Race Report

Putnam Park 5/30-6/1

We arrive at the track at 4:30 am and sleep for a few hours. This is the first race weekend we all have our familes at the track. My wife, daughter and son are with me and my sister and her husband will arrive later in the afternoon to watch Solo 20 races. We awake to cool temps and high, gusty winds. We meet Jeff Agnus and the rest of the team and set up our pits. I am registered for my regular SV classes (LWT Twins, HWT Twins, F2 and LWT Solo 20). I am also registered to race C Super Stock on the GSXR but I change to ride the SV in that class on Sunday.

I go out in Lwt and Hwt practices on the SV and make a total of 4 practice sessions of around 5 laps each. The bike feels good and I do alot of 1:19 lap times and break into the 18's on my last session. The wind is very strong and 'pushes' me to the outside of the last turn each lap and also blows me around on the front straight.

During practice I use a set of used tires from a previous race. During lunch time I mount a set of tires I used at VIR that only had 8 laps on them. At VIR I had some chatter in turn 5 and the last turn but thought it was only the track.

Saturday

Solo 20:

I am gridded in the middle of the front row. At the green flag Ed Kraft gets a great start and motors me to the first turn. I follow for a couple of turns and go into turn five at full race pace. My bike starts to chatter like the rear wheel is going to fall off. I roll off the throttle and make the first lap in second place. We go through turn one and the bike chatters even worse. I slow down knowing that something is terribly wrong. I try to go through turn 5 faster and have to back off again because of high speed chatter. I raise my hand and start to let the field by. I pull off the track into the pits and start to do an inspection to see what is wrong. The tire looks to be low on air and is allowing the sidewalls to flex. I drop out of the race and head back to our pit. I take the wheel off and head to the Dunlop trailer where we later find the tire was deformed and caused the chatter at VIR, and with too low of air pressure magnified the problem. Dunlop replaced the tire and I was ready to race on Sunday. Disappointed, this was my first ever DNF (DID NOT FINISH).

Sunday

F2:

I am gridded inside front row. Ed kraft gets the hole shot and I drag race Shannon Anderson and Wayne Roon to turn one. I end up running in third place. I see Ed Kraft pull into the pits not knowing he was "Meatballed" for jumping the green flag and had to do a stop and go penalty. This puts Wayne first and me in second place. I follow for a few laps and make my move for first place at turn 5. I dive to the inside and make it stick. I am now in first place and trying to not make any mistakes. I lead for the next few laps and see the white flag. I go into turn one with Wayne on my tail. I try to brake late but Wayne out brakes me and took my inside line. He passes me and we race to turn 5 where I try to get the inside line back but with no luck. We race to the finish line and I am right behind Wayne in second place.

HWT Twins:

Again I am gridded inside front row. At the start of a race you have a million things running through your mind. I need to keep one thing in my mind: PUT THE DANG BIKE IN GEAR!! They wave the green flag. I rev the engine and release the clutch but the bike doesn't move. I slam it into second gear and pull a nice wheelie but I am too late. I am near the back of the pack already. I ride hard and make 5 or 6 positions back within the first two turns. Like in most of my HWT Twins races they pull me and pass me down the long straights but I pass them back in turns. I eventually regained alot of my positions back and finish in 4th place. Not a bad finsish for such a bad start.

LWT Twins:

Gridded inside front row I take the green flag IN GEAR and race to turn one. Kraft gets the advantage so I put my head down and ride hard. I peek over my shoulder and see Wayne on my tail on his built Hawk exiting the 'bus stop' turn 7. We race for a few laps and Wayne gets the inside line in turn 5. He is now 2nd and I am 3rd. Wayne and I have been pushing each other all day and dropping our lap times. I am now pushing back and Wayne is trying to stay in front. I turn a personal best time EVER at Putnam and do a 1:16.4 in the chase. Exiting turn 8 Wayne runs very wide and goes over the rumble strips into the grass. He is now in MotoX mode to keep the bike upright. He gets it under control and comes back onto the track right in front of me with out loosing any speed and leans into the right hand turn nine. Now is when things get really exciting. Wayne is in the wrong gear and goes to grab the next gear. Mistakenly he DOWNSHIFTS and makes the back end step out violently. It grabs, and steps out again. This time throwing the bike down on the low side. The bike is now 5 feet in front of me sliding with no rider. I stand my bike up the plot a course for the grass. In fifth gear this is easily a 100mph turn. I am hard on the front brakes until I hit the grass. I then release the front and rely only on the rear brake to slow me down. I slow to a controlled speed and head back to the track without getting any grass stains on my leathers or brown stains in my pants. I hit the track in second gear the grab a handfull of throttle, the bike stands up and pulls a nice wheelie as I head down the front straight. When I reach turn one they are finally waving the red flag. They score back to the previously completed lap the pull Wayne from the list. I finish in second place.

I started the day on a new Dunlop DOT. At this point I have 44 laps on it and it is in need of replacing. I replace it with new tire and do a scrub in lap with DSS.

C Super Stock:

I start on the left side of the fifth row in 13th place. This is a 2 wave start with over 40 entrys. I get a decent start but a few 600's pass me down the straight. I make a few passes in the turns and settle in following a guy for the rest of the race with no incidents. I finish in 10th place on a LWT bike.

I finished the day and still lead the points in my SV classes.

LWT Twins I have 93 points and a 28 point lead.

HWT Twins I have 82 points and a 25 point lead.

F2 I have 81 points and a 13 point lead.

The next race is 6/21 at Nelson Ledges!!

Cya at the track............

Jerry VanHorn
#301