Daytona stories

[RickyRacer]

Post your Daytona race story. Don't let be the only one. I'm sure you guys must have way more interesting stories than mine.

[JAHAWK]

Where's your's Ricky? ;)

[sportbikepete]

Nate Kern kicked AM ass, end of story.

[RickyRacer]

I posted my at the end of another tread. But I'll post it again to keep it together.
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EX/AM LW Supersport, two waves race. 3/1/02

Temps were in the upper 60's and the skies were overcast. This met that my tires would take a lot longer to warm up than I'm used to.  I still had no clue how to approach turn 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6.  And getting on those high banks was very freaky. I needed more track time before I felt even a little confidant.

I was grided toward the inside of row three. The start was classic "RickyRacer" and I jumped right into third place going into turn 1.   Coming out of turn 1, I almost high-sided.    For some reason my tires kept sliding in the infield. I never even came close to getting a puck down.  And after having the bike do one wild-ass fishtail maneuver coming out of turn 1, I decided to just cruise around and try to learn the track a little better.  I concentrated on the part of the track where I felt I had good traction, "The Chicane".

Well, to my pleasant surprise, I finished 6th out of a field of 15 and my best lap time was 2:27:39.    Yep, pretty crappy.  I could have gotten some wood but I missed a few too many shifts and that cost me.  For just cruising around, that's not too bad.  

EX/AM LW Superbike two wave race. 3/2/02

During the worm-up lap, I felt a big improvement in grip. (My tire PSI was way too high before) I was grided on the inside of row three.  The field contained 21 AM racers.  Definitely the biggest group I have ever raced in.  
The start went well but this time I only made it to fifth by turn one. Going into the West Horseshoe, two riders went pass me. By the time we get to the chicane, I was able to catch up and keep them with in sight. But I blew the International Horseshoe and Terry (66x) went by me. I was able to stay with him till we came back to this spot again. Here, Terry and two other riders screw each other up and all went wide. I stayed to the inside and got passed them all. Thank you!!    

Lap 3, we come onto expert riders. Going into the chicane, an expert racer blocked my entrance going in and ruins my drive out. But I managed to get pass him and chase the three racers that got passed.

Lap 4, going into the West Horseshoe we come across lap traffic. One of the lead riders runs right off the track. The other two must have been watching him and slowed up cus I got passed them on the out side.  Terry came up beside me trying to out break me going into the chicane.  So I got off the breaks early and dove in over the rumble strip. In the excitement, I made a big mistake and short shifted to fourth gear on the banking.

That was it, I knew Terry would be coming by now. Sure enough, as soon as I shift to fifth, he came by on the outside. I tuck in behind him and into the draft. He continued to pull a little bit but soon I started to makeup some ground. I was not able to stay in his draft and he pulls away some more before the finish line. He beat me by about three bike lengths.  So 7th out of 21.  Man was that fun!!!  

Oh, I got my lap times down to 2:21.

I am now looking forward to coming back to Daytona in October. Baring mechanical failure, injury, illness or death, you can bet I'll be returning home with some wood next time around.

[Eric Kelcher]

I have posted mine before. here is how not to do Daytona. ROC 2000

Loaded up 12 bikes in the company trailer and headed out to Daytona from Texas World Speedway. Mamnged to get a garage for all of us. Entered couple races on each of my two bikes one I thought I would do well in but brought my GSXR750 just have the rush of speed on banks of Daytona.  Well first round of practice went out on on my single ran through infield heh this is pretty cool :) ran out out onto banking shift cool shift DUH!! out of gears. Well I ran around to pit lane got back thinking dummy you forgot to swap out counter shaft sprocket. Nope had largest counter and smallest rear on this was NOT going to work :(  Well I guess I'll have fun on the GSXR in the GT race and Heavy Super but I was going to get my butt throughly kicked in those classes. I was one of the first ones out and ran through pit out/pit lane then as I went to acclerate onto track it fell flat on its face. I looked down just in time to see gas pouring out of air box and down over engine and steaming off head pipes  :o :o I stopped at the corner worker stand he wanders over asking if I was overheating NO NO GAS GAS. Well luckily the pipes were not fully hot orGOD was looking down on me and bike did not go up in flames. Wait through practice for crash truck never shows so I push the bike back to pits. I find that a float had gotten stuck in the trip from Texas adn fule pump filled airbox adn by then number 3 cylinder full of fuel. I clean everything up and go to thumb the starter to blow the gas out of cylinder. Well I just tap starter over while holding a rag over the cylinder. Engine fires up :o I forgot to disconnect 1/4 coils. As I shut engine off gas errupts in fire ball, remember I am in a garage, bike is on fire I spin grab an extinguisher and put bike out. Fast reaction times as air box hoses did not have a cahnce to melt. Well I was so mad and dejected I said screw it I am not riding/racing this weekend something is telling me NO so i popped a beer and sat down to wtach everyone else, Did I mention this is Thursday AM and I haven't made a lap yet?

Well i sit around help my buddies out Friday and Sat then Sat afternoon I decide well I guess I ought to clean this bike up then I figure what the hell I might as well get at least some of my money's worth and I 'll ride Sunday morning. FE stuff got in the open #3 cylinder and it was recomended to me to out plenty of oil in there to lubricate and clean that stuff out so I did. Cool bike is all ready to go Sunday morning, I decide I am just going to run practice and fire bike up and make it over to pit out sitting there letting bike heat up, remember the oil I put in number 3? well as bike came up to temp all that oil that is in the header starts to smoke. NO WAY you can't go out there with that bike, no amount of pleading it is just oil int he header will allow me out. I went back to the pits to "burn" it out of there. Well I make it back to pit out and next group is laready lining up push shove my way to front and get out. warm up tires warm up tires don't push calm down :) hit banking Oh YEAH that's it run it towards redline oh wow the chicance comes up fast hey made it through okay nobody passed me cool I guess. Ripp it around Tri-Oval hey what is that guy doing at start/finish No No No damn checker flag.
that one lap at Daytona had to exceed factory race teams expenses per lap. $2200/lap

2001 went much better I had sold the GSXR and ordered different gears for single dropped 6 teeth and still need 2 smaller. Ffinished 3 in one race but other race was the really cool one started like 40 something and finished sixth :) If I had only known that guy in front of me was for the podium :(

Daytona you have to have your stuff together I learned.

[David Kern]

Nate Kern kicked AM ass, end of story.

:D 8)

Thanks, I think so too!
Nathan's Dad

[Brett]

Got sick, puked for 2 days. Tried to ride anyway. Crashed on a new try it and see if it works tire. It didn't! Was very sore for qualifying and the race, but made it. In the end it wasn't so bad got 22nd was 18th but had to stop for gas with 6 laps left.
Me Daytona 200 2002
http://www.randrracing.com/new%20Daytona.jpg

[Scott]

Sure Nathan Kern ruled the amateur class at Daytona.  Because he should be an expert not an amateur and he is racing a Hooters Suzuki!!
Nathan's dad, your son is a cheater!!!

Scott

[r6_philly]

maybe he did so well because of the Hooters Suzuki, we all know it is a horsepower track anyways.

Did CCS make Kern expert after Daytona? 6 wins in the AM classes should probably do it, right? Besides if he can share bikes and mechanics with Micheal Barnes, maybe it isn't entirely fair to the rest of us slow amateurs who have to work our behinds off, and still end up with a slow bike. We took a week off from work and begged and dragged (lol) friends to come along and put aside their times too.

We will see how the regional races go, maybe he isn't that great to justify moving up, lets hope it is only the bike. If he is good and he gets to ride a pro. set up bike, then he should call CCS and asked to be moved to expert. It wouldn't be fair to take contigency money away from other am racers who paid out of their own pockets

[Fabri-Tech_Designs]

Or, maybe Nate is just a natural.  I mean he was only on the track like 10 times before Daytona this year, and 3 of those times were with NESBA.  I doubt his success was just because of the bike he was on.......

Right sportbikepete?

[rsmith]

Here's my $0.02 regarding Nate, so take it for what it is worth.

I have ridden with, correction attempted to keep up with, Nate at several NESBA events and can honestly say that his talent\abilities back up his wins at Daytona.  Besides, I'm pretty sure everyone would agree that it takes more than a fast bike to be competitive let alone win races in this sport.

FYI, I understand that Nate is moving up to expert starting this weekend at VIR so us AM's don't have to be concerned with this anymore.  The experts on the other hand might want to keep an eye on #60.
 ;)

[r6_philly]

I know some of us are more of a natual than the rest of us, maybe he is. How was his finishes last year? The reason I think most people question is, Daytona is a horsepower track, you can tip toe through the infield and still not get left behind if you bike is more powerful. If he whips everyone at VIR or Summit, then we know it is not the bike.

Then on the other hand, if he is that much faster, then he deservably should be an expert, and it is great to hear that he is moving up. It was just in the past others have stayed or even petiitioned to stay as AM's just so to win more races. The best luck to Kern, I will be watching him, and routing for him at VIR.

BTW, how can an inexperienced am get to ride a pro bike? I wouldn't  mind ;)

look at the times of 750 and 600 times by the same rider, we are talking at least 3-4 seconds per lap difference... If the hooters bike make 114 hp as the limit allows, and I am on my humble 100 hp bike, don't you think a 5 sec /lap time is not unreasonable even if we are the same skill level?