Balistic Posted April 21, 2004 Report Share Posted April 21, 2004 Hi All I just finished the April WSMC and it was the toughest race weekend I have done. Coming off two sweeps in the last two events I had a hard time getting up for this race. The CCS race just the weekend before and the bad weather, 50s with 30mph wind on Friday and then threatening rain with the wind and cold on Saturday Had me slow and down about going fast on Sunday. All through practice my best lap was a 25.2, not fast enough. On Sunday morning I went out in the first practice and ran 23.8, not fast but good. My first race was 750 MP and I got off in third behind Stearn and Girard. I followed them for the first lap and a half and then took the lead and the win. Second race was F-40 and after last months excitement I didn?t want to follow and took the lead into eight and held it for the win. With two races and low 23s already done I wasn?t feeling too bad about the 650 SB race. I got off in second and took the lead into turn two. I held it to turn one on the second lap when Perez came up outside me. I got on the brakes a little more thinking it was Palazzo ( last month I ran him out to my turn point for one and he didn?t like it) and wanting to keep the peace between us let him by. When he chopped across my front wheel and I saw that it was Perez all I could think was DOOOHHH. The end of the second lap Palazzo came by me on the outside of nine and I tried to pick up the pace. This was when I realized just how bad I had the bike set up. I still had the settings from streets and it was a jack hammer at both ends. It took me two laps to figure out how to ride it, while Palazzo and Perez were starting to slow each other down and I started to reel in some of the three seconds I had lost. Coming down the front straight to take the white flag about a second behind Perez the red flag came out. My fastest lap was a 22.9 half a second off last month and my poor judgment about changing the settings had cost me the opportunity to run for the win. I finished third. Next up was F-2 and having considered what was going on with the bike I made a couple of changes that proved to be the opposite of what I needed. I have never tried to ride a bike that chattered both ends at the same time, it was a good learning experience but not what I needed to be doing at a double points weekend for sure. Palazzo just walked away from me. Thankfully none of the others could catch me and I finished a distant second. I came in and changed to DOTs for the 750 SS race and found my set-up notes from the last willow race and put those settings on the bike. I had just gotten a new shock from Elka and didn?t know how the shock would work with the old settings but I had to try something. It worked like a charm, I was able to run 23.0s in the race without being pushed and could put the bike where I wanted it. I got off in fifth at the end of the front straight, but third out of one. Second into turn two and first out of turn two. I never look back but I knew none of the 750s would catch me. I won. The high expectations I put on myself made it very difficult to look at three firsts, one second and a third as a good weekend, but I have still podiumed every race this year with 19 wins, 3 seconds, and 2 thirds in 24 races. The downside is without beating Palazzo and one of the 600 races having 30 starters I have lost the points lead to Palazzo by what I think will work out to 12 points. I will be missing next month to do schools in the East and will drop to the bottom half of the top ten. I like to chase rather that lead and that should make the rest of the year very fun for me. Will Eikenberry WSMC # 87 CCS Pacific # 63 Thanks to all who helped me, Keith Code and the California Superbike School, Kawasaki, Dunlop, Silkolene, AGV Sports, KBC Helmets, Lockhart Phillips, Sharkskinz, Elka Shocks, GP Suspension, Factory Pro Tuning, Graves Motorsports, Mackie's, L&L Motorsports, Pit Bull, Yin's TKD, Stompgrip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlowDragon Posted April 23, 2004 Report Share Posted April 23, 2004 Nice going Will and sorry to hear about your woes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balistic Posted April 23, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2004 Nice going Will and sorry to hear about your woes. First race you miss and look at the trouble I got into. Will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanfret Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 The positive PR of you being in 1st may be worth not having you at the school back east. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balistic Posted April 26, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2004 The positive PR of you being in 1st may be worth not having you at the school back east. I am flattered by the kind words but the school is number one and racing will always be second. Will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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