1st expert weekend, and VIR kicks arse!

[OmniGLH]

Ok so I *almost* survived my 1st expert weekend unscathed  :)

First of all... VIR is a BAD A** track.  As it stands right now, I'm ranking it ahead of Barber.  The faster you go, the more rewarding it is.  The back section is fun as all heck... and I was hard-core digging the roller coaster.  Kinda tough to learn, as there is a LOT going on... and really no place to rest.

2nd... I am SO glad I went expert.  A wise young man (Jessie Janisch) once told me... "Going to expert will make you 2-3 seconds faster, guaranteed."  Well, I think he's right.  I don't think I would've gotten anywhere near the laptimes I was running had I stayed in the yellow-plated class.  While I don't think the back of the pack in expert is all that much faster than your average Am... they are definitely much cleaner and more predictable.  

We left Chicago at 5:00 on Thursday to head out to VIR.  Didn't wind up rolling into the track until close to 10:00 AM (oops!)  Thankfully the super-kind staff was nice enough to let us squeak into the back row of GTU and Team Challenge.

Missed 99% of practice.  As soon as we registered, rolled the bikes out of the trailer, geared up, tech'd, and snuck out into our last practice session as the checkered flag was waving.  Officials let us go out, provided we came right back in after 1 lap.  So GTU was basically our practice.  Kinda hairy... first expert race, NO idea what direction the track went... I just kinda let everybody go, figured I'd go out for a stroll.  Started to finally get the hang of the track, thought I was rolling along pretty well until I got lapped by Jensen going into T1... guy freaking backs it in in front of me.  But I started to realize as the faster guys lapped me that it was actually a GOOD thing.  Started to try to follow the fast guys for as long as I could... "Ooooooh, so THAT'S how to take that corner..."  Wound up going from 1:45s to 1:39s, just by getting lapped (who'd a thunk it?)  

By the end of the weekend I had run a bunch of 1:36s, a best of 1:36.3, while riding at about 60%  I think my best finish was 16th (?) starting from row 11.   ;D  I want more track time, as there are a ton of things I want to try (gearing for one, and suspension for another.)  I think I can get down to the 34s pretty comfortably, maybe even 33s if I try hard enough.  There is NO way I would've come CLOSE to these times had I stayed Am.  I think the leading Ams were going 1:37.50s (which is STILL flyin', no disrespect)... but I would've been fighting it out with those guys, and no way I would've gone over a second faster had I not bumped myself up.

A few BIG realizations that hit me this weekend:
1)  Pre-registering is WAY more important as an expert.  Starting in rows 10 and 11 all weekend makes it TOUGH as heck to work your way to the front, especially when all of these guys have been racing a few years.

2) Passing is a lot harder to do as an expert.  

3)  DON'T try to stretch out a set of tires.  (Ok, so this has nothing to do with being an expert.) Learned this the hard way, tucking the front in the back section on lap 5 of 7 in my last race of the weekend.  I'm ok... but now I have a pile of aluminum that I need to reassemble  :(  When in doubt - just buy a set of tires.  $300 is WAY cheaper than the $1000 it's gonna cost me to put this POS back together!

To those Ams out there who are contemplating jumping ship... DO IT.  The contingency as an Am is definitely nice (it's what kept me an Am for the first half of this year)... but pushing to keep up with the REAL fast guys will hopefully get me closer to collecting contingency as an expert  :)

So while I won't make MAM due to my bike being in a bunch of little pieces :(... I'm looking forward to getting schooled at BHF in a few weeks!

[OmniGLH]

Oh... and the best part of the whole weekend?

I actually beat DanO in one of my races... and finished right behind him in another  ;D  (Sorry DanO... had to do it...;) )  I'm managing to maintain my lead in the "Jim VS. DanO" racing career scorechart:

Me:  9  DanO:  1

;)

[MELK-MAN]

i agree.. i had been stuck on lap times at the regional tracks. Between a newer bike and being beaten silly by faster riders the times have dropped. Without a doubt passing is harder, and when you make a mistake or dont ride a defensive line (unless you have a good margin on the rider behind).. you WILL get passed. Often in wholesale fasion.

[spyderchick]

 A wise young man (Jessie Janisch) once told me... "Going to expert will make you 2-3 seconds faster, guaranteed."  

Speaking of Jesse, I was thinking the other day about him and Blake Young riding AMA pro stuff. Can you imagine their high school essays on "What I did during my summer vacation" when fall rolls around? 8) ;) ;D

[spyderchick]

Jim, glad you had fun, sorry you crashed. I tell you, this racing stuff can be addictive. ;D ;D ;D

BTW, on the tire issue. I've been telling guys lately that considering the rate they go through tires, a $1000 set of leathers is an inexpensive investment to make. That's 3 sets of tires, 4 sets if you get the leathers custom. If they last you 3-5 years, you can see the value. Just some food for thought.

[GSXR RACER MIKE]

2nd... I am SO glad I went expert....While I don't think the back of the pack in expert is all that much faster than your average Am... they are definitely much cleaner and more predictable.

     That's the very point I have made when the whole issue of "what makes someone an expert" comes up, experience, not always lap times. This is also the reason that I wasn't thrilled back when CCS started combining Experts and Amateurs in almost every race run. Not that I don't want to get passed by an amateur (I could care less), but trust in those around you is worth so much, that was what I liked when I went Expert back in '98 was the Expert only races and the trust you had in the ability of those around you!


And in the fuel for the fire catagory....

So while I won't make MAM due to my bike being in a bunch of little pieces :(... I'm looking forward to getting schooled at BHF in a few weeks!

     Are you not the same guy who was calling out the fast Experts and saying "I'm coming for you!"?  ;D ;) LOL Just giving you a hard time! ;D

[r1owner]

Congrats Jim.  Great writeup too.

I feel the same way about tires now after my crash.  I figure it is better to "waste" ~300 bucks a weekend then risk spending 1000-2000 to fix the bike.

[Speedballer347]

Great Job Jim!!!
After that bad hit at BHF's I am suprised to see you still in the game...you are a hard-core racer 8)

You might have beatan Dano...but he does better wheelies...LOL! ;D
Great job Buddy!  :)

[OmniGLH]

And in the fuel for the fire catagory....


     Are you not the same guy who was calling out the fast Experts and saying "I'm coming for you!"?  ;D ;) LOL Just giving you a hard time! ;D

LOL ya  ;)  But what fun would racing be without a little trash talk?  ;D

[gixxerfever]

dude, where you pitting facing the bathrooms in the back of the paddock??? if yes we were behind you :D :D

[OmniGLH]

dude, where you pitting facing the bathrooms in the back of the paddock??? if yes we were behind you :D :D

Ya... we were sorta at an angle to the bathrooms/showers.  Big black trailer, 2 green R6s.  Were you the guy in the Jeep with the U-Haul?

[gixxerfever]

Ya... we were sorta at an angle to the bathrooms/showers.  Big black trailer, 2 green R6s.  Were you the guy in the Jeep with the U-Haul?

nah, that was smiley, i had the charcoal trailer and burgandy yukon next to him...