AMA race recap

Hey all.  Here are some details from our last two AMA rounds plus a couple pics of some action and Fan Walk activity.  Special thanks to our sponsors Cafe Racer, Inc., Speed & Strength, Vortex, Motorex, BikeMaster, Woodcraft, Armour Bodies, Advanced Promotions, and Sidi!

AMA Pro Racing Buckeye SuperBike Weekend at Mid-Ohio

GoPro Daytona Sportbike

Friday P1:  Morning practice on the cool Mid-Ohio surface was tricky.  Times were slow throughout the entire field, but gradually improved during the 50min session and we ended 19^th fastest.

Friday Q1:  Afternoon sun combined with the other groups laying some rubber down helped improve grip on the track.  Or pace quickened, but so did everyone else and we managed to hold 19^th place for a provisional qualifying spot.

Saturday Q2:  Morning conditions are typically slower until the track comes up to temp.  However the day started with clear skies which allowed the sun to bake the surface early.  Sunny skies coupled with the rubber laid down from Friday meant lap times were the best they had been yet.  We ranked up the order at one time, but landed in 19^th again when the clock ran out for final qualifying.  Our grid position was set on row 5.

Saturday Race 1:  With a decent start and quickly settling into a good pace we gained positions to 15^th by lap 6.  Then a miscalculation during a pass landed us in the gravel trap.  Bike and rider were ok and would be able to ride back to hot pit once the race concluded.  Repairs were quick and easy and would be tested tomorrow morning during 20min warm-up.  Our final position was recorded as 18^th.

Sunday Race 2:  Track conditions were questionable.  Residual dust and oil remained on the track surface post clean-up from a fan’s bike which lost fluid during the lunch hour “Fan Ride”.  The start was delayed as Mid-O crew attempted to groom the asphalt.  Confidence was somewhat diminished after our crash in race 1 and the delay didn’t help.  While battling for position and almost crashing in the oil dry we decided to leave some in reserve and just maintain pace until the checkered flag.  We finished 20^th still earning a point and in the purse payout.

Considering this was our first time racing at Mid-Ohio we knew, with minimal track knowledge, it would be a challenge to even qualify.  We learned a lot about the venue and the track configuration during our short AMA visit and came away proud of what the team achieved overall.

An added bonus John Ulrich revealed to us some development work they had done which helps with cooling and subsequent horse power increases.  He must have been feeling generous and wanted to help a fellow Honda racer.

 

AMA Pro Racing Triumph SuperBike Classic at Barber

GoPro Daytona SportBike

Friday P1:  I was already running better lap times than last year. A little track knowledge and bike set-up experience for the venue always pays dividends.

Friday Q1:  We made some changes hoping to improve lap times, but went backwards in the results.  That gave us a clear indication of what wouldn’t work and a possible direction to move toward.

Saturday Q2:  We reverted back to original settings with some tire pressure adjustments and made the grid. Still some issues with the bike not wanting to turn or finish corners well.  We were limited on what we could do with the bikes geometry due to front spring rates so we decided to just do the best we could with our current set-up for race 1. The fix would have to be lighter springs once we returned home.

Saturday Race 1:  Not being able to enter corners with confidence or finish them well brought down corner speed and hindered drive out.  I tried to hang on the tail of the group, but just couldn't do it. So I rode as hard as I could till the checkers and finished 20^th in the money.

Sunday warm-up:  We tried to band-aid the front spring issue by lowering the ride height. With a used front tire and new rear I bested my times from the whole weekend almost immediately with little effort. I pulled in after ~10 minutes, happy with the changes and decided to conserve energy for the race. My trap speeds were near the bottom of the charts so I knew I would have to get a tow and really count on the binders at the end of every straight.

Sunday Race 2:  Got a better start than race 1 and came into T4 in ~17^th behind Melissa Paris. She checked up and I grabbed the brakes so hard I bottomed the forks and almost tucked the front. That cost me a couple spots, but I whipped the bike around and drove hard down the back straight. I was able to catch the trailing group and proceeded to make up positions until I was behind Melissa again. There I stayed for most of the race. I could catch her on the brakes and through the chicane, but she would pull away from me on the exits. I thought if I could find a way around her I could get a gap and work my way up the order. Together we were able to catch the next rider and soon after she went under him into the last corner. So with him in between us down the straight I had a double draft to stay in tow.  He tried to attack back around the outside of her in T2, but that cost him drive on exit and I scooted by on the inside. We mixed it up for a bit which allowed the riders behind us to close the gap. We now had a 5 way battle and I wasn't letting up. Nearing the end of the race the blue flags started waving. I yielded a little too much and went back to 19^th with only Ortega behind me. I've raced him at the club level so I knew where we both stood. On the white flag lap I spun pretty bad coming out of 2 and over the crest of 3 and he tried to out brake me into 4. He went in too deep and I was able to drive out under him. From there I knew if I stayed mistake free I could maintain. So even though on paper my final position was only one better than race 1 it was a much better result for race 2 in my mind.