MRA Race 2: High Plains Raceway

MRA Race 2: High Plains Raceway
5/9-5/10
Wyeth Jackson MRA #145
Kawasaki ZX6R

Finishes:
LOR 1st of 7
Amateur GTO 2nd of 26
Novice GTU 3rd of 41
Amateur GTU 3rd of 32
Novice GTO 4th of 48


Aaron Fisk MRA #125
Kawasaki ZX6R

Finishes:
Novice GTU 9th of 41
MW Endurance 9th of 31
Amateur GTO 10th of 26
Novice GTO 11th of 48
Amateur GTU 13th of 32


Our first event at the new High Plains Raceway was huge fun, and as a bonus I got to try rain slicks for the first time, oboy.

Friday practice was much colder than expected, I swear I watched the weather channel all week and it was supposed to be hot. Shivered in the pits all day cause we didn’t bring warm clothes. I worked my times down to just above the 2 minute mark, which I’d thought would put me at the front, but the fast novices were already starting to ease into the high 50’s. Dangit, I have more work to do.

Saturday morning was cold but looked like it could warm up a bit. I debated tire compounds and finally went with the greens. Couple of light warm up sessions and we were ready for the first race, Novice GTU. It’s a 15 row 2 wave grid, glad I’m starting front row!

As the light goes off I get a mediocre launch. A couple guys pass me on the start, and I put my head down to get around them in the first couple corners. I’m back in 3rd place now, my starting position, and the 2 leaders are dicing ahead of me. I tell myself to focus on putting in faster laps and catch them but it doesn’t happen. We circulate like that, me watching the two in front of me but slowly losing ground, and 4th place trailing further behind. We’re into the back of the second wave by lap 3 and I keep an eye on the guys behind me as I work through traffic, then the race is red flagged on lap 5. Overall an uneventful race, I finish 3rd out of 41.

Race two on Saturday is Novice GTO, I’m starting second row on a ginormous 17 row 48 bike grid. Another mediocre start, I’m 5th into turn 1 behind two 1000s. Same two guys from NovU are leading, followed by an R1, a GSXR1k, and me. All I can think as we exit 3b onto the big straight is “don’t lose touch with the liter bikes”. I’m planted on the back of 4th place that’s slowly slipping away from the 3 front runners, and I’ve got to get around this guy and make that time back up. He’s riding hard, making some mistakes, and I slip past him at the end of lap 1. Focus on catching 3rd! I make up time on the leaders, but we’re quickly into lapped traffic and I’m not making passes as fast as I should. I lose some ground and can see that the two front guys are starting to gap 3rd. I need to catch this guy and take over 3rd, why can’t I ride faster and do it?? Need more gas less brakes I think, lol. Although I close the gap some I don’t catch him. I finish 4th of 48, no sign of 5th place. At the end of Saturday I’m pleased to see I’ve been doing 1:58’s in both races, my weekend goal was to be under the 2 minute mark so this is a win. J

Sunday we wake up to rain. But by the time we arrive at the track it’s dry, cold but dry and maybe there’s hope it will stay dry? No, no hope. It starts raining before first practice and continues to rain off and on all morning. We hustle to get the rain wheels mounted, we’re not that fast as mechanics so it’s slow going. Sunday morning is stressful throughout the pits, the rain keeps stopping, then starting, then stopping, prompting everyone to sweat tire choice. My first race is Ladies of the Rockies and I’ve opted for rain slicks. It’s still wet and puddly, but the rain has stopped again.

I pull up to LOR pregrid and 5 bikes show up. Two of the other entered women lack rain tires and have elected to sit the race out, that leaves 3 of us on rains, one gal on DOTs, and the last brave soul on slicks. Donna, my main competition in the ladies class, leans over to tell me she’s never ridden on rains before—oh good, me either, this could be a slow race, lol! I decided beforehand to holeshot the start and control the speed of the race—I do just that and start to control the tempo. It’s slow going as we figure out our new tires and grip. Since it’s not raining and some corners have a dry line I’m riding off line through puddles to preserve the tires. Donna is hanging not far behind and I slowly dial in speed each lap to try and gap her. By lap 3 she’s a lot further back but not gone, and it’s starting to rain again. At this point I say screw it and decide to push for a few fast corners and down the big straight. That does it, I can’t see her anymore and I ride around the last few laps in the puddles until the checkered. Yay, I won the race!

I think that painfully slow rain win did me good, because when I grid up for Amateur GTU I’m feeling fast. Mike from Faster steps up to me at pregrid and tells me to be aggressive with these guys, and for some reason that sounds like a really good idea! The track is now mostly dry so we’re back on slicks. I note there’s a big crowd gathered to watch this race even though it’s cold and overcast, how cool!

I’m gridded front row and once again my start is kind of lame, I’m 5th into turn 1. But this time I accelerate hard out of 1 and drive right up the inside into turn 2, diving under 2 bikes at once. Wow, I’m carrying good speed and rush up the backside of 2nd place going into 3a, passing him on corner exit. All of a sudden I realize I’m on the wheel of the leader entering the straightaway. I suck into his draft and pull up close, sling out at the end of the big straight and pass him into super fast turn 4. I just passed into the lead of Amateur GTU!!! Whoohoo! I keep leading for the rest of the lap, back into turn 1, and around onto the big straight again. This time he drafts me and slings by fast and close into turn 4. I tuck in right behind him and we ride fast around the next lap. Up the hill to the corkscrew, the blind left downhill section before the shorter front straight. I’m all over him in the corkscrew, and as we exit the bottom I jump back into his draft and head down the short straight in front of the crowd. I pop out in the brake markers for turn 1 and have time to wonder, am I actually outbreaking him into turn 1? Wow, I am! Back into the lead of AmU!! I lead out of turn 2 and the 3’s, but this time at the end of the big straight TWO guys come blazing by me on the brakes. They’re so late on the brakes they’re both blowing the corner, I wonder if they’re going to run off and hand the lead back to me? In hindsight I should’ve spent less time watching them and more time passing them during this error, but I didn’t. They gather it back up and chuck their bikes over into turn 5, I’m running up the back of them but don’t make the pass. Over the course of the next couple laps they’re really pushing each other and I’m starting to lag. I check behind me and 4th place is gapped back, no sign of 5th. As much fun as the first few laps were I’m back to negotiating lappers and riding around to the finish without racing anyone else. I finish 3rd, but feel energized by having diced for the lead. Mmmmm, and I’ve got another race coming up. J

Last race of the day, last race of the weekend—Amateur GTO. I’m fired up for this race. I get a slightly better launch, into turn 1 in 4th place, then I make a couple passes down the big straight and I’m right behind the leader again. This time we’re in a train, Erik, me, Steve, and two liter bikes on the back. I’m all over the leader again, I know I’m going to make a pass. At the end of lap 2 I slip up the inside at the top of the corkscrew—that was a good pass! What I don’t know is happening behind me –as we come around for the third lap the guy in 4th loses the front in turn 1 and takes 5th place with him. There’s now a significant gap between us and 3rd, and 3rd and 4th place. Erik and I are dicing hard, he comes barreling by me into turn 1 and puts his head down. I’m chasing but not making up ground, and 3rd place is slipping away behind me. I stay focused on catching Erik for the last few laps but don’t, and settle for 2nd. 2nd place finish! I passed for the lead again and finished 2nd, woot!!

Great weekend all around, after 2 rounds I’m in 1st, 2nd or 3rd in four of my championships, 4th place in the last class. Next up the Hastings double-header round. Wish me luck! --WJ

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