October 11-12, 2008
Pikes Peak International Raceway
MRA final round 2008
I can't remember if I told you I used to race. Mostly back in the '90's, but getting back into the track scene this year I got asked regularly when I'm coming back. I'd managed to dodge the "come back" pressure until the last track day, when a friend who's been encouraging me to try out his ZX6R racebike finally wore me down. I agreed to ride it at the PPIR Chicane Trackdays on Oct. 5th.
Although I was nervous about being back on a racebike it was also a lot of fun. After almost 8 years of being away, I realize I miss racing. I was rusty and the bike wasn't set up for me, but I was riding ok. The bike's owner wanted me to race it the following weekend, the last MRA event at PPIR. The more I rode that bike the more I wanted to enter and race it. By the end of the trackday I was still saying I was undecided, but really it was too late, I was in.
I spent the next week getting my license together and getting the 03 ZX6R prepped. I was at first irritated that I'd be coming back on a Novice license (anyone who doesn't hold a competition license for more than 3 years is bumped down), but once I got out in the MRA practice sessions I knew it was appropriate. I'm way too slow to get thrown into the expert classes, Novice is the right place for me.
On Friday we drove down to PPIR and I went out in the club practice. Holy cow, sessions with the MRA are a lot different than a trackday session! I needed to get up to speed and get aggressive. I was frustrated that my lap timer was on the fritz, I was getting passed a lot more than I was doing the passing, and I couldn't tell if my adjustments were bringing my times down. Oh well, I was signed up for the weekend, no going back now I thought.
But I did have a moment of just forget it. Aaron and I were watching turn 1 when Aaron Clark the #1 plate lost the front and hit the wall on the outside of the banking. It was a horrible crash and the track was shut down for more than an hour while the ambulance took him and they cleaned up the crash. I seriously questioned wanting to go back to racing, this is the reason I quit. But we started to get better reports of his condition, and I decided to press on with my weekend.
Saturday morning was coooold, 37 degrees when we got to the track. And then it started to rain lightly. I skipped the first couple of warm up practices in the morning, conditions were poor and I didn't figure I was going to have any more epiphanies in a crappy practice. I went out in the last practice and FINALLY got some times off my club transponder. Slow, low 1:04's, but still better than what I'd done at the track day the previous weekend. I was encouraged a bit, conditions were poor and I'd picked up my pace a little. Right before my first race, Novice GTU, it started to rain, then stopped. Everyone was sweating it, me included. I was on slicks on a borrowed bike on a damp cold track. Blah.
Since I haven't been racing I had no points and was gridded dead last in every class. For my first race back, NovU, I was on the back row, 25th to start. I'd practiced 2 launches off the hot pit lane in Friday's sessions--the bike launched really well. I focused on the starting light tree and my tach and when the light went off I got a monster start! I don't know how many people I passed on that start, but I had holes opening up like magic in front of me and I was flying through the pack. It was an awesome start from the last row! I worked on riding fast and picking off guys in front of me, one, then two, then slowly catching up to another and another. I don't know how many people I passed in the race, it started to rain again about midway through and I was fairly terrified of crashing that bike in the wet. I was still passing people but all I could think about was "don't crash Bart's bike, don't crash Bart's bike". I just kept going until I got to the last lap and ran down one more guy right before the start/finish line. Thank God I finished the race without falling down! Later when I saw the results I was pleased to find I'd worked my way up to 7th from last place. :)
The next class was Novice GTO, and this time I got to start in the last row of the 2nd wave. Ugh, I was on row 11! And we'd have to wait until the entire 1st wave cleared turn 2 to get our start. Oh well, focus on the start... I got another good start but missed a gear in my upshifts, I think one person holeshot me into turn 1 but I drove right around them and was leading the 2nd wave out of turn 2. Yippee! I proceeded to run down the back of the first wave and start picking people off. By the end of the race I'd made it to 10th. Not bad for an old lady come back on a borrowed bike.
On Sunday I had 3 races, Ladies of the Rockies, Amateur GTU and Amateur GTO. People were very excited to see me in LOR, the MRA's ladies class, even if it was lightly gridded. I was last again, but this time last was only row 3. One woman holeshot me from the front row as I missed another upshift, but I drove around her in turn 1 and took off in the lead. I pulled about a 1/3 track lead in 2 laps, was signaled to kick back by my crew, and just tooled around for the rest of the race. And I won LOR! It was a fun comeback and the class is a crowd favorite.
By the time I got to Amateur GTU I was getting a bit tired and losing some focus. I was at the back of the 2nd wave again, and this time I didn't pay good attention to my start. It was pretty average, and I didn't make up many places. I rode well and turned my fastest lap in this race but only managed 13th. Still, this is a much faster class than the novice or women's classes, so I'm happy with a 13th from the back of 2nd wave.
Amateur GTO, my last race and I'm tired and it's cold and the wind is really blowing...at least it's a one wave start. I was NOT paying attention to this start, I think I was looking down at my tach, and completely missed the light. Of course this is the start that Aaron gets on video...lame! As I scramble to catch up to the back of the wave, a guy loses his chain right in front of me and I take evasive maneuvers to dodge it. That slows me down even more than my start and now I'm trailing the field. Oh well, I manage to run down a couple of guys, then right after the halfway flags there's a huge crash at the front and the race is red flagged. Since we're just past halfway they call the race, finishing positions shall be the end of the previous lap. Dangit, and I'd just managed to catch a guy, that should count! Oh well, I started at the back of this grid and finish close to the back. I think I technically get 13th again, but there were less entries in this class. I don't care I'm out of motivation anyway. Meh. End of my come back weekend.
And just like that, one week later I've bought another racebike. A nicely prepped 2008 ZX6R, which I'll be campaigning as a novice in 2009 unless I come to my senses before April. I'm going to sell the 848, as sad as that will be. I'd love to keep it but running a full season is expensive, and I probably won't do much street riding anyway. I don't feel so bad about swapping the street bike for the racebike, at least I should get some $ for the duc. Aaron also wants to go racing, so I told him we can sell his 999 and find a prepped bike for him too. He doesn't like that idea so he's still considering his options. We'll see.
I can't believe I'm getting back into this, it sure did suck me in fast. On Sunday I got to bicycle around the new track that's been built here, High Plains Raceway. It's an amazing track, lots of elevation changes and both fast and technical sections. It reminds me slightly of Pahrump, and I think I'll do well there. I can't wait to ride it, the MRA has 5 races booked for next year. Wow, I'm going racing again, wish me luck! :)
Wyeth
To see more race results go to the MRA website www.mra-racing.org
