Duke Racing at CLASS and LRRS #6

CLASS: Duke Becomes Mister Low Side, But Gets Back on The 50 Horses.

On Monday, July 10, my lovely wife and I loaded up the trailer and headed
North to New Hampshire.  I was signed up to take Reg Pridmore's CLASS
school on the 11th, and to race at the sixth weekend of the Loudon Road
Racing Series (July 15 & 16).  In between, we figured to do some
vacationing in New England.

The ride up was uneventful, and on Tuesday morning, I got up early to hit
the gas station before CLASS.  I got some gas and fought with The Air
Nozzle From Hell to get air in my tires, and headed over for the track.
Since the last time racing, I'd had my forks rebuilt and fork springs
replaced, so I was eager to see how they worked.  I unloaded the trailer,
registered at the CLASS truck, waved goodbye to my wife, and took the bike
around the pits to see if it was okay.

The bike seemed to feel a little funny up front, maybe wobbly, but maybe
just very quick turning.  It wasn't extreme, and it stopped at, like
30mph, so I didn't pay much attention, thinking it might be the stiffer
springs.  Bill and Doug from the NJ Cycles email list were hanging
around, and I went over to try to help them loosen up Bill's chain (he'd
failed tech inspection).  Finally, we figured out the trick, and got it
happy.

Reg gave the intro to CLASS talk, it started to pour outside, and we
headed out for a sighting lap of the track.  It's just like people say:
the CLASS guys take an entirely different line in some places than the
regular racers.  They hug the inside of the corners, turning much earlier.
Over the course of the day, I tried their line and decided that it works
well in some corners (I particularly liked it in the chicane) but not in
others (it's hopeless in turn 3, a bumpy 90 degree right).

After a while, the A group (people who'd been in CLASS or on a track
before) came in to hear Jason Pridmore talk.  I was glad to see him; I was
afraid he wasn't going to be there.  He broke his leg early in the spring
in a motocross accident.  Consequently he hasn't been able to make any
races this season, and he was supposed to be racing a Privateer Ducati in
the AMA Superbike Series for the first time.

Anyway, Jason talked about the CLASS "Inside Line" and we then went back
out to try it.  As I said, it was pouring, so we weren't going very fast
(CLASS is a lot slower than race practice anyway), but I blew a downshift
at the end of the front straight, locked the rear for an instant, and the
bike slide out from under me, dumping me on my scrawny New Jersey behind.

This was my first crash on a track, and it was pretty weird, sliding along
next to the bike watching the cones get closer.  I kinda thought I was
done, and put my hands done to get up and discovered I was still going.
Whoa.

Eventually, I stopped, got up, stood up the bike and took stock.  The
clip-on was out of line, and stuff was scraped, but that seemed to be it.
One of the instructors stopped and got me back across the track, where I
rode over to the garage and sobbed my story to Jason.  He pretty much said
"Don't do that again," and I went to fix the bike up.

The next classroom session was on downshifting (about 15 minutes too late,
I guess).  Interesting; downshifting is my weakest point (I always either
over-rev or let the RPMs drop too much and chirp the rear).  Jason says
preload the shifter, cover the clutch, start to brake. The RPMs will drop,
like 500.  Pull the clutch just a touch, downshift, and they'll come back
up.  Repeat as necessary.  A good practice exercise is to sit on the
highway at 60, and shift up and down without changing speed.

So we went back out to practice.  Something was wrong with my bike; it
wouldn't rev right around 12K.  The RPMs would wander all by themselves,
up and down maybe 1500.  This made for some nasty bucking, but it seemed
to calm down a little, so I went out anyway.

I managed to do the downshift right once, which made me feel pretty good.
However, the next lap I reached for the front brake, the front end tucked,
and once again I was on my bottom, sliding along the front straight.  I'd
been going much slower this time (I was practicing downshifts), so I didn't
slide nearly so far.  This time, though, the left clip-on was wedged
against the frame, and the bike was doing a permanent left hand turn. :->

Eventually, the instructors and I got it into the pit road, and I walked
back to the garage.  Once again, I went to apologize to Jason.  This time,
I got to apologize to Reg and to the rest of the class, too (for messing
up their track time).  I got some tools to unhook the clipon, and one
instructor (Peter Something; a great guy) went back out to help me get the
bike back in.

The next classroom session was on braking (are you following this?  I fall
with a downshift and then Jason talks about downshifts.  I fall on the
brakes and then Jason talks about brakes), but I spent it repairing my
bike.  I then asked Jason if I was done for the day (there's a "two falls
and you're out" policy).  He said no, because I wasn't being a jerk about
my troubles, but I should follow an instructor for a couple of laps.  I
got together with one, but the bike was bucking  at 12K so much that
I pulled in after one lap; I had enough trouble without fighting that.

It was lunch time; I bought a sandwich and started to dismantle it.  I
had a theory about the airbox, and it proved out; the first fall had
bounced it off the carbs, so it wasn't sealed.  I've always had
trouble with this seal, but fortunately, one of the class-members
standing around was a mechanic, and he explained the root problem.  I
have a bent bracket and a chewed up grommet, so it isn't been held in
place correctly.  Something to fix later; but for the moment, I duct
taped the Hell out of it.

My wife returned at lunchtime, and I had to explain that, yes, I'd
fallen off a motorcycle at 60 mph, twice, but no, I hadn't gotten
hurt, and yes, I was going back out again.  She took it remarkably
well for someone who hates motorcycles.

After lunch, we did some turning-with-your-feet-instead-of-your-arms
drills and had another classroom seesion.  After that, I was headed
back for the track to do the follow-the-instructor bit, and Peter (the
nice instructor who helped me fix my jammed clipon) came running over.
"I'm gonna make your day," he said.  "You've got 10 pounds of air in
your front tire.  That's why you crashed."  I went and checked, and he
was right: exactly 10 pounds.  I must have messed up that morning at
the gas station.  Sigh.

So I filled it up and went out for two sessions, one with the A group
and one with the B group.  Night and Day difference from the morning.
I got some good practice in, tested the CLASS line, practiced
downshifts and turning with your feet, all the stuff I'd intended to
be doing all day.  Moral: Always Double Check Your Equipment.  I
wasted most of the day at CLASS because of a bonehead mistake at the
air pump.  Sheesh.

There was another classroom session with Jason, where I picked up some
good tips on racing Loudon.  Then the wife and I grabbed some food,
and went back to the motel, where I passed out, feeling pretty stupid
and dejected.

I recommend CLASS to everyone, from slow streeters to fast racers.  For
streeters, it's an amazing experience, that will definitely improve your
riding.  For racers it's great practice, and the Pridmores have lots of
good advice to give everyone, and are happy to field questions.  The pace
is slow compared to a race school (I'm a backmarker in races, and I pretty
much passed the whole B group once I got air in my tire). This lets slower
people go at the pace they want, and lets the faster people work on particular
things (like downshifting) without worrying about terminal velocity.

Racing at Loudon:  Duke Continues To Tuck The Front, But Then Bucks Up 
And Has a Happy Ending.

On Wednesday, we headed to Maine.  Portland is a really nice town; lots of
cool restaurants and brew pubs, live music, and an enormous stock of
amazing 19th century architecture.  And the L.L. Bean store is an
incredible place.  I bought a gear bag.

On Friday the 14th, we went back to Loudon.  I got my new tires mounted by
the guys at Street and Competition (who show up at every race, and are
great guys).  I checked the tire pressure (:->) and headed out for Friday
afternoon practice.  I'd gotten my knee down for the first time during my
last outing at Bridgehampton.  It seemed to be some kind of mental barrier,
because I had no trouble dragging it constantly now, without even reaching
for it.  Surprised me the first time in the bowl--I thought "what the
Hell...oh, wait...hey, that's cool, huh, huh."

One weird thing; Tedd Speck, another newbie net.racer, noticed something
funny about my new rear tire.  It had a strange spiral chunk out of the
center.  I rode over to the Street & Competition booth, and they puzzled
over it and decided it was a manufacturing defect.  Miles, the S&C dude,
took it back as a warranty thing and gave me a new one, which was very
nice, considering these tires are currently impossible to get (Metzeler is
having suppy problems), and he was gonna have to fight with Metzeler and
loose a sale.  I have nothing but praise for Street & Competition.
Everyone should buy all their go-fast stuff from them.

I don't know if you remember, but it was really hot that weekend.  Air
temperature at the track broke 100, and the track surface was at 140.  Man,
you drink a lot of water at 100 degrees.

Later that night, Doug Pinckney (my loyal pit crew) arrived, and we set up
camp.  He'd been touring New England since CLASS, and had gotten some road
rash--on one of those action slide-things.  Doug and I crashed at the
track, with the heat and mosquitos, while my wife Donna, being far more
clever, went to a motel.  The idea of sleeping at the track is to make the
morning more convenient (you can sleep later, and you don't have to load
and unload the car), but I don't know it was the right call this time.

Saturday morning dawned a little more pleasant, but then the weather got
threatening.  It started to rain on the first lap of my first practice, and
on the second lap I used a touch too much front brake on the approach to
turn 3, and low-sided yet again.  At least it was on the other side from
the CLASS falls.  :-( This was really getting annoying, and this time I had
nothing to blame it on.  I knew it was raining, so I was going slower and
braking less, just not enough less.  Went the front went away, I was just
starting to let go.  Damn.

So, I hauled the bike back into the pits, wired and zip-tied up the broken
fiberglass, and put on a new brake lever, all in the pouring rain.  Half-way
through my repairs, the guys next to me took pity on me and offered to let
me huddle under his canopy.  Racers are a nice group.

Eventually, the rain cleared, the track dried, and I got back out.  Things
went much smoother, and I had some good practices.  My wife had arrived to
time me, and I was doing better.  Tedd and I were trading notes after each
session, which is fun.  Tedd's really doing well; he's got a beat-up EX-500
that keeps dying on him, and has already beaten my best times.

Saturday afternoon, I was signed up for Lightweight Supersport.  I was in
the middle of the grid, but I completely blew the start (rule of thumb: you
should be in 1st gear when the flag drops, not neutral), and by the first
turn, I was dead last.  I managed to pass 2 people for a 14/16.  Ah, well,
at least my times were getting better: close to 1'40".

Sunday morning practice was very cool; I was getting a little better
downshifting at the end of the straights, and not overbraking for them
(this is my current downfall: I'm a chicken at the end of the straights),
and my times continued to fall.  Tedd really kicked some lap-time ass; he
put his head down behind a fast guy in practice, and pulled a 1'35".  The
winning experts run about 1'27" in this class.

I'd signed up for GTU (a half-hour race for the 600cc class) for more
practice and track time, and I got to follow some fast guys a little, which
was helpful.  I also had a little off-track experience; I messed up a
downshift just before the chicane, skipped my rear a little, and by the
time everything had settled, I was pointed directly at the grass.  I braked
right up to the edge of the track, and then let go and coasted across, back
onto the asphalt.  Fun, fun, fun.

Sunday afternoon, I was signed up for Lightweight Production, in the very
last row of the second wave (LW Production (2nd wave) is on the track at
the same time as LW Superbike (1st wave).  Superbike gets about a 15 second
head start).  I got an okay start and was in the pack by turn 1.  After a
couple of laps, I caught up with Bill Hurtley, another newbie who I'd met
at Bridgehampton over Memorial Day.  He's since bought an immaculate
FZR400, still with the stock plastic.  Gonna be sad the first time that
goes down :->

He and I really raced each other for the last 3 or 4 laps, passing and
repassing.  He'd blow by me at the end of the straights, and I'd dog his
rear through turn 3 or 10, getting a better drive out and re-passing him.
This was the best race either of us had ever run; we were pushing each
other's weak points, and as a result, we both went faster.  During one pass,
the two of us were so close, I was afraid I was gonna scratch up that
beautiful new plastic on his bike with my safety wire.  :->

We must have passed 2 or 3 people during our racing.  On the final lap, the
leader of the first wave (LW Superbike) passed me and the guy Bill had
just passed, but not Bill.  Man, what a great time.  I ran a 1'39".

I was so incredibly pumped after that race I can't tell you.  I went over to
talk to Bill and he was the same; he was shaking so much, he could barely
give me his phone number.  You couldn't ask for a better ending to the
weekend. 

Next time: Back to Bridgehampton over Labor Day.  I am gonna dust some
people in the carousel, because Dave Stanton from Team Suzuki Endurance
taught me a line through there that no one uses. :->  Doug will be team
leader again; anyone else wanna be pit crew?

Duke Robillard, duke@cc.bellcore.com, DoD #130, CCS NE Am. #142