Jonny Rocket
03-21-2007, 04:46 PM
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WSMC Classic Series Round #3, 3/18/07
The only way to describe the race weekend that I had this month is simply awesome! The decision on what motorcycle and what classes I wanted to race in that I made prior to this race season was not made lightly. I really wanted to race in a class and on a bike that I believed I could be competitive on. I really wanted to be confident in and be able to dice it out with other racers and have their confidence that I would do the same. This month’s races reassured that the decision I made was the correct one.
Before I went out to the track for this month’s races, I installed some new fork springs and cut some new spacers to get the right amount of front sag. Since I had to run Pirellis for last month’s races and was set up for Michelins, Saturday morning I took the Pirellis off and re-mounted the Michelins that I had used on both Friday and Saturday of last month, just to see how long they would last. Practice rotations were a little slow because of the Sidecars that were racing with us this weekend, but that was good because it gave me some good down time between the practice sessions to make some needed adjustment to my shock. I ended up turning some faster laps than last month in the first few sessions, but then the tires started to really go away on my fourth session, I was sliding all over the place, so I called it a day and go a new set mounted for Sunday morning.
Sunday morning rolls around and I am all set to get on track and put down some laps. I get in both of the morning practice sessions and can immediately tell that the suspension adjustment have made a difference. I have much more confidence in getting on the gas and having the tire stick. I adjusted the rear and front tire pressures a little and got ready to go racing.
My first race of the day was Race #6, HD Buell of Glendale BOTT Middleweight. I was a little nervous for this race because I was lining up against some fast guys on Ducatis and Buells. I am gridded almost dead last and get the unique opportunity to try and out drag race guys with more HP into turn 1. I get a good start and head into turn 1 somewhere just behind the middle of the pack. I follow around Jim Chaconas #66 for a few laps trying to get by him, but he had too much motor and I couldn’t get close enough to set him up out of the tight section. Just as Jim is starting to pull away a little, Patrick McGinley #71 and Chris Armantrout #517, sneak by me. This started an epic 5 lap battle between me and Chris. I passed Chris going into turn 8 on that lap and he passed me back going into turn three on the next. Each lap that we battled was this way until on lap 7 we went into turn 8 right next to each other! We went through all of turn 8 side-by-side and I squirted a little ahead of Chris going into turn 9. Last lap, I have to make sure he doesn’t pass me into turn 3 again. I get a great drive out of turn 9 and head down the front straight right behind Patrick. All three of us freight train through turn 1 and I make sure to try to stick close to Patrick because I tended to carry more corner speed in turn 2. My plan works and I have just enough to get by Patrick in turn 2 and make the pass stick. I then try to make myself as wide as possible into turn three and the pass from Chris and Patrick didn’t happen. I made my way around to the start/finish and am very excited about my 11th place finish. Chris came over after the race and we were both stocked about the battle and the fact that we have two more races left on the day!
My second race of the day was Race #9, Golden Cantina 550 Superbike. I am gridded on the second row and get a better start than my first race. I go into turn 1 in 6th place right behind J.C. Gibbs #9. I know that J.C. is fairly fast on his FZR, so I really want to keep him in sight. After the second lap, I noticed that J.C. was holding me up in a few corners, so I showed him a wheel in turn 2 and then made a pass on the inside going into turn 8. On the next lap, J.C. gets by me on the inside under braking going into turn 1 but ruins his drive out of turn 1 and we went into turn two next to each other. He slipped by into turn 3 and I then made a move to pass on the inside of turn 8. Two times in two races I get to go side-by-side through turn 8 with another racer? Simply awesome! I pulled a little of a lead going into turn 9 and I ended up pulling away and taking the flag for 5th place!
The third and final race on the day for me was Race #13, West Coast GP Cycles Formula Twins Lightweight. For this race I am gridded on the inside of the front row in fourth. I get an even better start and am heading into turn 1 in 3rd place with Chris Speights #676 on my outside. Just as I am heading for the apex, Chris turns down and we almost collide. I back it off and put my head down to click off some hot laps and try to keep Chris in sight. On the first lap, as I get on the gas coming out of turn 3, I light the rear tire up and get a little bucked out of my seat. It didn’t ruin my drive that much and I just shook it off and kept on going. On lap 8, Chris Armantrout #517 and Jeff Rheaume #421 sneak up the inside of me going into turn three. I am going to work on that braking zone next month for sure! I make sure that I get a good drive up into 4 and set my sights on getting that all important drive out of turn 5 to set both of these guys up for a turn 8 pass. I go into turn 5, get on the gas early and hard, the tire sticks and it gives me a great drive out of turn 5 and over turn 6. I am reeling in both guys and I am sure I had an evil little smirk under my helmet. Just as I am going to pass Jeff on the outside of the exit of turn 6, he swings wide to set up for turn 8. Nooooooooooo!!!!!!!!! I almost run into Jeff and have to get off of the gas to make sure there isn’t any contact. That killed my drive and I was hoping for a miracle at that point. Jeff pulls up on the inside of Chris going into turn 9, but is too far inside and it killed his drive. I tried to get on the gas as soon as possible and get a great drive out of turn 9, but I was too far away from Chris and we finished nose to tail for 4th and 5th respectively.
I want to thank a few people in particular for a great weekend. Obviously I want to thank my sponsors Advanced Kawasaki, The Syndicate Barbershop, and Galfer for their support. I would also like to thank Patrick McGinley, Chris Armantrout, J.C. Gibbs, and Jeff Rheaume for the awesome battles this weekend, and my beautiful fiancée Julie Kessler for her pit help, support, and encouragement throughout the whole weekend.
WSMC Classic Series Round #3, 3/18/07
The only way to describe the race weekend that I had this month is simply awesome! The decision on what motorcycle and what classes I wanted to race in that I made prior to this race season was not made lightly. I really wanted to race in a class and on a bike that I believed I could be competitive on. I really wanted to be confident in and be able to dice it out with other racers and have their confidence that I would do the same. This month’s races reassured that the decision I made was the correct one.
Before I went out to the track for this month’s races, I installed some new fork springs and cut some new spacers to get the right amount of front sag. Since I had to run Pirellis for last month’s races and was set up for Michelins, Saturday morning I took the Pirellis off and re-mounted the Michelins that I had used on both Friday and Saturday of last month, just to see how long they would last. Practice rotations were a little slow because of the Sidecars that were racing with us this weekend, but that was good because it gave me some good down time between the practice sessions to make some needed adjustment to my shock. I ended up turning some faster laps than last month in the first few sessions, but then the tires started to really go away on my fourth session, I was sliding all over the place, so I called it a day and go a new set mounted for Sunday morning.
Sunday morning rolls around and I am all set to get on track and put down some laps. I get in both of the morning practice sessions and can immediately tell that the suspension adjustment have made a difference. I have much more confidence in getting on the gas and having the tire stick. I adjusted the rear and front tire pressures a little and got ready to go racing.
My first race of the day was Race #6, HD Buell of Glendale BOTT Middleweight. I was a little nervous for this race because I was lining up against some fast guys on Ducatis and Buells. I am gridded almost dead last and get the unique opportunity to try and out drag race guys with more HP into turn 1. I get a good start and head into turn 1 somewhere just behind the middle of the pack. I follow around Jim Chaconas #66 for a few laps trying to get by him, but he had too much motor and I couldn’t get close enough to set him up out of the tight section. Just as Jim is starting to pull away a little, Patrick McGinley #71 and Chris Armantrout #517, sneak by me. This started an epic 5 lap battle between me and Chris. I passed Chris going into turn 8 on that lap and he passed me back going into turn three on the next. Each lap that we battled was this way until on lap 7 we went into turn 8 right next to each other! We went through all of turn 8 side-by-side and I squirted a little ahead of Chris going into turn 9. Last lap, I have to make sure he doesn’t pass me into turn 3 again. I get a great drive out of turn 9 and head down the front straight right behind Patrick. All three of us freight train through turn 1 and I make sure to try to stick close to Patrick because I tended to carry more corner speed in turn 2. My plan works and I have just enough to get by Patrick in turn 2 and make the pass stick. I then try to make myself as wide as possible into turn three and the pass from Chris and Patrick didn’t happen. I made my way around to the start/finish and am very excited about my 11th place finish. Chris came over after the race and we were both stocked about the battle and the fact that we have two more races left on the day!
My second race of the day was Race #9, Golden Cantina 550 Superbike. I am gridded on the second row and get a better start than my first race. I go into turn 1 in 6th place right behind J.C. Gibbs #9. I know that J.C. is fairly fast on his FZR, so I really want to keep him in sight. After the second lap, I noticed that J.C. was holding me up in a few corners, so I showed him a wheel in turn 2 and then made a pass on the inside going into turn 8. On the next lap, J.C. gets by me on the inside under braking going into turn 1 but ruins his drive out of turn 1 and we went into turn two next to each other. He slipped by into turn 3 and I then made a move to pass on the inside of turn 8. Two times in two races I get to go side-by-side through turn 8 with another racer? Simply awesome! I pulled a little of a lead going into turn 9 and I ended up pulling away and taking the flag for 5th place!
The third and final race on the day for me was Race #13, West Coast GP Cycles Formula Twins Lightweight. For this race I am gridded on the inside of the front row in fourth. I get an even better start and am heading into turn 1 in 3rd place with Chris Speights #676 on my outside. Just as I am heading for the apex, Chris turns down and we almost collide. I back it off and put my head down to click off some hot laps and try to keep Chris in sight. On the first lap, as I get on the gas coming out of turn 3, I light the rear tire up and get a little bucked out of my seat. It didn’t ruin my drive that much and I just shook it off and kept on going. On lap 8, Chris Armantrout #517 and Jeff Rheaume #421 sneak up the inside of me going into turn three. I am going to work on that braking zone next month for sure! I make sure that I get a good drive up into 4 and set my sights on getting that all important drive out of turn 5 to set both of these guys up for a turn 8 pass. I go into turn 5, get on the gas early and hard, the tire sticks and it gives me a great drive out of turn 5 and over turn 6. I am reeling in both guys and I am sure I had an evil little smirk under my helmet. Just as I am going to pass Jeff on the outside of the exit of turn 6, he swings wide to set up for turn 8. Nooooooooooo!!!!!!!!! I almost run into Jeff and have to get off of the gas to make sure there isn’t any contact. That killed my drive and I was hoping for a miracle at that point. Jeff pulls up on the inside of Chris going into turn 9, but is too far inside and it killed his drive. I tried to get on the gas as soon as possible and get a great drive out of turn 9, but I was too far away from Chris and we finished nose to tail for 4th and 5th respectively.
I want to thank a few people in particular for a great weekend. Obviously I want to thank my sponsors Advanced Kawasaki, The Syndicate Barbershop, and Galfer for their support. I would also like to thank Patrick McGinley, Chris Armantrout, J.C. Gibbs, and Jeff Rheaume for the awesome battles this weekend, and my beautiful fiancée Julie Kessler for her pit help, support, and encouragement throughout the whole weekend.