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7.05.09
Morning warm-up was cool and overcast. I ran on my qualifying tires from Saturday with a best time of 1:30.52. After practice, I removed the wheels and had a fresh set of tires put on for the race, which wasn't until 4 p.m. Matt and I watched the start of the MotoGP race from near the hot pit and then went up to the hill above turn 4 for the remainder. We proceeded to set up our pit space shortly thereafter and then waited for the Daytona Sportbike race to complete.
The horn blew signaling the 2-minute countdown, and we removed the tire warmers and headed out for the sighting lap behind the pace car. It's fun circling the track and waving at the fans before the race. I rounded the last corner and my pit crew climbed over the pit wall and reinstalled the tire warmers while the front runners were interviewed on the grid.
Since you can only have 2 crew members and one umbrella girl on the grid, I asked Matt to send my dad back over, and I gave him a hug. He hadn't been to any of my races in a long time and I was really happy to have him at this event. Each row left for the warm-up lap in formation, and we charged hard to get our tires up to temperature. When we returned to the grid, someone was in my grid spot. In fact, the entire row behind me had moved up a spot, so I called over the grid martial and they were all moved back.
When the lights went on, Tommy Hayden, Taylor Knapp, Jeremy Toye, and Cory Call jumped the start, and I barely let the clutch out and rolled over the line by about a foot. Since Tommy was already away, they sent us all for another warm-up lap. When we returned, we got back in grid formation. When the lights went off, it was a successful start up until turn 2, when Ben Bostrom tried a move on the inside of Josh Hayes. He hit him and high-sided, taking out Neil Hodgson and couple of other riders. The field kept racing until the waving yellow flag came out indicating the safety car was coming out on track. It came out, but never made it to the front of the grid since we all circled the track for a couple of laps until they threw the red flag, calling us in.
We came in to the hot pit and parked our bikes. That was when the grid martial told me I had jumped the first start, and was required to do a ride-through penalty…wonderful! They finally sent us out for another warm-up lap and we gridded up for the 3rd start. It wasn't my best of starts, but at least we were underway again. On lap 3, I came into the hot pit for my ride-through penalty. For the next 12 laps I just paced myself, as I was riding alone and didn't have anyone to race against. I did pass one other competitor, and I was still clocking good times in the 1:29 range. Although my times were faster, it was just too large of a gap to make up. In the last couple of laps the leaders came by, and as a result I received a lot of TV coverage. I didn't reach my goal of a top-20 finish, which was well within reach if not for the time lost with my penalty. I suppose that is the trade-off for a jump start: more TV time. In the end I finished 24th.
Living my passion for racing is a gift, and I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who helped make this dream weekend happen. To everyone at Esurance, my dad, Matt Buck, Zagi, Phil Douglas, Jason Hahn, Chris Van Andel, the Mazzotta brothers, Amanda Valdez, Alex Torres, Pete Mauhar, and Chad Green...thank you!!
I'd also like to thank my sponsors, including Aftershocks Suspension, Helimot Leathers, Suomy helmets, MDK Motorsports, Gary Rather Photography, Vortex Racing, Motion Pro
Fastline Cycles, Jordan Suzuki and Gemini Racing, Raceimage graphics, Lockhart Phillips, Asphalt & Gas Knee Pucks, and Sharkskinz.
7.04.09
The bike was definitely working better in morning practice, and was much more planted on the front end. I could brake deeper without the front forks diving and the rear sliding back and forth. My tires were pretty worn from Friday's practice, and we put 23 more laps on the same set. Many of my competitors had a fresh set of tires that I didn't budget for, yet we still managed 22nd overall out of 32 entrants with a time of 1:31.019. After practice, I removed the wheels and went over to Dunlop to get a new set of tires for qualifying.
I was confident that we could do well in qualifying. I went out for approximately 10 laps before coming in because the brake lever was coming in too far. I consulted with Phil and we decided to give the bike a little more compression dampening in the front forks to make it stiffer. I went back out and in 2 laps set my fastest time in qualifying at a 1:29. 917. The 108% rule cut out 5 riders and the grid was set with 27 riders and 7 rows, and I had qualified 20th on row 5, meeting my top-20 goal. Almost everyone who qualified in front of me has spent many years on the AMA circuit, most of them riding at all of the tracks in the national circuit, something that I dream of doing. Needless to say, I was more than pleased.
I was still concerned that the brakes simply weren't working, so I decided to go searching for new brake pads. I asked many other teams unsuccessfully and finally ventured over to the vendor area across the bridge, where I found Jeff Gehrs at Braketech. He sold me a set of Ferodo pads and a rotor hone. I promptly went to work on cleaning off the previous brake material with the rotor hone, cleaning the calipers and installing new pads.
7.03.09
We set up in the hot pit about 30 minutes before practice. When the track went hot I pulled off the tire warmers and rode out. The bike was not working as well at this track because there's more load on the front end at Laguna Seca. As a result, I nearly crashed in several places as the front dove, including once in the corkscrew. Not a nice place to crash as the incline will make it ugly. My suspension tuner, Phil Douglas, helped me with set up and we increased preload and compression. We did improve lap times, finishing the session with a 1:31.469 to come in 20th out of 33.
We knew that everyone was going to improve with more practice, and this was not where we needed to be. So I went over to the Ohlins Suspension support van and purchased some stiffer fork springs. Phil Douglas installed them and we set the suspension sag for my weight, and dripped the rear ride height a little before dinner time.
7.02.09
We arrived at the track about 9 a.m. and had to wait for the factory-team big rigs to set up in the pits before finally parking around 10:30. I set up my pits and worked on the bike, and installed fresh tires for practice before leaving for Seaside to get my credentials and parking pass. I returned to track and had dinner with my crew Matthew “Bad Matt” Buck, a fellow racer and previous CCS #1 plate holder and Nedzad “Zagi” Zagovic, who races both motorcycles and a VW R32 with around 450 hp.
7.01.09
This was “get ready to leave for the track” day! I performed maintenance on the bike, and ran numerous errands at Costco, Fast Line, and Safeway. Then I picked up my trailer and loaded up for an early departure.
6.27.09
I installed a new drive chain and sprockets, moving the rear axle back and modifying the weight distribution. Then I left for the practice day at Thunderhill Raceway.
When I arrived it was about 105 degrees and I was concerned a bit about tire wear. I headed out on track for the first afternoon practice session and immediately noticed that the bike was diving on the brakes and pushing the front. I returned to the pits and immediately added more compression-valving adjustment to the front end, which helped the bike track through the corner much better.
It reached around 110 degrees in the shade, and who knows how hot on the track in my racing gear. However, I managed to get down into the 1:52 range, almost matching my previous race times in temperatures 30 degree hotter. I left the track pleased with the changes to the bike and the practice results.
6.14.09
AFM races Sunday – I was gridded 13th in the Open Superbike race. I started with a fresh rear tire and a medium rear tire that had 10 laps of use from the Infineon Open Superbike race to save some money. I made an assumption that the medium tire would make it the distance and I was wrong. Halfway through the race it was sliding, and my drive off the corner was bad because the tire was spinning. I still managed some respectable lap times in the 1:52 range, and managed to finish in 6th place.
In the Formula Pacific race, I was gridded 13th again based on points. This time I installed a new medium-hard Dunlop which would go the distance and provide good grip, giving me increased confidence. I got a very good start, and made a couple of passes on the first lap. By turn 14, I'd made it up to about 8th place. I rolled on the throttle approaching turn 15 to get a better drive onto the front straight when the rear stepped out. I moved weight over the front of the bike as my feet came off the pegs, and managed to save the crash. But now I was headed straight for the curb, so I jumped it and went into the dirt at around 70 mph! I slowly turned the bike to get back on the track, but the rear wheel was just spinning in the dirt so it took longer than I would have liked to get back on the track.
By the time I was on the asphalt, everyone had gone by and I was in last place. I charged hard through the pack but played it a bit safe after nearly crashing. Plus I didn't want to destroy the bike only 2 weeks before the year's biggest event, the Laguna Seca Combined AMA and MotoGP on July 4. So I pushed at a comfortable pace and made my way back up into 9th place. I know I could have finished a bit higher in the standings if not for my “off-track excursion” but I was pleased that the bike and I were in one piece.
Overall, it was a good race weekend and great practice for the upcoming AMA event at Laguna. When I arrived home and retrieved the SD card from the camera, I realized that it had reached capacity and only recorded Saturday practice! My near crash was not caught on film... bummer.
6.13.09
AFM Saturday practice today. In the first session there was a rattlesnake on the track in turn 2 which you can see if you look closely at the onboard video. I progressively went faster throughout the course of the day, and was pleased with my practice time of 1:53 flat. Especially considering that I only had a couple of hours practice and hadn't been to the track in about a year. My competition's been riding much more than I have.
6.11.09
Left work to pick up my leathers after tailoring and the addition of AMA-required logo patches. Helmut had run out of the green leather, so we used white for the rear stretch panel. There's a lot of white on the suit now, but it looks good. He expanded the calves, biceps, and forearms, added more Kevlar in the armpits so it doesn't cut in. And presto!... a perfect-fitting suit. ☺
6.10.09
I made several changes to the bike after learning a bit at Thunderhill. I moved the handlebar position, the foot peg position, dropped the front end and installed the on-board video camera in the nose of the bike for an unobstructed view.
6.08.09
Attended Keigwins track day at Thunderhill after installing the Attack performance adjustable offset triple clamps. They definitely provided more stability, although my bike didn't steer as quickly. I ran the bike in couple of afternoon sessions before shredding the rear tire. It was fun because the bike was sliding around a lot, but it wasn't fast.
5.24.09
The soft tire that I'd installed the day before was shredded on the right side, but you always want fresh tire for the race anyway so I decided to ride on it for the Sunday morning warm-up. The track was cold, and the bike pushed the front going into turn 2, making the rear-end come around. It was close, but I managed not to crash.
Race #5 – Open Superbike: I was gridded on the 6th row in spot #24. I got an excellent start and managed to go around 3 or 4 rows of riders on turn one. By turn 2, I was up to about 12th place. I passed a few more riders going into turns 3 and 4, and then again in turn 7. I made my way up to 7th place before the race was red flagged due to a crash in the turn 6 "Carousel." The bike and rider were in the impact area, which calls for the race to be stopped.
For the premier event, Formula Pacific, I was gridded in 14th position on the 4th row. I got a good start and made my way past other riders wherever possible throughout the 10 lap race. I finished in 9th position.
I'm really pleased that I was able to race considering all of the events preceding, and my results were respectable considering how much time has passed since I last rode a race bike. I'm now looking forward to the next race at Thunderhill Raceway June 14th. Wish me luck!
5.23.09
In the morning, I had a lot of work to do to finish prepping the bike. I had to install the transponder, install new tires for practice (because the prior ones had been soaking in oil from the engine failure), and Alex came by to install the software and fuel map on his laptop and fuel map into the bike's ECU. I also had to safety wire all the appropriate fasteners, buy race fuel, bed in the brakes by driving the bike around the pit, go to registration, and then have the bike put through "technical inspection." It was more than I could accomplish by the first practice session, so I missed it.
I went out for the second practice session, focused on getting used to the additional power and better braking performance. Not to mention blowing out cobwebs from not having been on a racebike in 9 months. The session went well, and afterwards I installed the new VIO POV 1.5 onboard camera on the tail section. My times weren't bad considering the long hiatus: 10th fastest overall in the last 2 sessions of the day. No complaints! I ended the day by mounting the camera on the handlebars before having dinner and going to bed.
5.22.09
Pete said he'd overnight a radiator to me. After work, I arrived at Alex's shop, and he'd installed the repaired radiator and brakes. We couldn't get the Yoshimura software to recognize the map, so we put the bike on the dyno to check how the existing fuel map works with the new engine configuration. The air-fuel ratio wasn't far off, and will be rideable. As I was paying my bill, we realized that the issue may have to do with loading the most current version of the software, and decided to try it at the track again tomorrow. I loaded up the bike and headed home to finish packing.
I installed the latest version of the EMS (engine management software) on my desktop at home and it loaded up the new map without issue. I was glad to confirm that was the problem! I was on the road at 8:40 p.m., and it was a close call with the gates typically closing at 10 p.m. I called a friend at the track to confirm the time, and he checked twice with the gate personnel and they confirmed 11 p.m., so I decided to stop at the store and get some ice and a few more things.
When I arrived at the track at 10:30 p.m., the gate was closed! They decided to close it early…ridiculous! As I was discussing the issue with gate personnel, a group of racers who had gone out to dinner rolled up in a van and showed their tickets. The security guard made a phone call and finally let us in. Obviously, communicating 11 p.m. gate closure and closing early is completely inappropriate.
5.21.09
Arrived home last night, loaded up all of the supplies, and drove over to Fastline just before closing. Alex will be installing the brakes and camera as well. We realized I should have ordered another mount, so I placed the order when I arrived home.
Unfortunately, my trailer had a warning notice on it! Apparently one of my neighbors is upset and called the police, so I moved it across the street and left a note explaining that "I have a race this weekend, please don't ticket me!"
This morning, I called Pete for an update on the engine build sheet and fuel map. He was heading out to the race semi to get his laptop and email it to me. The brake lines should arrive tonight, and I'll head back over to Fastline to deliver them. Hopefully all goes well, and the bike will be complete by tomorrow afternoon, as I plan on leaving in the evening after work to drive to the track.
On the way home on the BART train, Alex called me and gave some bad news. He was getting ready to fire up the bike, and was topping off the radiator when he identified a hole in it. Unfortunately, my transponder from AMB required a signature, so as soon as I got home I called UPS and scheduled an after-hours pickup in Sunnyvale at 8 p.m. I drove over to Alex's shop and dropped off some more parts that had showed up on my doorstep. Fortunately, Alex had a crash spare radiator that just had some damage to the cap flange, which he said he could bring to the radiator shop in the morning.
Later, I drove to Sunnyvale to pick up my transponder. I also sent out a broadcast email to the AFM club racing discussion group requesting a radiator, and emailed Pete at Jordan Suzuki. I spent the night preparing for the race and loading up the trailer. Busy couple of days!
5.20.09
Received email confirmation from the AMA/Daytona Motorsports group that my Superbike License and entry for Laguna Seca was approved. YES!
I also received an email from Pete indicating that the overnight box with the cable was returned to him, and he'll have to send it out again. We'll have to install the engine map Thursday or Friday, and it's getting down to the wire. I also contacted Lockhart Phillips for a status on shipment. The calipers are out for delivery today, but the brake lines were delayed a day...meaning more last-minute work.
The VIO POV 1.5 on-board camera should be arriving today as well. I'll be trying a few different mounting locations this weekend for a variety of onboard video.
5.19.09
This morning, Pete said he'd overnight a cable to me, and we discussed purchasing a set of Attack Performance offset adjustable, triple clamps. The clamps would modify the rake and trail on the front end of the bike, which he'll also be sending me soon.
5.18.09
When I got home from work, there was a box at the door. Inside were some parts, including a new brembo master cylinder, which I had ordered the prior week. I immediately loaded up the engine in my truck and drove to Fastline Cycles. As it turned out, the cable to download the engine map failed, so we didn't have a way to install the map.
I called Lockhart Phillips to check if the Brembo calipers were off backorder. Luckily, they had received one set from Brembo, earmarked for a dealer. After Rick Ruelle contacted them and explained the situation, I made the purchase. The brake lines I ordered are coming from Maryland, but Rick covered me on the 2nd-day Air. Thanks Rick!
5.16.09
Today, I drove down to Alpine RV in Morgan Hill and picked up my trailer, then drove up to Sonoma to pick up the Superbike Engine and wheel set from Pete Mauhar, Crew Chief of the Jordan Suzuki team. He said he'd send out the engine spec sheet and the fuel and timing map for the ECU on Tuesday. And he was kind enough to include a trick-machined billet aluminum engine stand with the engine. Very nice!
5.12.09
Great news! Michael Jordan Motorsports will upgrade my replacement engine from a Superstock Specification of 188 rear-wheel horsepower to a Superbike engine with approximately 200 rear-wheel horsepower. That's a noticeable increase in power, and it will definitely give me a more competitive machine.
Tonight, I'll be bringing my 2007 GSXR 1000 to Fastline Cycles in Fremont, CA. Alex, the owner, will remove the old engine for me. I plan on replacing it with the new one at the AMA Infineon around May 16 or 17. While I'm at the track, I'll also be picking up a spare wheel set from the Jordan team for better tire management. And by next week, Alex will be installing the new engine for me.
Due to rule changes in the AMA, I'll also be upgrading the bike's braking system to Brembo Calipers and Master Cylinder. These brakes won't get as hot or fade as much as stock units. This will give me a significant upgrade in overall braking power and consistency.
Over the weekend, I sent off my AMA Superbike license application and entry form for the Laguna Seca round. Although I raced in the "Superstock" class last year, the premier class is "American Superbike," and I mistakenly let my license lapse a few years ago. There are new qualifications now, and I had to resubmit all of my race results since 2003. I hope that all goes well!
Nine months is the longest I've gone without riding a Roadracing motorcycle since I started racing in ‘98. I'm really excited to get back on the bike and race again, especially with a much more powerful machine.
Wish me luck!
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