race results

[randygrein at comcast.net]

It was fun, but that last race was nuts. When John (the rider who went down) came to a stop the water was running over the top of his boots!

Randy Grein, WMRRA #41

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "zoran" <zv30 at sbcglobal.net>
> 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
> >
> >
> >
> > -- 
> > No virus found in this incoming message.
> > Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 
> > 269.14.4/1056 - Release Date: 10/7/2007 6:12 PM
> >
> > 
>