Big changes for the 2009 race season

With the New Year just around the corner CCS has released the 2009 race schedule for entire series.
Unfortunately I received this e-mail a month or so earlier from Dean and Kim Rumfola who own TrackAddix and have been the CCS affiliate operating the Great Plains Region...

At TrackAddix we are who we serve, dedicated sportbike racers and riders, so it is with great pain and sadness that we have made the difficult decision to not renew our sanctioning license with Championship Cup Series (CCS). As a result, TrackAddix will no longer operate CCS sanctioned racing in 2009 and the TrackAddix GP series will cease to exist.
Several factors evolving for 2009 have led us to make this difficult decision;
• The introduction of an additional racing series in an already low density market.
• Escalating costs that must be passed on to our customers.
• A very poor economy affecting our customer's ability to race.
In 2008, our third year of operating the race series, we saw the natural progression and life cycle of motorcycle roadracing participants, and felt its effects personally and financially. Motorcycle racers at the club level appear to follow a 2-3 year life cycle. After which, the "3 Brokes" kick in...Broke wallets, Broke bikes, and Broke bodies. This forces even the most hardy race enthusiast to closely evaluate continuing with the sport. We feel there will be a significant number of racers who will not continue racing in 2009, due to the ailing U.S. economy, we also don't anticipate many new racers entering the sport to replace those who are "retiring".
Alex, Kim, and I, along with our families and all of the hard working volunteer TrackAddix crew, dedicated our time, energies and efforts to make the Great Plains Series one of the best run club racing programs in the country. However, under the present situation we do not deem it financially prudent to continue the series. The positive side of all this is that we have made some of the best friends a person could ever ask for. We have seen triumph and tragedy, and stood side by side in congratulations and support of our fellow racers.
We remain committed to our customer's passion, and therefore, we are currently evaluating the viability of returning to our core business of providing high quality trackday opportunities for the performance sportbike enthusiast. This business model is proven and is what launched TrackAddix into the successful organization it has become. We have many ideas on new programs and improvements to our trackdays for 2009 that we feel the sportbike community will be excited about.
This is the time of year to give thanks and reflect on the past year. To all of the TrackAddix staff, words cannot express or describe the gratitude we feel for your support, hard work, and loyalty to us personally and to the TrackAddix operation. To our customers, we can't thank you enough and am very grateful for your support of our events. We couldn't do any of this without you. On behalf of all of us here at TrackAddix we would like to wish everyone a safe and joyous holiday season.
Sincerely,

Alex, Kim and Dean


Because of this change I will move to the MidWest Region for the 2009 season. The Great Plains Region is still in existence but they will only race at Topeka and Gateway except for the Festival of Speed at Road America. The Great Plains Series races with MidWest at four of the eight races and with only three additional races in Great Plains it will be possible to score lots of points in both regions.
I’ve posted both regions’ schedules and at this time I’m trying to figure out which races I’ll be able to get to. Another plus to moving to the MidWest Region is that Blackhawk Farms operates it’s own track championship in all the classes and since that is the closest track to Waterloo, there’s a good chance, I’ll be able to attend all four races there.
It’s going to be an interesting season.

I can’t wait!!

2008 Great Plains Region Awards Banquet

2008 Great Plains Region Awards Banquet

Saturday, February 7, 2008
Cinzetti's
Overland Park, Kansas 66212

2008 Expert Overall Champion: MATT HALL
2008 Amateur Overall Champion: RYAN KEMP

2008 Great Plains Roadracing Championship Trophy Winners

Anthony Dean, Anthony Johnson, Anthony Rau, Brent Wood, Bruce T. Meyer, Clayton Potter, Dan Jasa, Eric Levita,
Eric Purves, Erik Rodriguez, Gary Dick, Greg Anderson, Jason Jenkins, Jason Quillman, Jay Hanson, Jeffrey Purk,
Jesse Lehman, Jimmy Tokos, Jr., Joel Spalding, Kevin Clark, Mark Nudelman, Matt Hall, Matt Sheahan, Nate Kern,
Paul Onley, R. John Deuser, Ralph Longus, Ray Hofman, Rebecca Caudle, Richard Woten, Ron Hix, Ron Mears,
Ryan Kemp, Stephen Wilkins, Terry Goepferich, Todd Murray, Tom Girard, Troy Walbaum, William Kaszer

XB12R race bike takes second at Dyno Shootout

Now that the season is over I've got time to start plotting on how to improve next season! But all that was put on hold on October 11 when sponsor Silver Eagle Harley-Davidson/Buell held their bi-annual Dyno Shootout. It's a great opportunity to show off the bike and talk to folks about the past race season as well as see some very strong bikes on the dyno.

This year another sponsor, John Kahrs, my AMSOIL guy had a booth set up there as he has recently added the dealership to his growing client base. His distributor Don Smith came down to see what all the fuss is about and I think he was impressed with how the day went.

The good news was that my 1125R street bike won the top Buell class at 138 hp/77 ft lbs torque and the race bike was second with 96.5 hp/82 ft lbs torque. Yep, the race bike's got plenty of oats so this winter, I'm on a mission to try to upgrade my fitness to better manipulate it next season.

Stay tuned...



From right to left...
Teammate, Troy Walbaum, #143, Silver Eagle HD/Buell Sales/Finance manager
Jim, Silver Eagle HD/Buell Service manager
Wayne, Silver Eagle HD/Buell Parts manager
Don, AMSOIL rep
Yours truely, note smaller cast!
John Kahrs, my AMSOIL rep and motorcycle racing fan

End of season results - 2008

The season has come to an end after seven races spanning seven months. My main focus was to be competitive in the CCS Great Plains region which covered tracks in Topeka, Kansas, St. Louis, Missouri, Hastings, Nebraska, Council Bluffs, Iowa and Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Although it didn't end quite the way I would have liked, it was a very successful year! I only competed in three of the seven races in the series, missing two because of injuries but still moved up a long way in the final points compared to last year.

Great Plains Final Results - 2008
3rd - Amateur Lightweight SuperSport
3rd - Amateur Lightweight Formula 40
4th - Amateur Thunderbike

I raced two Great Plains events that included Midwest region points along with two rounds at Blackhawk Farms this summer. The Midwest region points have also been finalized.

Midwest Region Results - 2008
6th - Amateur Lightweight Formula 40
10th - Amateur Lightweight SuperSport
13th - Amateur Thunderbike

I want to thank all my supporters and friends...

My wife, Janet, who understands this passion better than anyone else!!
Troy Walbaum, my teammate and good friend who has the racing bug as bad as I do.
Silver Eagle Harley-Davidson / Buell - Waterloo, IA.
AMSOIL products / John Kahrs - Hudson, IA.
Doyle & Deanne Kingenborg / Klingenborg Farms - New Hartford, IA.
Mike & Clair Farrell - Waterloo, IA.
Dave Abbas, who travelled with us to a couple of events and helped me improve.

Thanks again to everyone, stay tuned!!

Hastings race report - good news and bad news

Hastings Race Report
Vol. 3, #6
Motorsports Park Hastings, Hastings, NE. - September 7, 2008

The last time I was at Motorsports Park Hastings in Nebraska I came home battered and didn't even get to race so I was on a mission to improve upon that finish! This race was also a double points event like Gateway but was a Great Plains and MidWest event so I expected a lot of racers to show up.

We drove the six plus hour trip on Saturday, arriving late in the afternoon so we could get registered and the bike teched to beat the Sunday morning rush.

Sunday was a perfect day but a little cool in the morning for our one and only practice session. I saved a lot of cash by not doing the Saturday track day as I felt I remembered it well enough to just practice and race on Sunday. As I went out I immediately had helmet fogging issues, not good, so I clicked the visor up one notch and decided to slow it down a touch! Good thing too as I found myself off the track twice with steering problems into the tight corners.

I was totally puzzled as to what was going on with the bike but I knew I'd better get back to the pits and figure it out. After checking all my settings and talking to TrackAddix suspension ace, Larry, I wasn't any closer to a fix. I then remembered a similiar issue at an AMA race I'd watched last year and compared my tire gauge with two others and mine was almost 3 lbs. off. No wonder I couldn't turn the bike, my tire pressures were way too high. So now that I'd solve that crisis I felt good and ready to race!

Race #1 - Lightweight SuperSport
To my surprise there were only four amateurs in this race so that meant the possibility of BIG points. The flag dropped and I got the start of a lifetime, not only did I leave at amateurs in the dust but I was pushing a few experts as too. Well that didn't last long but it sure was fun running up front for awhile!! I had a good race and continued to build my confidence on this really fun track.

I ended up 4th which was all I had for them in that race but later found out that the winner was disqualified so I got gifted up to 3rd! I'll take it!!

Race #2 - Lightweight Formula-40
O.K. here's the deal. I was in second place in this class for the whole region and the guy who was first didn't show up so all I had to do was keep the bike upright, collect the double points and vault into the #1 spot. Simple, right? With only four guys in the amateur race, I could just tour around and that's it.

Well of course I couldn't do that, I was here to race and race hard I did until midway into lap four. I was working hard into turn 4, a high speed sweeper when it was clear I was in trouble so I stood the bike up and rode off track into a large open grassy area, gradually rear braking until I hit a little dip in the ground and off the bike I flew!! After several tumbles I got up, more mad at myself than anything else. The bike was fine but my right wrist was getting sore and I'd reinjuried the same ribs from my last time here.

After getting the bike up and riding back to the pits I did get some good news as only of the guys had D.Q.ed himself somehow which put me into 3rd and into 1st place in the region!

Race #3 - Thunderbike
Well, it was obvious that I had a spranded wrist but with double points on the line I sucked it up and gridded for the race. All I had to do was get one clean lap, come in, collect the points and take care of my wrist and that's exactly what I did! I placed 5th which still let's me collect Buell contingency cash plus all those points!


As it turned out, I found out Monday that I had indeed broken my wrist and I now have a cast on from my fingers to the middle of my bicep. With the last race of the season in just under a month away, it's mathmatically possible for me to get knocked back out of 1st in Lightweight Formula-40 so we'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out!!


If my season is over, I want to thank John Kahrs, my AMSOIL rep for all his support as well as Klingenborg Farms, the Farrell family and of course all the great folks at Silver Eagle Harley-Davidson / Buell in Waterloo.

This story may yet have a happy ending, stay tuned...

Gateway Race Report and my first #1 finish!!

Gateway Race Report
Vol. 3, #5
Gateway International Raceway, St. Louis MO./ August 17, 2008


Troy Walbaum, Dave Abbas and I headed to St Louis's Gateway International Raceway for round five of the CCS Great Plains series. The main reason for traveling so far from home was that it was also a double points weekend.

All three of us attended the track day on Saturday and we were all surprised at how techincal this 1.6 mile track was in places. The transisions onto the banked NASCAR oval track was, well, exilerating!! It was big fun running down the front straight and dropping off the high bank also!!

The track day was well worth the time although I never really got comfortable on one of the right hand corners. I had a few off road excertions but fortunately without incident.

Sunday morning arrived with perfect weather, clear, sunny and calm. I got ready to race feeling good but knowing I would be competing with several locals on their home track so my plan was to not try to be a hero but to keep it upright and race smart. It was great having Dave with us as a spotter to critique us and help in the pits. Thanks, Dave!!

Race #1 - Lightweight SuperSport
I had a great start and ran right with the experts through the first sections of lap one but my nemisis corner allowed them to break away and a few of the amateurs got by on the front stretch so I remembered my original plan and settled in trying to keep the contact and stay out of trouble. It worked out as I placed 4th and felt like I was starting to get a handle on this tricky little track.

Race #2 - Lightweight Formula 40
This was a good race but the field was small so my main goal was to continue to gain confidence and attempt to lower my lap times. When one of the fast local amateurs came sailing by me on lap 4 of 8, I put my head down to go after him but his track knowledge kept me in second place. I was happy with my efforts and found out I later that the guy had entered the race after the start and was docked a lap handing the victory to me!! Hey, a win is a win, right, and it is my first!!

Race #3 - Thunderbike
I'm not sure why there were only three amateurs in this class but I knew if I kept the bike upright and kept my head I'd at least place third and be eligible to collect $100.00 in Buell factory congingency money. Now I'm as competitive as the next guy but I know a good thing when it lands in my lap! I had a great start and ran well during the first several laps but Buell racers Matt and Troy squeezed by so I concentrated on maintaining cosistant lap times and collect the cash, so I'm very happy with the third place finish in this race.

So all in all this was a great weekend!! With 4th, 3rd and 1st place finishes on a double points weekend I'm getting a major boost in the chase for the points which is a big plus since I missed several early races! This is starting to get interesting!!

A great shot of all three of us during the track day on Saturday. Dave, me, Troy thanks to Al Schwartz Photo, LLC

Stay tuned...

Blackhawk Farms Race Report

Blackhawk Farms Race Report
Vol. 3, #4
Blackhawk Farms Raceway, South Beloit, IL. - July 26, 2008

After a great 4th of July weekend at Road America, I really wanted to get back on the track between that event and the Gateway round in mid August. There were a few track day options but I thought racing at Blackhawk Farms either Saturday or Sunday would be a better to continue working on my race craft. Fortunately this weekend worked out for Troy as well so we decided to head over and compete on Saturday.

Blackhawk Farms is actually the closest track to us, about a three hour drive, so we headed out at 4am to be there by 7am. The coolest thing about racing at Blackhawk is that there are so many Buell racers that compete there, both amateurs and experts. It’s a great opportunity to compare notes, get ideas, ask questions and race with and against friends.

I hadn’t raced at Blackhawk since earlier in the season when I had mechanical issues so I was anxious to get out there at full song to see where I was at against some of the strongest competitors I face.

Both practice sessions went well but it was going to be a hot day. I visited with the Pirelli tire vendor to get their tire pressure recommendations for the temperature, made the adjustments and then I felt I was ready to race. Both my races were late in the afternoon so I had several hours of down time which let me catch up on my missed rest and time to get plenty of water down as well.

Race #1 - Thunderbike
This is a highly competitive class and one that just about every Buell racer competes in since Buell Motor Company pays contingency money through 5th place. Because of registering that morning I was gridded in the back row so I had my work cut out for me.

Unfortunately I was a little late on the start and immediately had to play catch up. The laps went by quickly and I had a few good battles especially with a particular Ducati racer but a mental misstep in the Bus Stop corner put me behind the eight ball. Fortunately I didn’t run off the track but I totally blew the corner which caused me to have to refocus to get back into the race.

My overall finish of 7th was pretty good considering my mistake and the fact that most of the guys racing here are racing on their home track and know it a lot better than I do.

Race #2 - Lightweight Formula 40
After a much better start this race went much smoother with no mistakes! This race is a combination of three classes, LW F-40, 125 GP and Ultra Lightweight Superbikes so there are lots of folks on the track which adds to the competition. Most of the time you really don’t know if you’re racing with someone in your class or not.

My confidence was much higher and I ran through the corners at higher speeds getting my knee down and generally feeling a lot better at competitive speed.

My final place in this class was 5th but the bigger issue is I’m getting more and more comfortable on the bike again so now I’m ready to start marching through the field toward higher finishes!!

Stay tuned!!

Road America Race Report

Road America Race Report
Vol. 3, #3
Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI. - July 4 - 6, 2008



I finally got to race!!
Troy Walbaum, his wife, Sheila, Janet and I took off Thursday to race at Road America over the 4th of July weekend which is the largest event on our series schedule. Not only is Road America the largest track we race on at 4 miles in length it’s also draws the largest number competitors. With two different series running CCS/ASRA and USGPRU and racers from all over the country I knew the races would be tough but I was up for the challenge! It’s kind of a tough race to start your season with but that’s how my season has been.

Another perk to this event is that Buell Motor Company celebrated it’s 25th Anniversary at this event. There were fellow Bueller from all over the world there as well so I definately wanted to run well in front of the “faithfull”.

Friday registration and tech went smoothly and after setting up our pit in Buell Alley I was off to practice. Since Road America is a large fast track I started off on the conservative side to get my racing legs back but it went well and I felt with the six races I would be competing in over the weekend I’d have plenty of opportunity to polish my skills. This year each race was increased one lap to five laps which is 20 miles of hard riding per race!

photo by Mike Boomer


Saturday - Race #1 - Thunderbike
To say I was a little nervous would be an understatement!! This race was packed with talent from as far away as New Jersey so I knew I’d have to be on my game! I had a great start but struggled in turn 5 on every lap and kept losing contact with the pack, I just couldn’t find the fast line at race speed in that corner but the rest of the race went pretty well. I finished 9th. and was really happy that I finally had my first race of the season under my belt!

Saturday - Race #2 - Lightweight Formula 40
At this event LW-F40 is combined with 125cc Grand Prix and Ultra Lightweight Superbikes so it became a large grid with Experts and Amateurs racing together.

During our warm up lap one of the experts on an SV650 blew up his engine, laying down oil on the track and eventually crashed pretty hard which brought out the red flag. By the time the track clean up got done we were told this and all races afterward would be 4 lap dashes.

Now with one less lap the start would be even more critical and I really blow it by missing a shift right after the drop of the green flag. RATS!! So now it was go time and even though I still struggled in turn 5, I was able to close on the guys ahead of me but I pushed too hard into the chicane and shot off the track, was able to get back on fairly quickly but the gap I’d closed was gone so I had to settle for 6th place in that race.

Saturday - Race #3 - Lightweight SuperSport
Friends and neighbors, Mike and Katie Boomer had watched the previous races and gave me some suggestions I took to heart; which lead to a fun battle with teammate, Troy Walbaum, in this race but a few mental bobbles put me behind him and I wasn’t able to close enough to get back around. This was by far my best race of the day, placing 8th and I finally felt more comfortable on the bike at race speed so I looked forward to the same three races on Sunday.

photo by Mike Boomer

Sunday’s races were packed pretty tight for me and I was a little concerned about my fitness level since I would only have one race in between each of my races which usually figured out to a 20 minute break. I figured I’d be fine for the first two and if I had concerns I’d ditch out of Lightweight Formula 40. The weather was great in the mid 80’s with low humidity and little wind so it looked good as long as I felt good.

Sunday - Race #1 - Thunderbike
What a great race! I got a good start and it was on! I finally figured out how to get through turn 5 and managed to stay in the race mid pack. It was a very close pack but I made a very minor error in Canada corner trying to pass two guys at once. I got in a little too hot, missed a gear on the way up the hill and immediately lost two spots. Fellow Buell racer, Ben Schmidt, #133, and I battled the rest of the race, he got around and I ending up in 8th.

I actually learned a lot during that race and was pumped for my next outing!

Sunday - Race #2 - Lightweight SuperSport
I was pumped for this race but unfortunately on the start I hit the rev limiter in first gear right away, went for second and missed it. Well the pack quickly moved away from me so I had to put my head down and get to business. I caught Ben and had a great late breaking pass into turn 5 and was on my way! I knew I was closing on the pack through the next few laps then Ben draft passed me on the front straight! It was the last lap so I had to get to work again and managed to get by him again on the way to turn 5, I kept telling myself to relax and be smooth through the rest of the corners and it almost worked but I pushed a little too hard just before the front straight, did a little off road riding and watched Ben roll on by. I closed on the front straight but he had more oats than I did and I had to settle for 8th.

What a fun race, though!!

Sunday - Race #3 - Lightweight Formula 40
After a quick drink of water, filling the bike with gas and a 10 minute rest, it was first call for my last race of the day. I felt great and with all the laps I’d run up to that point I decided to follow the advice of all the fast guys, “slow is fast”.

I figured I’d try harder to hit my turn in points and see if this theory actually worked. This was my cleanest race of the weekend. I hit all my apexes and brake points and it seemed like I was going slower but I didn’t have any issues the whole time and to my surprise I finished 3rd!

This was my best finish to date and I’m sure I turned my best lap times of the weekend.

All in all it was a great weekend of racing and camaraderie with all the Buell racers and fans during Buell 25th Anniversary. It was cool having bike founder Erik Buell hang out in our pits for a while and sign a 25th anniversary banner for Janet, too.

Troy and I are planning on getting to the next round at Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis in late August which will be the complete opposite of Road America’s 4 miles of fast sweeping turns as Gateway is a 1.6 mile, tight turn track.

I’ll keep you posted!!

Hastings race report

Race Report
Volume 3, #2
Motorsport Park - Hastings / June 21 - 22, 2008

Troy Walbaum, Dave Abbas and I headed to Hastings Nebraska for the race school on Saturday and CCS Great Plains racing on Sunday. The “Smooth Speed School” was a great experience on Saturday as all three of us did the school together with our instructor who is the 2007, #1 plate holder. The last school session was a disaster for me as I have now experienced the dreaded “high side” as I was attempting a pass on one of the last laps before lunch. The bike survived with very minor rash and I’m fine except for some deep tissue bruising on my right side but no broken bones!! I decided to pass on racing Sunday and concentrate on healing up.

It’s been a disappointing session for me so far but now I’m focused on getting ready for the Road America rounds in a few weeks so Dave and I were Troy’s pit crew for the Sunday Great Plains races.
I really appreciate all the folks who have supporting me even though I haven't been able to show the race results I'd hoped to have by now.

Thanks again to Jon Kahrs (AMSOIL), Klingenborg Farms and the Farrell family.

Farrell family joins the race effort with sponsorship

The Farrell family are the newest sponsors on the Longus Motorsports Buell XB12R racebike. Clair and Mike are family friends and when they offered to help out with our racing expenses my wife and I were both a little shocked but they insisted so the Farrell Family decals will be on the bike by the time we leave for Hastings.

Thank you, Clair and Mike!!

Speaking of the racebike, ace Buell tech Reese Murphy at Silver Eagle Harley-Davidson/Buell diagnosed that my ailling bike had an intake leak on the throttle body caused by guess what, ME! When I changed spark plugs I inadvertantly failed to properly snug down the throttle body velocity stack which caused a high speed lean out condition which made the bike fall flat on it's face when I applied full throttle. Fortunately, it was an easy fix and now the bike is ready for battle!!

Thanks you, Reese!!

Blackhawk Farms race report

Race Report
Volume 3, #1
Blackhawk Farms, June 1, 2008

After not being able to attend the Topeka or MidAmerica rounds I decided to attend the Blackhawk Farms races, Sunday, June 1, of the MidWest region to get some track time in since Blackhawk is the closest track to me.
Blackhawk Farms races on Saturday and Sunday but Sunday’s races include Lightweight SuperSport that I had planned on racing this year.
The weather looked to be perfect so Troy Walbaum, Buell XB12R, #143 and I headed out early Sunday morning. After getting through registration I headed to my first tech inspection of the year, the bike breezed through so it was time to get on the track for the first time of the season!
As I went out for the first practice session I was a little apprehensive and excited at the same time. About half way through the first lap I started to get comfortable on the bike again so I decided to get on the gas and get up to speed, then NO POWER!! What??!! As I rolled off the throttle the bike picked right back up but there was nothing at full throttle!
I decided I’d better not hurt anything on the first laps of the year and headed for the pits. After several minutes of checking for wiring connection or fuel problems I thought I’d go out on the last warm-up session to see if anything has changed. Unfortunately the full throttle gremlin was still on board.
While the thrash continued to diagnose my dilemma in the pits, Troy was out getting up to speed on the track. Several other Buell racers pitted by us gave me ideas and offered to help but it became obvious I wouldn’t be able to fix the trouble at the track.
The first race, Lightweight SuperSport, was called and I decided to try to get a few laps in even with less that 100% power. Since I was gridded on the back row I would not be in anyone’s way and the bike ran great until I got to the front straight. It was very frustrating but I figured I’d stay out as long as I wasn’t in anyone’s way. I had to work on corner speed and being smooth but eventually the first of the Expert riders came zipping by so I called it a day and headed to the hot pit and back to the trailer.
Troy ran well in both classes and I got to watch all my competitors from the pits during the Lightweight Grand Prix race.
The race bike has been so reliable that I’m more surprised than angry but I’ll get it to the dealer and hope it turns out to be something simple as I’m heading to Hastings, Nebraska, June 21-22 for a race school Saturday and the Great Plains region races on Sunday hosted at that track. Since it’s Great Plains points I’m chasing I’m really looking forward to going to this round. Attending the race school should help me get around the track a little bit quicker since I’ve never been to the Hastings track before.
I hope to have better news in a few weeks, stay tuned!!

Ralph Longus

Rain, rain go away!!

Mother's Day weekend brought rain which kept me home instead of competing at the Blackhawk Farms MidWest Region Double Points Weekend and the MidAmerica (MAM) Memorial Day weekend looked to be a washout also, so no racing.

The MAM weekend weather looked really bad in the Omaha area, so that with $3.75 per gallon gas, 5 hours one way on the road and possible tornados in the forecast another race weekend was spent at home.

I'm glad we made that decision as we would have been caught in some very severe weather on the way home which produced several tornados within a 30 mile radius of my home. That would have been a terrible way to end a race weekend!

There is a race at Blackhawk Farms next weekend, May 24 - 25 so Troy Walbaum and I are heading over to race Sunday in Lightweight SuperSport and Lightweight Grand Prix. This is a MidWest Region only race so it won't help our points chase in the Great Plains region but I need to get the bike on a track to check it and myself out.

Let's hope for a sunny day!!

Klingenborg Farms join the team as 2008 sponsors!!

Welcome, Doyle and Deanne Klingenborg to the Longus Motorsports Buell XB12R race program for 2008!!

The Klingenborgs farm in the Stout-New Hartford area and Doyle is a pretty serious kart racer as well. It's going to be great fun to have a farm as a sponsor on a racebike from Iowa! Doyle could have used this sponsorship on his own racing efforts so I've got to work even harder now. That's a good pressure to have!

Thanks, again, Doyle and Deanne!!

New AMSOIL sponsorship secured!!

My local AMSOIL dealer, John Kahrs has helped me secure a sponsorship through AMSOIL's Dealer Co-op Racing Program. John and corporate are splitting the cost of my sponsorship, suppying products, (mainly oil), for my program throughout the racing season.

Check out the complete AMSOIL line at John's website http://www.johnsoils.com/

This is a great opportunity for my program especially since this is just my second season! Thank you, John!!

Getting ready to start the season with a new look!!

Just finished up installing the 1125R fairing and prepping the bike for the upcoming race season.

Silver Eagle HD/Buell sponsored a dyno day on 4/19/08 so even though the race bike spent some time on it over the winter I took it out for one last go. Since the air conditions were better, it turned better numbers, 94.76 horsepower and 80.38 foot pounds of torque!

Unfortunately, I cannot make the opening rounds at Topeka this week because several members of the track team I coach qualified to compete at the Drake Relays. I'm really excited that they make it to Drake so I'll debut at Blackhawk Farms in a few weeks!!

Winter upgrades

It's been a COLD and SNOWY winter here so it seems as though the racing season is a long way off but of course I know it will be here before I know it so now is the time to check the bike over and make any changes.

The race bike proved to be a solid combination last season so the winter upgrades were to improve rideabity without adversely affecting reliability.

The first upgrade required the expertise of ace Buell tech, Reese, who installed the Buell high performance oil pump drive gear which was developed from the Buell racing program to provide additional longevity. After it was back together Reese tweaked the timing and dialed it in on the dyno. Right now it is registering 91hp at the tire which should be more than enough to be competitive in the Amateur Lightweight SuperSport class this summer as long as I can continue to improve my riding skills.

The second upgrade was to replace the 3.5lb transmission pulley with a new aluminum piece from Evolution Industries, weighing in at 15oz, thanks, Gary!! Any weight that can be removed from the rotating mass will equate to a quicker launch out of the corners, plus it's just a bolt-on!

The third upgrade is the intallation of a 1/5th turn racing throttle from Double Z Racing. I hope this will help me maximize all the XB's power by getting to wide open throttle easier and quicker! Thanks, Lohman!!

The fourth upgrade is in the works right now. I'm replacing the stock XB fairing with an 1125R piece for improved aerodynamics and an updated look. The 1125R fairing should have a noticeable "aero" improvement at tracks with long straight-aways like Road America. The big task now is to develop a pair of fiberglass headlight plugs, paint the yellow number plate, add my numbers and get it installed. When the parts came in Troy and I had to do a test fit a the dealership, looks good!! #143 is Troy Walbaum's XB12R race bike.



Well, I'd better get to work!!

Thanks to Troy and everyone at Silver Eagle HD/Buell on the smooth transactions while purchasing my new 1125R. We did the deal on Thursday, a day I had off of work due to snow. I guess if I have to make up a school day in June at least it was worth it!!

The new Buell 1125R has arrived!!

It's finally here!! The new 1125R arrived at my local dealer, Silver Eagle HD/Buell late last night, was unpacked and prepped this morning and here I am ready to ride this afternoon.

Unfortunately, it's 36 degrees with lots of ice and snow still on the roads so this is as close as I going to get to the streets for awhile. I'll miss my trustly XB12R street bike but I'm sure it will end up in a good home.

No racing on this one but I am looking forward to lots of street and trip miles and some laps at a track day or two this summer!

2007 season results

As 2008 is getting started, I’m busy plotting and planning for the upcoming race season but I wanted to let everyone know how I came out in the points during my 2007 rookie season.

Racing in the Great Plains region of the Championship Cup Series is challenging as we race from Oklahoma to northern Wisconsin. With eight races on the schedule, I was able to attend three which would have been four had the Iowa Speedway event in Newton, Iowa not been canceled. So my first year was somewhat abbreviated but still a riot and a tremendous learning experience!

At the end of it all here is how I finished...

5th / 16 Amateur Lightweight Formula 40
12th / 32 Amateur Lightweight Grand Prix
13th / 25 Amateur GT Lights

Race Report #4 / Mid America / October 13, 2007

The last round of Great Plains Region was the “Superbike Shootout” weekend at Mid America Motorplex. Janet, Troy Walbaum, his wife, Sheila, and I took off Friday night for Troy’s first race weekend and my rookie season wrap-up.

The weather had looked iffy all week and as we drove just outside of Des Moines the sky opened up with some serious rain that stayed with us all the way to Council Bluffs.

Saturday morning greeted us with rain, rain, rain but once we got to the track and set up the rain had stopped but the track was soaked. Since it was so overcast there was no chance of it drying out anytime soon. The tire vendors immediately sold out all their rain tires so I just sat around waiting for a break in the weather.

Troy was itching to ride and decided to go out on one of the late morning practice sessions and after 4 or 5 laps came in and confirmed my concerns about how greasy the track was on race tires. But about noon the clouds parted, the sun came out and along with the breeze, quickly dried the track surface but everyplace other than that was still soaked.

After lunch there was one more practice session before the races stated so I finally got out on the track. The session went well and I felt like I was ready to go. As I came around for my last lap, Troy was just going out for his first dry laps. I’d been back in the pits for a few minutes when Troy rode in with the left side of his bike and leathers covered in mud and grass.

As he was riding into the last chicane the front tire had slid out and although he tried to save it, it was off into the rain soaked sod. He was fine but the bike had a crushed shifter lever and a broken foot peg. Sheila and Janet jumped in to help clean up the bike as Troy and I went to work on accessing and repairing the damage. We had everything required except for the foot peg. Unfortunately we were the only Buell racers present so finding an exact replacement was not happening. After some scounding, one of our neighbors discovered the the foot peg off is pit bike would work but unfortunately first call for our first race, Lightweight Formula 40 had been called so I went out without my teammate.

Race #1 - Lightweight Formula 40
I’m sure that the weather had scared several racers into staying home because there were only 7 riders in this class and with Troy out 6 amateurs took the grid with 3 experts. The flag dropped and I got blocked in a pack before I even got to Turn 1. It was my own fault as I didn’t get out well at all so I had to follow behind a couple of guys for the first 2 laps that I should have beaten into the first turn. I out braked one of the guys going into turn one but by then everyone else had checked out. I put my head down and managed to close the gap on the pack but some time at the end of lap 6 my concentration started to fade. I wasn’t as aggressive as I should have been the the guy behind me took advantage, passing me at the beginning of lap 7. I worked hard to get back in the game but he beat me to the finish. Dang, dang, dang!!!

So I placed 5th but I can’t be too disappointed as I kept it upright and never had any “pucker moments”. The lap times weren’t posted but I’m real sure I was much quicker this weekend than I was back in May. My heavily scraped knee pucks are proof off that!!

That was the only race I’d signed up for on Saturday and with a chance Troy would be race ready for Saturday we all headed out for a great meal and some rest.

Sunday morning was a repeat of Saturday but with thunder. After getting to the track, everything had been backed up by an hour and the rain was coming down pretty steady. Troy and I discussed riding but after visiting with the Pirelli rep it was obvious that it would be foolish to go out with any tire other than than full rains so we hooked up the truck and headed home. This was a tough call but as we drove home on a wet highway we both felt a lot better about it!!

So, that’s it for this year.

With that said I want to thank everyone who has helped and supported my racing efforts this year!! It’s been a blast and now with Troy and Mike Boomer set to race next year, the Waterloo Buell Boys could be a force to be reckoned with next year!!

THANKS AGAIN TO EVERYONE!!!!!

Race Report #2 / Mid America / May 27, 2007

Greetings All,

Several of the F.A.S.T. crew made an assault on Mid America Motorplex last weekend for the Saturday track day and racing on Sunday.

Rain greeted us on Saturday morning but Mike Boomer and Dave Abbas soldiered on in race licensing and track orientation schools.

Now Mike is an officially licensed racer! His day went off without a hitch, he was very busy, the only time we saw him was when he came by to add fuel or from the grandstands.

Dave’s school went well with his class finishing up just before lunch. He got to go out and play the rest of the day.

By early afternoon the sun had come out and the track dried out so Troy Walbaum fired up his XB12R and headed out for some laps.

I also went out with the race bike hoping to get some shake down laps in to help set up the suspension for the races on Sunday and to get familiarized with the bike again. Everything started out fine but 3/4 way through the first lap the bike just quit running. As I was waiting for the session to end, I tried it again and it fired right up. After several minutes of thrashing to find a short or loose connection I decided to try the bike on the track again. After 6 laps it died again and on the way back to the pits, on the back of the rescue truck, it started right up. Needless to say I was at my wits end! The day was over, I locked the bike in the trailer and took the repair manual with me to the hotel for some light reading.

Unfortunately, Dave’s day ended with a low side and Troy did some agricultural riding but kept it up in separate incidences. Both guys are fine, Dave’s bike incurred only slight damage mostly thanks to recently installed frame sliders. Troy’s bike got packed with mud but sustained no damage.

Sunday morning arrived with no idea of what the problem was when Katie Boomer suggested that we disconnect the battery with the thought it might cause the ECU to reset. I was for anything that could insure the bike make it around the track for more than a few laps. So with no morning practice laps, I was off to compete in my first race of the day.

Race #1 - GT Lights is a timed race, 25 minutes long, so the idea is to get as many laps in as possible within that time frame. I got a good start and tried to get in the mix. The fast guys were gone in a hurry and I found myself circling around the course pretty much alone but it all worked out as I placed 4th out of the 8 amateurs. My fastest lap time was over 4 seconds faster than my best time on Saturday so I was very pleased.

Race #2 - Lightweight Formula 40 is the class I’m hoping to be competitive in but all the old dudes that race that class have the same idea! I had a great scrap with a guy on an older Yamaha over several laps which helped me a great deal. I noticed he had an expert plate so I figured he knew the fast way around the track but I did managed to get by him at the end, finishing 4th out of 6 amateurs.

Race #3 - Lightweight Grand Prix is a 12 lap affair but due to lots of red flagged races in the morning this race was reduced to 11 laps. I had a poor start and honestly, I was pooped, but I hoped I’d learn more by being out there, so there I was touring around by myself. Eventually, three experts blew by and I got motivated! I perked up and went in pursuit. I didn’t catch them but I did pick up my pace considerably and finished with my best lap times of the day, finishing 5th out of 6 amateurs. Good news, though, I found out later that this class pays cash to fifth place so I got PAID!! The checks were sent out Tuesday and I was so excited to hear that I won money, I forgot to ask how much!! I going to make an enlarged color copy of it when I get it, that’s for sure!!

All in all it was a great weekend even though we never figured out where the electrical gremlins went, so the bike will be going out to Silver Eagle for Reese’s critical eye as Troy and I are headed to the Buell sponsored track day at Road America in a week and a half.

Craig Davis took lots of outstanding photos, so I’ll bring them to our next meeting.

Ralph Longus

Race Report #1 / Blackhawk Farms / Oct 24,2006

Greetings All,

This is the first of I hope many race reports!
Janet, Brent Merrick and I left Waterloo about 4:00 am Sunday morning headed to Blackhawk Farms Raceway, driving through drizzle and rain, it didn’t look too promising for my first race day.

We arrived at the track about 7:45, got registered for three races, all 8 lap sprints, then I took the bike to Tech along with my riding gear. Everything went smooth there, so now I was officially cleared to race!!

I went out onto a very wet track for my first practice session dodging big puddles and trying to keep the bike upright, race tires are lousy in the wet! I came around for my second lap and noticed the meatball flag waving and pointing at ME! I completed that lap and came into the hot pits but took a wrong turn, the starter instructed me where to go and told me, “The Competition Director wants to talk to you!” Folks, that’s bad! I rode up the hot pit lane only to see a guy who looked seven feet tall watching me intently as I headed his direction.

I had made three newbee errors, all of which I knew better but in my haste and excitement to get on the track, I’d forgotten all three. I took my scolding and creeped back to where we had pitted. Not a good way to start the day!

During the second warm-up the track was still very wet but I stayed out for four laps, then came in. I started to seriously reevaluate this whole deal when suddenly and I mean suddenly the sky started clearing, the sun came out and it warmed up. I figured it was a sign!!

During the third warm-up session the track only had a few damp spots left on it so I was finally getting up to speed and could put a few laps together as I started to figure out the track layout. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I’d never ridden at Blackhawk before today! Anyway, Paul James, great guy and expert class #1 Buell racer flies by me, slows up and points to the back of his bike which means “Follow me”. So off we went, I know he was in coast mode but I was working my tail off to watch how he negotiated the many turns of the track in the quickest fashion. After a couple of laps, I lead and he followed to critique my lines. Back in the pits he gave me a few pointers and said I looked pretty good and it was apparent I’d put several laps in at Blackhawk before. When I told him it was my first time riding the track he said, “Heck, you’ll be fine out there, then!” Folks, I could have packed up and gone home happy, that great confidence boost set the stage for the rest of the day!!

RACE #1 - Lightweight GranPrix. Nervous? You bet, fortunately because of my late entry I was gridded in the back row. Flag drops, great start, I’m RACING!! Turn one, no problem, I’m on my way! That is until one of the back curves, still on lap one, where I made a small miscalculation and found myself off the track, in the grass but a quick look over my shoulder and I was back on course, more embarrassed than anything else and angry because a whole pack of guys I was ahead of whizzed by. The rest of the race flew by and I did manage to beat two other guys.

Two goals were now in the books. I’d completed my first race unscathed and I wasn’t last!

RACE #2 - SuperTwins, which was the largest field of bikes I raced in all day, I was gridded in the 11th row. Again, I got a great launch at the drop of the flag, I was motoring, then suddenly, there’s a motorcycle on the ground in front of me!! Luck, skill, I don’t know but somehow I missed it and the other guys around me! The race was immediately red flagged, Janet and brent told me afterward the guy launched on the green and stood the bike straight up in the air, I saw the aftermath. Fortunately, the rider was O.K. but his bike was severely busted.

After a break for oil clean up we were off again, not as good a start as the first one but still in the mix. During this race I really felt like I should be out there, passed and got passed in pretty close proximity but what a blast! I managed to string five pretty good laps together and beat a guy right at the finish line, beating four guys in the race, I was PUMPED!!

RACE #3 - Lightweight SuperSport turned out to be a pretty small field, not good for me. But again I had a great start and got my nose right in there. I was mixing it up with another Buell racer, then I out braked him in turn one and got around. I had my sights set on another victim but cooked into the last turn before the main straight too hot and into the grass again! No catastrophe other than my pride so I got back out there and beat two guys in that race as well.

Mistakes? Several. Fun? Unexplainable!! Will I do it again? Absolutely!!!! I wasn’t the fastest guy out there but I held my own and dropped my lap times through the day over six seconds and that’s BIG!! Brent really helped me a TON, keeping me focused, getting my lap times for me, reminding me about the between races checks and general moral support. Thanks, Brent, I’m REALLY glad you were there! Janet had a good time too, she’s a competitor so she got into it and of course is a great supporter of this effort.

Sorry for the length but it is the first report on a very memorable day!! I’ll post photos as soon as I get some.
Thanks everyone for your support!!

“Racer” Ralph