race results

[zoran]

looks like I am not only old fart having fun :)


Zoran Vujasinovic
Twin Works Factory
775-690-5171
http://www.twfracing.com/index.html
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Randy Grein" <randygrein at comcast.net>
To: "SV List" <SV650 at micapeak.com>
Sent: Sunday, October 07, 2007 11:25 PM
Subject: race results


> It's been a long time coming, but I finally got out on the track this 
> weekend on the SV! My wife has been more than patient with the effort 
> (and money) it's taken to get it running as a superbike. A few  highlights 
> from the weekend at Pacific Wetway - er, Raceway....
>
> Out in 1st practice trying to handle all the new power and see what  it 
> did to the new front end - and if the changes in the rear were  right. And 
> I noticed the clutch was slipping - a lot, like every time  I'd crank the 
> throttle open. Check the adjustment, go out again, no  change. Check with 
> Dan Zlock (Yes, that Zlock), put in a spare  clutchpack and some heavier 
> Barnett springs he just happened to find.  Problem solved.
>
> Out in the 2nd vintage practice in the rain, sorting things out and 
> seeing how fast I could go on our CB160. Oops - not quite that fast  in 5! 
> Tucked the front just over the crest with a knee down and  couldn't come 
> close to saving it. Bike flipped from one side to the  other in the 
> gravel, I was surfing on my butt trying to avoid the  flippie bike thing. 
> Someone has pictures, I 'm dying to see them. I  felt a bit better when I 
> noticed a light sheen of oil on the track,  nice to know how fast is too 
> fast, and there's a reason (besides  stupidity) for a crash. Total 
> damage - windscreen, clipon bar, and  clutch perch. A few hours cleanup 
> and we were ready to go.
>
> Middleweight GP twins. The frustration of realizing it was later than  I 
> thought while changing from rains to slicks and missing the start.  Not as 
> bad as my buddy Gus Denzler who tore the knobs off a set of  rains in the 
> same race; he got to race but also got to pay for new  tires. My son 
> worked like a champ with me to get things ready, and I  would have missed 
> the next race without his help. And that's AFTER  his bike went T.U. 
> again!
>
> Lightweight superbike. The realization that a big storm is coming in  a 
> half hour - just in time for the start and I get to change tires  AGAIN. 
> Some quick work and we were ready for what proved to be a  torrential 
> downpour, but not the worst of the weekend. I've never  hydroplaned on a 
> bike before (even slicks at over 150 mph!) but this  was a new level of 
> uncomfortable. The only option was discretion -  let the nice racer by and 
> follow behind, maybe I'll pick up  something. Something turned out to be 
> 3rd place and finishing in one  piece, as well as purse money.
>
> Formula 160. A friend sold his class champion last month and I just 
> couldn't resist. Only problem is that Tom is about 6'4" and skinny,  so he 
> pushed the seat WAY back. A lackluster 6th in the dry convinced  me to 
> move it forward so I could sit down. That and another bout of  rain were 
> just what the doctor ordered, and I walked away with the  2nd heat win for 
> a 2nd for the day. I used yesterday's crash to good  effect, knowing 
> exactly how much push the front end would take in the  rain. I pushed the 
> front (and rear) quite a bit but never had a  moment. Several riders were 
> convinced another crash was 'just a  matter of time'....
>
> Formula Thunder - Thunder was the only thing missing! The rain  started 
> hard enough to scare off a fair part of the grid (or maybe it  was crash 
> damage). I came up from a 2nd row grid to 3rd place in the  first corner 
> and held it the entire race. The rain swamped the track  everywhere; the 
> leaders clearly agreed to not push it to hard and had  fun dicing in the 
> corners and easing up on the ugly sections. If  anything the front 
> straight was worse than every at the beginning,  and then went downhill. 
> Somewhere around lap 6-7 a rider went down in  turn 1 - normally a full 
> throttle 180+ almost noncorner. His tires  were overwhelmed despite a very 
> cautious pace when the rain suddenly  became a torrent. Gusty winds and 
> solid walls of water hit, lakes  appeared on the pavement and a river ran 
> through it. Officials threw  the red flag, and rightly so. It was fun, but 
> I mean really - 4th  gear was too fast in those conditions!
>
> I'd like to thank Lockhart Phillips, my wife for supporting my habit,  my 
> son for wrenching effectively (while learning how!), Riders for  Health, 
> and a big thanks to Dan and Dale Zlock for putting my bike  back together 
> and giving me enough education to keep from blowing it  up (again). I'd 
> also like to thank Bridgestone for making a great  vintage tire, and 
> Pirelli for building the most kick-ass rain tires!
>
> Randy Grein, Master CNE, CCNA
>
>
>
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