AMA Fontana Race Report

April 9, 2010

Thursday
I arrived at the track around Noon and started the sign up process for the race weekend. After getting everything taken care of I proceeded to my assigned garage to unload my trailer and set up my pit. I met up with Josh from "MOTO-TEC" (my motor sponsor) he took over and started getting the bike ready to go to technical inspection. Took the bike down get tech'd and it passed with ease, all we had to do was adjust some stickers around on the lower fairing and add there AMA Stickers. We then took the bike back to the garage and set it back up on the bike table. Josh started to take the wheels off so we could take them down to the DUNLOP tent to get new tires mounted up. While tires were being mounted, we went down to the SUNOCO guys to pick up some race fuel. Josh told me as we were walking back to pick up the tires that he wanted everything to be ready for Friday morning so that when we got to the track there would be very little to do and I could just concentrate on riding.

Friday
I arrived at the track having a good night of sleep ready to get things going. I started to move my things from the garage to my spot on the pit wall. Once I had everything over there and set up I had some time to relax and clear my head before practice and qualifying started. I couldn't wait to get out on the track, I had been itching to do so since my last race in Vegas. I went out for practice, used the first couple of laps to loosen up and get comfortable then I put my head down and started to push. My main goal for the practice was to feel out the new Spec tire that AMA has everyone use. Surprisingly it was feeling good, I had pictured them being different, more loose and unpredictable. Now that the tire was out of my head I could really concentrate on the bike and what it was doing. I came in about mid session to make some changes on the bikes suspension. Josh from "MOTO-TEC" was on the pit wall asking me what the bike was doing and what I didn't like. He made some changes then I went back out for another five or six laps then came in again to make some more changes. The front felt better however the rear of the bike still felt loose. He made a couple more changes then out I went again... I did about a lap and came right back in, the last suspension change to the rear made the bike worse. Josh made some more changes then I was out again. I only got a couple laps in before the checkered flag was out and my practice session was done. The bike felt better but still not to my liking. Josh seemed to think that I needed a heavier spring in the rear. Brought the bike back in and handed if off to Josh, He then started to get it ready for Qualifying.

Qualifying... I went out and started to push right off the bat. I just put my head down and tried to concentrate on putting together a bunch of good laps. Came in once and made one small suspension change then when out again only to have it feel not any better. Came back in and had him put it back the way it was. Went back out and pushed for the rest of the session, I ended up qualifying fifth. I was pretty happy with that result.

Saturday: Race Day 1
Showed up to the track ready to do work, unfortunately so did the wind!!!! It was blowing like crazy, by buddy Clayton Wylie (WERA Expert#88) showed up to help out. The first thing he said when he got there was, "Well..... this is poopie" We started to get the bike ready, changing the tires, put in correct mount of fuel and finished up by wiping her down. We then started to move every thing back over to the pit wall. There was no way our easy-up was going to be held down in this wind, however we tired anyways and failed. It was so windy that as soon as we got it half way opened wind kept trying to rip it out of our hands. SOooooo we put it away. Daytona Sport Bike class was first out for practice, the head people of AMA wanted to send them out to have them give the go or no go to race in this wind. They went out for about 15 mins only to have to be red flagged because one of the air fences from turn 3 was blown up and on to the banking of the NASCAR track. They had the entire AMA staff out there trying to pull this air fence down from the banking but the wind was blowing so hard there was no moving it. So now it was the waiting game, there was a riders meeting and they pretty much wanted to tell us that as long as this wind keeps up there will be no racing. It was just too unsafe. If it stayed like this they would have to double up on the racing tomorrow. However later on in the day the wind did start to die down and racing presumed. They started with American Superbike then Daytona Sportbike then it was my class SUPERSPORT! There was a 10 minute practice before each race, I went out for my practice session on a new set of tires. The bike seemed to be working ok not anything that I couldn't ride around. Did my 10 minute session and came in, Josh asked me if I wanted to throw on a new rear tire. It had been on the tire warmer for about 20 minutes, I said, "let’s do it!!!!" Which I soon found out was a big mistake. They threw the new rear tire on the rear and I went out to my grid spot. AMA grid officials sent us out on our warm up lap, I tired to scrub in the new rear tire as much as I could to burn the first layer off and get as much heat as I could into it. We all grided up... watched the lights..... then GO!!!!! I got a REALLY good start, immediately Elena Myers and Huntley Nash ran into each other resulting in Elena crash off the line. I went into the first turn in 2nd place right behind Joey Pascarella. The first turn of the race was a quick left right flick, I turned in left, then flicked the bike over to the right and as soon as I got on the gas the rear tire came out from underneath me. That was the end of my day. I slid on my slide following the bike and as soon as I hit the grass I put my feet down and popped right up pissed of as all hell. Lesson learned on the Dunlop Spec tire. I was then told after the race that the Dunlop spec tire NEEDS to be on the warmer for at least an hour before they are race ready. The other tire that I raced on with WERA the Dunlop 211 NTEC, 20 minutes on the warmer and hot lap would have been fine. You live and learn.... I was ok after the crash, the bike on the other hand needed some work. Lucky for me I had two guys, Clayton and Josh to work on the bike all night to get it back to race condition for Sunday’s race. THANKS AGAIN GUYS!!!!!!

Sunday: Race Day 2
Woke up Sunday morning surprisingly not sore at all, I felt pretty good!!! Downed an Eniva VIBE packet and an Eniva Ultra Shot and I was on my way. Got to the track and started setting up pit again along the pit wall. I went out for morning practice and just was not satisfied with how the rear of the bike was working. Josh seemed to think that I need more spring in the rear however there was not enough time to do a spring swap during the session. After the practice session Clayton and Josh started pulling the shock out to swap the spring from a 9.0 to a 9.5. I was really nervous about doing such a big change before a race, really we were just crossing our fingers hope that it would work out. After they got the shock out I went on the hunt to find the Ohlins guy. “THERMOS MAN" Mike Fitzgerald. Took me a while to find him but when I did he got down to business. He swapped out my spring and put the settings were he thought would be good. He has YEARS........... of experience with his shocks. When he was finished up he told me not to mess with anything and just bolt it in and ride IT!!!! No argument on my behalf, I was just hoping it wasn't going to be a huge difference to were it would affect my riding in a bad way. Clayton bolted the shock in with the help from the PROJECT 1 ATLANTA guys and it was done in no time. Thanks again Perry and Chuck!!! I watched the race before mine which was the DAYTONA SPORTBIKE guys. I suited up and got ready, Clayton and Josh made sure the bike was already and that all I would have to do is get on it and ride. My race is up, Clayton wheels the bike out to my grid spot, puts it up on the stands and slaps the tire warmers on it. When it was time for me to go out on the grid to my bike Clayton walks over and says, "Its go time!!!!" I walk out to the bike and hop on, sitting there I felt quite calm, more excited than nervous. The 3min... 2min... and 1min horn go off, bike is now running, off the stands and warmers. We get the green flag to go out onto the track for the warm up lap and then come back to the grid spots. I get back to my grid spot Clayton and Josh put it up on the stands and puts the warmers back on for 5 minutes. I jump off the bike and run to the Port-o-potties real quick to do the ritual pre race wizz. Walk back out to the bike and sit and wait. A couple of minutes go by and the horns start going off again, time to do work! Warmers off, stands off and umbrella girl bye bye. Sitting there watching the starting board, lights come on, put the bike into first gear, rev the bike to 14,000 RPM's... lights go out... and GOOOOO!!!! I didn't get as good as a start as I did on Saturday but it wasn't horrible. I go into turn one and get pinched off and get pushed back to 11th or so... I immediately counter back and pick off a couple of people, going though turn 4 the fast left hander and then get another person going into turn 5 on the brakes hard. I start to get into a grove and work a fairly good pace. By the end of the first lap I had thought to myself that the back of the bike was working beautifully. The rear spring swap made the bike so much more stable entering corners as well as acceleration out of the corners, I was stoked. I put my head down and pushed, I was about half a straight away from sixth and seventh. I eventually caught up to them and passed both of them. Eric Stump and Michael Corbino were the two guys I had passed. I led Eric for a couple of laps then he passed me back. I knew were I was faster and were he was faster so I was going to follow him and pass him back going into turn 12 off the back straight away. I was stronger under braking going into that turn, however coming out of turn 9 I got on the gas a little to much coming out on to the back straight away and broke the rear tire loose. It was enough for him to get a little gap to were I wouldn't be able to pass going into turn 12. I go down the back straight away tucked under the windscreen and brake a little bit deeper than I normally do and end up back on Eric's rear tire. Going though turn 19, Eric puts his foot out signaling he is slowing down so I move out a little to pass and that is when I saw a corner worker waving a RED FLAG! The race was stopped because of a rider that crash in turn one. His bike was right on the racing line. They called the race off because we only had 3 laps left. The rule with the Red flag is that they go off the order you went across the finish line from the lap before the red flag was brought out. I was in front of Eric in 6th place the lap before so that is was I finished with. I was pretty happy with the race, Had a blast battling it out with Eric Stump and 6th place was not bad considering this is only the beginning of my second year of racing ever, let alone my FIRST AMA race ever. I would like to thank Clayton Wylie and Josh Alverson for being a huge help through out the weekend. My girlfriend Jesica for being awesome and being the umbrella girl. Brandon Bones for coming by and making sure I was always good to go, and last but not least my hard working Dad for Making all this happen. None of this would have been possible with out him and am very grateful to have a father like him. Next up ROAD ATLANTA APRIL 16-18!!!!!