Race Report

[Balistic]

Hi All

 

 

 

I had another very good weekend at the track even with very severe conditions. It was hot, 100 degrees. The wind was blowing, 20 to 30 mph. And to top it off we were in the ash cloud of both the Lake Isabella and Valencia fires.

 

 

 

My first race was 750 Super Stock and I got off to a good start behind Kieffer and Adams. We were very close on the first lap and on the second lap Adams started running into Kieffer, and I do mean major contact. Enough so that each time a cloud of rubber smoke was produced. This happened four times in three laps and each time it balked us both about a second back. I was getting pissed that he was being so careless and I didn?t want to pass him and be the guy he was ramming either.

 

On lap four he reaped what he was sowing and ran into a back marker in eight with his front brake lever locking his front wheel and sending his bike tumbling down the edge of the track. He was OK but my race with Kieffer had been seriously impaired. I caught him on the last lap and turn three was the only hope I had of getting by, just as we ran up on a back marker. I was already set up to go under him when he decided to go under the slower rider and he in turn he decided to low line into three. Well Kieffer scared himself going in so low inside the other guy and I was caught behind both of them wishing I had taken the outside as we parked it into three. That was my last chance to get by as the 750s just flat motor me down both straights, What I didn?t know was that when we parked it West had caught up and was planning to go by on the front straight, which he did just before the line and pimped second from me. Other than being the most upsetting race I have been in with the all contact I was very happy to have gotten the DOTs working well enough to be in contention for the win.

 

 

 

Second was 750 Mod. Prod. And with the slicks back on I was looking for redemption. I got off in eighth and went into turn two fourth, I came out of two first and put my head down putting a front straight gap on second place by the end. I have so much more confidence in the set up with the slicks that all I have to do is ride. My goal next month is to work on the DOT set up until it?s as good as the slick set up, so I can just think about riding and not how much drifting the rear is doing in Super Stock.

 

 

 

Third was F-40 and I took as a practice for F-2 and 650 Superbike. Wire to wire first.

 

 

 

Fourth was F-2 and I was starting to feel the heat and my lack of condition, having been out of the gym for 10 weeks nursing my shoulder. I got off in second behind Carnibucci. I decided to just stay back until the sixth lap and try to pull out then. This was looking like a good plan until the turn three on the fifth lap when Lane came up the inside of me into three. I saw him just as I looked into the turn prior to turning and noticed he was out of control intermittently locking his front wheel. I stayed on the brake and waited for him to turn so he wouldn?t take me out if he crashed. I found out later that he had bottomed the front on the transition and was in fact close to loosing it. I didn?t know who this kid was and I didn?t want to be third so I picked it up passing him into nine and Carnibucci into three on the sixth lap. I put about three seconds on the two of them to win.

 

 

 

Last was 650 Superbike and I wanted to go ahead and lead it. I got off behind Carnabucci again, he has got starting down. I passed him on the first lap and thought I was going fast. On the last lap out of nine Lane passed me and I was totally surprised, I didn?t know he was there at all. On the cool off lap I couldn?t even put my left foot on the peg as my hamstring was cramping so bad. I had made a change to the shock just before the race and though It felt fast my laps were a second off what I had done in F-2. So it was a good lesson for me, I need a pit board and more testing of settings in practice. Next month for sure I will figure something out from what I learned this time.

 

 

 

 

 

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.

[sanfret]

Another fine report from la miestro