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
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