The man of this weekend was undoubtedly Dan Zlock. Dan poured
so much sweat, tears & even a little blood into getting
our ZX6RR ready for this weekend I really can't find the words
to thank him enough for everything he does.
These last few days have gone by so quickly it almost seems
a blur. I left Thursday night to help Dan and the team with
preparation of the 600. Three days later, with little to no
sleep in between, we managed to somehow get the bike together
and on the track for Sunday morning, and still obtained a
podium in the races. Amazing. Without going into too much
detail, Dan and I had the seemingly insurmountable task of
repairing the transmission that failed while racing in Spokane
less than two weeks ago. That encompassed disassembling the
engine to establish what parts were needed, order needed parts,
receive said parts, assemble and modify parts and engine,
and test engine. Now I assure you I really had a very small
part in it all; Dan on the other hand spent countless hours
assembling everything in his precise manner. And this all
occurred within nine days of Dan getting the bike. With all
this we did miss Saturday's practise sessions, so that meant
no data, no seat time, not even the correct gearing. We were
going to have to jump right into the racing with no set-up
time whatsoever, and me having not raced at Seattle for over
a year. It can never be easy can it.
Race Day - Practise
Warm up practise session
Weather conditions - Cool and overcast (damp patches on track)
Tires front / rear - soft front - medium rear
Total laps - 5
Best time - 1:32.2
Concerns/problems - Gearing too short, shift & braking
points needed.
Notes: As this was the only chance to "shake down"
the bike before our race I had to make every second count.
That meant I had to make sure the bike was operating correctly
(temperature, shifting, handling etc.), while examining the
corners to come up with a plan.
Race Day - Race 1
600 SuperSport
Weather conditions - Cool and sunny
Tires front / rear - soft front - medium rear
Total laps - 10
Best time - 1:29.3
Result - 4th
Notes: I was gridded on the 6th row, so a good start was
in order if I had any chance of a decent result. I got a mediocre
start and was in about 12th going into turn two. I made several
passes on the first lap and had made my way to 6th by turn
two on the second lap. Then it happened - I had the biggest
save in several years. Midway through turn two the front suddenly
tucked and the bike started to crash. Somehow, I managed to
plough my left knee into the ground standing the bike up and
saving the ensuing lowside. What a fluke of luck (I better
by that lottery ticket tomorrow). I could not believe what
had just happened, although I had proof in the form of a rather
nasty hole in the top portion of the knee of my leathers.
Thanks to Joe Rocket for the new suit I now need. : From there
I just settled down to a rhythm in an effort to catch the
leaders, but my tires were starting to fade and I ultimately
had to settle for fourth.
Race Day - Race 2
600 SuperBike
Weather conditions - Warm and sunny
Tires front / rear - soft front - medium rear
Total laps - 10
Best time - 1:28.1
Result - 3rd
Notes: Dan and I had discussed the tire issue from the
previous race and decided it was best to mount up a new set
of Pirellis. Also, we made another change to the gearing to
utilize the top end rpm that a drafting battle might produce.
We were set. I got a much better start and was in 4th going
into turn two. Once in 3rd place I set after the leaders Mike
Sullivan and Eli Edwards. The pace was extremely quick with
almost all our first laps being in the low 1:28 range. We
were all having a real scrap with Sullivan in particular doing
some spectacular slides going into turn three. Unfortunately
for me, my shot at the win was dashed by a lapper going into
the bus stop. I didn't get by him before that turn and was
ultimately held up for those vital tenths that allowed Mike
and Eli to obtain a small gap. Barry Wressell made a charge
at me in the closing laps, but I held him off for the last
spot on the podium. A really good race.
From here I have a bit of a break for Supermoto and a practice
session at Mission, then it's time to prepare for my daughter's
4th birthday. Where did the last four years go?
Thanks again to everyone that supports this racing program.
I wouldn't be here without you.
Stay tuned.
Oliver
Please click on image to enlarge
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The 600 |
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Brad Gua & I |
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Brad & Dave |
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Richard Lerud - TYR
SOX |
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Richard & Dan putting on a new set of warmers |
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Richard having fun |
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The 600 on TYR SOX warmers |
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Brad Gua |
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Mike Sullivan |
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Barry & I through turn three |
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Dan & Dale Zlock "Slavin" |
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Sorry Dale I had to put this up... :o) |
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