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November Wsmc


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Hi All

 

I had an interesting weekend to say the least. The weather was great on Friday but not having had any time to work on my bike and trying to fit everything into a smaller trailer, I showed up and had to fit all the bodywork I had just painted. I had the bike together by noon and went out but on the first lap I knew something was very wrong. At about half throttle it would just stop making power and after two laps I pulled in. I talked to Louie at L&L and he confirmed what I thought, the fuel pump. I put the tank off Keith?s bike and sure enough it ran.

 

I had a new leaner map made for the 200 and it was still in the bike so Louie did a new full map, and it ran great. I was now OK with the bike running but when I took the suspect pump apart I found that small oversights when doing the prep for the last two paint jobs were in fact the cause of the failure and the pump was fine after a thorough cleaning.

 

I went out to dinner in Rosamond with my wife and kids and when we walked out the restaurant it like getting off a plane in a different part of the country. It was calm and 60 degrees when we entered at 6pm but when we came out at 8pm it was 45 degrees and wind was blowing 15 to 25 MPH. by the time we got back to the track it was starting to rain and I had just enough time to get the rest of my stuff in before it got wet.

 

Sunday morning was COLD! I would say right at freezing as the ice on the windows would suggest. I went out in the first practice and by the time I pulled in my neck was stinging from the cold. Being in race two and still needing to change brake pads I sat out the second practice and shortly after that decision was the day started going wrong.

 

Someone blew a motor and put oil down from before start finish to the apex of one where they went down, at least a quarter mile. So they called the riders meeting then in the middle of practice to try and get something done in the down time. The other two practice sessions went off well and they called the race one.

 

On the second or third lap another motor let go in nine and put oil down from the middle of the short shoot at the exit of eight to just before the apex of nine and took two other riders down before the flags could be thrown. So another red flag and long delay for cleanup.

 

They called race two about noon and I got the hole shot and lead across the line on the fist lap when the red flag came out again. A rider had gotten into a tankslaper coming out of six and the bike was laying at the entrance of eight. He was injured and it took a half hour to get him into the ambulance and clear the track. The bad part was the entire time the crash truck workers were assisting / watching the EMTs and the bike had been left lying on it's side leaking oil. Now after another long delay to clean up oil we were called out again at about 1 pm for race TWO!!!! I got off in third behind Michael Beck and Mickey Lane. I got by lane on the outside of two and set Beck up at the exit of six passing him in seven. I knew Palazzo was back there and I put my head down as best I could. The problem was just at the restart it had started to sprinkle and then during the race to snow. I could see the water and snow on my face shield but the track wasn't getting dark. I was having a real problem going down the straights and seeing the water off my shield thinking of grabbing the brakes????? On the third lap of four Beck caught me in four and I hammered it through six, seven, eight, and nine and pulled out for the win. A tough race to stay up for considering the changing conditions and a big victory as Palazzo finished fourth.

 

They got race three started and I was changing tires when I heard the red flag was out again. After another half hour delay and the event was called by the race director. To my knowledge the WSMC has not called a race before that could have been run. We have run in colder, wetter, windier conditions. We have had races where as many crashed too, and still ran. So on a day that my skills and desire to win were matched to the task at hand all but the slimmest of chance to be the overall champion have been taken from me. I would have been much happier to have lost the chance on the track rather than in the pits.

 

 

 

 

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, Ferodo Brakes/Brake Tech, Kyle Racing, Sato Exhaust, Mackie's, L&L Motorsports, Pit Bull, Yin's TKD, Stompgrip.

 

 

Will Eikenberry WSMC # 87 CCS Pacific # 63

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