The morning started out wet. (YEA, kinda, as we really need the water here) It rained a bit on the 20 mile drive to the track, (Sandia motorsports park) with nasty black clouds in the direction of the track. So I didn't know if we would be racing. We don't race in the rain here. I got to the track and it wasn't raining there, but there was standing water on the track and in the pits.
They had already started drying the track by driving cars and trucks around it. It was nice and cool with the thick clouds.
With the delay, we got our practices shortened from 3 to 2 practices. I was ready to get out there again, as the last race day I was snail slow in the corners, and I had been reading up more in my roadracing books and found a few important things I wasn't doing. The first session went very well, I was second out in the vintage practice, and didn't get passed!
My cornering felt a bunch better and faster, and I picked up 4 mph on the straight.
The second practice almost went as well, as again, I was second out and could keep one of the faster guys in sight. (I also picked up another 3 mph on the straight) And again, I didn't get passed. But at the end, the motor went "sour" so I pulled in. The plugs looked good, even thought I was still chasing a tuning problem. But when I went to turn the motor over, it would stop!
It would go either way a bit, but still stopped. I figured I had finally blown the crank as it has been abused on the track and street for years. There was a noise coming from the right cylinder so I pulled the head. Everything looked good in there, and a bit more "rocking" of the crank and it freeded up and turned smoothly!.....
So I decided to pull the right hand carb, and sure enough the bottom reed had a chunk gone. I don't carry spares, as I had just replaced them. The old ones were in there for years, racing, trackdays and 2 Gap weeks.
So I had to decide to race with a sick motor or not, I asked Hurley Wilvert, and being a reacers racer, he said "if it still runs, race it till it blows"..
That was good enough for me!
So I did the race! I actually got a good start revving the crap out of the motor, but got stuck behind a beginner modern guy that was very slow and all over the track. I almost hit him twice before I got around him!
By that time the rest of my class had a big lead on me. And I was basically a rolling road block as the motor would just studder, studder, studder, go "ring" and then it was time brake for the corner. It still took 6 of 8 laps for the "modern" bike leaders to catch me, and I didn't want to ruin their race and pulled off. I still got some points!
Hurley came over and asked why I pulled in early, and I told him. Of course he said it was "their problem to get around me....."
It was still a good day, I had a blast, and there is always next month!
That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!
Login
FAQ
