jkaiser
08-11-2008, 10:35 PM
Wow, what a weekend. Mine was a long one, starting on Thursday with a Sully track day. I spent some time getting the new gearing on the bike dialed in but was still frustrated that I wasn’t really going any faster than my typical 1:31.5s. Finally, in the afternoon I went out for a session behind Todd Horn and Troy Cook. At first they started to pull away but I put my head down and settled into a rhythm that began to catch me up. After three or four laps I was closing in on the pair and finally went by Troy on the straight. I put in another lap behind Todd and the session was over. I was really happy to have spent the session using them as front markers. In each corner I could tell instantly what made me drop away from them and what brought me closer. When I pulled into the pits the Starlane told the tale, consistent 1:30s and a fast lap of 129.9.
I was stunned, my goal for 2008 was to break 1:30 at Pacific and I had actually done it. I realized at that moment, the #1 thing I needed to go faster was to start riding with people who are faster than me. Both for the challenge that inspires me to push, and the schooling that comes from riding with those who are clearly better than me (Todd and Troy were on 750s vs. my 1000 and I could just keep up).
Friday came and I spent some time working on what I learned the day before while still saving something for the weekend. By days end I found that I could run 1:30.5s pretty consistently even on my shagged out take offs that Barry from KFG flipped me.
Saturday was crazy with an oiled track, med evacs, etc. I went out for the Novice Heat and got a great start from the front row and soon gapped the field while feeling out Dunlop slicks in the damp. Surprisingly, the track felt OK and after a couple of laps the race line was dry. Still, I felt caution was in order. I had a huge lead on the rest of the field and rode it home for an easy victory turning 1:32s.
Prior to the race I had submitted my paperwork to graduate from Novice. Even though I only had a few races under my belt, the events of the previous track days told me I had nothing to gain from playing Superbiker in a field of Novices. It was time to ride with the big boys and get schooled, it would turn out that Lesson One was not long in arriving. Ariana delivered the good news at the end of the day, indicating that I had been graduated and that I could register for Formula Ultra and Open Supersport the next day.
Sunday morning dawned with improved weather and warmer temps, light overcast and 75F… perfect. I got my registration paperwork done and bought some DOTs take offs from Mark Degross (thanks Mark) and got the bike ready for practice and Open Supersport. Several experts including my Novice Mentor encouraged me to enter the Open Supersport race even though my bike is not Supersport legal. Their point was that many bikes in the class are not legal and it only really matters it you finish in the front. Besides, my bike is 7 years old and probably wouldn’t be that competitive.
Finally the horn blew but while heading to pit out I noticed that my fuel light had come on… uh oh. I had checked my fuel level by sticking it but I was obviously off my mark, oh well too late to fix it now. I headed for my grid position, pretty easy to find on the back row. When the light when out I got a great start and passed a mass of bikes going into T1. After a lap or so I settled into a steady rhythm picking off riders one by one. I was developing a lot of confidence and everything was feeling great, I could see a bike just ahead of me coming out of the bus stop and I pinned the throttle to chase it down. As I leaned over into T1 I was just to the outside of his back wheel when…………
Scenes of my childhood….bright lights…..the bike was moving and it wasn’t me. It was like the hand of God just gently shoved my bike to the outside of T1 in what I soon realized was a front wheel slide. A clear voice in my head said, “This cannot happen, I cannot crash here”. After what seemed like an eternity the front tire started to grip again, but when it did it violently jerked the bike to the right and slammed me into the rider I was about to pass, the one and only Allister MacKinnon. Thank God Allister is one big guy, he probably saved me from going right off the track. I’d like to take this opportunity to say once again how very, very, sorry I am to have hit Allister. I could never have imagined the circumstances that lead up to our collision but I recognize that it’s the passing rider’s responsibility to get by safely and I take full responsibility for the incident. Lesson One - There are things you can do at 1:34 pace that will not fly at 1:29 pace and passing on the outside of T1 is one of them.
After the impact I could do nothing but continue and look for flags, I was very happy not to see any and took some comfort in knowing I had not killed anyone in my first expert race. As I came around the bus stop I saw Josh Ellingson ahead of me and refocused my attention. Going into T2 I was closing in fast but as I stood the bike up at the exit she began to cough and I felt the fuel light burning like a cigarette in my eye. I limped her down the back straight and into the pits. I was running in ninth place with a fast lap of 1:29.2…..damn.
In retrospect, perhaps it’s good that I ran out of gas. I did much better than I had expected in that race, to the point where I can appreciate other racers crying foul. If you’re not a factor for the front runners then perhaps it doesn’t matter if you’re entirely Supersport legal. I consider top 10 to be a factor and for that reason I will not run that bike in Supersport again. Enough said.
With Formula Ultra coming up I got the slicks on and got the bike fueled properly. I went out for the sight in lap and once again found my place, all alone on the last row of the grid. I got a great start again taking a lot of bikes into T1 and T2 but it was all for not as we came under the red flag and headed back to re-grid. On the second start I really screwed it up so I got a little more aggressive going into T2 and made some good passes. Once again, I began to work my way through the field. After six laps everyone was spreading out and I sighted in Tim Jones on his R1. I began reeling him in and going down the straight I closed on his rear wheel, but this time I checked up and tucked in behind him going through T1. As we approached T2 I stepped down the inside and went by him on the brakes. However, in my exuberance I came into T3 too hot and ran a bit wide and Tim went by on the inside. I followed him down the back straight and closed on his back wheel as we went through T8 and went by him on the brakes into T9. Coming down the straight I could see the white flag and knew I had gapped Tim a bit coming into T2. Still, I kept the hammer down and rode it home for a solid 8th place finish with a last lap fastest lap of 1:28.9.
I couldn’t believe it, I still can’t believe it. I would not have guessed how much some real competition might push me to go faster. It was a fantastic weekend and I had a great experience in the expert class. To top it all off, I’m getting a check from WMRRA for finishing 8th, that’s right, read it and weep, $53 and it’s all mine.
A big THANK YOU to my sponsors EDR PERFORMANCE and KFG DUNLOP. Eric and his crew put together a bike that surprised a lot of people this weekend, myself included. The bike was absolutely solid as a rock, no hiccups, no problems, nothing. All of my attention was focused on the track and the rider ahead of me. Of course power without grip is useless and when it comes to making it all stick I’m glad to have Barry Wressell on my side. I especially appreciate his making a last minute gearing change on my bike the night before track day that really put the motor where it needed to be. Thanks again Barry!
See you next round.
John Kaiser
WMRRA #806
I was stunned, my goal for 2008 was to break 1:30 at Pacific and I had actually done it. I realized at that moment, the #1 thing I needed to go faster was to start riding with people who are faster than me. Both for the challenge that inspires me to push, and the schooling that comes from riding with those who are clearly better than me (Todd and Troy were on 750s vs. my 1000 and I could just keep up).
Friday came and I spent some time working on what I learned the day before while still saving something for the weekend. By days end I found that I could run 1:30.5s pretty consistently even on my shagged out take offs that Barry from KFG flipped me.
Saturday was crazy with an oiled track, med evacs, etc. I went out for the Novice Heat and got a great start from the front row and soon gapped the field while feeling out Dunlop slicks in the damp. Surprisingly, the track felt OK and after a couple of laps the race line was dry. Still, I felt caution was in order. I had a huge lead on the rest of the field and rode it home for an easy victory turning 1:32s.
Prior to the race I had submitted my paperwork to graduate from Novice. Even though I only had a few races under my belt, the events of the previous track days told me I had nothing to gain from playing Superbiker in a field of Novices. It was time to ride with the big boys and get schooled, it would turn out that Lesson One was not long in arriving. Ariana delivered the good news at the end of the day, indicating that I had been graduated and that I could register for Formula Ultra and Open Supersport the next day.
Sunday morning dawned with improved weather and warmer temps, light overcast and 75F… perfect. I got my registration paperwork done and bought some DOTs take offs from Mark Degross (thanks Mark) and got the bike ready for practice and Open Supersport. Several experts including my Novice Mentor encouraged me to enter the Open Supersport race even though my bike is not Supersport legal. Their point was that many bikes in the class are not legal and it only really matters it you finish in the front. Besides, my bike is 7 years old and probably wouldn’t be that competitive.
Finally the horn blew but while heading to pit out I noticed that my fuel light had come on… uh oh. I had checked my fuel level by sticking it but I was obviously off my mark, oh well too late to fix it now. I headed for my grid position, pretty easy to find on the back row. When the light when out I got a great start and passed a mass of bikes going into T1. After a lap or so I settled into a steady rhythm picking off riders one by one. I was developing a lot of confidence and everything was feeling great, I could see a bike just ahead of me coming out of the bus stop and I pinned the throttle to chase it down. As I leaned over into T1 I was just to the outside of his back wheel when…………
Scenes of my childhood….bright lights…..the bike was moving and it wasn’t me. It was like the hand of God just gently shoved my bike to the outside of T1 in what I soon realized was a front wheel slide. A clear voice in my head said, “This cannot happen, I cannot crash here”. After what seemed like an eternity the front tire started to grip again, but when it did it violently jerked the bike to the right and slammed me into the rider I was about to pass, the one and only Allister MacKinnon. Thank God Allister is one big guy, he probably saved me from going right off the track. I’d like to take this opportunity to say once again how very, very, sorry I am to have hit Allister. I could never have imagined the circumstances that lead up to our collision but I recognize that it’s the passing rider’s responsibility to get by safely and I take full responsibility for the incident. Lesson One - There are things you can do at 1:34 pace that will not fly at 1:29 pace and passing on the outside of T1 is one of them.
After the impact I could do nothing but continue and look for flags, I was very happy not to see any and took some comfort in knowing I had not killed anyone in my first expert race. As I came around the bus stop I saw Josh Ellingson ahead of me and refocused my attention. Going into T2 I was closing in fast but as I stood the bike up at the exit she began to cough and I felt the fuel light burning like a cigarette in my eye. I limped her down the back straight and into the pits. I was running in ninth place with a fast lap of 1:29.2…..damn.
In retrospect, perhaps it’s good that I ran out of gas. I did much better than I had expected in that race, to the point where I can appreciate other racers crying foul. If you’re not a factor for the front runners then perhaps it doesn’t matter if you’re entirely Supersport legal. I consider top 10 to be a factor and for that reason I will not run that bike in Supersport again. Enough said.
With Formula Ultra coming up I got the slicks on and got the bike fueled properly. I went out for the sight in lap and once again found my place, all alone on the last row of the grid. I got a great start again taking a lot of bikes into T1 and T2 but it was all for not as we came under the red flag and headed back to re-grid. On the second start I really screwed it up so I got a little more aggressive going into T2 and made some good passes. Once again, I began to work my way through the field. After six laps everyone was spreading out and I sighted in Tim Jones on his R1. I began reeling him in and going down the straight I closed on his rear wheel, but this time I checked up and tucked in behind him going through T1. As we approached T2 I stepped down the inside and went by him on the brakes. However, in my exuberance I came into T3 too hot and ran a bit wide and Tim went by on the inside. I followed him down the back straight and closed on his back wheel as we went through T8 and went by him on the brakes into T9. Coming down the straight I could see the white flag and knew I had gapped Tim a bit coming into T2. Still, I kept the hammer down and rode it home for a solid 8th place finish with a last lap fastest lap of 1:28.9.
I couldn’t believe it, I still can’t believe it. I would not have guessed how much some real competition might push me to go faster. It was a fantastic weekend and I had a great experience in the expert class. To top it all off, I’m getting a check from WMRRA for finishing 8th, that’s right, read it and weep, $53 and it’s all mine.
A big THANK YOU to my sponsors EDR PERFORMANCE and KFG DUNLOP. Eric and his crew put together a bike that surprised a lot of people this weekend, myself included. The bike was absolutely solid as a rock, no hiccups, no problems, nothing. All of my attention was focused on the track and the rider ahead of me. Of course power without grip is useless and when it comes to making it all stick I’m glad to have Barry Wressell on my side. I especially appreciate his making a last minute gearing change on my bike the night before track day that really put the motor where it needed to be. Thanks again Barry!
See you next round.
John Kaiser
WMRRA #806