Race reports
July 2-3: Road Atlanta, WERA
Pat #233
I didnt get there until friday night, and tried to find a place to pit. After searching for an open power outlet, I found one and started unloading. It was packed in the paddock! I had to change the heads on the bike so I was up very late doing that, until almost 3am. Got up and did saturday practice which was uneventful and I was running a little slower than the last time I was there.
Vintage 7 MiddleWeight - I was gridded way in the back since I did post-entry and I got a bad start. I got caught behind some much slower guys so a few guys got away at the front. I finally battled my way through, once I got some clear track and a carrot in front of me to follow, I ran my fastest lap of the weekend at a 1:38.9 - I finished 3rd but I could see the leaders in front of me and I knew with another lap or two I could've passed them both. I had a fresh set of slicks on and they were great... Dunlop strikes again with perfect tires.
Then it started POURING RAIN!!!
Formula 2 - I barely got my rain tires mounted in time to make it to the grid. I had some tape on my radiator but not enough so the bike was running cold the whole race. I got a decent start and people were really going slow - it was mayhem out there! There were puddles everywhere and it was raining pretty hard at first. It started to slow down raining though, and I was catching the guy in 3rd place. I caught him and passed him on the back straight, but then the red flag came out and the race was over as it was the 4th lap or so. So I finished 4th... pretty uneventful except when I was pitting in I went to raise my face shield and the damn thing broke off the helmet and landed in my lap! That was my only clear shield, so I hoped it didn't continue to rain (see pic).
Vintage 7 HeavyWeight - Luckily it stopped raining and the sun came out, which made it about a zillion degrees and the humidity was terrible, but I got my slicks back on in time for the race. Once again I got a crappy start and had to work through the pack. The lead pack of guys totally gapped me every lap on the back straight... they were history once they got on the gas! I had a great battle with a few bikes but finally got a gap on them with about 3 laps left. I put my head down and ran some consistent times but not enough to get up to the lead pack. I also was battling with a GSXR750 running B Superbike if you can believe that! It'd be parked in the turns when I'd come flying up, only to use the horsepower and motor me on the straights. A little frustrating, but I'm used to it. I finished 3rd.
All in all a decent weekend, the rain was weird but I kinda like racing in the rain. It was very hot and it was a long drive, but it was worth it. I spent the 4th of July in Atlanta, went to a Braves game, saw fireworks, saw some paratroopers fly into TUrner Field, and also got obliterated and lit off a few hundred bucks off of fireworks with some buddies down there.
A fraternity brother of mine from college is now doing motorsports photography, check out his work at
http://blarneyspeedimaging.com/
Here are a few pics he took of me this weekend. They are copyrighted to him.
