Willow Springs (03/14

Willow Springs, Ca
03/14/97 - 03/16/97

Event Baseline Tech Info

Tires:	Dunlop D364	Pressure:	Front:	32psi
			Rear:	30psi
Gas:	Chevon pump premium

Suspension:	Front:	Preload:	(none)
		Rebound:	4 clicks from max
		Sag:	25mm
		Fork Tubes:	raised 26mm from stock
		Damper:	4 clicks from max (middle)

	Rear:	Preload:	32mm / 800lbs spring
		Compression:	#5
		Rebound:	5 clicks from max
		Ride height:	8mm
		Sag:	25mm

Gearing:	Front:	15 (stock)
	Rear:	45
	Ratio:	3.00

Event Action Plan / Goals:

Overall	The two areas to concentrate on:
	- keep the throttle on thru T8
	- get past / thru traffic

T1	Don't brake as hard, keep entrance speed up, stay under the bubble.

T2	Wider line, keep pushing lean & throttle.

T3	Find consistent brake point (late).
	Wider, faster entrance, push speed through turn.

T4	Inside, outside, inside line, keep it a smooth arc.
	Wide exit, faster drive down to T5

T5 - T6	Find the line for max gas, make it consistent

T9	Find the line, drive hard on exit

Goals	Trim another second of my times.
	Finish top 7 in Sunday's race

Friday 03/14/97 (Fastrack Riders Practice):

	#2	Split	#3	Split
Time:	(oops)		(oops)
Temp:	(oops)		(oops)
Wind:	none		none
Lap Times:	1.38.34	.56	1.57.41	(oops)
	1.39.33	.54	1.40.80	(oops)
	1.37.76	.54	1.40.80	.56
	1.40.99	.57		.56
		.55

Saturday 03/15/97 (WSMC Practice):

	#2	Split	#3	Split	#4	Split
Time:	9:20a		11:30a		12:20p
Temp:	80f		80f		90f
Wind:	10 - 15mph		10 - 15mph		10 - 15mph
Lap Times:	1.52.47	.55	1.48.56	.59	1.42.06	.57
	1.44.22	.57	1.45.52	.56	1.40.68	.56
	1.43.84	.58	1.40.62	.55	1.39.20	.56
	1.43.18	.58	1.37.93	.55	1.39.74	.56
	1.43.26	.58	1.39.01	.56	1.38.23	.56
	1.43.65	.58	1.39.15	.56	1.38.02	.56
	1.44.12	(oops)	1.40.87	.56		.55
	1.42.89	.57

Sunday 03/16/97 (WSMC Race Day):

	#1	Split	#2	Split
Time:	8:20a		(oops)
Temp:	62f		(oops)
Wind:	10 - 15mph		10 - 15mph
Lap Times:	1.57.53	(oops)	1.46.00	(oops)
	1.43.53	.57	1.41.03	.57
	1.45.17	(oops)	1.37.45	.54
	1.40.15	.56	1.38.86	.56
	1.39.65	.56	1.37.55	.54
	1.40.79	.55	1.38.67	.55

	Race	Split
Time:	6:00p (twilight)
Temp:	60f
Wind:	10mph
Lap Times:	1.38.94	.57
	1.37.80	.55
	1.37.70	.54
	1.38.02	.55
Race Results:	7/16/0 DNFs

Event Notes:

FUSA / NASB ran thier event in concert with ours this weekend. They ran a pair of 45 minute practice / qualifying sessions on Friday and Saturday, considerably shorting our track time. I've changed the format of the diaries for this event because I spent as much time off the track as on, and didn't spend much time making notes.

It was cool seeing all the teams, trailers, and $$$ that the FUSA / NASB event brought, but it was crowded. Vance & Hines / Ducati Team brought out their new double-decker trailer and fresh from the factory Ducks, Buell was out in force offering demo rides all weekend, Keith Code's California Superbike School was present, and stunt-man Gary Rothwell wowed everyone with his show on the front straight.

Friday was warm and breeze-less. The wind kicked up on Saturday, though the temps stayed in the 80's. Sunday brought clouds and wind, pushing the temps into the 60's.

Track Notes:

I started sliding my right knee w/regularity around T2 and T4 - even had a few touchdowns in T9. Thought I was finally getting control of my right-hand turns until Michael Martinez (#999) zoomed past me on the outside of T2 keeled over far enough to touch the pavement w/his tongue! Michael said that he regulary leans & scrapes parts like that. He doesn't 'push' to feel the pavement w/his knee, but brings the bike down to his knee. Guess I've got more lean to go there!

My #1 plan for the weekend was to keep the throttle open into & thru T8. I made it to about 95%. It get's real bumpy out there at that kind of speed and I bounced off my seat a couple of times. Spooky stuff.

I'm still slowing down too much for T9, but finding the wider line more often. The front end doesn't feel like it wants to push so much coming into / out of the turn when I run the right line.

Besides pushing harder through T8 & T9, my other main plan for the weekend was to work on passing. I concentrated a lot on inside and outside passing going thru T1. It was tough getting past the feeling that I was going to ram / be rammed at first, but once I started working on it, I began to look forward to catching guys on T1. I usually start my turn-in for T1 just right of the middle of the track, so I had a lot of room to play with.

Race Notes:

All of the additional FUSA / NASB races pushed my race late into the day and shortened it to four laps. I switched to a clear shield, as the sun was on the horizon & covered by clouds. I didn't have a Fog Shield for the clear one, so fogging up during the race was a real problem.

I had my best start to date - almost had the hole-shot, but in the excitement of getting off the line ahead of everyone else, I banged the rev limiter in 1st and 2nd. I went into T1 in 2nd place and pulled into 1st by T2. A couple of real trusting guys went by me on the outside of T2, close enough to bang helmets. T3 saw me in 4th, which I held for the next lap and a-half.

Michael Martinez (#999) and his rookie career nemesis Danny Ayala (#712) pulled a split pass between T8 and T9 on the second lap. I held 6th place until T3 when an un-named SOB idiot ran up the inside way too hot, couldn't make the turn soon enough and parked it right on my line. He recovered and managed to stay ahead of me to the checkered. Man, was I pissed!

All in all, it was a fun weekend. It was cool to have the FUSA / NASB folks there, with all the vendors, fans, and groupies that go along with a national event. I didn't set a faster lap time, but had my best finish yet. I netted six more points giving me eleven for the season. Michael and Danny will move up to Probational Expert next month, so I should start on the front row.

Bob.