Racing At Jennings Gp April 4th - Now With Video

[GregGorman]

Jennings GP

Jennings, FL

track map

 

What a fun weekend. First there were scheduling problems. My 13yo stepson is visiting for the week and was arrived at the Orlando airport at 4pm. My mechanic had a bachelor party on Saturday night and my painter/mechanic helper had to work over the weekend.

 

So Friday, I loaded up and headed to Jennings alone while my wife went to Orlando to pick up Zack and then meet me at the track. While packing up, I looked at the Leo Vince can laying in my garage and purposefully left it there. I run in the Unlimited GP class in which you get extra money for open exhausts. If you run in that class you're automatically legal to open exhausts in all other classes you're in. So I don't need it. Why bring it?

 

Well I got to the track and found out you have to run mufflers at Jennings. Hey, it's only my second time to the track. I didn't know. Since my wife was still on her way I called her and asked her to go home and get the can - yeah, that went well. She was two hours away from Tampa. Six hours later she arrived at the track and a little upset.

 

We pitted and did the usual morning scramble of setup, register, and tech.

 

Since this was only my second time at the track I set out to learn it better in practice. I used 4th gear and no brakes and got down to 1:24 then, adding light brakes at 13 and 1 I brought it down to 1:22 in my first session out. Even in 4th I was spinning the rear tire which had previously been destroyed at PBIR. Despite that I was able to get my lap times down to the low 1:20s in practice.

 

On Sunday I replaced the rear tire with a much better one and dropped down to 1:19 in morning practice.

 

In the first race, GTO, I got poor start because I almost jumped when the rider next to me jumped early. That delayed my launch a bit. I went into turn 1 ninth. I passed Mavros on the outside at 12 on the first lap and tried to close the 3 second gap the lead group had pulled on us. I got it down to 2 seconds but couldn't do any better and they pulled away from me. Puerta got meatballed for the jumpstart and Starnes crashed in 13 so I inherited 6th. I had gapped Mavros so I had a easy ride in 6th to the finish. I lowered my best lap time to a 1:18.7.

 

For Unlimited Supersport, I put on a new Dunlop 211GP Medium rear tire and a used front that only had 8 laps on it. Again I went into turn 1 in 9th but made a quick pass to 7th between turns 1 and 2 - while doing a wheelie. Oh... it's on video too. Then I had to pass Mavros again for 6th, which I did going into turn 13 - a little too hot but I made it stick.

 

This time there was only a 2 second gap to the lead 5 and I tried to close it again. I got it down to a second by turn 9 but was making too many mistakes. I backed off a bit to get things in order again and they were gone. Another 6th but I improved my best time to 1:18.5.

 

In Unlimited Superbike - yawn, 6th.

 

Unlimited GP I got my best start and was 5th in turn 1 but the race was red flagged due to rain by the time we got to turn 6. I didn't have rain tires mounted but I knew I could get money if I just did a lap. So, still on DOTs from the the Supersport race, I went out against everyone else on rains, except for Thomas Puerta and he pulled off prior to completing the first lap.

 

It might have played in my favor had it stopped raining, there was actually a semi dry line. Instead it started raining harder and my best laptime was a 1:37 vs a 1:22 for the race winner - Brian Stokes. Yeah, rain tires make a difference. I finished a very lonely 7th.

 

I was talking with Brian Stokes after the Unlimited Superbike race and he said his best lap time on his ZX-10 was a 1:17.8, slower than on his ZX-6 - a 1:17.3. So, my 1:18.5 on my ZX-10 ain't too shabby.

 

In all, a good weekend. I'm closing the gap to being in the top 5 on a consistent basis. In Unlimited Supersport, the best lap was a 1:17.083. Being only 1.5 seconds off that is pretty good I think and a definite improvement. I'll have video up soon.

[Cobie Fair]

Cool on the racing Greg! I think I'd be faster on a 6 than a 10 too.

 

C

[fossilfuel]

Greg,

I just did Jennings on March 29th. I would very much like to see your video. I have always wanted to carry more corner speed so watching your video 4th gear no brakes going in to turn 5 would be very interesting. Great job on the 1:17. You just need three more to tie Geoff May's track record.

[GregGorman]

Greg,

I just did Jennings on March 29th. I would very much like to see your video. I have always wanted to carry more corner speed so watching your video 4th gear no brakes going in to turn 5 would be very interesting. Great job on the 1:17. You just need three more to tie Geoff May's track record.

 

Ah I don't have video of the no brakes. But I did add video of the unlimited supersport race. Yep, just need to up my average speed by 4mph.

[fossilfuel]

Greg,

I just did Jennings on March 29th. I would very much like to see your video. I have always wanted to carry more corner speed so watching your video 4th gear no brakes going in to turn 5 would be very interesting. Great job on the 1:17. You just need three more to tie Geoff May's track record.

 

Ah I don't have video of the no brakes. But I did add video of the unlimited supersport race. Yep, just need to up my average speed by 4mph.

Greg,

How is your gearing set up for Jennings and what are you down shifting in for turn 4 -5?

[GregGorman]

I'm geared -2 on the front sprocket and stock on the rear. Typically I downshift once from 5th going into three and then downshift two more going into 5.

 

I'm geared so I use 2nd to 5th. After watching the video though I think I may change my shift points to stay higher in the RPM range. I noticed that most of my rear slides were when I was fairly low in the RPM range.

[fossilfuel]

I'm geared -2 on the front sprocket and stock on the rear. Typically I downshift once from 5th going into three and then downshift two more going into 5.

 

I'm geared so I use 2nd to 5th. After watching the video though I think I may change my shift points to stay higher in the RPM range. I noticed that most of my rear slides were when I was fairly low in the RPM range.

 

Ok quit teasing where is the video? nevermind found it back at the top..great video

[fire337]

Hey Greg I am in Orlando and hit Jennings all the time, very nice times you are running there. My group is actually renting the track for a private track day on May 22nd, let me know if you would be interested in joining us as we still have spots open. Congrats on the race as well.

[Kevin Kane]

Greg;

This video is sweet! Congratulations and thanks again for posting your race reports. Will did that back in '04 (or was it in '05) and they were great reads as well. Your including videos in your reports is a real reminder that in racing you need to press all the time and in every place you can.

 

Kevin

[fossilfuel]

Greg;

This video is sweet! Congratulations and thanks again for posting your race reports. Will did that back in '04 (or was it in '05) and they were great reads as well. Your including videos in your reports is a real reminder that in racing you need to press all the time and in every place you can.

 

Kevin

 

I watched his line through one and learned something new. It looks like he is double apexing it instead of following the line around the inside

[fire337]

Greg;

This video is sweet! Congratulations and thanks again for posting your race reports. Will did that back in '04 (or was it in '05) and they were great reads as well. Your including videos in your reports is a real reminder that in racing you need to press all the time and in every place you can.

 

Kevin

 

I watched his line through one and learned something new. It looks like he is double apexing it instead of following the line around the inside

 

 

Yes, both lines through one work well there but I find that I can run harder using the double apex as well through turn one there.

[GregGorman]

I watched his line through one and learned something new. It looks like he is double apexing it instead of following the line around the inside

Yes, I am double apexing turn 1. It lines you up for a better and earlier drive for the fastest part of the track. Watching the video, that's where I need to find my time is from turn 10 to turn 3. More specifically I need to work out a better drive out of 11. A better entry into 13 and a better drive out of 1. There are times when I did each of those well but I haven't put them together yet.

[fossilfuel]

I watched his line through one and learned something new. It looks like he is double apexing it instead of following the line around the inside

Yes, I am double apexing turn 1. It lines you up for a better and earlier drive for the fastest part of the track. Watching the video, that's where I need to find my time is from turn 10 to turn 3. More specifically I need to work out a better drive out of 11. A better entry into 13 and a better drive out of 1. There are times when I did each of those well but I haven't put them together yet.

Hey man,

I thought you were doing a great job! Thanks for explaining. Did I understand you correctly on going down two teeth in the front? Thats a 14 tooth sprocket, right?

[fire337]

I watched his line through one and learned something new. It looks like he is double apexing it instead of following the line around the inside

Yes, I am double apexing turn 1. It lines you up for a better and earlier drive for the fastest part of the track. Watching the video, that's where I need to find my time is from turn 10 to turn 3. More specifically I need to work out a better drive out of 11. A better entry into 13 and a better drive out of 1. There are times when I did each of those well but I haven't put them together yet.

 

Greg I see where you can pick up some both in 10 and in 13. If you adjust your line by going in deeper into 9 do a very late apex on it and stay tight coming out of 9 towards 10. There is a big black spot in 9 which does not appear until very late in the corner, you want to try to be between it and the edge of the track. This allows you to come into 10 and 11 with a better line and harder drive out. For 10 there is a spot right near the red meatball sign. apex 10 there again being between it and the edge of the track. Both spots are black and noticeable once you look for them. You can see it in your video around the 7:06 time mark. That lap you were almost spot on with it through there. As for 13, from watching your video it looks like you need to simply run deeper into 13 as well. It will let you have a better line through 13 and 14 and gives you a hellava drive onto the front straight. Hope this helps brother.

[GregGorman]

Greg I see where you can pick up some both in 10 and in 13. If you adjust your line by going in deeper into 9 do a very late apex on it and stay tight coming out of 9 towards 10. There is a big black spot in 9 which does not appear until very late in the corner, you want to try to be between it and the edge of the track. This allows you to come into 10 and 11 with a better line and harder drive out. For 10 there is a spot right near the red meatball sign. apex 10 there again being between it and the edge of the track. Both spots are black and noticeable once you look for them. You can see it in your video around the 7:06 time mark. That lap you were almost spot on with it through there. As for 13, from watching your video it looks like you need to simply run deeper into 13 as well. It will let you have a better line through 13 and 14 and gives you a hellava drive onto the front straight. Hope this helps brother.

 

Thanks for the ideas.

[GregGorman]

Did I understand you correctly on going down two teeth in the front? Thats a 14 tooth sprocket, right?

 

Yes, you understood correctly but it's a 15tooth sprocket. Stock on the '08 10 is 17/41

[Celestemmcknight]

Come out this friday guys, gates at 5:30, racing at 6:30

Met a few guys last year, I have the white rsx.

Name is Chris.

So nice they will start early, better traction and picks

Just thought Id give the heads-up