Series: OMRRA
Date: Aug 1
Classes raced and results
600 Supersport - 5th
650 GP Twins - 1st
600 Superbike - 4th
MW Superbike - 1st
After a few weeks off from racing it felt
good to get back into the swing of things (though we haven't
exactly been sitting on the couch). We had the opportunity
to test our 2008 ZX10R Superbike at a PSSR
track day. Though I didn't turn a phenomenal amount of
laps, I came away really impressed with the bike's power and
initial feel. With some development time and suspension set-up
with GP
Suspension, I think it could be a race winner.
I have to thank some key sponsors for coming
through in a big way over the last few weeks. HUGE thanks
to Jim @ Silkolene
for their continued support, James @ Oakley
for setting me up with some mighty fine product, Gary @ R-Tech
for keeping the fuel flowing, and Tom @ Competition Motors
for his support.
Also, I have to say thanks to Dan and the
team for their efforts. Dan spent considerable time working
with the 600 recently and, as usual, he produced a phenomenally
fast machine. Thanks Dan.
Notes on Practice:
Practice became an exercise in frustration as I was immediately
black flagged because, as it turned out, our Hindle
exhaust was just a few decibels over the limit. Not a
big deal as it simply needed to be re-packed, but on a day
where we only had two short practices before racing it would
have been nice to put in at least two flying laps.
Race 1
600 SuperSport
Weather conditions - dry/cool
Tires front / rear - DOT, soft front & dot soft rear
Total laps - 12
Result - 5th and then Dq'ed
I got off second row and slotted myself into third going into
the second lap. The first few laps went extremely well and
everything was working. Then, on the 5th lap, I a made a big
mistake - in turn four I locked the front wheel for several
feet. Unfortunately this cost me at least two seconds and
the lead riders started to break away. At this point I simply
didn't get the job done. I was missing shifts, not hitting
my marks, and generally not riding well. With this, the pack
caught up to me and, by the checkered flag I was in 5th. I
was pretty much disgusted with my performance. Then, as we
came into the pits, OMRRA officials pulled most of the top
bikes to the side for a visual inspection. As it turned out,
OMRRA does not allow the use of Quickshifters in their "Supersport"
classes. And guess what - we had one and it was plugged in.
That equaled disqualification. In the end it's our fault for
not knowing the rulebook, as we would have unplugged it had
we known. But I have to admit I was frustrated and feeling
as though we just wasted tires and gas for nothing. Oh well
- lesson learned.
Race 2
650 GP Twins
Weather conditions - warm & dry
Tires front / rear -DOT soft - soft
Total laps - 12
Result - 1st
I got the hole-shot in this one and led the pack into turn
one. With my next 600 race just a few after this one, I focused
on using the time on the SV to test some slightly different
lines that I might apply to the 600 race. I was lucky as the
Zlock SVZR is so flipping fast that you can run a 600 line
with it. In the end I managed to get the win.
Race 3
600 SuperBike
Weather conditions - warm & dry
Tires front / rear - soft DOT front - soft DOT rear
Total laps - 12
Result 4th
I have to say this was a challenging, but rewarding race.
Despite three red flags, and therefore three restarts, I did
well in all of them to place myself in the lead group. I managed
to get into third for a bit before getting nipped on the fourth
lap. My times, and more importantly, their consistency, were
much better as I was just letting the bike do its thing. Despite
not finishing higher, I'm happy with the feeling from the
bike as we were much closer in the second race.
Race 4
Middle Weight Superbike
Weather conditions - warm & dry
Tires front / rear - soft DOT front - soft DOT rear
Total laps - 12
Result - 1st
I got hole-shot again in this one and managed to get a small
gap on the field. I could see Brian and Kevin Pinkstaff on
my tail as I exited turn four, so I kept the bike working
through key sections to maintain the gap. Luckily, the SV
brought me home for the win.
Again, a tremendous thank you to everyone
involved in our race program. We wouldn't be doing it without
you.
Next race - August 9-10 in Seattle.
Stay tuned
Oliver
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