First off, I would like to give thanks to Ed Milich of Guzzitech.com/bimotacagiva.com, Pierre Pfeffer, Mike Curtis of Fleetserve.com, Friends, Cretins Motorcycle Club, LA 2 Wheel Social Club, The Alazzurra and Pantaheads Lists, Pirelli Tires, and Johnson and Wood for supporting my racing career. With out your support and help, I wouldn’t be racing.
Saturday morning. It took over an hour to load my little S10 with two big bikes and all my gear. Jesse had family obligations; therefore, he wasn’t there to help load or to come along and support. Trying to tie two bikes at the same time is a balancing act waiting to fail since your trying to tie them down through the wheels and around other components. Traffic was terrible, and it took almost three hours to get to the track Saturday morning. I wanted a friend to watch Maggie, since it was suppose to be over 100 degrees at the track, but she cancelled our plans of taking Maggie at the last minute. Mags and I got to the track, and it was like eggs burning in a frying pan. The ground temperature was over 140 degrees, and as soon as we parked and started to unload Maggie quickly rushed under a camper where the ground was cooler. Smart dog considering she isn’t wearing shoes.
I quickly realized how nice it is to go racing with a helper. Not having Jesse there made things feel a little overwhelming. When you get off the track, you’re sweating, mouth is dry, arms quivering, and then you have to put the bike on stands. My lap times were competitive first time out on the blue bike. As the day progressed the temperatures got up to 115, the track temperature was 152 degrees in turn one, and I’m wearing dark black leathers, helmet, boots, and leather gloves. Basically I’m hanging out in the hot desert with no AC, fan, and wearing 15 lbs of leather. For the love of racing is why we put ourselves through this torture.
Toward the end of practice day, I was feeling the heat. On the last practice round, I went out in Middle weight practice finished, rolled into the pits, sipped some water and immediately ran back on the track on old blue. I passed a few guys on the outside going through turn 8 with good times. It was good sign for a competitive day, but the heat exhaustion after running two classes of practices was taking its toll on me. In fact, there were several racers with heat sickness and were throwing up liquids. There is no way you could pay me to sit out at 115 degrees and be a corner worker with no shade. No way! Here is a “thata boy” for those that put themselves through the frying pan.
Ed trying to stay alive in the Heat
Saturday night, dinner at Coach’s with Russ, his dad, Brian, my competition, and 5 pitchers of water instead of beer. Haha Maggie and I set up camp in the back of my S10 with no cushin for comfort. I tried to download something to watch from Hulu, but having a computer on at night, at the track, is not such a great idea. It becomes a magnet for bugs; some would say. After waving bugs away and playing on the net, I attempted to try and fall asleep. Not going to happen so easily. BUGS attack! It was hot out; therefore, sleeping under the covers was becoming a sweating situation; and so you would try and sleep with your body laid out in the open for the bugs to make their attack. Bite after bite I would curse, toss, and turn. I ended up putting blue jeans on, socks, and a long sleeve shirt while sleeping out in the open with a few sniper bugs entering from the around the ankles and neck area. I woke up with a sore back from sleeping on steel truck bed rails with the sun acting like the alarm that gives no snooze after your first eye opens.
Sunday morning, race day. I changed out the front tire for a new one, and flipped the rear on old blue. Got through inspections and ran out for some practice. Ed showed up after practice one and helped out. He had the gearing still set up for Daytona, therefore, it wasn’t pulling out of any of the turns. He brought some lower gearing, and we went up one tooth on the rear sprocket. I notice some lower high speed changes around the faster parts of the track, but made up all the difference in the turns.
You can see here the diffence in set up. No rear sets or clip ons. haha
Race 1. Vintage Heavy weight.
Row 1 X X X 394
Started front row on the outside. Gave it all it had down the straight from the green flag with the competition on the inside. I passed one guy on the out side of turn one and right behind another rider’s rear tire. I ran tight behind him all the way around two and persisted until a late brake into three. Gave it a go on the outside and was able to pass the rider once. I held him off the first lap and wasn’t looking back, and I persisted through the second lap. He must have been just hanging back for a couple of laps because the moment I looked back coming out of the last turn of lap two, he was right there and passed me at the finish line down the last straight. I eventually ended up in second place.
Leading the first lap in Heavy weight with Charlies right on my tail
I came into the pits afterwards, and my friends brought up my spirits and said that it was an amazing race. In fact, one rider said later that I made a brilliant pass around him in turn three. Vintage Lightweight race wasn’t until race 10; therefore, I took off my leathers and drank my Pedialyte. Old blue sat and waited for his chance to race with tire warmers on and a tank almost full of gas. Threw down some lunch, and I discovered a great new product to help with cotton mouth on the track. Starburst! It sticks in your gums and teeth like a dip. It allowed enough moisture in my mouth to keep from drying out and not getting in the way of my tongue and teeth. Thanks Mark! The temperatures were up in the one fifteens, and Maggie was not enjoying it. She laid under the back wheel of the truck most of the day panting. I felt terrible for putting the old girl through it, but I know Maggie would rather be here at the track instead of being bored lying around at home in a stuffy little cottage.
Maggie trying to stay cool
Race 10 finally came, and I lined up against Russ Stranger, Brian Herzfeld, Dave Finnerty, and Terrence Geoghehan. No Jim on the RZ 400 this month. I think he may have had some engine issues in an earlier race. Green flag drops and Russ blatantly came across and pushed me to the outside and blocking a safe line around turn 1. I dropped back and followed him around 2. He blocked the inside line into 3. I took a wide line around 4 and tried to pass in the inside coming out 4 and was stuffed again just before turn 5 coming down the hill. I drafted behind him and couldn’t pull off a pass going into one so I followed behind again through the omega wondering why I was hesitating to pass. The track was hot and slippery, and I had been sliding already around several turns and decided to play it safe. I drafted him around the 8 and 9 and late braked into 1 passing him on the outside. I kept my head down and slid twice around turn two. Held on the wood until 3, late braked before the turn, and threw the bike into the omega with a vengeance. I wanted a win, and wanted it bad! I didn’t look back until after the checkered flag waved and there was no Russ in site. I thought we had a race on our hands, but unfortunately, he had some engine fluttering problems and started falling behind. Brian would finish third on his FZR400 and I would get my win for the weekend. I’m up in a comfortable lead (83 pts) in Light weight with 31 points over Russ (52pts.)
Chasing Russ around the omega
Well, another great weekend for Cretins Racing; even though fellow Cretins racer Eric O. wasn’t able to make it out this month. One 1st and one 2nd place finish isn’t so bad; in fact, I have finished in the top three all year long. I enjoy recapping my races on this blog site, to give thanks to all that have helped make this happen, re-live the race with my competitors, and have a written log of the best part of my life. All I can say about this weekend is that we drove ourselves home with out crashing, survived the brutal heat, and had a great time doing it.
Thanks again to all that helped make this a great race weekend. Until next month,
Rick Carmody aka “Highside”
#394 1986 Cagiva/Ducati Pantah
Nice shot going through a turn
Russ and I posing with our trophies
Brian gets in the winner circle! Like a kid in a candy store
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