WERA @ Nashville Apr 16 & 17

[Karl_L]

I'm planning on entering the LW Solo on Saturday & ESS & Clubman on Sunday. The solo will be my first race on the SV.

[Prof._HH]

I'm not sure about races on Sat. I plan on doing the practices though. ESS and Clubman on Sunday.

What could the 250 run in Saturday - LWT Nov. (race 6) maybe?

Anybody got a gearing recommendation? Right now, it's 14/47 (iirc). That was OK for Talladega. I'm wondering if it's worth the effort to go 14/45 with the long straight at Nashville.

[Karl_L]

I always ran v5 on Saturday. But the solo is race 6 and v5 is race 7 so I don't think I can do that.

I think some of the ninjette crew runs v6lw too.

[mechdziner714]

Im registered for the LW Solo on Sat & LWTSS & F2 for Sunday.

[Catt42]

We will be in the cheering section. Karl, your room is ready if you want it. James, do you and Deanna need sleep space?

[Prof._HH]

I'm not sure what our lodging plans are yet.

[shonuff]

Looks like we'll make it out at least one day (probably Sunday) to cheer and maybe snap some knee draggin' pics.

[Karl_L]

Ill take my regular room if it's available. Thanks!

[subvetSSN606]

Crap! I'm working. Else I'd put in for the couch or floor space in the studio!

I really enjoyed it the last time I came down for it!

Tom

[Catt42]

You really need to come visit again Tom. Put this on your calendar...Sept 24 & 25 Nashville WERA fall round. If you request the time off now, you might get it. LOL :mrgreen:

Karl, your room is getting clean sheets and some cleaning this weekend so it will be ready for you.

[subvetSSN606]

9/24-9/25... Will do!

Tom

[Prof._HH]

Who's going to be there tomorrow night? For how long?

We're trying to leave around 4:00. Should get in around 8:30 (local).

[Karl_L]

I'll be rolling out of Atlanta early in the afternoon, hope to get to the track by 5 or 6.

[spotbeagle]

Have fun and good luck to those that'll be racing Saturday and Sunday :)

[Prof._HH]

Saturday turned out to be a pretty crappy day. It was very cold, windy and raining all morning. My first 2 practice sessions were in the rain. Sliding all over the track. Unfortunately, I didn't really get to feel out the bike (1st time racing it) until the afternoon race. On the good side, the track was in pretty good shape in the afternoon. Karl_L and LDS had an epic battle going on. I had a good view of it for a several laps. Can't complain though - none of us had to stay late fixing bikes.

Weather dude says tomorrow will be better a nicer day.

[shonuff]

What's the schedule for tomorrow looking like? I was planning on running out there tomorrow morning, but I had some last minute work stuff come up. So it would be late afternoon at best, before we could make it out there. And even then, we may not get to go at all.

[Prof._HH]

Practice sessions all morning. We're all racing in the 14th race in the afternoon. Karl may run the SV in an earlier race.

Can't really give you a better idea than that though. Some races get combined, depending on how big the grids are. If we have bad weather again, red flags etc can slow the day down. Call any one of us to get a better idea of times tomorrow afternoon.

[LoDownSinner]

8:30 practice, 12:30 races start. Karl and James and I will probably be racing at around 2:30 or so.

Come on out!

[shonuff]

Practice sessions all morning. We're all racing in the 14th race in the afternoon. Karl may run the SV in an earlier race.

Can't really give you a better idea than that though. Some races get combined, depending on how big the grids are. If we have bad weather again, red flags etc can slow the day down. Call any one of us to get a better idea of times tomorrow afternoon.





8:30 practice, 12:30 races start. Karl and James and I will probably be racing at around 2:30 or so.

Come on out!



Depending on what time I get wrapped up with my surprise out of town visitor tomorrow, we might try to. I know Anna wants to take her new (to her anyway) bike out for a ride, weather permitting. But this meeting tomorrow was extremely last minute and I'm not real sure of what kind of time line I'm looking at.

[shonuff]

Well, may day didn't happen as planned. My meeting ended up taking over twice as long as what as I told.



So how did everyone make out today with the better weather?

And where are the pics?!!!

[subvetSSN606]

Sorry I couldn't make it either.

Sounds like it was mostly a good weekend save for a little weather the first day.

:thumbsup:

Tom

[Prof._HH]

Weather was great yesterday & the track was in really good condition. Good day overall. Karl brought home some hardware for his 3rd place finish in the ESS race. I had a decent battle going on with another rider for 4th that lasted a couple laps. I wasn't quite as brave as he was going to the hairpin. It's still difficult for me to get back on the gas knowing there's a tight 180 coming up.

We got home around 12:30 - didn't mess with the camera to see if there are any good pics on it yet. Speaking of getting home late. What the hell is up with Kentucky working on every foogin bridge on I65 between Bowling Green and Louisville? How about fixing one then move on to the next. Instead, we get to drive 10 miles then squeeze back into 1 lane, finally cross a bridge then go like a bat out of hell for 10 more miles. About the 4th time we were stopped, I was starting to think that state's 2 letter abbreviation was pretty appropriate.

Karl got some good video off his little key-fob camera.

I thought I got away with no repairs for the weekend but, sadly, was mistaken. As I was loading up the bike, I noticed my steering damper was no longer connected on the frame side. Not sure where/when it happened. I started Sunday morning with it all together. I had to have run at least part of the race without a damper. Not having the damper isn't a huge deal on the little ninja but it could have swung around and gotten bound up in the bodywork. It might have been interesting trying to safely get off track with locked steering. Fortunately, it's an easy fix.

[LoDownSinner]

Had a great time this weekend!

Big thanks to Karl and James for sponsoring me and making it possible to get out and do some racing! You guys are the greatest!

Karl got a lot of good video, not sure when he'll be able to post it up, but some of it is well worth the wait, especially Rob's big crash on the back straight.

Karl and James both rode great this weekend. Karl beat me fair and square in both races, I'm really proud of him!

[Catt42]

It was great to see everyone! Congrats to the guys for riding well and not having to fix anything major at the end of the day!!!!

[Prof._HH]

Had a great time this weekend!

Big thanks to Karl and James for sponsoring me and making it possible to get out and do some racing! You guys are the greatest!

Karl got a lot of good video, not sure when he'll be able to post it up, but some of it is well worth the wait, especially Rob's big crash on the back straight.

Karl and James both rode great this weekend. Karl beat me fair and square in both races, I'm really proud of him!

Glad you could get out with us. Thanks for the tow in session 2 Sunday too. I found some new landmarks to use. I didn't fall back from you until that motard tried to spear me in 3. If I hadn't made some big adjustments to my line there, I would have had a big front tire mark on my leg.

[Karl_L]

I caught a lot of good racing on video but I have to do some editing before I can get that online. But this was the prize moment.


http://youtu.be/IF8f92kP92s

The rider probably broke a bone in his hand and maybe bruised some ribs but was otherwise ok. His throttle stuck open so when he downshifted & got on the brakes for the turn, well, you see what happened.

[MN_Smurf]

Ouch!


ten chars

[crankshaft]

double ouch

[Prof._HH]

You ready for Barber Karl? I think we got stuff worked out on our end.

[Catt42]

James, remember we are not too far off the interstate if you need a halfway point in your trip. I am sure Karl won't mind if you borrow his room.

[Karl_L]

Thanks Catt & Dewayne for putting me up all weekend, I had a great time. I would have preferred better weather for Saturday but then it was the weather & the wet, green track that made me drop the LW solo & run in v5 with Dewayne & James. I'm going to have to rethink my plan for the SV. I liked racing it but the old gen sippy cup series is a lot of fun. We need to dig up another old gen & make Stephen race it.

Speaking of the SV, I was pretty nervous before the F2 race on Sunday.My first race on the SV, after only one practice session on the track that morning. Never practiced a start, never used tire warmers, had no real shift or brake markers identified, etc... But all of that went away with the green flag & the bike felt really good. I got a decent start and I even had a battle with another rider, an epic battle for 8th place. He had me in the tight stuff where I was a gear too high but I had motor on him so when he passed me for the third time, this time in the bus stop on the last lap, I knew I could get him before the flag.

ESS was a blast. On Saturday I was behind LDS for the first 7 laps & just couldn't find a good way around him. I finally got by him going onto the back straight. So in Sunday's ESS race I was right on him going onto the back straight in the first lap. I had been catching him on the brakes going off the back straight the day before so this time I waited a little longer & passed him there on the first lap. Of course then I had to spend the rest of the race wondering when he was going to get me back :) After I got past LDS I caught sight of the next bike. I stayed about 2 or 3 seconds behind him for the rest of the race but just couldn't get any closer. I ended up getting 3rd place in the novice class.

Videos are coming but it might be a few days. I left my macbook power cord in Nashville.

[Prof._HH]

S & J said that too. We'll keep it in mind - thanks Catt.

[Prof._HH]

MotoHD.net has started putting up photos.

[Karl_L]

This is the ESS race on Sunday. (http://youtu.be/2dH4Yxkv424) On Saturday I had trouble getting around Dewayne so on Sunday's race I took the first opportunity, then spent the rest of the race assuming he was going to pull a Stephen on me. The camera shut off a few minutes into the race but it got the important pass :) I didn't have a rear camera running.