Zoom Zoom/USGPRU Race Weekend August 23-24, 2008

This was my first roadrace since the AFM 4-hour endurance race in 1994. I recently took the Zoom Zoom New Racer School and got a license with the USGPRU. This, after not riding on asphalt for about 12-13 years.


Saturday Practice

Instead of the planned Fast, Faster, Fastest groups, the Fast group was replaced by an exclusive USGPRU group. Sweet. There were a bunch of 125s, several Moriwaki four-stroke MD250H (p-tooey!) and only a handful of 250 smokers. My 1993 was the oldest. I was faster than a couple of the 250s. Most everybody else, 125 and MD250H included, were significantly faster than me. So much for local track knowledge.

The USGPRU kids are very talented riders. Fearless on the brakes, insane corner speed. In the one or two corners I thought I was good at, they went around me on the outside like I was tied to a post. Rich Oliver's protégé Royce McLean was exceptionally smooth and fast.


Qualifying

A certain tire company without a track presence failed to ship me soft compound slicks and my bike was on the mediums I had been using for a few track days. The front was getting sticky but the rear was like a street tire.

I filled up my fuel tank by accident. This gave me enough fuel to run for an hour or more when we had only a fifteen minute qualifying session. Just another twelve pounds or so up high on a 220 pound bike. At least I'd make the minimum weight limit.

Out on the track I felt good but my times were crap, next to last. Well at least I wouldn't have to worry about people from the back rows passing me on the start.


USGPRU 250GP Race

I wished the track configuration was longer so I could heat up the tires better on the warm-up lap. No tire warmers in my pit.

I was gridded ninth, row three, outside. Says so right there on my triple clamp, bitches, so you won't be making me start on the back row. (Nevermind that I qualified on the back row.) There were quite a few people behind me, I guess because they didn't qualify for one reason or another. I am possibly the worst starter in motorcycle racing. Roadracing, hare scrambles, motocross, I've sucked at them all. Now I've got a peaky 250 with a tall first gear and a dry clutch, oh joy. I've only done a few faux race starts with Zoom Zoom (including a stall). In the hot pit I did two launches to try out my new clutch.

The starter was mercifully quick and didn't let us sit there steaming on the grid. I launched when I saw his elbow lift. Maximum RPM and a lot of clutch slipping, and I think it was a good start, for me. I don't think anybody passed me into turn one. Leandro Mercado went by on a 125 on the short straight into the slide turn. I went in too hot but was afraid to do "oh shit" trail braking on cold tires and went wide and forgot to downshift. Lots of people went by me up the hill. That sucked.

Early in the race Cameron Gish went down on his 125 at the top of the peanut.

I wore myself out by lap four of the twelve lap race. My bike just kills me on the brakes. It's a shame that I use the brakes because these USGPRU kids don't seem to. I gotta figure that out. I was praying for the crossed flags. I was lazy, not tucking, holding a gear instead of shifting, not having a good time. What was I thinking, racing in the desert heat? The leaders finally came around and lapped me in the bowl. Dylan Olsen went around the outside of me with Royce McLean (on a 125) glued to his tail. Fellow old guy Vince Rolleri later went around me more politely in turn 13.

The results had me as DNS. Did not start? Early crasher Gish in fifth? Whatever. I sucked, I got lapped, but I didn't crash and I wasn't DFL.

nice report Eric! Sux about the DNS??? Sorry to hear about so many problems but it's probably all good for the learning locker

Would have liked to have seen the "fastest" kids...cause the ones on Friday were insane. Those little guys just don't know what fear is yet.

Friday they were learning the track. They got faster Saturday and Sunday. Whereas they were split up Friday, they were all together in the Sat-Sun practice sessions. I think I picked up some speed through the final turn by watching them.

Thanks for the excellent write-up!   Sorry to hear you wern't having fun during the race.  It sounded like a great experience.  Look at the bright side, you did not crash and completed your 1st race after a long time away from the racing scene.  Those guys at the front must have been flying to lap you on a 12 lap race.

That was U.S. Red Bull Rookie Cameron Gish #31 on a Honda RS125 chasing Dan Sewell in some lightweight class. Cameron was here for the most recent Keigwin weekend and had a wheel spacer issue and didn't get to turn many laps. He ended up taking fifth in the 250GP race on his 125.

Somebody posted video of the 250GP race start on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU_cNzBq5Vo

Look for the black/white/yellow bike in seventh in turn one from ninth on the grid. Giggity, giggity!

YAY!!!!! im famous!!! look at me hustle!!!!!!!

They are laughing at loving you on the USGPRU forum.

Meanwhile, John Ulrich from RRW mag visited and wrote this interesting piece on our little race compared to a big AMA race...

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=33863

I was chatting up the Gerloff's mom and dad on friday between sessions. The drove all the way out from Alabama to run RFR and get some of that prize money.  Kris Turner rode out with them. The 11 year old (#313) was running B group and lapping us in about 4 laps, and drove me off the track coming out of the bowl.   He was pretty impressive to watch but I had to ask ZoomZoom to remind these little jet jockies to give us old fat slow people our buffer! They literally come by you and rub elbows with you! (well...he was so little his elbows were at me knees)

Pics by Peter LeDuc:

NICE pics man!!!