Question about first race

[GAMEDIC]

Robling aug 31 will be my first race...do i need to wear somehitng like my school shirt over my leathers so i don't get run over (well run over as bad)lol?

[rmahr137]

yes, that would be a good idea.  Do you have a t-shirt from the school you used to get your license?  
Wear that.

[funksouljon]

Kind of depends on you.
My first race weekend at VIR (WERA Cycle Jam) I decided to wear a bright shirt. It being my first weekend there, I figured I would be safer if I wore it even though I didn't have to. After some time on the track (figuring out when it went left and when it right), I felt like I was fast and consistent enough to run without it.

[GAMEDIC]

I thought i needed to...just making sure...i will at least for one race...

[CBRman93]

I elected not to wear my t-shirt in my first race. I didn't want to be a target since I had this huge X on my back. LOL

Definitely optional. If you think you will be doing halfway decent, don't wear it. If you know you're going to be a backmarker, wear it.

My $.02

[BC61]

If you will be gridded in the first wave or if there is any chance at all you will be lapped then it is a good idea to wear it. If your turning 1:28's or slower chances are you'll get lapped in a 7 lap sprint. If it's your first race you will be startled when someone comes across your front wheel mid corner. Better riders will give you extra room when making passes if they are coming through the field on the start or lapping people.

[GAMEDIC]

i think i will wear it..lol...so i will be the one you can't see with the BRIGHT green shirt on... :o

[ecumike]

I didn't wear mine for my first CCS race weekend... and I won my first race.

[Gixxer124]

I didn't wear mine for my first CCS race weekend... and I won my first race.

Me too! But do what you think is best. ;D

[GAMEDIC]

well i'm on a gsxr1000 i don't think i will win my first one...there are some fast guys in that class right?

[ecumike]

Yea, I'm sure there are fast riders, but don't discount yourself dude.... I did, I NEVER thought I would win a race my first season, or even come in top 5... but it is happening... 10/19 races, I've placed top 5.  And the part they say about filling out contingency forms even if you don't think you are that good... DO IT...  I almost missed out on ~$350 for the race I won b/c I wasn't going to fill out the form for my first race weekend, but my fiancee made me do it, and I thank her.

[TZDeSioux]

I wore my learning curves t shirt and came in dead freaking last and I was proud that I finished the race.

[am125ike]

Yo brian,
where these boys racin at ?!?!?!?  >:(
must not be no competition !!!!
man! i was FLYIN in my first race..... fly  ing  !
and i was pushin the top 5 the whole weekend.... got a 6 and a 7
but these guys in the front of our three regions, midwest grt plns and grt lks
must be fast (and kevin, dont say nothin, we already know youre 15th amatuer season is upon us  :o )
newbies winning races....im relocating......naaaah, i want someone to ride with, i never like ridin on da street with people who let me "gunn it" by myself, it's always been, hey, you ridin w/me,  "CUM'ON"!!! i'd like to win by 10 seconds, but seems like it'd be like practice.... just you and the track, sh!t, dont mistake it, dont get it twisted, everyone can "all fall down".... and no, i wont give it back (my wood)(please!!!)
  ok,ok, that must have been a blast, if anything is a blast,

won my first race ever !!!!!!!!!!!

 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

hell with the beer, It realy couldnt get much better than that.....
and brian, why didnt you tell me i could have raced hw sprtsmn with that f2 i had, i may have won that class!  you get on my nerve, and you too dawn, keep quiet kevin! it aint yo turn yet.. :D  tiffiney, you didnt say nothin to me either, who else is out there??
http://images.motograndprix.com/multimedia/89/89832.jpg
http://images.motograndprix.com/multimedia/81/81253.jpg

[CBRman93]

Where are you all racing to be able to win your first races? Shoot, I managed to gain a few spots from where I gridded at but win? If all the rookies come out winning their first races, then what happens to all the veterans? Do they all have a brief moments of compassion and sit out? Or is it that those rookies choose classes that are less competitive than the MW SS/SB, etc. and grid with enough guys to make 2 rows? Hmm....just sounds fishy.  

Hey now....ya'll aren't counting your school mock races are you?

Wait a minute..I did win my first race! And every other I have been in. I am unstoppable!

Too bad that was on my MotoGp 2 game!

[TZDeSioux]

I can slide the rear end coming out of every corner with a crossed up wheelie. I've got crazy skills in motogp 2. Hey we have a kid who won a race the very next day after he took school. I think his name is Jesse Janisch.. I believe he won one of the lightweight classes. Ike.. you have an F2? Oh yeah and Paul Bounds won lightweight gp his first weekend racing at Road America in april.

[Dawn]

Ike:

You're made at me that I did not tell you that your F2 would qualify for Heavyweight Sportsman !!!   ???

I have read the rule book, but I read it based on what Paul is racing at the time.  I'm sorry, but I feel everyone is responsible for their own bike and knowing what races they can enter.  If your pissed at me for that, there is nothing I can do about it.

Dawn

[am125ike]

ok Dawn,
you're correct in the fact that im deficient in my studies of the rule book, just too excited to race, overlooked too much!!!  "just let me on the track"
  
  but brian, you need to know if you slide the rear,  you're losing time.
i think i may be able to "get you" at motogp.......
and think of it, one of us will have to win  ;D

[ecumike]

Where are you all racing to be able to win your first races? Shoot, I managed to gain a few spots from where I gridded at but win? If all the rookies come out winning their first races, then what happens to all the veterans? Do they all have a brief moments of compassion and sit out? Or is it that those rookies choose classes that are less competitive than the MW SS/SB, etc. and grid with enough guys to make 2 rows? Hmm....just sounds fishy.  

Hey now....ya'll aren't counting your school mock races are you?

NO lies here, check the results.  I'm riding the Aprilia RS250, stock.  Racing at VIR, occasionally at SP, and RRR.  I race in LW classes... sure there may be less entrants (10-20) per race, but it's still competitive. I barely stand a chance against the supermoded SV650s

I don't know what everyone's story is, but it's not like I did a race school, then entered my first race that weekend, and won.  I've been riding with NESBA for 2 years, about 8 track days total (4 on my ex-ZX7, 4 on my RS250). I just got the 250 last July, and started racing this year on it... I dunno, maybe it's first season luck.  The race I won, I started in 5th place (in traffic), and took 1st on the 5th lap.

I never thought I'd get top 5 or even top10.. I was just hoping to finish the race on 2 wheels and not get hit by anyone.

Pete (Moravek) knows... we were dicing in some of the races, right Pete?

[TZDeSioux]

hrmm.. I don't know about that Ike. I do have more experience on a twostroke Grand Prix Machine :D Lets race! Suzuka.. I'll even pick Takuma Aoki's 250 :P

[TZDeSioux]

NO lies here, check the results.  I'm riding the Aprilia RS250, stock.  Racing at VIR, occasionally at SP, and RRR.  I race in LW classes... sure there may be less entrants (10-20) per race, but it's still competitive. I barely stand a chance against the supermoded SV650s

I don't know what everyone's story is, but it's not like I did a race school, then entered my first race that weekend, and won.  I've been riding with NESBA for 2 years, about 8 track days total (4 on my ex-ZX7, 4 on my RS250). I just got the 250 last July, and started racing this year on it... I dunno, maybe it's first season luck.  The race I won, I started in 5th place (in traffic), and took 1st on the 5th lap.

I never thought I'd get top 5 or even top10.. I was just hoping to finish the race on 2 wheels and not get hit by anyone.

Pete (Moravek) knows... we were dicing in some of the races, right Pete?

ecumike.. I don't think anyone is accusing you of lying. We're just jealous because we couldn't do it :)

[ecumike]

No prob., no accusations taken.

TZD, you know well that you could run laps around me on that thing.  
I wanted/was thinking about getting a used TZ instead, but I don't/didn't know that much about engines and wrenching on them.  And everything I was reading about the TZ, implied that you gotta tweak and tune them alot, which I wasn't ready for.

Whether I like it or not though, I'm slowly learning about these 2-strokes the hard way

[TZDeSioux]

No prob., no accusations taken.

TZD, you know well that you could run laps around me on that thing.  
I wanted/was thinking about getting a used TZ instead, but I don't/didn't know that much about engines and wrenching on them.  And everything I was reading about the TZ, implied that you gotta tweak and tune them alot, which I wasn't ready for.

Whether I like it or not though, I'm slowly learning about these 2-strokes the hard way

The bike with a proper rider on it could probably run pretty damn fast but not me. I'm too damn scared to go fast. Tuning the TZ isn't half as hard as people make it out to be. Yeah you're going to have problems but it's usually nothing you can't handle. I usually change jets maybe once the whole day. usually go up a size or two fo the more dense morning air and lean it out for the warmer afternoon air. Once you have a baseline set... it's as easy as that. Of course it costs more money to run a TZ250 compared to a fourstroke or even your Aprilia but I'm sure you already know that. You should definately get a TZ for next year. You won't regret it. :)

[pmoravek]

I gotta step up and testify........
Mike is pretty decent on that little 2 popper!
(as long as he's not overshooting the bridge turn at VIR  ;D)
But everybody is different, Mike and I have had quite a bit of riding experience (prior to finding out that ROADRACING IS THE SH1T!!!)
all I'm saying is this...Your results ma vary.
Wear a t-shirt during practice and try to get a feel for where you're at.  If you're not certain...ask somebody else on the grid after you gett off the track.

[ecumike]

yea, as pitiful as it sounds... jets?... yea, I kinda know what they are, but have no idea about them, changing them, how they work, where they are, etc...  Hell I didn't even know what a piston  and cylinder looked like, until my engine seized in April and I had to replace the top-end... what a learning experience that was.

And I know, once you do it one time, it's easy the rest, but it's just those initial first steps that's tough to get through.

I know, it's sad.. but hey.. I'm a rider, not a mechanic., but slowly becoming both.  ;)

[TZDeSioux]

ecumike... man you got some high quality photos on your site....  very cool

[ecumike]

Yea... I didn't know that changing the brake fluid when it's black, makes that much difference... I don't recommend grabbing a handful of brakes just after changing the fluid, on the end of a straight... Man I'm so pissed at that one.. did a nice rolling endo and went off roading, blew the lead and my $ for that race.

[TZDeSioux]

yea, as pitiful as it sounds... jets?... yea, I kinda know what they are, but have no idea about them, changing them, how they work, where they are, etc...  Hell I didn't even know what a piston  and cylinder looked like, until my engine seized in April and I had to replace the top-end... what a learning experience that was.

And I know, once you do it one time, it's easy the rest, but it's just those initial first steps that's tough to get through.

I know, it's sad.. but hey.. I'm a rider, not a mechanic., but slowly becoming both.  ;)

Mike,
a bunch of my buddies race the aprilia and by the time they get their gas tank, air box and the 100 different hoses off off their rs... i can replace a top end on my bike. They're designed to disassemble as quick as possible. You'll save yourself alot of headaches by switching to a TZ. You should probably wait till end of next season... there's probably going to be a boatload of AMA 250 guys dumping their bikes :)

[ecumike]

ecumike... man you got some high quality photos on your site....  very cool

Thanks, but the credit goes to my Brother in Law.. Ryan Schlagheck.. if you've heard of him.. http://www.superbikepics.com,  and my friend, Keith Shearon http://www.motographic.com (official CCS photographer)

I actually used to shoot photos and write the race reports for CCS.. however, they're still up on the site http://ccsracing.com/photos.asp

[ecumike]

Mike,
a bunch of my buddies race the aprilia and by the time they get their gas tank, air box and the 100 different hoses off off their rs... i can replace a top end on my bike. They're designed to disassemble as quick as possible. You'll save yourself alot of headaches by switching to a TZ.

Yea, that's what Roach told me.  I still haven't see the 'inside' of a TZ, but that's what I hear, how EASY it is... yea the 250 is/was a pain to do the top end.. I dropped the engine to make it easier.

You should probably wait till end of next season.. there's probably going to be a boatload of AMA 250 guys dumping their bikes :)

HAHA :) maybe that's a good idea.

[ecumike]

Sorry for the stupidity, but what's the deal with that?.. why doesn't the TZ have all those cables and hoses that the RS does?

[TZDeSioux]

Sorry for the stupidity, but what's the deal with that?.. why doesn't the TZ have all those cables and hoses that the RS does?

Well to start off with.. the motor you have in your RS is basically a motor off of a Suzuki RGV250 streetbike so there's alot of additional crap on that bike that you don't need for racing. I think aprilia basically threw on some race bodywork and shipped it out as a racebike. The TZ is purpose built for racing so anything unneccesary is left off. Everything on the TZ is there for the sake of racing. No oil injectors.. no huge air box with a filter, no idle circuitry on the carbs. I think there's like 4 vent hoses on your rs that can be removed.. not really sure though. If you ever see a guy named YTAK1 on this board... he's the aprilia man... he can tell you exactly what you can remove or not. :)

[Eric Kelcher]

TZ is designed as a race bike with frequent top engine jet changes.
The Aprilia RS250 is designed as a street bike and less frequent changes and more appearance concerns

[GAMEDIC]

And this was just going to be a simple quick thread...LOL :o

[ecumike]

yea, sorry GAMEDIC, didn't mean to 'take over' the thread.