Who races?

[lauralynne]

Originally Posted by smileyman

How do you know? OK just joking I know your a female and all...

I forgot a smiley on the other one

[Mr Lefty]

Originally Posted by smileyman

CMRA runs 4, 5, 6, and occaisionally an 8 hour endurance race. Usually 3-4 riders splitting costs and usually guys that race the same brand and equipment so that 2 bikes can practice and then you have spares. Everyone compromises on bike set up to find a happy medium.

The best teams have dedicated endurance bikes prepped for quick change tires and larger fuel tanks with quick fill capacity. You take turns on and off the bike, work your pit strategy, sweat, and pretty much fill a day from 5 am to 6-7pm. It will teach you a ton more than sprint racing as in sprints you run 110% for 8-12 laps. No time for anything but reaction. You don't really learn anything at that kind of pace. Endurance you run 90% for 25-30 laps and have time to search out new line, strange new reference points, to bodly go where no man has gone before...J/K.

Seriously you get to see the same corners all day long, traffic forces you into different lines, other bikes race with you, and you learn and pick up from them. All while having a blast. I miss it a ton. There are also some cool dehydration related mirages and a "runners high" from the heat and concentration. Pretty surreal out there some days...

very intresting... hummmm....

[smileyman]

Originally Posted by lauralynne

I forgot a smiley on the other one

I used to love racing with girls...Its fun to watch the crying when they lose... J/K

[Mr Lefty]

Originally Posted by smileyman

I used to love racing with girls...Its fun to watch the crying when they lose... J/K

or consoling them after

[smileyman]

Originally Posted by Ebbs15

or consoling them after

Usually they just kicked me in the balls after...

[Mr Lefty]

that why you hung up your leathers?

[was92v]

Originally Posted by smileyman

I did some mentor/tutoring with Sam MacDonald, Tylers dad, out at Hallett. Quite humbling to say the least. Got some good schooling at the Pridmore 2 day from Danny Eslick. He's a real hoot and by the time we did our second session together it wasn't student teacher we were actually racing each other. Quite humbling as well. Never got to ride with Pridmore but I learned a great deal at his school. Also found it reassuring and ironic that some of the old lessions I had learned the hard way over the years came up and were discussed. Had I only gone and taken his class sooner

We took a ride to Hallett once just to see what was happening west of the Mississippi River and double points. Very nice track, well half of it anyway. They were working on repaving it at the time and half was done, the other half was um, interesting. They even made a special place for me to start, a new row in the rear! I asked them how a rider that was #1 in points (it was a National event) got the special last place start and they (Sam's Dad) just shrugged and said he didn't have the points list but if I wanted to race that was my grid position. The bike owner was hopping mad, I laughed and told him not to worry about it, it was just inspiration. Hell, I'd never seen the track before and never ridden with any of the riders before anyway and I was 16 hours from home so I wasn't about to be crazy. It turned out ok. When the flag dropped I passed 7 rows of riders and went into the first turn in 4th. I didn't win but I really enjoyed the track, and the people there were all good folks.
Oh, I ended up with 3rd in both races.

[Mr Lefty]

that's awesome!

[smileyman]

The new asphalt really dropped lap times there. And they run it clockwise and counter clockwise so you never get bored! You want to see a real tough track go to Henderson Texas...That was an old go kart track and it is narrow, bumpy, and has about as many types of asphalt surface as you could quilt together on one track! The pits are really crude and desolate too...

[was92v]

Originally Posted by smileyman

The new asphalt really dropped lap times there. And they run it clockwise and counter clockwise so you never get bored! You want to see a real tough track go to Henderson Texas...That was an old go kart track and it is narrow, bumpy, and has about as many types of asphalt surface as you could quilt together on one track! The pits are really crude and desolate too...

I think I would pass on Henderson if I had anywhere else to race.

I usually raced at Putnam, IRP, Roebling, TGPR and Road Atlanta. There were enough races among those to keep me broke. Atlanta is a great track but it was the only one that I never won a race on. It takes a lot of HP for that one and I never seemed to have enough... I always liked Talladega best, since it was mostly rider, but really I loved them all.