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.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Farrell family joins the race effort with sponsorship
The Farrell family are the newest sponsors on the Longus Motorsports Buell XB12R racebike. Clair and Mike are family friends and when they offered to help out with our racing expenses my wife and I were both a little shocked but they insisted so the Farrell Family decals will be on the bike by the time we leave for Hastings.
Thank you, Clair and Mike!!
Speaking of the racebike, ace Buell tech Reese Murphy at Silver Eagle Harley-Davidson/Buell diagnosed that my ailling bike had an intake leak on the throttle body caused by guess what, ME! When I changed spark plugs I inadvertantly failed to properly snug down the throttle body velocity stack which caused a high speed lean out condition which made the bike fall flat on it's face when I applied full throttle. Fortunately, it was an easy fix and now the bike is ready for battle!!
Thanks you, Reese!!
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!!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Blackhawk Farms race report
Race Report
Volume 3, #1
Blackhawk Farms, June 1, 2008
After not being able to attend the Topeka or MidAmerica rounds I decided to attend the Blackhawk Farms races, Sunday, June 1, of the MidWest region to get some track time in since Blackhawk is the closest track to me.
Blackhawk Farms races on Saturday and Sunday but Sunday’s races include Lightweight SuperSport that I had planned on racing this year.
The weather looked to be perfect so Troy Walbaum, Buell XB12R, #143 and I headed out early Sunday morning. After getting through registration I headed to my first tech inspection of the year, the bike breezed through so it was time to get on the track for the first time of the season!
As I went out for the first practice session I was a little apprehensive and excited at the same time. About half way through the first lap I started to get comfortable on the bike again so I decided to get on the gas and get up to speed, then NO POWER!! What??!! As I rolled off the throttle the bike picked right back up but there was nothing at full throttle!
I decided I’d better not hurt anything on the first laps of the year and headed for the pits. After several minutes of checking for wiring connection or fuel problems I thought I’d go out on the last warm-up session to see if anything has changed. Unfortunately the full throttle gremlin was still on board.
While the thrash continued to diagnose my dilemma in the pits, Troy was out getting up to speed on the track. Several other Buell racers pitted by us gave me ideas and offered to help but it became obvious I wouldn’t be able to fix the trouble at the track.
The first race, Lightweight SuperSport, was called and I decided to try to get a few laps in even with less that 100% power. Since I was gridded on the back row I would not be in anyone’s way and the bike ran great until I got to the front straight. It was very frustrating but I figured I’d stay out as long as I wasn’t in anyone’s way. I had to work on corner speed and being smooth but eventually the first of the Expert riders came zipping by so I called it a day and headed to the hot pit and back to the trailer.
Troy ran well in both classes and I got to watch all my competitors from the pits during the Lightweight Grand Prix race.
The race bike has been so reliable that I’m more surprised than angry but I’ll get it to the dealer and hope it turns out to be something simple as I’m heading to Hastings, Nebraska, June 21-22 for a race school Saturday and the Great Plains region races on Sunday hosted at that track. Since it’s Great Plains points I’m chasing I’m really looking forward to going to this round. Attending the race school should help me get around the track a little bit quicker since I’ve never been to the Hastings track before.
I hope to have better news in a few weeks, stay tuned!!
Ralph Longus
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
Monday, May 26, 2008
Rain, rain go away!!
Mother's Day weekend brought rain which kept me home instead of competing at the Blackhawk Farms MidWest Region Double Points Weekend and the MidAmerica (MAM) Memorial Day weekend looked to be a washout also, so no racing.
The MAM weekend weather looked really bad in the Omaha area, so that with $3.75 per gallon gas, 5 hours one way on the road and possible tornados in the forecast another race weekend was spent at home.
I'm glad we made that decision as we would have been caught in some very severe weather on the way home which produced several tornados within a 30 mile radius of my home. That would have been a terrible way to end a race weekend!
There is a race at Blackhawk Farms next weekend, May 24 - 25 so Troy Walbaum and I are heading over to race Sunday in Lightweight SuperSport and Lightweight Grand Prix. This is a MidWest Region only race so it won't help our points chase in the Great Plains region but I need to get the bike on a track to check it and myself out.
Let's hope for a sunny day!!
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!!
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Klingenborg Farms join the team as 2008 sponsors!!
Welcome, Doyle and Deanne Klingenborg to the Longus Motorsports Buell XB12R race program for 2008!!
The Klingenborgs farm in the Stout-New Hartford area and Doyle is a pretty serious kart racer as well. It's going to be great fun to have a farm as a sponsor on a racebike from Iowa! Doyle could have used this sponsorship on his own racing efforts so I've got to work even harder now. That's a good pressure to have!
Thanks, again, Doyle and Deanne!!
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!!
Monday, April 21, 2008
New AMSOIL sponsorship secured!!
My local AMSOIL dealer, John Kahrs has helped me secure a sponsorship through AMSOIL's Dealer Co-op Racing Program. John and corporate are splitting the cost of my sponsorship, suppying products, (mainly oil), for my program throughout the racing season.
Check out the complete AMSOIL line at John's website http://www.johnsoils.com/
This is a great opportunity for my program especially since this is just my second season! Thank you, John!!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Getting ready to start the season with a new look!!
Just finished up installing the 1125R fairing and prepping the bike for the upcoming race season.
Silver Eagle HD/Buell sponsored a dyno day on 4/19/08 so even though the race bike spent some time on it over the winter I took it out for one last go. Since the air conditions were better, it turned better numbers, 94.76 horsepower and 80.38 foot pounds of torque!
Unfortunately, I cannot make the opening rounds at Topeka this week because several members of the track team I coach qualified to compete at the Drake Relays. I'm really excited that they make it to Drake so I'll debut at Blackhawk Farms in a few weeks!!
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!!
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