Racing with Ralph

Team I.F.M. Racing - 2012 planning session

2012-01-10T19:03:00.000-08:00

The members of Iowa Farm Mafia Racing get together throughout the off season

planning the upcoming race season. It's great to see everyone and keep in touch.

There's always a lot of laughter, too!

Team members - Ralph Longus, Mike Boomer, Craig Davis and Troy Walbaum

Winter dyno testing

2012-01-01T07:38:00.000-08:00

We spent several hours testing on the dyno at Silver Eagle HD/Buell/Yamaha just after Christmas. Due to limited racing last year, winter testing is very important to have the bike ready for the 2012 race season.

We actually de-tuned it a bit but the trade off is now great throttle response that will help me more than the brute horsepower number we had. It is now ready to race!!

Watch for my new 2012 race apparel and sponsorship packages!!

2012 race schedule released...

2011-12-11T05:53:00.000-08:00

O.K. race fans the 2012 CCS schedule has been released and the good news is that the race bike is ready to go, right now!!

2012 Mid-West Championship Series Tentative Schedule

Mar 31-Apr 1 Heartland Park Topeka** Topeka KS
May 5-6 Road America** Elkhart Lake WI
May 19-20 Blackhawk Farms Raceway South Beloit IL
June 30-July 1 Blackhawk Farms Raceway South Beloit IL
July 21-22 Blackhawk Farms Raceway** South Beloit IL
Aug 18-19 Blackhawk Farms Raceway South Beloit IL
Sep 22-23 Blackhawk Farms Raceway** South Beloit IL

** Twin Sprint

I'm also looking forward to getting to more track days (practice) and maybe a vintage event at Road America.

"Racing Ralph" the film now available on YouTube

2011-11-16T18:28:00.000-08:00

What a fun night at the preimere of the Nathan McNurlen film, "Racing Ralph". Nathan's film chronicles the exploits of the I.F.M. Race Team through the first part of the 2010 CCS road racing season, capturing what being a club racer is all about.

The full length movie is now available for viewing on YouTube at...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr-fH7EbtU8&feature=share

I hope you enjoy it!! Thanks, Nathan!!

Off season fun!

2011-10-23T18:32:00.000-07:00

The race bike took first place in the Buell class at the Silver Eagle HD/Buell/Yamaha Dyno Shoot Out, Saturday, October 15, 2011.

I had the bike there as part of John Kahr's AMSOIL booth display but I had to see what it had, of course! The numbers look pretty good but I know there is more available which will be the focus over the winter.

Early ending to the 2011 season

2011-09-19T18:57:00.000-07:00

First race weekend as an EXPERT!!

2011-08-31T18:17:00.000-07:00

After missing several rounds this year due to work and new bike teething issues I finally made it to the track August 20-21 at Blackhawk Farms Raceway, South Beloit, IL.

The Saturday practice day went very well although rain early in the morning slowed the pace a bit during the morning sessions. That wasn't all bad as it took a while to get comfortable on the bike again. The last time I was on it was last September and I was sliding off the track! Getting the gitters out of my system was easier because with the new power that's in the engine now it makes the bike a blast to ride.

Sunday, race day, greeted us with great weather so it was time to get on the track with the other Experts!! I could tell that the morning practice pace was even quicker than the Satuday sessions so I felt like I could at least keep from being in everyone's way!

Lightweight Superbike - 9th

Going out for this race I felt like it was my first race ever! I actually had butterflies in my stomach and was really nervous. I kept telling myself that it was the same race, I was just starting further up the grid now as an Expert. It didn't help but when we came around to the starting grid from the warm-up lap there was a red flag flying! Apparently someone had crashed on the out lap so it was back to the pits until we were called back up.

The red flag clean-up didn't take long and before I knew it I was on the grid in row three. The green flag dropped, I got a good start and right out of turn 1 the rest of the Experts started pulling away. I thought my pace was good but it was no match compared to them!

I continued working on my racecraft and body postitioning but I was only battling with fast Amateurs, the Experts had checked out!

Well my first race as an Expert was uneventful but wasn't what I'd hoped for. I did pick up the pace throughout the race but I've got a ways to go yet!

Thunderbike - 8th

The Thunderbike race went much better with a good start and actually racing with other Experts through the first part of lap one. The other guys pace is really impressive and I'm just not there yet mentally. I know the bike can do it, I just have to gain more confidence.

The good news again was that my pace was much faster in this race compared to Superbike and I ran within 1.11 seconds of my very best lap at Blackhawk ever!

At the end of the day I was proud to have made it to the Expert ranks, ridden pretty well and kept the bike upright!

Thanks to all of my sponsors who have supported me during this season. With one round left in September, I look forward to even better lap times and getting out of the cellar in the race finishes.

Finally, some good news!

2011-06-24T18:06:00.000-07:00

I'm very sorry that it's taken SO LONG to add news to the blog!

After lots of engine work and other updates we had been disappointed in the dyno results. We've been chasing the "issue" for three months which has also kept me off the track but this week the "issue" has been resolved!! As it turned out we had a brand new part that was mis-marked. Once this was discovered the engine has been awakened!! Early dyno numberes look great but there is still a lot of tuning to be done to dial it in but at least we're no longer just chasing our tails.

I'm really excited to enter my first race as an EXPERT at the July CCS round at Blackhawk Farms Raceway in South Beloit, IL.

Top to Bottom Home Inspection Services resigns for 2011

2011-02-20T18:35:00.000-08:00

Top to Bottom Home Inspection Services have again signed on as a major sponsor on my race bike for the third year. Curt's the guy to call in N.E. Iowa if you're selling or buying a home or are in need of a home inspection before remodeling.
Thanks, Curt!!

Tank Sponsorships are a huge help, thank you!!

2011-02-20T11:33:00.000-08:00

My new program called "Tank Sponsors" is off and running!

This support is very helpful to my race program and will hopefully also fun for those involved.

Not many people can say, "Yeah, I sponsor a racer!"

Thank you to current "Tank Sponsors"!!

Duane & DeLoris Scharf

Bunny Rube

Jim Volgarino

Geoff Grubb

Bechthold Music - Doug Bechthold

Don Blau

Bob Tapper and family

There's still lots of time to get on board, first race is late April.

2011-02-18T18:53:00.000-08:00

Big News!

I.F.M. Racing is now the official Continental Tire vendor for CCS MidWest events! We will be providing product and support to all the MidWest series events. Head over to www.conti-race.com for more information and to register for contingency opportunities, and to get in your pre-orders for the upcoming season!

Read the entire press release at Roadracing World online...

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=43382

AMSOIL signs on as 2011 sponsor

2011-02-14T17:50:00.000-08:00

John and Leah Kahrs have signed on to be my exclusive oil sponsor again this year. I've been very fortunate to have worked with the Kahrs' for four years and I really appreciate their continued support with great AMSOIL products!

AMSOIL - John's Synthetic Lubes

www.johnsoils.com

Independent dealer of Amsoil industrial lubricants, motor oils and filtration products.

Pit-Bull on board for 2011 sponsorship!!

2011-01-07T17:45:00.000-08:00

I just got word that my application for Pit-Bull sponsorship has been accepted for the 2011 season!

This is a product only sponsorship which is great since I've used their products for years. Now I can promote their products as part of the Pit-Bull team!

http://www.pit-bull.com

2011 Sponsorship Opportunities/Ride Along with Ralph

2010-12-31T07:28:00.000-08:00

With the move to Expert status, I want to be able to bring my "A" game to each race.

This will require a greater financial commitment and because if that I'm offering the

"Ride Along with Ralph" Sponsorship Opportunities.

Racing with Ralph / 2011 T-shirts

sizes - small - 3X , all shirts are ash gray, 50/50 blend with black graphics

$20.00 each

"Ride Along with Ralph" Tank Sponsor

This package includes one 2011 T-shirt and your name on the tank of the race bike!

Everyone who becomes a tank sponsor will have their name on the race bike all season and if I run out of room on the tank, I'll place your name in another high visibility area.

$50.00 each

"Ride Along with Ralph" Associate sponsor

This package includes multiple marketing opportunities for your company or organization

which can include company logos on the race bike, trailer and leathers. Your company name can be included on the CCS results sheet and press releases as a sponsor, race tickets for your staff, personal appearances and more!

Get your company noticed by a new and broad marketplace.

Contact me directly for more details at rlongus@mchsi.com

$100.00 & up

Expert status for 2011!!

2010-12-12T09:32:00.000-08:00

I'm very excited that I earned enough points in the 2010 season to be bumped up to Expert status for the 2011 CCS race season.
I made the cut by two points and have the option to stay as an Amateur next year but after a lot of thought and with the encouragement of friends who are Experts, I've decided to take the plunge.
I know it's going to be a year of learning on a steep curve but I'm looking forward to the challenge and earning my white plate.

2011 CCS MidWest race schedule announced

2010-12-09T04:42:00.000-08:00

Mid-West Roadracing Championship

Apr 22 - 24 Heartland Park - Twin Sprints
May 21-22 Blackhawk Farms
July 23-24 Blackhawk Farms - Twin Sprints
Aug 20-21 Blackhawk Farms
Sep 24 - 25 Blackhawk Farms - Twin Sprints
Oct 14-15-16 Daytona Intl - Race of Champions

2010 Season Results

2010-10-10T08:20:00.000-07:00

It's been an interesting season racing in the MidWest and Great Plains regions this year.
After missing the first two rounds at Heartland Park, Topeka and Blackhawk Farms, I really didn't think I'd have a very good shot at getting into the top five in points in any class. But it was a tough year for many racers who would have normally raced every round, they like me had to miss a few races which really tightened up the points race for everyone.
The switch to single day racing at the last two rounds at Blackhawk Farms forced me to make a decission as to which of the three races I usually compete in would have to go. As it turned out I dropped out of Lightweight Formula 40 but I hope the schedule gets revised for next year so I can get back to racing three races per event.

CCS MidWest Region results
2nd - Thunderbike
5th - Lightweight SuperSport
7th - Lightweight Formula 40

CCS Great Plains Region results
2nd - Thunderbike
5th - Lightweight SuperSport
10th - Lightweight Formula 40

Blackhawk Farms Track Championship
2nd - Thunderbike
7th - Lightweight SuperSport
9th - Lightweight Formula 40

Thanks again to my sponsors...
AMSOIL - John Kahrs
Top to Bottom Home Inspection Services - Curt Balvanz
Lead Lap Foundation - Geoff Grubb
Michelin
Gron4 Photography
"Mr. X" for all his tuning help

Blackhawk Farms, September, last round

2010-10-02T06:04:00.000-07:00

Janet and I headed to Blackhawk Farms for the last round of the year with sunny, clear skies but cool temperatures. I knew that my main goal would be to keep my head, stay calm and get some good laps in to finish up the season.

Going into this weekend I was solidly in 3rd place in Thunderbike in both MidWest and Great Plains regions but with this event set up as a dual region and double points event, everything was up for grabs. Due to my off the previous round in SuperSport, I was now in 5th going into this event and since Blackhawk had gone to a one day race format I had given up on Lightweight Formula 40 due to all my races being so close together.

There were several Lightweight racers up from the Great Plains region so I expected a real fight for all my positions. Practice went well so now it was time to get into race mode.

Thunderbike - 3rd
To my surprise there were only four amateurs on the Thunderbike grid! So my mind set was clear, keep it on the track, don't worry about lap times and FINISH!! It's not the most competitive mind set but I didn't want to throw away a chance on loosing my 3rd place finish in both regions.
I had an O.K. start and put myself into second with the amateurs. Going into lap two the rear tire lost some grip on the cold track in turn three which really caught my attention! That allowed the Ducati behind me to get around and I decided to go into full conservation mode. Actually that was the best thing I could have done, I started to relax and actually went faster! My lap times were a full second slower than last month but with the conditions, I was very happy about that plus I knew I wasn't pushing as hard so to be just a second off of last month's full tilt mode, I know there's even lower lap times on the horizon!
I finished 3rd and since the fellow who was in second in points didn't compete, if my math is correct I'm now in second place in both regions!!

Lightweight SuperSport - 9th
With nine guys on the grid I knew a good start would be important but unfortunately my start wasn't very good. Now I had to go to work!! With six of us nose to tail through the first lap I managed to get around one coming out of turn seven and started closing on two others on the front straight. I was feeling good and confident so I late braked into turn one, passing the two guys! With the bike in good position, I eased onto the throttle and all of a sudden I saw sky, ground, sky, ground, etc.
The rear had stepped out again but this time I went down, the bike spit me off, fortunately toward to run-off area and the bike slid to a stop just off the track.
After I got done tumbling , I popped up, went over to the bike with the corner worker to discover a broken front brake lever and bent clip-on so my race, day and season was done.

As it turned out the pipe was also crunched but other than that the bike is fine. I bruised two fingers on my right hand but I'm fine and actually my fingers felt much better in just a couple of days.
After some thought I figured out that I was running a pound too much air pressure in the rear Michelin for the conditions which affected it's grip. Lesson learned!
Fellow racer, Michael Herrenbruck had his video camera on and captured my crash at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKMVhHUoIxw

I'm sad that SuperSport just didn't work out but Thunderbike did so now I'll wait to see if my math was correct and find out how I end up, overall.

Radio interview on KCOB-FM

2010-10-02T05:21:00.000-07:00

I had a great opportunity to be a part of KCOB's racing show, "The Lead Lap" on September 23rd. The program is commentated by friends and high school classmates, Mark Burnett and Geoff Grubb who also manages The Lead Lap Foundation. It was a lot of fun to be able to talk about my race program and CCS Racing in general. I waited to post this until it was available on their website, my interview atarts at 23:40 minutes into the program.

http://good.audiohauler.com/krti/LeadLap/093010.MP3 .

Heatland Park, Topeka round cancelled

2010-08-28T20:30:00.001-07:00

Heartland Park Topeka track personnel have confirmed with CCS officials that their race event scheduled for Sept. 4-5, 2010, has been cancelled for economic reasons.

UPDATE (Aug 25)
CCS Announces Venue and Date Change
for Final Great Plains Event

Fort Worth, TX – The Championship Cup Series would like to announce the the final points race for the Great Plains Championship Series will be moved to the September 25-26 event at Blackhawk Farms Raceway as a result of the cancellation of the final round at Heartland Park-Topeka.

"We hope that by making the decision quickly and getting the announcement out there that it will enable all our racers in the Great Plains Championship to alter their plans accordingly." stated Kevin Elliott, Director of Operations for ASRA/CCS. "As soon as we got the word from Heartland Park management, we were in contact with the racers who had planned to be at that event to see what they wanted to do. The riders we contacted overwhelmingly requested the chance to have their final race of the season. even if it meant sharing the spotlight with the CCS Mid-West Championships at Blackhawk Farms Raceway."

Blackhawk 9/25-26 will be Double Points for both Great Plains and Mid West riders.

Blackhawk Farms, August round

2010-08-28T19:47:00.000-07:00

Blackhawk Farms Race Report
Vol. 5, #4
Blackhawk Farms Raceway, South Beloit, IL. - August 22, 2010

As the August round approached CCS was going through some serious changes. This year has been marred with low bike turnout due to several factors and in an effort to combat dwindling resources CCS decided to switch the last two Blackhawk Farms rounds to one day race formats.
Having raced in the Great Plains region, I was used to this style format but due to the schedule with very little rest time in between races I made the decision to drop my Lightweight Formula 40 race. I hate to do this but right now I'm doing much better in points in Thunderbike and Lightweight SuperSport. I could pick up another race further down in the schedule to get more track time but I decided this late in the date to concentrate on just these two classes.

With Troy and Craig out with damaged bikes and Mike not quite ready with his, Janet and I took off for the races at 4:00am on Sunday. With heavy fog all the way from Waterloo to the track it was already a pretty intense start!
Tech and practice went well as I was armed with new tires and brake pads for this raceday. I'd had a real breakthrough in lower laptimes at the last round so I was very confident in what I could accomplish.

Right around lunchtime, Troy and Sheila, Jeff Elenz, Duane and Delores rode up on their bikes. I knew they were planning on coming but with the heavy fog earlier I was a little surprised to see them. Of course, it's always fun to have a cheering section!!

Thunderbike - 2nd!!
Thunderbike turned out to be a single wave start which really helped me as I got right in behind a couple of Experts right away and they towed me around for the first few laps. After lap three I actually tried to get around each of them. I never got that done but I was definitely clicking off some good laps and felt great running with them. On lap 7 I had a run on the guy just in front of me going into turn 7 and as I stuck my nose on the inside I ended up doing a pretty serious stoppie! I recovered alright but I DID find the limit of my late braking skills!!
I was very happy to take 2nd in this race and found out later that I'd improved on last month's best lap times in the process!!

Lightweight SuperSport
This race was one I was really looking forward to as my confidence level was up and I was currently in 2nd place in the region in this class.
I went out on the sighting lap getting settled in when one of the experts came by. I thought I would see where he tipped in on turn 4 so instead of watching my line, I watched him and you guessed it, I target fixated on him and the next thing I knew off the track I went!!! Now I know better than to do this but it caught me out and this time turn 4 bit me. Right into the Air Fence I went! Fortunately for me I was uninjured and so was the bike except for a bunch of grass jammed into it all over the left side and a broken oil cooler scoop so that race was over before it even started.

The weekend didn't end like I'd hoped but I had accomplished faster lap times and a 2nd place plaque and a hard lesson learned. Since Hearland Park's round has been cancelled that just leaves the September Blackhawk round before the season ends so I've got some time to get my head screwed on straight and finish the season strong!

Blackhawk Farms, July round

2010-08-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

Blackhawk Farms Race Report
Vol. 5, #3
Blackhawk Farms Raceway, South Beloit, IL. - July 24-25, 2010

After the successes at Road America earlier in the month I was really looking forward to my first trip back to Blackhawk Farms this season. Teammate, Craig Davis and I headed east for the weekend of racing driving through rain and looking at a forecast that didn't look to good for racing.

Saturday morning brought showers and a very WET track! The weatherman said that it would clear up by noon but I really wanted to get out on the track since I hadn't been there since last year but when the first practice session was called, you could have heard a pin drop! No one else went out either, probably figuring like me that it wasn't worth wadding up the bike on a very wet track, especially since it was supposed to get nicer. By 11:00 the sun peeked through and the track immediately started drying out. I got a few practice laps in during the open practice and decided I was ready for action!

Lightweight Formula 40 - 4th
I came around after the warm-up lap to see the 3 board up which caused me to hurry to get situated on the line. When the green flag dropped was in neutral! I slammed the bike into gear and put my head down, it was GO time! I tried some different gear choices and lines that I'd watch on video of the fast guys over the winter and I was definitely on the march. As I came through for lap one I was already second but saw the meatball flag flying and as I was slowing into turn one to see if a corner worker was pointing at me I lost a position. I decided the heck with it I'm going!

Well it turned out the meatball flag was for me as I was moving on the line just before the start. Had I come into the hot pit for the stop and go penalty that would have been it but since I stayed out I was penalized a full lap. Fortunately for me I had lapped some of the slower guys so I ended up 4th. I did get a visit from the Race Marshall in my pit though! And as I told him, I hadn't seen a meatball flag since I went to licensing school and actually forgot what to do! Lesson learned!!

Thunderbike - 3rd
Finally, I got a really good start! I found myself right behind one of the really quick Amateurs and he towed me around for two laps. I got into turn 7 a little too hot and lost a position while I was getting back on the gas. I gave chase but he was a little too strong. I ended up 3rd but shattered my previous best lap time so now I knew I could go as fast as some of the front guys. The race was a great confidence booster!!

Lightweight SuperSport - 5th
This was a very strange race as there were no Experts signed up so four of us Amateurs got to line up on row 1. It was really fun to be on the front row! It's a lot different from starting on row 6 or 7 as turn one comes up a lot quicker!

I got a good start but going into turn one I was on the inside and all of a sudden I was 4th! So I put my head down and closed up the gap, out braking my buddy Mike Stone into turn 1. Now in 3rd with 2nd in sight I cooked into turn 4 too hot and off the track I went, just missing the tire barrier and air fence. O.K. now I'm in 7th as I got back on track. I put my head down and started clicking off some good laps from what I'd learned in my earlier racers, running my best lap time on lap #7 of the 8 lap race.

All in all I'm glad I didn't crash in turn 4 and I learned how much harder I could push.
Unfortunately Craig's weekend didn't end well as he lowsided into turn 4 and really tore up his bike. When it was all over he just walked away which was amazing! I'm very thankful he was uninjuried but his rookie race season may be over.

Road America Festival of Speed

2010-07-07T04:33:00.000-07:00

Road America Race Report
Vol. 5, #2
Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI. - July 3-4, 2010

WOW! What a weekend of racing!
Troy Walbaum, Craig Davis and I made the trek to Elkhart Lake, WI. for the Festival of Speed at Road America which is the biggest event we participate in all year with riders for all over the country coming in to compete.
The Iowa Farm Mafia team had a great following too! With everyone in the pit, there were 14 people! Several friends made the drive up as well as spouses, and girlfriends. We really missed not having Mike Boomer racing with us this weekend but a very busy June kept him at home this weekend. Since I had to miss the first two races of the year, I know how hard it was for Mike to miss this one.
Erik Buell Racing was there with their 1190 Superbike ridden by Geoff May. To watch a REAL professional rider competing against the best club racers in the country what proof positive what a difference there is to jump to the Pro level in the U.S. Every race he ran, he crushed the competition. It was very impressive! I’m glad he didn’t compete in any of the races I was in!!

Saturday Races...
Lightweight Supersport - 4th.
Unfortunately Troy’s engine let go in turn 5 a few yards in front of me. He was very luck that he was going straight and didn’t crash but the fist sized hole in the front of the crankcase ended his weekend early. Within a few more corners, someone had had a nasty crash which brought out the red flag ending this race early.

Lightweight Formula 40 - 5th
I was having a great battle with several riders until I blew it in turn 5 and had to watch five guys fly by me while I regrouped. I put my head down and went in pursuit and got around two of them quickly and battled with the next guy and got around him in the last few corners but could quite get past the others, darn! This was a really fun race though!!

Thunderbike - 3rd
O.K., I have to come clean. There were only three amateurs in this race which really surprised me since there was a large Buell contingent here. The other guys were very fast so I concentrated on working on my lines and confidence. I was also happy to collect the third place plaque as well.

Sunday Races...
Lightweight Formula 40 - 6th
This was a great race for me as I had several opportunities to mix it up and also ran my best lap times ever at this track.

Lightweight Supersport - 4th
I had a great start and battled with several racers. Since I’d just run my best lap times the race before I wanted to at least match it which I did and ran slightly quicker!

Thunderbike - 4th
This race was a riot. Today I was able to run with the faster guys and actually gave them fits! My confidence was high and I made several passes and attempts into turn 5 and 7 and in the high speed carousel!
I also ended the weekend with my fastest lap times ever in this race!!

Finally got to race!!

2010-06-16T18:40:00.000-07:00

Gateway Race Report
Vol. 5, #1
Gateway International Raceway, Madison, IL. - June 13, 2010

Even though this was the third round of the season it was my first race of the season!
Due to work obligations I had to miss the first two races which included our first attempt in the Michelin Team Challege at Blackhawk Farms.

But it was great to finally get on the track even though Gateway is probably the toughest track we race on all season.
The weather didn't look like it would cooperate as thunderstorms were forcast for the day but the weatherman missed it and we had full sun, humidity and 100 degree temperatures! Lots of bottled water and staying under the canopy between races was the schedule for the day!

Practice
At Gateway the amateurs only get one practice session in the morning so I spent it tip-toeing around trying to remember the track and it's unique turns. I hadn't raced here in two years but it all started coming back to me pretty quickly!

Race #1 - Lightweight Formula 40
I had a great start but just about ran over a guy in front of me who didn't have a very good start so I had to regroup and go to work. I was still a little sketchy getting through a few of the corners, trying to figure out the fastest line but I wasn't alone. I managed 4th place out of 7 so I was very pleased and knew I'd get faster as theday progressed.

Race #2 - Thunderbike
As it turned out there were on two amateurs in the whole field and I was pitted against one of the fastest amateurs in the region. I decided not to let it bother me, go out and continue working on my lines, body position and confidence level. It worked as I cut a full two seconds of my previous lap times but I did place second. That's O.K. as I scored 30 easy points that could make a big difference later in the season!

Race #3 - Lightweight SuperSport
This was the last race of the event and of course my last race so it was GO TIME!! I had a GREAT start!! So good that I was right in with the experts who start a few rows ahead of us! I took advantage of this by trying to hang with them as long as I could to see how they navigated this tricky track. By lap three or so they'd gotten away but my confidence level was way up and my lap times showed it by chopping another two seconds off. I finished 2nd out of 4 but really felt good and stayed safe even though I did a little agricultural riding on the last lap. Fortunately, my off track excurtion didn't cost me any track position!!

After everything was overand I had everything packed in the trailer, the sky opened up and it rained hard for over 30 minutes. I was so glad we were done racing when it decided to rain, it would have been a mess!

Overall I had a great day, it was nice to get back on the track, see old friends and take home two 2nd place plaques, too. next stop, Road America, Elkhart, WI over the 4th of July weekend.

Top to Bottom Home Inspection Services back for 2010

2010-04-09T17:42:00.000-07:00

Good friend, Curt Balvanz has signed on as a sponsor on my race bike for the second year.
He's the guy to call in N.E. Iowa if you're selling or buying a home.
Thanks, Curt!!

IFM Racing joins Lead Lap Foundation

2010-03-26T19:56:00.001-07:00

I am very pleased to announce that IFM Racing will carry Lead Lap Foundation decals on all our bikes this season in hopes to bring more awareness to what this great foundation is trying to do.
The Lead Lap Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) dedicated to paying medical bills for children with chronic medical conditions or serious and terminal illnesses.

It is the Lead lap Foundation’s mission to provide the funds needed to help families of sick children by paying their medical bills directly to the hospital, sending sick children to camp, and help families pay for travel and lodging while their sick child receives treatment.

Your donation, no matter how small, will help pay for a 24-hour nurse so that overwhelmed parents can rest and stay strong for their child...or help pay the hospital bill for a family whose insurance has run out, or been canceled because one of the parent’s has been laid off…. or send a sick child to camp for a week who otherwise could not afford to go.

IFM Racing acquires new bike for Michelin Team Challenge

2010-03-18T05:16:00.000-07:00

This is BIG NEWS for IFM Racing!!

We just committed to purchase a fully race prepped Buell XB9 from AMA racer, Walt Sipp.
This bike comes with a very impressive pedigree with Walt as the rider and we are very
fortunate to now own a significant piece of Buell Racing history.

Our plan is to use this bike as our CCS Michelin Team Challenge machine at Blackhawk Farms and
Road America this season. All four of us will probably ride it in select CCS sprint races also
and now have a bike to evaluate modifications to our other race bikes with.

Are you on Facebook? Look me up!

2010-02-06T19:49:00.000-08:00

Yep, I finally entered the 21st century and joined Facebook! Actually, it's been great reconnected with many friends, old and not so old.

Teammate, Craig Davis, also set up a Facebook page for IFM Racing which is where we will post all the team stats and info. So if you're not on Facebook yet, now you have a reason or just click on the link on the left under Web Links.

AMSOIL resigns as 2010 major sponsor!

2010-01-31T12:00:00.000-08:00

For the third year in a row, local AMSOIL dealer, John Kahrs has signed on to continue our great working relationship with the best oil on the planet!

John has not only continued my sponsorship package but has included the rest of the members of I.F.M. Racing. With all of us using the same brand of oil, it will make it easier for all of us.

Check out john's website at: http://www.johnsoils.com/

Thank you John & Leah!!!

New name, new teammate, new race series!

2010-01-29T15:45:00.000-08:00

Even though I'm three months away from my first race of the 2010 season, there's a lot going on right now to get ready for some high speed fun.
New name...
First of all the team name has changed along with the addition of a new teammate.
The team name is now, I.F.M. Racing, which stands for Iowa Farm Mafia. It's a tongue in cheek name that our street riding group had been called for almost ten years. We got it thanks to some friends as a tease but it stuck so we're going to race under that name from now on. Troy has already designed a pretty cool logo for us, so as soon as it's done I'll post it.
New teammate...
New teammate, Craig Davis, has been a good friend and fellow Buell rider for many years and after getting a great deal on a 2008 Buell 1125R he announced he wanted to go to race school to earn his license, then do a race or two. Within a few weeks the few races grew to all the Blackhawk Farms races and maybe more! Yep, once the bug bites you, you're in, hook line and sinker! He'll be racing the XB12R's big brother so we won't get to race with him except in the SuperTwins class so we'll be able to watch him race in the other classes and cheer him on.
Mike Boomer will get a chance to get back on the track this coming year, also. He was all set to compete at Blackhawk Farms early last season but an unfortunate street accident landed him with a broken collar bone and out for the summer. To say Mike is highly motivated to get his Buell XB12R on the track is an understatement!
Troy Walbaum returns, campaigning his Buell XB12R. He plans to race in CCS and is also moving up to the next level, the ASRA PRO Series, American Sportbike Racing Association. In ASRA PRO Series competition, Troy plans to race with the big boys in the Thunderbike class. This is a big jump in the level of competition but he's ready and really excited about the new challenge.
New race series...
During the July 2-4 Road America round, the I.F.M. Racing crew will enter the Michelin Team Challenge. The race is two hours or 200 kilometers in length with at least one mandatory pit stop. Our plan is to compete with all four guys initially with two or three pits tops. We'll need two fuel stops for sure but depending where we are in the race, we'll figure out who rides in which order and for how long.
This series travels all over the country but the only opportunity we will have to try it is at Road America this season. We've been actively recruiting pit crew members and planning for the additional needs to properly compete in an endurance racing series. It should be lots of fun, for sure!

Stay tuned!

New look for 2010

2010-01-18T12:10:00.000-08:00

New leathers for the upcoming season!

My old Spyke leathers have served me well but were really never the right size for me, I got such a great deal on them initially I just learned to live with them. Although they had been altered over the years by companies who specialize in racing leathers, they were getting pretty tattered from the crashes I've had.

So here's the new look!! I just received my new Teknic Xcelerator one piece Race suit and so far not only am I really impressed with all the safety features but the fit is outstanding, also! I also purchased new black Alpinestars boots and I'll be sporting a new helmet this year also!

Can't wait to get back on the track!

Yep, I chickened out posting actual photos of myself in the new leathers. You'll just have to come to the races to see me in them!!

Erik Buell Racing is formed!

2010-01-10T18:00:00.000-08:00

Erik Buell is back in the game!!

Recently he announced the formation of Erik Buell Racing which will build new 1125R race bikes, offer race preparation, engine prep, chassis prep, dyno services and design analysis to all racers running the brand.

The best news for me is that Erik Buell Racing will continue to support the 2003-2009 XB chassis racers with race only parts. This is great news as my bike is a 2004 model year XB12R and I use the Buell specific Nissin brake pads that I used to get directly from Buell Motor Company. Maybe someday I'll put my street 1125R on the track so it's good to know Erik's new company will be there for techincal assistance!

2010 CCS Mid-West schedule finalized

2009-12-05T18:20:00.000-08:00

April 24-25 Heartland Park - Topeka, KS. / Twin Sprints weekend
May 22-23 Blackhawk Farms - S. Beliot, IL.
June 12-13 Gateway International Raceway - St. Loius, MO.
July 3-4 Road America - Elkhart Lake, WI. / Twin Sprints weekend
July 24-25 Blackhawk Farms - S. Beliot, IL.
August 21-22 Blackhawk Farms - S. Beliot, IL.
September 11-12 Heartland Park - Topeka, KS. / Twin Sprints weekend
September 25-26 Blackhawk Farms - S. Beliot, IL. - Double points weekend
October 15-17 Daytona International Speedway / Race of Champions - Daytona, FL.

2009-12-02T18:31:00.000-08:00

The weatherman says that the first snow of the season should be tomorrow!! So what’s a racer to do! Buy parts and gear for the upcoming season, of course!!
After three years racing on Pirelli tires I’ve made the decision to switch to Michelin for the 2010 race season. My two teammates, Troy and Mike. are running the same tires so we’ll be able to share information which will be very helpful to all of us.
The bike will look the same next season but I won’t. I’m waiting for new Teknics Racing leathers to arrive, my new Buell helmet and Alpinestars boots are already here so as soon as the leathers show up I’ll post some pics!

Stay warm!!

2009-11-22T18:38:00.000-08:00

Very sad news from Buell Motorcycle Company

2009-10-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

Buell Motorcycle Company has been dissolved and will discontinue building motorcycles immediately.

http://www.buell.com/en_us/

Well to say this news is devastating is an understatement. I have gotten to know Erik Buell, in fact Janet and I spent most of our evening sitting by him, visiting and laughing at the Red Flag Fund auction at Blackhawk Farms just a few weeks ago. He is an extremely passionate guy and was teasing us about new models coming in 2010 so I know this news must have hit him really hard and fast.

I want all our friends to know that I will continue to campaign my Buell XB12R in CCS competition as it is an extremely competitive motorcycle in the classes I compete in and the only bike I care to race. My only hope for Buell is that someone out there with the means to revive the brand will come forward to continue production of the only American sportbike brand available.

End of the season results

2009-10-02T17:58:00.000-07:00

I had a steep learning curve this year racing with the folks in the MidWest Region. This region
is tougher to place well in but it has helped make me a better racer with faster lap times.
My final season results are...

Blackhawk Farms Track Championship
Lightweight Formula 40 - 2nd out of 9 racers
Thunderbike - 5th out of 24 racers
Lightweight SuperSport - 6th out of 20 racers

CCS MidWest Region
Lightweight SuperSport - 6th out of 26 racers
Lightweight Formula 40 - 6th out of 13 racers
Thunderbike - 10th out of 28 racers

I'd like to thank all the 2009 sponsors for their generous help with my race program.
Sliver Eagle Harley-Davidson Buell
John Kahrs - ASMSOIL
Top to Bottom Home Inspections
Butler & Sons Barber Shop
The Farrell Family
Gron4 Photography
Mike Boomer and Mr. "X" for all their tuning help

Blackhawk Farms Race Report - great finish to a great season!

2009-09-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

Blackhawk Farms Race Report
Vol. 4, #5
Blackhawk Farms Raceway, South Beloit, IL. - September 26 -27

This is the last race report of the season which hardly seems possible. The season has flown by and this weekend was by far the most fun I’ve ever had on a track!

My weekend started out as usual, leaving Waterloo at 4 am to get to Blackhawk Farms by 7:30 but Mother Nature had other plans. About 30 miles down Hwy 20 I drove into a fog bank that stayed with us for almost 100 miles and I mean real pea soup fog so the pace had to slow a bunch! Once we drove out of the fog there was a steady drizzle the rest of the way to the track. Would this be my first race in the rain??

We didn’t get into our pit spot until until about 8:15 so the thrash was on to get unloaded and off to tech. After tech and setting up the pit, the tire warmers went on and the canopy went up to keep everything dry. The sky was so gray I was certain that we wouldn’t see the sun soon so I hopped on my Trek mountain bike and pedaled over the the Pirelli Tent to get some advice on bike setup for the rain. I have a set of super soft Pirelli intermediate rain tires that I’ve had mounted on an extra set of rims for two seasons so I was sure today they’d finally get used.

I skipped the first practice to let others go out and dry the track since it had just stopped drizzling. By the time the second practice rolled around the sun was trying to burn through the cloud cover but the track was still damp in areas. I kept the regular race tires on and was pleasantly surprised with the grip on a less than perfect surface. By the time all the practices were over the sun was out the track had dried and we were set for a great day of racing!!

Race #1 - Lightweight Formula 40
This race had some extra meaning as I found out about a week before this event that I was the points leader in this class for the Blackhawk Farms Track Championship!! I had a very slim three point lead over #174 ridden by Dave Topczewski from Wisconsin. The track championship would go to whoever beat the other regardless of the places so this was going to be a dogfight!

At the drop of the flag, Dave got a better start but I was right on his tail! I knew I’d have to be patient, pick my opportunity and then go for it. On the second lap that opportunity presented itself and I was able to out brake him into turn one, my patented move! Well, Dave didn’t just roll over, darn it, and returned the pass on me coming out of turn five. O.K. now the pace really picked up and for the next several laps we passed back and forth, me in tun one and he in turn five. No matter where I placed the bike coming out of five he managed to squeak by! Amazingly, we came up on two guys a lap down and they got in between us so I really had to go to work to catch back up, which I did but I couldn’t quite get around him into turn one and I chased him hard around the track but alas he pulled it off, beating me by a bike length. I finished fourth in the race and finished second in the track championship battle by three points.

After the race, Dave and I had a great conversation about the race and we both agreed that it was a good clean race that both of us really enjoyed!

Race #2 - Thunderbike
After the F-40 race it was a little tough getting psyched up for this one but I knew I’d turned some good laps earlier so I came ready to race in this very tough class. With 13 amateurs in the race, when the green flag dropped it was a mob scene into turn one! Everyone made it through but it was three wide going through, very intense!!

I raced well with a couple of guys but it was tough to make any headway and I ended up 10th.

Thunderbike was the last race of the day but our evening would continue at the track as there was a catered dinner, a great band playing (drummer is #97 Buell racer, Dave Stone) including a guest appearance by Erik Buell who is an outstanding guitarist! After the meal and entertainment the Red Flag Fund Auction geared up which raises money for injured motorcycle road racers. It was a great event which raised $10,000.00 toward helping fellow racers. Check it out at http://www.redflagfund.org/index.html.

Sunday morning was gorgeous, warm and sunny and with only one more race before my season would be over I wanted to be really sharp. I had visited with expert Buell racer, Tom Michels, Saturday about suspension setup and he turned me onto a company at the track that had set up his suspension that day with great results.

I stopped by their pit and after my first practice session and had the bike dialed in by the pros. I was very surprised how much they changed my previous setting and went out for my second practice a little nervous if the bike would be easy to get used to again. To my surprise the bike turned into corners better with less effort so I was really happy that I chose to have it set up.

Race #3 - Lightweight SuperSport
With my new suspension setup and good laps from the day before I wanted to end my season on a positive note. There were 13 Amateurs on the grid so I knew I’d have lots of guys to race with. At the drop of the flag I was off with a great start! I steadily caught a couple of guys while I was also being hounded by two guys behind me.

This race got real interesting as it became a battle between three of us, #97 Dave Stone, #892 Jim Lilly and me. We traded positions throughout the race and I used my turn one braking move to great efficiency but I didn’t have it all my way as both guys were strong out of turn five which seems to be a weak area for me. Back and forth we went with clean passes and close racing!

As it turned out I ended up in the middle of these guys with Dave finishing 8th, me in 9th and Jim in 10th. Not only was it a great race, I’d have to say it was the most fun I’d had on a track ever!! Now there’s a bonus as Jim was carrying on video camera and got the whole race on film. If you have access to Facebook check it out at http://www.1000rr.us/Amlwss92709.wmv.

Another bonus was that we raced fast enough that none of the Experts caught us so we all got to race the full eight laps! Folks, believe me when I tell you, that’s tough to do!!

Now I’m patently waiting to see how all the points wash out but it’s been a fun summer without any crashes!!!! My confidence went way up this year and my lap time went way down. I don’t know yet what next year will bring but I hope to have some news soon! Check out the photos from my last race weekend at http://www.gron4.com/2009/092709/amt/902/

Stay tuned!!!

Gron 4 Photography joins the effort!

2009-09-10T18:34:00.001-07:00

I'm really excited about becoming a part of the G-Team, thanks the Mikel and Andy Gronfor otherwise known as GRON4 Photography.

The vast majority of great photos you've viewed on this blog are the handywork of these two talented guys and now they are offering racers an opportunity to be a part of their program.

I'll be sporting their jazzy decals for the last round of the season at Blackhawk Farms in a couple of weeks!

CCS Mid-West region points update

2009-08-27T18:49:00.000-07:00

These are the current points as of August 26th.
Since I've only been able to race 3.5 races out of the 7 that have been run to date, I'm very pleased where I'm at currently in the points chase in the three classes I compete in.

7th - Lightweight SuperSport / 22 competitors
7th - Lightweight Formula 40 / 12 competitors
10th - Thunderbike - 21 competitors

There is one round left that I can get to at Blackhawk Farms in September. That is also a double points event so we'll see how that will affect the final points outcome.

Wish me luck!!

Blackhawk Farms race report - Big Fun!!

2009-08-25T17:30:00.000-07:00

Blackhawk Farms Race Report
Vol. 4, #4
Blackhawk Farms Raceway, South Beloit, IL. - August 22-23

What a great weekend at Blackhawk Farms!! Troy and I headed out early Saturday morning for what would turn out to be an outstanding weekend of racing.

I installed a new set of tires and brake pads for this weekend so when I went out for practice I just cruised around for the first few laps to get everything broken in correctly. On lap three five guys zipped by me so I decided to join the party! We had several laps of good clean lapping; everyone passing each other at different times, my favorite late braking maneuver into turn one worked on a couple of them! I was very curious about my laps times during that practice so over the lunch break I checked the times that are posted for all the morning’s practices and “Yahoo!”, I’d run several laps as fast as my best lap time, ever, and that was in practice!! I was pumped and fired up for more good laps to come!

Race #1 - Lightweight Formula 40
This weekend the race directors decided to run this class by itself instead of combining it with others as they had done in the past. There were six amateurs in the race and with fewer bikes on the grid I knew I’d have to bring my “A” game.

At the drop of the green flag I was off, floating the front wheel in the air, hit second gear and lofted the front again! Now into turn one, I’m in second place!! O.K., O.K., keep your head screwed on straight, hit your marks, look through the turns, stay low on the bike! Coming down the front straight starting lap two a guy got around me, dang, now I’m in third with seven laps to go!

I kept battling to close the gap on second but I couldn’t get close enough to get around but I was working my behind off to try to get the job done. The white flag is flying, one lap to go and still in third, don’t screw up now, stay focused, stay relaxed, hit your marks! After getting through the last turn I see the checkered flag and finish third without incident and as I found out later I had again run another second per lap faster than in practice!!

Race #2 - Thunderbike
I was really excited for this race as it would be the first time in quite a while that Troy and I would be in the same race so I was curious to see if I could hang with my quick teammate. As I was getting my leathers on the zipper on my right sleeve broke! Troy helped me tighten the sleeve up with electrical tape so I had a little drama but I wasn’t going to let that throw off my game!

I again had a great start and got right in the fray. I was right behind Troy and I was on a mission to at least get a wheel next get to him. On lap three heading into the turn 4-5 left hand turn complex, I got in a little too hot, jumped over the curb, and headed into the grass. I was screaming to myself, “ Don’t you crash here!!” I kept looking left and after about a 50 yard ride off track I managed to wrangle the bike back on the tarmac, “Wow!”

Now there was another racer between Troy and I and I was at least 80 yards behind him so it was time to put my head down and GO! It was the most fun I think I’ve had in a race as I was gradually catching the guy ahead and on the white flag lap I charged into turn one and hit the brakes later than he did and passed him in my favorite place on the track. By then Troy had checked out but for a few brief laps I gave him a good chase! I ended up 8th out of 9 amateurs but in that class I’m always happy to stay out of the cellar. Even better news came later as I had again cut another second off my best lap time from the LWF-40 race!!

With all my successes from Saturday, I was very confident that I could have a good race on Sunday. Good friends and riding comrades, Duane and Jeff rode over to support Troy and I as we both had only one race on Sunday. I had LW SuperSport and Troy had LW SuperBike on Sunday’s schedule.

After our last morning practice, the rider’s meeting is held and in my haste I forgot to unplug my front tire warmer and left it on our work carpet. When I got back from the meeting it had burnt a hole in the carpet and had turned itself to a crispy lump on the ground! “Now what!”, with only an hour before my race I swiped Troy’s front warmer off his bike, since his race was much later. Another drama that I wouldn’t let screw up my day, not today!!

Race #3 - Lightweight SuperSport
I knew this would be just as tough a race as Thunderbike and with 13 amateurs riders on the grid I knew turn one would be exciting! I had a great start and stuck my nose into turn one and came out the other side in a tight pack of racers. I knew this could be a fun one as many of us were of similar speed and ability. Again on lap three I over-cooked the turn 4-5 complex and rode up on the curb, not as out of shape as Saturday but enough to let another Buell racer get by. I regained my composure and hit the throttle on a mission to get my position back and after a couple of laps I did! Although I closed hard on the next guy, he was strong where I was strong, I could get right on his back tire but I just couldn’t get by without causing one of us a real problem.

I settled for the place which ended up 8th but I had run almost every lap at a great pace and had I not make that little bobble I might have been able to run even quicker. Regardless, it was a GREAT weekend and for the first time I was very competitive at Blackhawk Farms!

With one more race left in the season which is also at Blackhawk Farms, I can hardly wait to get back on the track! Check out all the photos from Sunday’s practice and race at http://www.gron4.com/2009/082309/amt/902/

Stay tuned!!

Blackhawk Farms race report - Lots of excitement!!

2009-07-30T16:30:00.000-07:00

Blackhawk Farms Race Report
Vol. 4, #3
Blackhawk Farms Raceway, South Beloit, IL. - July 25-26

I had a great weekend again at Blackhawk Farms which is quickly becoming my favorite track in the region.

This weekend Janet went with me because Troy had to attend the Harley/Buell dealers meeting in Denver and Mike, who was planning to compete for the first time this weekend was at home recuperating from an accident he had on his street bike.

So, Janet and I took off early Saturday to get to Blackhawk by 7:30am. Tech and practice went well and fellow Buell racers, Rocco and Matt were the only other guys pitted on Buell Alley. The grids looked like they would be a little smaller this weekend and they were but they were still just as competitive! The weather was perfect, in the high 70's and it felt great to get back on the track since I had not been on the race bike since May.

Race #1 - Thunderbike
There was a race licensing school going on between the races so the instructors had painted yellow dots to help the students learn the preferred race lines. My goal was to try to follow the dots to improve my race line as well.

I had a great start but so did everyone else! As the race unfolded I had a great battle with another Bueller and finally got around him with a late breaking maneuver into turn one on lap four. I kept my head in the game, stayed ahead of him but couldn't quite get the next guy so I finished 9th out of 10 in that race. I found out later that I had run my best lap time in this race in lap three which was the lap I really worked hard on to catch and eventually pass the Buell guy I mentioned earlier.

Race #2 - Lightweight Formula 40
As I've mentioned before this race always has lots of bikes racing in it since they run four classes together, Ultra Lightweight Superbike, Femmoto Lightweight, 125 Grand Prix and LWF-40, both experts and amateurs. So with 23 bikes spaced out on the grid and only 5 of us racing in my class it's almost impossible to know where you are during the race or if the person you're passing is even in your class. That's what makes it fun, though.

I had a good start but really got schooled going into turn one by two guys on SV650's. Whoa! We all went through the corner shoulder to shoulder and honestly it was a little too close for my comfort. As I got into my rhythm, I raced pretty well I think until an expert on a 125 GP bike must have been having engine trouble in front of me. I kind of got backed up and just couldn't find a clean way to pass so I had to follow for awhile until the back stretch where I knew I could get him. Just as I was ready to pull to trigger, red flags were waving and the race was over. The good news is that I finished third in class and got to bring home a nice CCS plaque for my efforts!

Race #3 - Lightweight SuperSport
I only had one race on Sunday, Lightweight SuperSport. Rocco and I had gone out together in practice and I had learned a few new ideas from following him so I was really excited to get this race started!
It turned out to be a single wave start with 12 of us in the Amateur race. I had a real good start and thought this could be a great opportunity for me to place quite well and on lap three going into turn 7, just before the front straight all hell broke loose! #213, low sided right in front of me and I'm not sure but I think I ran over him! At the same time the rider to my left, #892, also went down from #213's bike hitting him. Somehow I kept my machine upright (in the photos you'll note no hands!) but went for quite a ride into the runoff area and into the weeds. After the corner worker and the rider of #213 helped me get the bike out of the 6' tall weeds and they were convinced I was O.K. I was off again and finished the race. I was very lucky as the rider of #892 was hauled off in the ambulance. I found out later they he was all right but was very battered and bruised. I ended up 10th out of 12 but I did finish and my bike was not damaged.
Check out the photos at http://www.gron4.com/2009/072609/amt/902/

Rider #892 was also in my LWF-40 race, racing an Ultra Lightweight bike, video taped the race and you can see me in action. Look for the red bike with white, yellow and silver Spyke leathers and silver helmet, at http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=61127769

From the video I know I've got a lot to work on yet but MAN is this BIG FUN!!

New sponsor joins the effort!!

2009-06-29T19:04:00.000-07:00

Even though we are at about the mid season point, good friend, Curt Balvanz has joined our race effort as a sponsor with his company, Top to Bottom Home Inspection Services.

Curt is the guy to call if you're in need of an inspection whether you're buying or selling a home in N.E. Iowa. Although the business is still young, he has solidified his company as a major player in the local market.

I'm very excited about having Curt's company on board!!

Thank you, Curt!!

Blackhawk Farms race report

2009-06-02T19:03:00.001-07:00

Blackhawk Farms Race Report
Vol. 4, #2
Blackhawk Farms Raceway, South Beloit, IL. - May 30-31, 2009

What a great weekend of racing at Blackhawk Farms!! The weather was outstanding and I had three really strong races there.
I knew the MidWest Region was going to be tough but I didn’t realize how large the fields would be at Blackhawk!

Saturday started out with drizzle but when it quit the track dried very quickly. I skipped the first practice session so I wouldn’t have to change tires and concentrated on the second practice session to get reacquainted with the lines around the track. A red flag shortened the session but I felt confident that I could navigate the track at speed. Let’s go racin’!

Race #1 - Lightweight Formula 40
This race was a combination of four classes, 125 GP, Femmoto Lightweight, Ultra Lightweight Superbike and us, both expert and amateur, which placed 29 bikes on the grid, a little crowded compared to what I was used to.

The green flag dropped and I was off with a great start! Turn one was a little crazy but everyone got through it and we were off! With so many of us racing on fairly equal equipment it was impossible to know if you were racing with someone in your class or not. It really didn’t matter to me who I was racing with but when the checkered flag flew I knew I’d run well.

I have no idea where I finished overall but ironically, there were only two of us racing in the amateur LW Formula 40 class and I’d taken second! A podium finish right out of the gate!

Race #2 - Thunderbike
O.K., now it was time to come down to earth because Thunderbike is no walk in the park and I knew I’d be working real hard to stay with the pack. With 32 bikes on the grid, both experts and amateurs, I knew I’d need one of my patented great starts to keep from getting swallowed up!

The experts were green flagged first then us and I did have a great start! The race went will but the faster guys were gradually getting around me. I just couldn’t hang with the quicker guys but felt like I was running well and as it turned out I finished 12th out of the 15 amateurs in the field.

That night Erik Buell and his band the Thunderbolts played a free concert at the track which was the capper of a very good day for me! Sunday, I would have only one race so a good meal and rest was definitely on the schedule!

Race 3 - Lightweight SuperSport
This was a fun race! I had a great start again and I was mixing it up with a couple of different racers including a guy on a Buell. He got around me on the 5th of 8 laps and I could get right up to him but couldn’t get past. I was all over the guy but I just didn’t have the confidence to pitch it into one of the high speed corners to pass. Then on the straight, the white flag was waving, one lap left, so I knew I had to commit to a strong pass so I drove in a little deeper into turn one as I watched myself going by him, I knew I could out brake him! It worked, I’d out braked a guy into turn one!! Then I was off and I never saw him again! I finished 7th out of the 9 amateurs which is a little farther down the results than I’d like to be but I did race well and got a chance to improve my race craft with some very good riders so it was a very successful weekend!

Farrell family rejoins as sponsors

2009-06-01T15:44:00.000-07:00

The Farrell family rejoins as sponsors on the Longus Motorsports Buell XB12R racebike for a second year. Clair and Mike are family friends and when they offered to help out again this year I was very happy to have them on board again!
Thank you, Clair and Mike!!

First race of the season - Road America

2009-05-04T05:56:00.000-07:00

Road America Race Report
Vol. 4, #1
Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI. - May 3, 2009

Yahoo, the 2009 race season is underway but due to budget and work related issues I was only able to attend the Sunday races as part of the three day Road America Festival of Speed, Twin Sprints weekend. Sunday was the best of the three days, weather wise, so it was a great way to get back on the horse!

The last time I was on the bike at race speed ended in the crash that ended my ‘08 season so to say I was a little tentative would be an understatement!

Of course the first race weekend couldn’t go without some drama which started as soon as Troy and I unloaded the trailer only to discover that I had left the keys to start the generator at home! That changed our game plan a little as far as having hot tires right off the start line so we’d both have to be a little conservative into turn one and the first half of the first lap until the tires got up to temperature. As it turned out this really didn’t seem to slow either one of us down but I won’t do that again!!

We only had one practice session so as I went I was arguably the most nervous I’d ever been on the bike. I slowly increased my pace on each lap and started to get more and more comfortable. My wrist and little finger were a little achy, probably a reminder to ride within my means, but everything else felt good and ended practice feeling like I was ready to race!

Race #1 - Lightweight SuperSport
Since I registered that morning I was last on the grid which didn’t bother me, I just wanted to get a race under my belt to start the season. The flag dropped and I got one of my patented great starts! I launched and was up with the experts immediately! After turns 1,2 and 3 the fast guys smoked by but it was really fun to get near the front right away. I ran well all race, maybe a little stiff but safe, trying to remember what to do and how to get around the track as quickly as I could. My result was 6th which still scored me good points but the more importantly I was back in the saddle and feeling real good!

Race #2 - Thunderbike
Troy and I were gridded next to each other in the race and as I came up from the warm-up lap to grid there was someone else in my grid box so I just move over to the next one but as I was getting situated the #1 board was already up!! As I was getting the bike into gear the green flag dropped, “Oh my gosh!” Needless to say my start was terrible and I was way behind the eight ball! I settled in and started working on my race craft. I did close on the pack but was never a threat to them. Yes I was disappointed but I used this race to work on my lines and gear choices to try some ideas I had. I ended up a distant 8th place but I still figure it was a success getting through my first race weekend after the way it finished last year. I ran all the laps and none of the rocket fast experts ever lapped me, a first for me at Road America!

It was a fun day and Janet being there with me obviously brought me good luck! I enjoyed visiting with several friends while there including the director of Buell Racing, Henry Duga. We're off and running!!

Stay tuned...

New look for 2009

2009-04-04T13:32:00.000-07:00

As the racing season fast approaches I'm happy to report that the race bike is now ready for battle and has a new new look for this year as well. Now dressed in Buell Racing Red, I have a few more sponsor decals to apply but now it shouldn't be hard to find me during a race.

Bulter & Sons Barber Shop sign on as 2009 sponsors!

2009-03-18T17:28:00.000-07:00

Today was very exciting for me as Butler & Sons Barber Shop signed on as associate sponsors for this season.

For those of you not from the area, Howard, Dan, Matt and Tim are something of local legends around here as Howard established the business back in 1962. Dan is Howard's son, Matt and Tim are Dan's sons and all of them are gearheads! Not only can you get a great haircut there but you can talk cars, bikes, sports, hunting or whatever while you're there. They are a great group of talented professionals and I'm proud to have them on board!

When you're traveling through Waterloo, stop in and say hello! You'll find them at 330 LaPorte Road, Tuesday - Friday, 8 - 5 and 8 - noon on Saturday.

Thanks again guys!!

Local boy makes the big time!!

2009-02-27T18:35:00.000-08:00

Last summer Buell Motor Company commissioned a film crew to document Buell Racing and the racers who make up this very unique community.

I was fortunate enough to be interviewed at Road America but at that time had no idea how or when it would be used. As it turned out the video was used during the I.M.S., International Motorcycle Shows, around the country as part of the Buell display showcasing their racing efforts.

It's really an honor to be part of this!! Check it out at http://www.buell.com/en_us/racing/#, then look for this video,
"Racing Is In Our DNA.

Now, I've REALLY got a lot to live up to this summer!! Stay tuned!!

AMSOIL returns as a major sponsor for 2009!!

2009-02-15T16:11:00.000-08:00

I'm very excited to announce that AMSOIL is back on board as a major sponsor again this year. My dealer, John Kahrs from Hudson, Iowa, added additional support for my program and for teammates Troy Walbaum and Mike Boomer as well. Since all three of us race Buell XB12R's we'll be able use all the same products but we will be promoting the entire AMSOIL line.

Check out the complete AMSOIL line at John's website http://www.johnsoils.com, contact him and try out an AMSOIL product.

Thank you, John!!

Farewell Great Plains

2009-02-10T15:34:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Janet and I, Troy and his wife Sheila, journeyed down to Kansas City for the Track Addix Great Plains awards banquet.

It was great to reconnect with several folks we've raced against and become friends with in the Great Plains region. It was also kind of sad to say good-bye to some as they will continue to compete in the "new" Great Plains region while Troy and I will switch to the MidWest region. We had a great time catching up and laughing alot with fellow racer Terry Goepferich and his wife from Des Moines and Charles Miller who sat with us at the banquet. Charles, who is the GP announcer and fellow Buell rider and racer will be particularly missed as he always gave Troy and I a little more air time while calling the races!

Probably the part of the banquet that was the most enjoyable was hearing everyone's thank you to Kim and Dean Rumfola for their dedication in building the GP series. Dean and Kim have been great supporters of my racing efforts and I will sorely miss them at the races. They will, however, be back into the track day business so I hope to get to some of their events at MidAmerica Motorplex near Council Bluffs, Iowa and Motorsports Park Hastings in Nebraska.

I was very excited about receiving my two awards and was really glad Janet could be there with me to share in the event. Of course after talking racing all weekend I wish the season would start, NOW!!

Big changes for the 2009 race season

2008-12-24T06:56:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-10T15:38:00.000-08:00

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

2008-10-26T18:06:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-05T07:58:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-11T19:10:00.001-07:00

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!!

2008-08-18T17:03:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-27T15:22:00.001-07:00

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

2008-07-08T13:38:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-23T18:25:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-10T20:29:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-03T19:12:00.000-07:00

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!!

2008-05-26T08:28:00.001-07:00

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!!

2008-04-26T18:02:00.000-07:00

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!!

2008-04-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

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!!

2008-04-20T18:50:00.000-07:00

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

2008-02-10T08:02:00.000-08:00

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!!

2008-01-18T15:18:00.000-08:00

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!!

2008-01-11T14:29:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-01-08T16:47:00.001-08:00

2007 season results

2008-01-08T16:45:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-06T08:57:00.000-08:00

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 #3 / Road America / July 6-7, 2007

2008-01-06T08:49:00.000-08:00

Due to Janet’s new job, she let me out of town with my neighbor and fellow Bueller, Mike Boomer as my Crew Chief instead of her. Mike and I headed out Thursday evening and stayed in Fond du Lac over the weekend which is only a 30 minute drive to Road America and a bunch cheaper than staying in Elkhart or Plymouth. Hey, maybe I should actively seek a hotel chain as a sponsor next year!

Friday morning started with registration and the waiting line from HELL! I didn’t pre-register because if it looked like it would be a rainy weekend I wasn’t going to go all the way up there to get wet. Apparently, hundreds of others had the same plan!!

This was a Twin Sprints weekend which means they run almost all of the classes twice over the weekend giving everyone the opportunity to double up on points as well as being a Midwest and Great Plains regions race so those points go to both regions. A great way to double dip!

While I was registering, Mike found us a great pit spot on the grass. With the truck and trailer pointed west and the canopy up, we had great shade all day. We were surrounded by great folks racing all kinds of machines and an Aprillia Moto-ST team from California right across from us who had a really nice set up and were super guys.

After breezing through Tech we were ready to RACE!! I skipped the first warm up session but put it to good use by having Ed from TrackSide Engineering tweak my suspension settings for the BIG track then I was off to my first warm-up session. Since I’d just done the Buell sponsored track day a month prior I felt very comfortable and got right up to speed. What a RUSH!!

After practice, we grabbed some lunch, found some of the other Buell racers and visited with them, then headed back to our pit and just kicked back until my first race at 5:00 pm.

Race #1 - Lightweight Formula 40
CCS decided to group expert and amateur Formula 40 with Lightweight Formula 40 expert and amateurs into one race with a double green flag start. There were over 50 bikes on the grid with yours truly on row 17D, last spot because of registering that morning. I was about one city block away from the starting tower!! The green flag dropped for the Fomula 40 guys and a mintue later it waved for us and thanks to Brent and T.J.’s drag racing adventures, I launched that thing like a Top Fueler and I was gone! It was awesome splitting through traffic on the way to turn one. There were so many bikes, it was follow the leader through turn 5 where I got a little nervous, went wide and danced along the rumble strips on the way to turn 6; cool! I got a little over confident in the chicane and ran across the grass and watched all the guys I’d blitzed at the start roar by, damn!! I got right back on the track and went in pursuit. I raced a couple of guys pretty hard, then back in turn 5, wide again, this time, real wide, out on the grass, full throttle up the hill and clean into turn 6. Mike told me later he had just got down to turn 5 and saw dust in the air on the hill, I told him, “You just missed me!” Fortunately the rest of the race went smooth but with all those bikes, I had no idea how I’d finished in my class.

After I got back to the pits, Mike gave me a pep talk and an honest evaluation of my riding which helped get my head right for Saturday’s races. We left the track around 7:00, not knowing how I’d finished. After a great meal in Plymouth and the 30 minute drive back to Fond du Lac, I was spent and ready for a good night’s rest.

Saturday promised to be hot and sunny so staying hydrated and in the shade as much as possilble was looking to be the order of the day and oh yeah, race in two races, Lightweight Grand Prix and Lightweight Formula 40.

Once at the track we learned that I’d finished 4th out of 9 amateurs in Lightweight Formula 40 on Friday, which I was very pleased with.

Fellow Buell guy, Mike Stevens from Waverly, was at the track for the Buell Homecoming and stopped by our pit and hung out for awhile.

Race #2 - Lightweight Grand Prix
This is a fun class to compete in since so many different types of bikes race in this class. The race was huge! I was gridded on row 23A which meant that I litterally had to hold the rear brake on so I wouldn’t roll backward down the hill!!

This was also a double green flag race and I had a great start, with so many bikes in the race it was wall to wall and pretty exciting in every corner. As four of us entered the chicane, the red flags started flying and as I came through I just about ran over a bike in the middle of the track! We headed back to hot pit but we were sent back to our pits while the carnage got cleaned up. Apparently there were several incidents and someone was helicoptered out, rather sobering!

On the second restart, I rocketed past several guys and was grinning all the way down the front stretch. I knew I was off to a good lap as I drug my knee through turn three, passing a guy on a Ducati, then the red flags were flying again!! Back to hot pit, then back to my pit for a 15 minute wait.

Restart #3 was just as good as the others and I hooked up with two guys on Ducatis and an SV, the four of us mixed it up through the whole race and I’m proud to say I got by all of them. I was working hard but got a real surprise on lap #3 in the chicane when I just about high sided as the rear tire stepped out because of a little too much gas while tipped over. Let me tell you that got my attention right now!! I raced well until the last lap in the chicane where the ambulance was sitting in the grass with it’s lights flashing. I looked around for yellow flags and slowed just enough that the SV got around me. I chased him down but could not make the pass and on the front straight I was pulling hard but just didn’t have quite enough to pass, DANG! Mike remided me later that I wasn’t tucked down and that may have been the difference.

As I was getting ready for the next race I was interviewed by a couple of folks from Buell which was very flattering especially if it makes it into the Buell monthly magazine “Fuell”.

Race#3 - Lightweight Formula 40
This was my last race of the weekend and it was a combo race like it had been on Friday so there were a lot of bikes to compete with, again. I had a noggon full of information that Mike had observed plus my own desire to place high, so when I had another great start I knew I had to get with it.

I was racing well until the last lap in turn #5, I really messed up and pushed clear out onto the grass, again!! I just stayed in the gas and kicked a rooster tail of grass and dust up the hill and almost to the bridge!! I was really ticked but luckly I didn’t loose a position, probably scared all the guys behind me half to death!! WOW, that was fun!!

All and all I had another great weekend with a 4th and a 5th place finish in the LW F-40 races out of nine in my class and a 10th place finish out of 17 in LW GP. I’m starting to feel a lot more comfortable on the bike at speed but I’ve got a ways to go to run up front so I’m going to pre-register for the next race in Newton, September 16th. so I can see if I can hang with the big dogs on the front rows.

If you want to check out some photos from the weekend check out http://www.gron4.com/2007/event070807/902blk/
Until next time...

Ralph Longus
CCS 902

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

2008-01-06T08:44:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-06T08:31:00.002-08:00

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