Official Track Record at Speed Tech Parking Lot Broken!!

[cshaffer66]

Jason, I can represent TSR pocketbike division.  I also have an xr100 with some street tires that could be some fun.  What kind of track are we talking about?  Jimbo always talks about the parking lot races.  I'm down for whatever. I'm assuming there is going to be beer there...

[J Farrell / Speed Tech Motorsp]

Chris,
TSR..... Hmmmmm....... I think you guys lost your way! TSR? Should be STR. So instead of joining STR you guys decided to start your own team call Team Squid Racing. Hmmmm....
Alright guys bring it on. We have several classes to run. I ride em all, but my personal favorite is the unlimited class. Run whatever you think is going to get you around the course the quickest. We also run pocket bikes & CRF 50's on this track. So far I hold the record with the spree at 12.50. Jimmys best was running the CRF50 on motard tires. He managed a 12.71 I think. My best on the CRF50 was a 12.74.
Pocket bikes kind of suck. Too hard to ride the damn things. So twitchy. I believe Jaeger has that record with a mid 13. I matched that time awhile back.
But the fastest anyone else has managed on my spree is Mike with a 13.4.
Charlies best was the CRF50 with a 13.1 and a 13.7 on the spree.
We will be racing again on Thursday night since the weather looks good. The ground is soaked at the moment. That is creating some safety issues with hitting the building directly on the corner after a long slide from crashing in the water drainage valley.

Starting next spring we will be adding a super motard dirt section to the course. Maybe throw a jump or 2 in there.
Maybe we could have some of these races on Friday or Saturday night  during non race weekends this next season?

We did have a beer challange race on the CRF 50 a couple months ago. Man what a blast! I'm going to write up the story on that. But here is the end result. Everyone out of 3 riders including myself, Jimmy & Charlie all went faster after 2 beers! NO JOKE. I don't reccomend trying this on the racetrack anyone. So we were trying to understand mental attitudes while riding with a couple drinks. I write the story later. It's interesting to say the least.
So the real deal is the track record was set by me on my spree sober. But all the CRF 50 times were with 2 beers in. It was worth .4 seconds on a very short track. I mostly related to getting on the gas sooner & sooner.
Keep in touch Chris. Anyone else want to join?
Jason

[racerhall]

dont you ever work
get us some sponsorship instead of spree racing
Hall

[cshaffer66]

I've had my fair share of parking lot racing racing and crashing with the pocket bikes.  I do know that Jim has gotten faster on the 50, as we would be even at our home course but toward the end he was pulling a gap on me.  Pocket bikes can be difficult to ride but I think I have had every kind of crash you can have and I have gotten decent at saving my body.  Its hard to find guys to ride pocket bikes after they became popular 2 summers ago, so I might be kind of rusty, but I'll bring my A game.  Can we make some trophies out of some old CCS trophies with a dremel or something? I'm down for a dirt section with the xr100, so I can back it in and take out some people.  That's what I call a "give it to your mamma turn".  Those are the most fun.  It will be tough to make it up there during the winter, but come spring you better have that parking lot marked and ready to rock.

In the mean time why don't you use some of those ice tires you build and come ride some ice?  And when its not cold enough make the trip down and ride some indoor motorcross at Waterman www.wirmx.com  The riders of TSR are getting in their practice for next year.  Team Squid Racing rolls all year round.  If I'm not wondering why I suck on a road race bike I'm trying to figure out how to jump a stupid dirt bike.  If I keep trying I just might figure it out one day.

[cshaffer66]

can I bring my tractor?

[J Farrell / Speed Tech Motorsp]

Bad Ass Tractor wheelie!
Game on bud. I'll help your roadracing skills. It's just simple understanding is all. 

[J Farrell / Speed Tech Motorsp]

Finally got to take the track for a run again!
Team Speed Tech Rider Charlie & I ran for fun tonight and had a blast! I ran my fastest under crap conditions. Temp was around 40 degrees. Track had 3 damp/wet turns for a bit in the beginning. So warming up the tires was fun. I let Charlie do that for 50 laps or so since we don't have 10" tire warmers yet! If anyone finds some let me know!

Charlie was throwing down some high 14's to start off the festivities. Jaeger was out coaching us on lines and where we could maybe pick up some time. My first run netted a crash within 3 laps in the high speed flat out turn 4 wide open.  The spree just didn't feel right so we check air pressure to find the rear at only 15psi! Added air and went for some times.
Riding in these damp conditions makes you think about your riding very closely. One little mistake will put you on your ass. I ended up nailing some high 13's right off the bat. Charlie didn't seem to think more speed was possible. Round 2 saw Charlie hitting some
mid 14's and looked much smoother.
My turn again. Time to figure it out. I went for another 30 or so laps and managed some low 13's until I started hitting the ground at the apexs. Jaeger claims I running out of clearance. So we checked air pressure and again it down to 12psi now. We noticed the valve stem having a grind mark on it since it sticking out at 90degrees. It's rubbing the swingarm and slowing letting out air everytime it passes the swingarm! Hmmmm...
We decide to keep an eye on it.
Charlie runs again to nail some high 13.8-13.9. I'm thinking I better get my ass moving. So I get back on to drop the times and I'm hitting 13.0's now in the wet. Not bad I'm thinking. I got the thing sliding in all turns on the way in through and on exits. Damn, I never thought I could spin up the rear tire on spree with my knee on the deck. Fun!! Then bam I start hitting the ground again. Jaeger says were low on air again! So we topped off air and lowered pressures to 26psi instead of 29. This time we put on a valve stem cap to try to help slow the process down and maybe it will hold air longer.
It works and we are coaching each other all night. My best we a crapload of 12.7's and Charlie's best was 13.7. So I'm still 1 second ahead but Charlie ran his fastest laps ever while on a damp course! He is closing in on Mikes tail fast.

Crash tally for me was around 10 Charlie pulled off an impressive 0 crashes!!
The spree is really in need of a major fixup. It handles fine and runs great but the bodywork is trashed! Then thing has hit the deck over 100 times. Maybe closer to 125 times. And the only fix up is the rear rim. I bent it while sliding sideways on corner entry in the dry and I didn't even crash. It chattered so bad it was sick!
The clutch cover is so ground down that the clutch is now griding the track and peeling long metal shavings off the edge of it while we ride. Sparks flying and the whole bit! Were going to run it until it breaks. Installing a new one will suck as the new one will drag all over. I have to make something to add some ride height to the rear to keep from dragging.

We run Pirelli scooter tires as they hook up WAY better than the stock ones. Other than that it is all stock. Blinkers and all!

What I learned tonight:Delicate cornering to keep it from sliding.
Weight transfer from front to rear and seating position make a hugh difference on the handling of the bike.
Hit your marks or you really blow the lap times.
Later apex=better drives.
Bracing yourself properly helps steer the bike much better. Like knee on steering column & feet positioning.
We proved once again that proper hanging off results in faster lap times. Proper arm / head / shoulder postioning helps a great deal.
Look ahead. Don't ride the front tire! Lap times fall dramatically and it feels like your going way slower when you look ahead!

Look everyone, my body is beat after beating on that spree tonight. My upper shoulders hurt just like they do after a long weekend of racing. My abs are yelling at me too. Pretty much the same muscles that hurt after roadracing hurt now. So to me this is the best workout ever for roadracing for me. The more I ride this thing the better I feel about my race bikes. I love being close to the ground and I'm not comfortable unless I am hanging off and my elbows are almost dragging.
I'll update this and my findings everytime I ride. This will be a cool thread to check out. Especially during winter bordom time.
Later my CCS homeys:
Jason

[HensenCR]

As Long as there is no snow, we are riding.  Ill tell you right now, as a rookie, this helps me sooooooo much.  I am learning what I can get away with and what I cant.  Point: This is the best practice out there, I keep dropping my times, and on a 13 sec course, a tenth is huge.  The true test will be at the season.  Take the fastest time I ran last year, and my bet, within 10 laps, ill be faster than my fastest the year before, most likely in even five laps, Almost a guarantee. 

  Thanks J, Speed Tech will represent in a big way in 07

[J Farrell / Speed Tech Motorsp]

Charlie, with all this rain were having it will surely help our rain riding skills huh!
Still looking for 10" tire warmers. Anyone?

[Maduro Mistress]

Hi Jas baby! It's Miranda - are you going to let me come join your thursday night madness? I guarantee you I can get the slowest time around the track :) I'll bring the video camera and my leathers, but I wanna ride that pink 4 wheeler!!!!!!

[aberg12012]

Yea, I'm with Brian on that one... Get back to work slacker!!  (Yea, guess where I am right now... lol)

Anyways, my fat butt dosn't fit on those little pocket bikes... so I'm more happy taking photos. lol


The rest here:

http://www.pbase.com/alanjames/fun_at_speed_tech

[aberg12012]

Take the fastest time I ran last year, and my bet, within 10 laps, ill be faster than my fastest the year before, most likely in even five laps, Almost a guarantee. 

So your sayin' you think you'll be faster than me next year?  It's about time I have some competition... lol