Round 2 (May 8th – 9th)
The Adrenaline Freaks trackday on Thursday was focused primarily on instructing since I did not have much left in the tires we used for one race weekend, practice, and two days at Fontana. Ross Delong and I enjoyed the opportunity to circulate around with Lil Mario Alvarez, who was piloting an older R6. This was only his second time on a 4-stroke 600cc machine, and he proved to carry an impressive amount of corner speed! He was handling the bike very well despite it being set up for a much heavier rider. In summary, Lil Mario is going to be a rocket once he gets fully comfortable with the R6!
On Saturday, I forgot to re-map the MR9 for the warmer temperatures in practice. Instead, I simply added an extra 3% of fuel at the upper end of the throttle and RPM range to keep the bike from running too lean. We would have to test the mapping changes during the 600 Supersport race.
This would be my first "dry" race of the season. As the red light disappeared, we tore down the front stretch into Turn One. Though my start wasn't particularly spectacular, I managed to fight my way into 6th place. Holding onto this position would prove to be a challenge. Two riders eventually slipped by after I missed several downshifts into Turns 3 and 4. On the last lap, I again missed an upshift out of the bus stop which killed my drive - sure enough, another rider went by. I realized at one point that I was nowhere up to speed. Thus, the riders that passed me pulled away. However, I was at least happy to cross the finish line in the top 10. 600 Supersport: 9th Place.
Once back in the pits, we decided to make a few changes. I had noticed that the front end of the bike was starting to "wallow" (or headshake) coming into the corners. Dave Alexander, of Fluid Suspension Science, opted to add a bit more preload to the front forks and reduce the low speed compression. Likewise, we fiddled with the fuel map a bit - the Bazzaz system suggested that we lean the bike out at the upper RPM range. Finally, I adjusted the shift pedal downward to reduce the reach needed to upshift during the race (hopefully this would minimize those missed shifts out of the bus stop).
Sunday morning practice would reveal no change in how the R6 handled coming into the corners. Thus, Dave went even further with tweaking the front preload and low speed compression. We ran out of practice time, so I'd have to test the changes during the first race. My start for the 600 Superbike race was decent enough to hurdle me into 6th place as we approached Turn 2 on the first lap. There I was again - clinging to this spot - watching the guys in front of me pull away out of the corners. The R6 still wobbled and shook on the corner entries, and this time, the back tire decided to noticeably slide out on the exit of Turn 9 in the first lap. "Whoops! Not good!" I thought. It was no surprise when two riders slipped by. Throughout the race, I continued to feel the back tire slide on the gas out of Turns 2 and 9, which was a bit surprising, because I wasn't going particularly fast.
On the last lap, I realized that someone was right on my tail - I did not know it was Mike MacConaghy! He tried to take the outside line in Turn 2, but we ended up in an elbow-to-elbow battle down into Turn 3. You brake... No, YOU brake... Oh, no... you first! Eventually he hit the brakes while I just about ran out of track! I tried to recover and get on the gas for another shot at him in Turn 4, but he already had a wheel on me. We continued the mayhem with a drag race down the back stretch. This time, Mike had a wheel on me coming into Turn 5. Rats! I eventually ran out of passing opportunites. After we crossed the line though, we gave each other the thumbs up. At the track exit, we were both laughing and joking about how much fun we just had. Granted, it would probably be my last close encounter with Mike. However, I had to thank him for the good time! Now that's racing! 600 Superbike: 9th Place.
Since there was some time to spare, Dave Alexander decided to make a few big changes with the R6's suspension. He ended up switching to stiffer front fork springs along with re-setting the sag, the front rebound, and the low speed compression. Dave also added a bit of preload to the rear shock. After discussing the last race with Tom Young, we decided to drop the rear tire pressure another 2 lbs in efforts to get more grip.
The last and most important part of the whole equation that needed to be changed was what I was doing on the bike. After spending all winter seriously focusing on my physical conditioning for the season, I still found myself completely exhausted before a race ended. The only difference I noticed was that I had just enough energy to now fight back (a bit) when passed. I kept telling everyone that I was just going to hang on for the 750 Superbike race because I had nothing left physically. Likewise, I had never really taken the 750 races too seriously - I primarily ran them for testing and extra seat time.
With all of this in mind, I rolled out of the pits towards the track entry gate feeling much more RELAXED. There would be a few more folks to get past since I was gridded on the third row. I managed squeeze by a couple of riders into Turn 3 on the first lap. However, I had to be patient and wait for the next several laps to make another move. Strangely, I felt completely calm through the whole ordeal. My heart rate was lower, I wasn't gasping for air, and my muscles weren't shaking from failure. Likewise, I really didn't slow down. Instead, I actually caught up to and passed another two riders. Furthermore, the R6 felt much more stable coming into the corners, and I did not notice any slides from the rear tire. On the last two laps, I managed to catch up to Mike Tobin. I went for the pass in Turn 3, but he successfully warded me off! I thought about a pass into Turn 9, but he had a better drive out of Turns 7 and 8. Once again though, I managed to finish in the top ten - this was a decent start to the season. 750 Superbike: 10th Place.
By the end of the weekend, my lap times were still almost a second off of last year's quickest times. However, we made some considerable changes with the R6's suspension set up, and with the tire pressures which produced positive results. As a rider, I came to the stark realization that my pre-season conditioning wouldn't do me much of any good if I couldn't RELAX on the bike. This is something I need to focus on for the rest of the season.
Finally, I decided to purchase a GoPro onboard video camera to have the ability to go back and review each race for learning purposes. For example, the footage over the weekend showed that the top five guys are getting a MUCH better drive out of the corners. I doubt that this is due to a horsepower advantage. More than likely, they are simply getting on the gas sooner. So the question is - what's keeping me from getting on the gas as quickly as they do? I will analyze it to death, no doubt!
Dave Alexander - Thank you for all of your suspension and fuel mapping help this past weekend! Your infinite wisdom once again proved vital to fixing the R6's handling issues.
Tom Young - With your assistance and expertise, the Pirelli tires worked beautifully.
Iris Nevin - Wow! Thanks for providing transport and storage for the bikes and pit equipment - we can now travel like rock stars with your HUGE trailer!
The Fluid Suspension Team and Crew - Thank you so much for all of your help in the pits! What you do reduces our stress level when it's go time, and every little bit counts!
Finally, I cannot forget all of our sponsors for the 2010 season - your support keeps this racing addiction alive. Thank you!
Stayed tuned for more adventures at Spokane Raceway Park with WMRRA Round 3 on May 29th - 30th.
Cheers,
Wendy Kristen Leber
fourwindsroadracing.com