Race Report

It was a weird deal showing up in Portland for the races last weekend. Although there’s hardly anything I look forward to more than seeing the green flag, I hadn’t thought about the upcoming races for two seconds. I picked up a new 2009 GSXR-1000 just a short while earlier – and was scrambling to put the pieces in place to get it on the track.

The prep, phone calls, stress, coordination, special trips to gather parts, waiting at delivery depots, etc…. I was so focused on trying to get that new bike onto the track right up to the last second I hadn’t mentally prepared at all. I was almost surprised when I first realized on Saturday night that it was race day in the morning!

The track was thoroughly soaked for the first morning warm up. I went out in the fast practice mostly to check out the conditions as the 750 Supersport race was first in the order. The track was mostly wet in the warm-up, but with a dry line forming in a couple key parts of the track. I decided to go with DOT tires, knowing that the track would do nothing but dry even more during the next practice. On pre-grid I didn’t find a single other bike with dry tires front and rear. On the warm-up lap it was obvious I had made the right choice. Rolling up to my grid spot I was checking for other riders with a fully dry set up. It was obvious the race was mine to win. Kevin Pinkstaff had a DOT rear but a wet front on. He came with me for the first two laps while I waited for the track to come to me and his front tire to go from him. About lap 3 when his front went off and the track dried a little bit I began gapping everyone to finish off 16 seconds clear of 2nd place.

The Open Supersport race was a weird one. It was the first ever green flag for me on the new GSXR-1000, and I expected to tuck in behind a couple of the faster guys in the class to see what everyone is made of. It never happened as I rocketed to a holeshot and began tooling around waiting for someone to come by. Getting close to the half way flag I was wondering if they were all screwing with me and took a look back to see – nobody was there. I’d cleared off out front. I kept tooling around and won by 10 seconds? WTF? I guess I’ll take it, but I came back into my pit asking my guys if the rest of the field crashed.

The 600 Supersport race was probably the most fun race I had all day. I filed into turn 1 in third, but quickly made a move on the first lap to get into second. The pass cost me a bit of time though, and I had to make up a little gap to the leader. Near the end of the second lap I pulled out to make a pass under braking off of the back straight. I saw the waving yellow flags up ahead at the last second but was already committed to the pass and blew past. You’re required to let the rider back by if you pass under a waving yellow. I wanted to make sure I did it in view of the same turn to ensure I couldn’t be accused of any unscrupulous play. I pulled to the inside of the track and slowed dramatically. I waited for the rightful leader to pass me back but I think he was confused. I was now turned around in my seat looking back at him and pointing down the track! Unfortunately two bikes went by! I got down to business though, put on a strong string of laps to retake the lead, and opened up a gap back to second through the lapped traffic to secure a safe win.

Running six classes in one day makes for some busy times. I was in every other race all day, and only pulled my leathers off for lunch and at the end of the day.

Formula Unlimited was the first race for me after lunch. I was expecting some very stiff competition as this is all the fastest guys on the fastest bikes. It was my first time racing in it on equal machinery, and was hopeful I’d put in a good show. I’ve been struggling with the new Showa BPF forks on the new GSXR-1000. I’m still working with the guys at GP Suspension to get them worked out, but they’re still not working the way I need them to ride the bike into turns at the end of braking zones like I need to. I figured I’d settle into the front group and see how it goes. I botched the start, and let a rider by into turn 4 on the first lap, so entered the front straight in third. This was my first chance to test the hp of the new big GSXR. Let me tell you – the thing is a missile. The motor is bone stock (it’s still got the stock OIL in it) and by the time I click into 5th gear it’s sucking the paint off the other bikes into the intake – then spitting it back out at them through the exhaust! In the first two laps I quickly took the lead and immediately began stretching out a big lead. I had no idea though, thinking they were on my tail. It all ended prematurely though as I got a little greedy leaving the last turn of the 5th lap. While heavily leaned over still the back end just came around on me and I was sliding down the track. Disappointing, but I had a big lead, was putting down times the rest of the field couldn’t match even though the bike wasn’t working properly, and everyone knows they’re in trouble for the rest of the year.

750 Superbike ended up being a race I needed to stay on my toes for. I got another good start, and built myself a nice safe lead with the open track. Normally I do fairly well in traffic, but not this time. I had two laps in a row where I caught traffic in the worst parts of the track. My lead evaporated to nothing with only a few laps to go. Luckily I got some more clear road and got a safe lead back to take the win.

At this point I was plenty good and tired. I tweaked a neck muscle a little bit in my crash earlier in the day when the big GSXR swung around and hit me in the back of the head. I was ready to pack it in, but had one more race to take care of. Myself and about three other of the faster riders had to start from well back in the field. For me, it was because I didn’t enter in the previous event for this class, the others crashed out – so we were all on equal footing. I sliced past about 16 riders between the drop of the flag and turn 1 to file into the turn in second place! I quickly took the lead and set out to build up a lead. That didn’t work out well though, as a competitor was coming fast. With two laps to go he blew by on the straightaway. I pulled into his draft, but with the extra speed I was carrying due to him pushing the wind for me for the first time I couldn’t make the turn! I stayed on the asphalt, but just barely. I lost a lot of time and the race for the win was essentially over. I figured I’d keep pushing though, in hopes that something might happen – and it did. The leader took a real tight defensive line going into a turn and ran out of track on the exit. He fell down unhurt in the wet grass/mud, and gifted me the win.

Well, out of six races I got 5 wins, and fell down in the sixth while stretching out a lead. Not too shabby. For this epic weekend some thanks are really in order. First off thanks Suzuki for building and putting me on the best bikes in the field. Thanks to Desi and Nicole at Orca Bay Suzuki, and Darrel and the crew at Columbia River Motorsport for pulling out all the stops to get my parts all lined up. Major props to Ron’s Performance Motorcycles and Lyon’s Machining for getting the 750 running strong. The guys at GP Suspension really saved my butt. Not only was Dave able to get my forks at least in the ballpark, but talked one of the first shocks for the rear of the 1000 out of the manufacturer in time for the races. He even lent me a steering dampener cause the stocker was going to kill me, and GPR is still yet to produce their mounting kit. Soon though….. Big thanks goes out to Pirelli for the continued support, and Acme Motowear for getting me fitted up with some custom crash protection from Impact Safe-T Armour. And finally – massive yo yo fashizzle goes to my good buddies Andy and Chuck for twirling wrenches on the three bikes all day.

And I tell you, when Dave and I get the forks sorted on that bike, we’ll be living in sub-lap-record pace from flag to flag. Mark my words………….. mark my words.