clubman race on Saturday because I was close to the cutoff time and knew I would need seat time on the new bike.

So we grid up for my first race of this season, and once again I get a horrible start and really didn't have any confidence in traffic. I was gridded about halfway back but I was probably 3 or 4 from the back by the time we got to turn 2. But since these were newer, slower riders I was able to start picking people off sooner and made some pretty good lap times. I did the full 7 laps, didn't get lapped, passed a few people, dropped my lap times down to nearly respectable (although not where I was last year yet), and all in all had a really good race. I finished 16th out of about 25 or so. I left the track on Saturday feeling really good.

Sunday morning started with some frantic mechanical work to fix a flaky rear brake on the new bike. With help from my pitmates, we got it working again in plenty of time for the morning practice. I was quite slow, but it was very early in the morning, the track was cold, and it was definitely not the time to go out and push things.

I was in race 1, the 650 Twins class, so as soon as the practice sessions were over, it was time to grid up. Revs go up, flag waves and we're off. I was really squirrelly in traffic once again and was dead last out of turn 2. There was another SV a little ways ahead of me and I spent 3 laps chasing him, trying to put my usual start slow then pick 'em off scheme to work. I was gaining very slowly when he pulled off with a mechanical problem. After that I was completely on my own. The next bike in my race was far enough ahead that I couldn't see him, so I didn't have the carrot to chase. I settled in to bring it home in one piece. The leaders of my race caught me with about 1 1/2 laps to go, including my pitmate Ian, who was in a solid 2nd place, until he crashed in the turn 9 chicane on the last lap. I finished dead last, 39th place, collecting 1 point for passing Ian as he lay on the ground.

Then the waiting began. It was a noteworthy day for the number of crashes and race restarts, so by the time Race 9 rolled around, they had shortened lunch, cut the races from 8 laps to 6 and were still about 45 minutes behind schedule. Finally we rolled out to the grid, and I was next to an SV I knew was modified down to 500cc. I figured if nothing else I could beat one person in this race. You can probably guess the outcome. After a very tentative start on my part the SV500 started slowly pulling away. One rider ran off in turn 9 and I got around him and held him off for a full lap, but he got back by and I had nothing for him. I was way slower in this race than I was in the morning. Because it was a shortened race, I didn't get lapped by our leaders, but I was still DFL again and received 0 points for my 41st place finish. Fastest lap in the race was a full 5 seconds slower than I went last October. Ugh.

Positives for the weekend were 3 race finishes and a reasonably successful Saturday in which I got acclimated to a new bike and remembered my way around the track.

Things I need to work on are pretty much anything that happened on Sunday. I lost concentration and was dramatically slower than I know I can go. I'm heading up to the track next week for a practice day where I intend to pick the brains of some of the faster guys about keeping my head in the game.

Next 2 races are at Thunderhill, June 17-18 and July 15-16. Thunderhill in June is where I crashed last year, so I'll be concentrating on not repeating that performance.

Thanks this time to Dave C. for providing transportation for the Rusty Camaro Motorsports team this weekend, my old neighbor Roger Pujol, a 4-wheel racer who came out to see how the 2-wheeled set does it, and of course Heritage Service Centre for their continued support in the face of miserable results. I think I might actually be hurting their business.

Cheers...

#859 Back on Track!

After a preliminary insurance settlement and the depletion of our life savings, the Heritage Service Centre #859 team is geared up well enough to take to the track this weekend for the AFM's 3rd round races at Sears Point.

With the insurance money from my purloined truck I was able to buy a racebike from a fellow racer who's laid up for a while from a street crash, and have a new suit made in record time. I'm still putting together the rest of my kit and will have to depend on friends for rides to the track for a while, but the thieves can't take Rusty off-line that easily!

Joining me in the fun will be David Canzano (#817), who is coming off a successful first race weekend last month, with 2 race finishes and significant improvement in lap times. That trend should continue this weekend.

Saturday is a practice day to get the new bike set up, then Dave and I will be participating in a new class called Clubman (for new racers) on Saturday afternoon.

Sunday I'll be in Race #1 (about 10:15am) and Race #9 (about 2:30 - 3pm).

Thanks this month to Mark White, whose broken leg was my good fortune, Helmut Kluckner of Helimot Leathers for making me a fantastic new suit, and to USAA for funding most of the exercise this time out.

Cheers...

Stinking Thieves!!!!

I walked out this morning and my truck, fully loaded with the #859 Heritage Service Centre Suzuki and all my gear, was no longer there. Someone had come in the night and made it their own.

Police reports and insurance claims have been filed, but unless it was paddock gnomes taking it all up to the track for me, I'm guessing that bits of the trusty SV650 will be appearing on eBay soon, as well as my tools, work stands, helmet, and other gear.

So no racing this weekend for me. I'll keep everyone posted on the "refresh" of the Rusty Camaro Roadracing stable. And if you see an ugly orange suit with sheep on the back for sale cheap, lemme know.

Cheers...

The Season Begins

After a long rainy winter, my race season is getting ready to begin. This weekend the AFM fires up at Sears Point for their second round of the year.

I did a track day on Monday and realized I lost quite a bit of speed in 5 months of inactivity. But it was a good day to get the bike sorted out after a bunch of work and start getting my head around track riding again. It'll be challenging to get back up to speed but I'm excited to get out on my favorite track and stretch the throttle cable a little.

Saturday is practice and Sunday the green flag waves. I'm in race #7 (after lunch) and #13 (last of the day). If you're thinking of coming out lemme know and I'll give you some more details on the schedule and logistics. Weather is also a factor, as we don't ride Sears Point in the rain.

The Heritage Service Centre pit complex will be getting a little more company this year, as we've been joined by newly-minted AFM racer David Canzano, also on a Suzuki SV650. I fully expect him to motor away from me as soon as he comes to terms with his new bike. He'll be racing in the new Clubman series on Saturday afternoon this time out.

Stay tuned for updates as the season progresses and we begin our charge to the front!

Cheers...

2006 Season Preview

Now that the days are getting a little longer, it's time to start thinking about next racing season!

Last season ended well, with my final event at Sears Point the first weekend in October. I made progress on my starts and corner entry speed and had a really entertaining duel with some other backmarkers, getting more comfortable in close traffic. 2 races on Sunday netted me a 33rd place in Formula IV and a 24th in 650 Twins.

Final stats for the season are:
- 8 starts, 7 finishes (2 DFLs), 1 crash
- In the Formula IV championship, I finished 68th overall (out of 77 entrants) with 7 points
- In the 650 Twins championship, I finished 46th overall (out of 52) with 9 points

Not the stuff world championship careers are made of, but I had fun.

The offseason programme has begun in earnest, I've gotten the forks re-worked and a new spring for the rear shock, and plenty of little maintenance items for the trusty SV650. Not to mention some jaunty paddock wear from the fine folks at Heritage Service Centre.

The race schedule for 2006 is:

April 23 - Sears Point
May 28 - Sears Point
June 18 - Thunderhill
July 16 - Thunderhill
August 13 - Sears Point
Sept 30 - Sears Point (4 hr. endurace race)
Oct 1 - Sears Point

March 26 and Oct 22 are also race days, but they're at a place called Buttonwillow, which is 6 hours away. Too far for the Rusty Camaro Motorsports caravan.

Thanks for everyone's support in 2005. I'm looking forward to 2006!

Cheers...

Race Report, August 13-14, Infineon

There is talk in motorcycle racing of freshly painted bodywork and new leathers having a natural attraction to the ground. It is best to throw these things on the ground deliberately before use to remove the curse. I had done this procedure with my new leathers at the last event, and as I was loading the freshly painted #859 Heritage Service Centre Suzuki onto my truck Thursday night it fell over in the bed, re-breaking my previous fiberglass patch job. At least that was out of the way. A little duct tape (black of course to match the new paint) and we're good as new and off to the track.

For practice on Friday, I started feeling comfortable on the bike for the first time with all this new gear, and was back at a pretty good pace [for me]. A friend of mine gave me some advice during the lunch break, which I put to good use in the afternoon sessions. Saturday I wasn't scheduled to ride, so other than a little spectating of the endurance race late in the day, I stayed away from the track.

Sunday, I got to the track early and excited to get out there. My good lap times from Friday had qualified me for the next faster practice group. Only 1 practice session in the morning, but I held my own with the faster group and felt really good for the upcoming races.

In my short racing career, I've been really timid at the start and let the pack get away from me early, then spent the rest of the race catching up and picking people off the back [or not]. This last month I spent some time visualizing being more aggressive at the starts and was ready to mix it up.

For the first race (650 Twins and Open GP), I was gridded toward the outside of the last row, which put me in good position for a fast run around people into turn 1. Green flag waved and I really tried to stuff the bike up into the melee. Unfortunately, my technique hasn't advanced as much as my nerve, so I still didn't get a good launch. Oh well. Off we went, last place up into turn 2 again, but in closer touch with the rest of the pack. The 2 guys in front of me did a little bumping together at the entrance to turn 4 so I made up some ground and settled in to start chasing them down. I got around one of them 1 lap later, but by then the others had stretched out the lead so I was on my own again. A crash on lap 5 ended the race early, so I couldn't keep chasing down the next little group. But I did stay in front of the one guy to avoid the last man rolling label. Lap times for the race were OK but not spectacular, I had gone faster last time out.

Between races, we had a nice lunch in the paddock with Rusty's loyal fan club, consisting of Michele and 2 friends who made the journey out (Thanks Nate and Dave!). Michele reminded me that I was dog-slow in one particular spot on the track (right in front of where she was sitting, of course), so I resolved to improve through there.

Next race (Formula 4) and I'm gridded at the back again, but the guy I beat (#758) in 650 Twins is 1 row behind me. Green flag, I bog down again and he comes by like he was shot out of a cannon. I really need to work on my start technique. Off we go again to track him down. This time I stay close, but he's picked up speed since the first race and I can't get by right away. He starts to stretch out a little lead, so I put my head down and go after him. By lap 6 I've closed up and I'm right on his wheel through the Carousel. I get a little better drive at the exit, drag race him to the top of the hill and outbrake him into turn 7. I'm able to hold him off down the back part of the track and past start/finish to start lap 7 (our last if we get lapped), but I roll off the gas a little too much to take turn 1 and he gets back by me on the inside. I'm pretty confident I can get him again in the Carousel so I don't strike back right away, then the leaders start to come by. A yellow flag in an unfortunate spot means we're stuck with the race leader between him and me through the Carousel and up the drag strip, with no passing allowed, so a pretty good gap formed. Down the back side of the track, 2nd place comes by in hot pursuit of our leader, they trade a little paint in the turn 9 chicane, and continue battling it out to the line. I had lost too much ground on #758 and despite my best efforts, I couldn't power past him at the line, and finished DFL by .5 seconds. 758 and I traded thumbs up and a handshake on the cooldown lap and I applauded my cheering section in the turn 9 stands for their inspiration. By far my most fun race, and one I can take some great experience from to work on for next time.

I went hard from the start (1st lap - from a standing start - was faster than 3 of the 5 laps I did in the morning race), set a new personal best time 4 laps in a row, including breaking the magical (for me) 2:00 barrier, with a low of 1:59.6. My spectating gallery said I was visibly faster through my trouble spot, and I held off the leaders for a whole half lap from where I had been caught before. So the last place finish doesn't bother me. As I'm improving, so is the competition, that's racing. I just need to go get 'em next time.

Big thanks this time to:

- My wife Michele, for providing a race-day feast fit for a king (including homemade brownies)
- My mom, who provided the grunt work in prepping the bike for its new paint job.
- Nate and Dave, for showing up and cheering me on despite mounting evidence that I'm terminally slow
- Juan Lindo of Zooni Leathers for making me a fantastic suit
- Dito Milan of Gotbluemilk.com for taking wicked cool professional trackside photos (example attached)
- Tom and Jim and the guys at Heritage Service Centre, for providing dashing paddock wear and being the title sponsor this time out of Rusty Camaro Roadracing

The next AFM round is in September at Buttonwillow, a track I've never been to and probably won't ride, then back at Sears Point October 2nd. See you there!

Cheers...

Final Preparations Underway

Greetings everyone!

As you can see from the attached, the #859 Heritage Service Centre SV650 has been stripped to the bones in order to get the bodywork painted and look a little more presentable. My mother is in town this week and has been helping with the prep work, while I am wielding the Krylon. All her hard work will be on display this weekend at Sears Point this weekend for Round 6 of the 2005 AFM Championship.

I'll be riding all day practice on Friday, then take a day off on Saturday, then Sunday the green flag waves. I'm in race #2 (650 Twins, sharing the grid with Open GP) and race #6 (Formula 4).

If you're planning coming out for the festivities this weekend, read on. If not, stay tuned for updates after the race. Please note that even if the bike won't be carrying the logo this time out (don't know if I can get stickers made in time), I will be flying the metaphorical flag of Heritage Service Centre, who provide simply the finest level of automotive service available in Grand Rapids, Michigan. If you're ever there, swing by and tell them I sent you.

Cheers...

Race Report: July 16-17, Thunderhill. "But it's a dry heat..."

Dry or not, it was freaking HOT! 106 most of the weekend and blazing sun. It was challenging to drink enough [water] to not get all goofy from the heat.

I arrived at Friday practice after lunch, having been up till past midnight getting the final reassembly done. I wound up only doing a handful of laps to shake down the bike and get a feel for the my new leathers and boots. Turns out that was more of a challenge that I was anticipating -- the bike-rider interface is pretty important, and it took quite a while till I was comfortable. But the bike seemed OK and I got my head back in the game pretty quickly, even at the fateful turn 9.

Saturday dawned hot, and I rode a few practice sessions, getting more and more comfortable on the bike with the new gear. I was able to improve my personal best on a couple laps, which made me optimistic for Sunday's races. Rather than exhaust myself in the heat, I called it a day early and got a new rear tire put on for Sunday.

Sunday morning practice was 1 quick session to scrub in the new tire, then try and stay cool till race #5, Formula 4. The time comes, I take my grid spot, and I'm next to last on the grid. Green flag waves and everyone is off like a shot. I'm DFL (dead last) into turn 1 and stay there for the rest of the race. After the crossed flags (halfway signal -- 3 of 6 laps) I started sneaking glances behind me for the front-runners, since I'm sure I'll be lapped almost immediately. But there was no one in sight. All the way to the end of lap 5, still no one. Then as I'm preparing to take the white flag indicating the last lap, the leaders come thundering past me about 20 feet from the finish line, take the checkers and end my race. I was actually grateful since I didn't have to ride another lap in the heat.

Unofficial results show me 38th out of 41 starters. The other 3 crashed, so I was the last one rolling. Nonetheless, I'm pretty pleased at finishing upright, since that was my goal for the weekend, and not getting lapped till 20 feet to go, which means I'm picking up a little speed relative to the fast guys in my class. There is a little knot of us backmarkers who usually are much closer during the races, but none of the others showed up for the race, I think being scared off by the weather forecast.

My second race wasn't till much later in the day, and after 3 days out there in the 100+ heat, I had enough, so I packed up and took off. All in all, a sucessful weekend. I got the bike back together, shook off the crash demons, broke in my new gear and had a race finish.

A side effect of the crash is that you won't be seeing any action shots from this weekend. My bike is now formally ugly, sporting some old yellow and black bodywork, greenish body filler, a dented blue tank (eBay) and a new tail section in a lovely color of pinkish primer. With Rusty perched on top in shiny new orange black and white leathers, it's a sight too horrible to behold. Projects before the next race weekend include getting some Krylon and making the bike look a little more presentable.

Next event is at Sears Point, August 13 & 14! Friday the 12th is practice day, Saturday the 13th is the annual 4-hour endurace race (I won't be participating), then Sunday the 14th is a normal race schedule. I'll send updates as we get closer to the date.

Cheers...

Battered But Not Beaten

The #859 Suzuki SV650 took last month's getoff a little harder than its rider, but after combing eBay and exercising the credit card, all the working parts are back together and we're ready to rock for this weekend. The bike will be a little uglier than last time, but that will hopefully be offset by my fancy new custom Zooni leathers, which were completed in the nick of time. If you're in the market for riding gear, I highly recommend them. Check out www.zoonileathers.com

It's gonna be super-hot at Thunderhill this weekend, so staying hydrated will be critical. It's also hard on tires and bikes, so the plan is (as I forgot last time), take it easy, get some quality practice and strive to finish the races on two wheels.

Turnworker signup is light this time, so if you want to see the races from the best seat in the house and make a little pocket change for your efforts, lemme know. The riders are all very appreciative of the workers, and it's a fun way to get close to the action. No experience necessary, they provide training at the track.

I'll provide an update upon my return.

Cheers...

Race Report: Rusty Bites the Dust, Thunderhill

Well, every newbie has to have one of those weekends, I suppose, and this
was mine.

Between rain on Thursday, work on Friday, and a wedding on Saturday, I got no practice time. I went back and looked through my stuff and realized the last time I had ridden at Thunderhill was last November, so I was a bit rusty to say the least.

Sunday morning practice went OK, I was back at my usual pace pretty quickly and the bike felt OK, but I wasn't as relaxed as I was at Sears. Then I had a long wait till my first race, which was F4 (#7). In the intervening time I was stupid enough to answer my phone and try to deal with a work crisis, which did nothing to help my focus.

Time to grid, thanks to my stellar results last month I was on the 3rd row from the back instead of DFL. Sidewaaaays GREEN FLAG and we were off. Horrible start for me once again, I still don't have the nerve to stick it up in the turn 1 melee. There was a pileup on the exit of 1 right in front of me and the race was red-flagged.

So back on the grid, another horrible start, but I think I stayed ahead of 2 people through turn 1. Got around another in turn 2 and set sail after that damn #323 again. 2nd lap I felt a big rear-end slide in 2, but I was closing on #323 so I ignored the warning signs.

Lap 3, I got a really good drive up the hill out of turn 8, went to turn into 9, and went down quicker than....well, I lowsided. I slid for a while, and got to watch my bike hit the dirt on the outside of the track and start tumbling. End of race, end of weekend.

No issues for me, other than the karmic pain. The bike looks like it was dropped on its head - subframe/tail busted off, tank is squished, fairing bracket and instrument panel are crushed, and the muffler now points at the sky. I've got parts on the way, and a little creative fiberglassing should have me back out for next month.

Post-crash analysis?

1) Practice is required. Thunderhill can be a pretty intimidating track, and I was definitely out of my comfort zone all weekend having not ridden there enough recently.

2) Direct cause of the crash I think was being way too tense on the bike. Even with no track time this weekend, my shoulders are really sore, leading me to believe I was Mr. White Knuckle, which upset the bike enough in T9 to send me down the road.

3) Remember the teachings of Yoda. "If finish first you want to do, first finish you must." Eventually I will catch you, #323!! But I abandoned my usual analytical and cautious self when the green flag waved, which is a complete rookie mistake, and I paid the price. I've got some time to think about that, which is a positive to take away from the experience.

See everyone next month! Big shout out to Frosty for sheltering my bike all weekend in the Frost Consulting World Headquarters Garage, and to Fred for throwing down the 'Q even though he wasn't riding. Joe, Carla, Rick and Ian, a pleasure as always. Let's also not forget Ann, who's out there ready to look after us should we leave the track in a less than graceful manner.

Cheers...

First Race Report: May 28-29, Infineon Raceway

Peer pressure finally won out, so I joined the other lunatic Coolriders on the grid at Sears Point this weekend. What a blast! Herewith my first race weekend report:

Saturday practice - Arrived at the track in plenty of time to get unloaded (thanks Ian for saving space for me), go through tech and get suited up before the first session. I was in group 1 (the slowest), which was also home to about 20 vintage Honda 160's who showed up for the weekend. Top speed of those appeared to be about 40 mph. So I got plenty of passing practice. My times were horrible compared with last month's practice, but I felt pretty good about some spots on the track that had been causing me grief.

Sunday practice - Arrived at the track a little late and realized I had overfilled the oil when I changed it Saturday. So quickly went through Tech, drained a little oil, got the belly pan back on, suited up and caught the 2nd lap of the 1 and only practice session. Impossibly slow again, but I was able to observe something about how my clipons were adjusted and fixed it, thereby solving some chronic pain problems I'd been having.

Race 5 - 650 Twins and Open GP - My first race! Goal is to finish upright. Nothing more. Talk about nervous. Thanks to Ian for helping me calm down and reminding me to use the warm up lap to really heat up the tires. Warm up lap, hard on the gas, hard on the brakes, easy corner speed. Took my grid position (inside spot, row 17!) and did some deep breathing. First wave (Open GP) goes, then it's our turn. Once the 2 board went up, everything seemed to go quiet. I couldn't hear Fosgate, but mentally, I was going "Sidewaaaaaaaaays, GREEN FLAG!!!". Up the hill to 2 I was dead last, and stayed there thru turn 5. Then I got my wits about me and rode around 1 bike in the carousel. Next lap I got 2 more in the carousel. Then there was nothing but clear track in front of me for a few laps, so I just rode. I was the smoothest and fastest I've ever been (which of course isn't saying much). Then at the exit of 9, Mesa and 2 other frontrunners from Open GP came by. At least I think they did. They were going so fast I think it affected the transmission of light. They got the crossed flags, so I had already gone down a lap (no surprise), and then I was in Open GP traffic. I hope I wasn't too much in anyone's way. There was a crash in turn 3, with a bike on its side at the top of the hill right at the apex and a debris field all the way across the track. I had caught up to another SV (#323), so we picked our way through the mess and on we went. I got around the other SV in my new favorite place (the carousel) and held him off through the esses and turn 11. He got me back on the gas out of 11 and crossed the line in front of me. By the time we got back to the little straight between 2 and 3, the front runners from 650 Twins came by. The turn box in 3 had the oil flag out this time, which I assumed was where the bike had been lying before. At least a couple of the Open GP guys and Michael Earnest didn't make the connection or didn't have time to react, hit the oil and crashed hard into the haybales at the exit of 3A. It looked like at least 4-5 bikes were collected over there. Before I got to turn 4 the black flag was waving, so that was it. I got to wave to a few turnworkers and my own little cheering section (wife + 2 friends) on the way back to the paddock. I was mostly bummed because the scoring was as of the last lap, which means #323 had beat me. But I had finished upright and even passed a couple people. Unofficial results show me 31st out of 36 (34 finishers).

Next race, Formula 4. This time I'm gridded on the next-to-outside in row 13 with a couple more people behind me. "Sidewaaaaaaaaay, GREEN FLAG!!!" I could see Ian heading off way at the front, but I was still really nervous about charging too hard into such a big pack of riders, so I stayed off the gas a little and was once again dead last up the hill to turn 2. This time, I started making moves a little sooner, and picked off guys one by one in a variety of places. I got one on the brakes into 7, another around the outside in 1, another at the entrance to the carousel. Once I was through the little clump at the very back, I was on my own again. After a couple laps I could see my new arch-nemesis #323 with another rider or two ahead in the distance. I really put my head down and started catching them. Every lap a little closer, but alas it was not to be. The leaders caught me on the last lap and ended the race with the checkers. All down to the slow start, I suppose. But this time I got to cross the line, take the checkered flag and do a complete cool-down/celebration lap. Wave to the turnworkers and pull in feeling like a real racer. I was really happy to have not been lapped till lap 7, and only by a few of the front-runners. Unofficial results have me 46th out of 52 (50 finishers).

Checked my timesheets and I had taken 3 seconds off my best time ever, and about 8 seconds off Saturday's practice times. My last lap in Formula 4 was my fastest of the day, and was 3 seconds better than #323's fastest. I totally had him. Next time, more assertiveness at the start, and I might make a race of it.

Big thank you's to Ian, Joe, Rick, Pete, Carla and the other CoolRiders for putting up with my newbie antics. I can't wait for the next race!!!

Cheers...