1st race weekend report.... WOW

[tstruyk]

1st let me make say a HUGE thank you to everyone that helped me get ready and get me through this weekend.  1st Jeremy Harvey for makin sure that since it was our first rodeo we where preppared for just about anything (including checking the scanner for red flags and running to hot pit with a generator 4 stands and 2 sets of warmers for randy and I!!) and for haulin us all down there and back!!  thanks Rick Weaver for being there to answer EVERY question we had... all weekend!  To Rob and crew at Lithium for all the help with set up, all they way down to the schneitzel burger grill meister for a kick ass lunch on sunday, Dean at track addix for the latex and for the help with the generator when ours shot craps and mitch and matt for letting us tap power to run our third set of warmers!  Tommy for the tires and advice on pressures and compounds....thanks so much to everyone I am sure I missed someone.  on to the report.

Where to start...

1st race friday... team challenge

Note to self, when competing in the team challenge, secure a CONFIRMED pit in area for exchanges and fuel!!   Nothing like coming if for an exchange going "where the F are they?" ;)  
It was really used as a "track day" for the most part but by default we ended up 4th!!  One team crashed out (right in front of me.. thats a first!) in the first lap and the other suffered mechanical problems.  Only 6 on grid in the GTU class.
The "high" light of that race was a saved high side coming out of the bend on lap 2... too much throttle on the off camber outside portion of the bend spit me up onto the windscreen...feet level with seat... held on... hit the grass/gravel... got the thumbs up from the corner worker and off I went... whew!  A few OH S*** moments going up the hill on 6 and a few small 2 wheel slides on the down hill left handers where the extent of the race.  Mission accomplished, finshed the race and logged seat time at RA for the first time!

I ran  pilot powers for the team challenge and had planned in swapping tires out for the MWSB sprint... no time!  So my poor powers endured: 1 track day at hallett, 2 practice sessions, the team challenge, and my first sprint!!  WOW great longevity and superb grip, they still look new!!! A little thin on the carcass but the look of the tire was amazing!!

1st sprint was.... interesting!  Managed to get my grid position right!  thats a plus.  Managed to wait for the 2nd wave to start... going good so far... that turned to "Oh S***" she's waving the flag... AND WERE OFF.... its all kind of a blur til the 2nd lap!  haha  what a crazy hectic insane feeling railing in to T1 with 35 others trying to get there first!!  I was a lil under HP on my 02 (need to change air filter and new plugs) and lost positions on the straights but I seemed to have a knack for the carousel, picking off 3-5 positions on lap one of every race... that was cool!  Kind of a blur on the rest of the race but ended up around 15th of 30something I think .... fine for me for race #1!

Had a REALLY fun MWSS race, my buddy Randy and I have been kinda mouthin each other all winter about who is gonna beat who and whatnot... come sat, it was game on!!  He carries less **ahem** "mass" than myself and also has an 04 kaw 636 so the straights where his... however the carousel was mine!!  muhahahaha  great dicing for 4 straight laps with him getting the better of me after a turn 6 error on my behalf... ended up 13th.  Sundays SS race was better for me... had some good racing with a few guys and ended up 9th.  My MW GP races ended up with a 9th and an 11th... I had 8th in the bag in race 2 but some SERIOUS rear end slides and a front end push on the fourth lap talked me into stepping off the pace and bringing it home in one piece.  Had some good racing prior to that and it was all I could do to hold off the 3 guys that stepped in front when I pulled off the pace... too much fun!!

overall I eneded up with a 4th, 2 9th's, 11th, 13th, 15th, and 20th.

All in all it was a great time, met some great people learned alot and saw some GREAT racing!!  What an eye opener, I cant wait til BHF!!!!  See you all there!!

Tim Struyk
GP amatuer #575

[tigerblade]

Did you use your voucher?  Ungrateful ba$tard...   :P :-* ;D

[tstruyk]

didnt use the voucher... but a big thanks to cabbage for the CCS cert!!  

oh and to Kris for mailing it!  ;D

I'll remember to use it next time!

[Burt Munro]

1st race friday... team challenge

Note to self, when competing in the team challenge, secure a CONFIRMED pit in area for exchanges and fuel!!   Nothing like coming if for an exchange going "where the F are they?" ;)  
 

You weren't that far off Tim.....  only about 200 yards!! ;D