Willow Springs Race Report 6/18-19/05

TZRaceR6 · 06-20-2005, 10:54 AM

Race Report for 17-19 June 2005
Location: Willow Springs Int?l Raceway
Bikes Raced: TZ250, R6 and FZR400

Arrived late Friday and dropped the trailer off with the bikes at the racetrack in order to get a good pit location for the weekend, then headed to the hotel for some sleep. Arrived back to the track Saturday morning at around 6:30 am in order to get the bikes unloaded and shortly thereafter Mike arrived and we set up the big 20 foot canopy and got the pit arranged. Mike was bringing the newly painted R6 to me which had just been transformed from the rattle can jobber I did into a professional looking race bike. (My first ?real? paintjob, and it looked fantastic. Thanks to Angelloti Motorsports for the excellent work!)

Saturday would be practice sessions followed by the 20 lapper Solo GT-GP (50 mile) mini-endurance race at 5:15 pm. I needed the practice on the FZR400, cause the engine had just been cleaned out and all the stuff that was wrong with it like loose head bearing, pinched tubes, out of sync carbs had all been fixed. After a few practice sessions between all three bikes everything seemed good. No problems with any of the bikes. I was set for the Solo GT-GP race.

There wasn?t very many people on the grid for our race. I think we totaled maybe 10 on the entire grid. The green flag waved and we were off, and I think I was still in 6 hour endurance race, cause after looking at my times I was about 4-6 seconds a lap off my normal pace and the front 3 guys just left me, including an Aprilia RS250. When Jamie Lenore came by on his Aprilia RS250 on lap 10, I think it shook the cobwebs loose from my head and at that point the fuse was lit. I went back to close to normal race times and dropped several seconds a lap off my previous laps. The last 8 laps were pretty lonely. I was just circulating and finished in 4th. On a TZ you have to shift about twice as often as on the R6 and by the 18th lap, I couldn?t shift anymore. I had to physically lift my entire left leg to downshift. I was more exhausted after those 20 laps than doing 40 laps on the R6 two weeks prior. I also looked at my rear tire at the end of the race and the right side was completely destroyed. I had taken a huge divit out of that side. I?m surprised I didn?t have any problems. At least this race showed me that I need some rear suspension changes. Something like that hasn?t shown up in a normal 8 lap race. But I?ll take the 4th.

Sunday morning comes and I have a busy morning. Races 1, 3 and 4. Race 1 will be 500cc Mod Prod. I?ve put a 120 front on this month and the bike felt much better during practice over the 110 I was using. As the green flag dropped, the other 400?s with modified engines making about 10 more hp just took off. Not that it mattered. The top 4 guys in this class are faster than me, but I?ve found that my gearing is off by 2 teeth in the back. I?m using a 45 rear tooth sprocket and I?m dropping that to 43 next month. I?m redlining in 6th gear entering turn 8 and down the front straight and everyone is passing me. We?ll see what happens next month! But this race, I got a good start and was in 4th or 5th about half way through when Ryan Sturz comes by me down the front straight. I was as aerodynamic as possible, completely pinned and he still went by me with ease. I was pissed. I hate being beat cause the bike is limiting. I could catch back up to Ryan in the turns, but down the straights he kept pulling on me. I had to settle for 5th.

Race 3 is 600 Mod Prod. I?m so far back in the field that I can barely see the flag man. When he drops the flag we all take off. This is hairy going into T1 with about 20 other guys around you, all fighting for position. I got pushed to the outside, and got a bad drive, losing several spots. T2 wasn?t much better. Still lots of guys fighting for elbow room. By T3 we had settled down and I could see about 20+ bikes in front of me. Man I had starting from way back on the grid. The only good thing about this race was I had my own little battle going on with 2 other guys as we were fighting it out for 23rd place. Carlo Miranda and John James came by on lap 3 and passed me in T2. That was all the incentive I needed. I started clicking off faster and faster lap times, and my last lap ended up being my fastest. I was able to get by Carlo on the last lap and just missed beating John by a tenth of a second. That made it a good race. I had fun, even though I finished way, way down from where I wanted to.

Race 4 was 500 Superstock. Much like race 1, I was down on power on the straights. I kept thinking to myself, go faster bike, please go faster. Def gonna change that rear sprocket! The race started much the same as the first, the 4 faster guys getting away from me and me clicking off the same lap times, lap after lap, and then on lap 6 both Ryan Sturz and Eric Angel pass me. Damn it, not again. My only hope is to outbrake both of them entering the turns, stay on both of their asses as close as I can in the turns and use their draft to help tow me along on the straights. So, this is what I do on lap 7 and now entering the last lap, my only chance of beating both of them is to take Ryan who is currently in 6th (as we entered T8 for the last time) entering T9 on the inside (which is what I do), and then get a good drive and pass Eric as we go down the line (which is what I do.) So as I?m drafting passed Eric, Ryan passes both of us. I guess even though I kept him to the outside entering T9, he was able to get a better drive and draft both me and Eric down the line. So, Ryan got 5th and beat me for the second time in 1 day! That?s gonna stop next month. You hear me Ryan!!!

Race 10 is the 250 GP race. Since we are already half way through the year and this is my first race in this class, I?m gridded next to dead friggin last. I was 22nd on the grid out of 23 racers. I got an okay start at the flag and passed about 6 other guys and then just stuck my head down. I started clicking off faster and faster lap times as the race went on and had just gotten a good rhythm at the half way point, passing Jamie Lenore and Kris Provost and was right on Mike Pastore?s ass when a red flag was thrown due to a bike lying on the ground in T4b. I knew they were gonna call the race, so I settled for 9th. I?m hoping with those little bit of points, I can move up a few spots for next month. It?s tough to get up front when you start all the way at the back of the grid. I also need to drop my lap times down about 3.5 more seconds to be on the podium. That is def feasible as I continue to learn the TZ.

Well, that was the end of this race weekend. A 4th, 5th, 6th, 9th and a lowly 24th. No podium this time, so I?ll have to shoot for next month.

Special thanks to Mike and John for their help this weekend. I could not even hope to race as much as I did without their efforts. It is most def appreciated. If I didn't say it during the weekend, "THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!" :thumbup

SPEED · 06-20-2005, 11:12 AM

Nice report Lloyd. You did very well considering all the races you entered, and the lack of power from the FZR. It was a great weekend at Willow Springs for SBW Racing. Glad we have you on board!! :thumbup

Thanks for the new chairs, and the cool hats!

I was very nice to have Mr. Angelotti there helping out. Things seemed to go real smooth.

javawhz · 06-20-2005, 11:11 PM

Good job Lloyd....

Mike, see? I actually do post on the board :greenflip

TZRaceR6 · 06-21-2005, 11:11 AM

Yeah, it was a pretty good day. I'll be dropping 2-3 teeth on the back sprocket for next month on the FZR and that should make a big difference on overall lap times.

I saw the video that Johnny Mack took of both my 500cc races and will make adjustments based on what I saw! I think I'll have you video tape my lightweight practice sessions so I can start fixing my riding style in the Omega section. I'm way to upright and can probably get more speed through there based on what I saw!

Jonny Rocket · 06-21-2005, 12:58 PM

Great job Lloyd!!! :thumbup

TZRaceR6 · 06-21-2005, 02:25 PM

Look forward to seeing ya again next month Johnny!!!

no_tys85 · 06-21-2005, 02:40 PM

Learned alot this weekend...thanks to loyd, mike, johnny and john. Hopefully i'll be able to make it out there more often! :thumbup

Fredball · 06-21-2005, 05:36 PM

good write up and great job Team SBW!! :thumbup

06-20-2005, 10:54 AM	#1
TZRaceR6 Know It All Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: The Valley Posts: 266 iTrader: (0) Rep Power: 4 (10)	Willow Springs Race Report 6/18-19/05 Race Report for 17-19 June 2005 Location: Willow Springs Int?l Raceway Bikes Raced: TZ250, R6 and FZR400 Arrived late Friday and dropped the trailer off with the bikes at the racetrack in order to get a good pit location for the weekend, then headed to the hotel for some sleep. Arrived back to the track Saturday morning at around 6:30 am in order to get the bikes unloaded and shortly thereafter Mike arrived and we set up the big 20 foot canopy and got the pit arranged. Mike was bringing the newly painted R6 to me which had just been transformed from the rattle can jobber I did into a professional looking race bike. (My first ?real? paintjob, and it looked fantastic. Thanks to Angelloti Motorsports for the excellent work!) Saturday would be practice sessions followed by the 20 lapper Solo GT-GP (50 mile) mini-endurance race at 5:15 pm. I needed the practice on the FZR400, cause the engine had just been cleaned out and all the stuff that was wrong with it like loose head bearing, pinched tubes, out of sync carbs had all been fixed. After a few practice sessions between all three bikes everything seemed good. No problems with any of the bikes. I was set for the Solo GT-GP race. There wasn?t very many people on the grid for our race. I think we totaled maybe 10 on the entire grid. The green flag waved and we were off, and I think I was still in 6 hour endurance race, cause after looking at my times I was about 4-6 seconds a lap off my normal pace and the front 3 guys just left me, including an Aprilia RS250. When Jamie Lenore came by on his Aprilia RS250 on lap 10, I think it shook the cobwebs loose from my head and at that point the fuse was lit. I went back to close to normal race times and dropped several seconds a lap off my previous laps. The last 8 laps were pretty lonely. I was just circulating and finished in 4th. On a TZ you have to shift about twice as often as on the R6 and by the 18th lap, I couldn?t shift anymore. I had to physically lift my entire left leg to downshift. I was more exhausted after those 20 laps than doing 40 laps on the R6 two weeks prior. I also looked at my rear tire at the end of the race and the right side was completely destroyed. I had taken a huge divit out of that side. I?m surprised I didn?t have any problems. At least this race showed me that I need some rear suspension changes. Something like that hasn?t shown up in a normal 8 lap race. But I?ll take the 4th. Sunday morning comes and I have a busy morning. Races 1, 3 and 4. Race 1 will be 500cc Mod Prod. I?ve put a 120 front on this month and the bike felt much better during practice over the 110 I was using. As the green flag dropped, the other 400?s with modified engines making about 10 more hp just took off. Not that it mattered. The top 4 guys in this class are faster than me, but I?ve found that my gearing is off by 2 teeth in the back. I?m using a 45 rear tooth sprocket and I?m dropping that to 43 next month. I?m redlining in 6th gear entering turn 8 and down the front straight and everyone is passing me. We?ll see what happens next month! But this race, I got a good start and was in 4th or 5th about half way through when Ryan Sturz comes by me down the front straight. I was as aerodynamic as possible, completely pinned and he still went by me with ease. I was pissed. I hate being beat cause the bike is limiting. I could catch back up to Ryan in the turns, but down the straights he kept pulling on me. I had to settle for 5th. Race 3 is 600 Mod Prod. I?m so far back in the field that I can barely see the flag man. When he drops the flag we all take off. This is hairy going into T1 with about 20 other guys around you, all fighting for position. I got pushed to the outside, and got a bad drive, losing several spots. T2 wasn?t much better. Still lots of guys fighting for elbow room. By T3 we had settled down and I could see about 20+ bikes in front of me. Man I had starting from way back on the grid. The only good thing about this race was I had my own little battle going on with 2 other guys as we were fighting it out for 23rd place. Carlo Miranda and John James came by on lap 3 and passed me in T2. That was all the incentive I needed. I started clicking off faster and faster lap times, and my last lap ended up being my fastest. I was able to get by Carlo on the last lap and just missed beating John by a tenth of a second. That made it a good race. I had fun, even though I finished way, way down from where I wanted to. Race 4 was 500 Superstock. Much like race 1, I was down on power on the straights. I kept thinking to myself, go faster bike, please go faster. Def gonna change that rear sprocket! The race started much the same as the first, the 4 faster guys getting away from me and me clicking off the same lap times, lap after lap, and then on lap 6 both Ryan Sturz and Eric Angel pass me. Damn it, not again. My only hope is to outbrake both of them entering the turns, stay on both of their asses as close as I can in the turns and use their draft to help tow me along on the straights. So, this is what I do on lap 7 and now entering the last lap, my only chance of beating both of them is to take Ryan who is currently in 6th (as we entered T8 for the last time) entering T9 on the inside (which is what I do), and then get a good drive and pass Eric as we go down the line (which is what I do.) So as I?m drafting passed Eric, Ryan passes both of us. I guess even though I kept him to the outside entering T9, he was able to get a better drive and draft both me and Eric down the line. So, Ryan got 5th and beat me for the second time in 1 day! That?s gonna stop next month. You hear me Ryan!!! Race 10 is the 250 GP race. Since we are already half way through the year and this is my first race in this class, I?m gridded next to dead friggin last. I was 22nd on the grid out of 23 racers. I got an okay start at the flag and passed about 6 other guys and then just stuck my head down. I started clicking off faster and faster lap times as the race went on and had just gotten a good rhythm at the half way point, passing Jamie Lenore and Kris Provost and was right on Mike Pastore?s ass when a red flag was thrown due to a bike lying on the ground in T4b. I knew they were gonna call the race, so I settled for 9th. I?m hoping with those little bit of points, I can move up a few spots for next month. It?s tough to get up front when you start all the way at the back of the grid. I also need to drop my lap times down about 3.5 more seconds to be on the podium. That is def feasible as I continue to learn the TZ. Well, that was the end of this race weekend. A 4th, 5th, 6th, 9th and a lowly 24th. No podium this time, so I?ll have to shoot for next month. Special thanks to Mike and John for their help this weekend. I could not even hope to race as much as I did without their efforts. It is most def appreciated. If I didn't say it during the weekend, "THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!" :thumbup __________________ Team: 03 R6 / 98 TZ250 / 90 FZR400 Orgs: WSMC #716 / USGP #716 Sponsors: ACSAS Tech / Wheel 2 Wheel / Takeit2thetrack / Goodridge / CRS Tuning / Vortex Racing / Hotbodies / RK Racing Chains / Zero Gravity / Utopia Optics My website: http://www.acsastech.com/acsas-racing/Home.html Suspension by: Catalyst Reaction Suspension Tuning

06-20-2005, 11:12 AM	#2
SPEED Administrator Tournaments Won: 2 Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: So Cali Bikes: '07 Honda CBR600RR, Cag Pocket bike Age: 43 Posts: 11,099 iTrader: (5) Rep Power: 16 (42)	Nice report Lloyd. You did very well considering all the races you entered, and the lack of power from the FZR. It was a great weekend at Willow Springs for SBW Racing. Glad we have you on board!! :thumbup Thanks for the new chairs, and the cool hats! I was very nice to have Mr. Angelotti there helping out. Things seemed to go real smooth. __________________ Live to ride another day!" SIGN UP HERE --> "Zoomsplat" -Wingers" SPORTBIKES WEST.COM User Maintenance General Forum Usage Reading and Posting Messages

06-20-2005, 11:11 PM	#3
javawhz Squid Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Glendale, California Posts: 117 iTrader: (0) Rep Power: 4 (10)	Good job Lloyd.... Mike, see? I actually do post on the board :greenflip __________________ WSMC #502 - 2002 CBR600 F4i Supersport -

06-21-2005, 11:11 AM	#4
TZRaceR6 Know It All Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: The Valley Posts: 266 iTrader: (0) Rep Power: 4 (10)	Yeah, it was a pretty good day. I'll be dropping 2-3 teeth on the back sprocket for next month on the FZR and that should make a big difference on overall lap times. I saw the video that Johnny Mack took of both my 500cc races and will make adjustments based on what I saw! I think I'll have you video tape my lightweight practice sessions so I can start fixing my riding style in the Omega section. I'm way to upright and can probably get more speed through there based on what I saw! __________________ Team: 03 R6 / 98 TZ250 / 90 FZR400 Orgs: WSMC #716 / USGP #716 Sponsors: ACSAS Tech / Wheel 2 Wheel / Takeit2thetrack / Goodridge / CRS Tuning / Vortex Racing / Hotbodies / RK Racing Chains / Zero Gravity / Utopia Optics My website: http://www.acsastech.com/acsas-racing/Home.html Suspension by: Catalyst Reaction Suspension Tuning

06-21-2005, 02:25 PM	#6
TZRaceR6 Know It All Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: The Valley Posts: 266 iTrader: (0) Rep Power: 4 (10)	Look forward to seeing ya again next month Johnny!!! __________________ Team: 03 R6 / 98 TZ250 / 90 FZR400 Orgs: WSMC #716 / USGP #716 Sponsors: ACSAS Tech / Wheel 2 Wheel / Takeit2thetrack / Goodridge / CRS Tuning / Vortex Racing / Hotbodies / RK Racing Chains / Zero Gravity / Utopia Optics My website: http://www.acsastech.com/acsas-racing/Home.html Suspension by: Catalyst Reaction Suspension Tuning

06-21-2005, 12:58 PM	#5
Jonny Rocket Squid Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: South Windsor, CT Age: 38 Posts: 217 iTrader: (0) Rep Power: 4 (12)	Great job Lloyd!!! :thumbup

06-21-2005, 02:40 PM	#7
no_tys85 Squid Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Tustin, CA Posts: 139 iTrader: (0) Rep Power: 4 (10)	Learned alot this weekend...thanks to loyd, mike, johnny and john. Hopefully i'll be able to make it out there more often! :thumbup __________________ I complained that I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet. ~Irish Proverb

06-21-2005, 05:36 PM	#8
Fredball Know It All Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: www.takeit2thetrack.net Posts: 369 iTrader: (0) Rep Power: 4 (10)	good write up and great job Team SBW!! :thumbup __________________ aka- projekt7R "Hippies, theyre everywhere. They want to save the world but all they do is smoke pot and smell bad" -Eric Cartman AFM/WERA#922 special thanks: -RPM cycles Ventura CA -OFD racing -GALFER wanna go faster? http://www.sportbikeswest.com/forum/...gonly1_133.jpg

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