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John Gateley CRA #969, Race report for 4/30/04-5/2/04 BIR

Friday morning practice was cold, but fun, and I felt good.
My times, while slow, were getting better. Then friday afternoon,
downshifting for turn 3 (I didn't rev too high), the bike lost
power and made a rattle. I grabbed the clutch, raised a hand,
braked until I could drift off the outside of the track (no
way in hell I was going to try to cut across 30 feet of hot
track to get to the inside where I could push the bike
through the gate). Then I realized I was coasting to a stop
in the crash zone, so anyone who wrecked behind me had a good
chance to take me out. So, I pushed the bike towards the trees,
with occasional glances behind me to see if any bike is tumbling
towards me. A corner worker, Eric, was able to get across the
track and helped me push.

After the session, the corner workers helped me get the bike
across the track and to the gate, then got me a ride back (Thanks
y'all, if you're reading).

Back in the pit, the general consensus was the engine ate a valve.
"Take the headers off and you might be able to see". The headers
revealed the left cylinder was clogged with oil and had no valve
at all. At least the lower end and piston hadn't siezed.

Frustration: there's no way to get the bike fixed, and I haven't
even raced yet. There's a bike leaned up against the garage with
a for sale sign on it: $1400. I don't have $1400 in cash, but
the seller was pitted in the same garage, and a nice guy, and
we worked out a deal. So I'm poorer, but I'll be able to race.
And I've got to figure out where I'm going to put it in the
garage.

I spend the evening and the next morning prepping the bike (gotta
paint the white bits yellow, change the numbers, get my lap counter
mounted).

Next day's practice went well, but I'm struggling in the straights.
The bike is geared lower, and doesn't have as much power as the old one.
I suppose being a few pounds heavier than most doesn't help either.
Then race time is here: I get a good start, but get passed heading down
the front straight by most of the pack. I struggled to catch the
guys ahead, but ended up most of the race by myself. Not last place,
but I don't think the guys behind me finished the race.

I spend the evening swapping the sprocket for a higher geared one.
(more wrenching stuff, this was mercifully short as I've done it
several times now).

Sunday's first race started off better. I had more power, but
I was still getting killed on the straights. I found an enemy,
#441, riding the beast from hell (honda ex500 or ex650, but
really a frankenbike). I tailed him for a little, then made
a nice clean pass in a corner. WOOHOO!!!! A lap or so later
he did the same (I really miss not having a rear view mirror).
I tried to catch up, but couldn't make it. A solid last place, but
it was more fun than finishing alone. He enjoyed it too (I talked
to him later).

After my second race on sunday, after I went through the first corner
in the cool down lap, my bike lost power again. "Oh no, two bikes
in the same weekend?" I thought to myself as I grabbed the clutch
and coasted through a gate. Back to the pits, grabbed a gas can,
and everything seemed fine, even with the idiocy of running out
of gas. I was still nervous about it though but the warmup lap
of my first race went fine. Nice start, and hitting turn 1 at
close to redline, the bike lost power in the middle of the turn.
The front end dived down, scared the poop out of me, but since it
was turn 1 I was barely leaned over, and I again coasted
off the inside of the track. The bike still ran, but I didn't want
to repeat the experience in a corner where I was at full lean angle.
It seems to be a spark plug wire, maybe combined with dirt in the
fuel system. I have a few hours of wrenching getting it ready for
Dakota County.

Pretty frustrating weekend, right? Yes, but it was wonderful,
incredible, and worth all the money and hassle. Why? Race #2 on
sunday. It was a two wave start: fast guys start first, then the
rest go about 30 seconds later (two separate flags). One slow guy
jumped the gun on the fast start, the starters made him go back,
and as he was pushing back to the back when the rest of us got
the flag. Early on in the race, I passed a guy. Two laps later,
he still hadn't passed me, and I was dreaming of the chance to
not finish last! Then zooom, I got passed by the guy who jumped
the start. He got ahead of me, but I was able to catch up to him
in the last half of the last lap. I realized at that moment that
I didn't have many skills at passing, so I just tailed him
until turn 10 (last corner before the straight). Dave Boucher
had complemented me earlier on that corner (thanks!), I knew I
was slightly faster in the corners, and planned on passing in 10 and
hoping I could hold the lead long enough down the straight. I took a
wide fast line through 10, and passed him in the corner on the outside.
I got a good drive, but he wasn't far behind me, and I passed the
finish line 1/10 of a second ahead of him. (I saw him at the gate
at race #3, and he seemed just as eager as I was for a rematch).

The pit time and hot tub time ($73/night for a hotel room is
expensive, but the hot tub felt great) was great. Watching Karl
kick butt was great (though I'm really disappointed I missed
the wheelie). The Team Poop Pits are the perfect place to
be if you have an engine that eats a valve, good advice, and
plenty of humorous moments to take your mind off the fact
that all your evenings and weekends for the next month are
going to be spent trying to get the bike running again, and your
days are going to be spent earning money to pay for it.

It was great, frustrating, expensive, and I'll do it again.