3/23-25/07 WERA Regional @ Jennings GP, FL
By: Tony Pavilonis #554
This weekend was our first North Florida Regional race of the 2007 season................
Friday: 3/23/07
The trip to Florida began at about 5:40 PM , a bit behind schedule but not too bad. Good thing we didn't leave any later because the gates at the track close at 10pm and we arrived at 9:45pm. Luckily , my teammate Michael had arrived at the track Thursday night with Dave and Ethan and secured THE BEST pit spot for us at Jennings ..... I won't tell you where it is because I don't want you to take it. Ha-ha! We unloaded the trailer and setup our pit area then went right to sleep which is unusual.
Saturday: 3/24/07
We reluctantly awaken at 7am to a chill in the air and head to registration. Even though I Pre Registered , I still had to show up at the WERA mobile office in the morning as did Michael and many others who did not Pre Register. After that , it was off to Tech inspection. So far , so good. Everything is going surprisingly smooth. Tire warmers go on right after Tech , drink a Red Bull and wait for 4th practice group to be called.
First session out did not go very well , there was A LOT of traffic and I could not get a clean lap in. I turned a horrible 1:28 as my best in that session.
Second session went a bit better , I cut through traffic a bit more and turned a 1:25 as my best in that session which was still slower than my usual, but 3 seconds faster than my first session. My riding was done for Saturday. Time to watch some Solo races, go out to dinner and relax for my 2 practice sessions and 4 races on Sunday. I was asleep by 9am Sunday night.
Sunday: 3/25/07
After going to bed extra early at 9 PM the night before , I was well rested and got up early to take a shower. It was noticeably warmer Sunday morning which only meant one thing ......... it was going to be hot in the afternoon!
First practice session was a lot like Saturdays first practice , heavy traffic and no clean laps. I slowed to a 1:26 best for the session.
Second practice was FINALLY a good clean practice. I was able to run my lines and felt great without being held up in a flock of bikes. I turned a 1:22 and finished this session with the fastest time in my group and the 2nd overall fastest time out of almost 50 bikes. http://www.mylaps.com/results/newResults.jsp?id=488435
Race #1 : A Superstock
This was a great opening race. I was on the grid with a bunch of friends.... Chad , Chris , Billy and even Scotty the Lumberjack to name a few. I was gridded in 6th position and fell in behind Chris on his 180hp GSX-R 1000 going into T1 at the start of the race. I knew immediately that I had my work cutout for me! Chad was leading on his 07 R1 and right in front of me was Chris who is a very quick rider with a very fast bike. Behind me was Billy which I knew was right on me. It took everything I had to stay on Chris' rear wheel. He would pull away from me every time the track straightened out and when I would get close enough to pass, I wasn't willing to stuff him for a position because there isn't much room for error at Jennings. I showed him a wheel several times but ultimately kept it clean and finished the race in 5th position, right behind Chris and right in front of Billy. Great race for sure, very close lap times. http://www.mylaps.com/results/newResults.jsp?id=488538
Race #2: C Superstock
This was one of those races that was a great battle, but not my best lap times. I was on the grid with some more buddies: my Teammate Michael, Billy, Chad, Rory ( who I battled with at the Roebling National the weekend prior ), Joe, Ryan and Robert Miller who was on the #45 POLICE bike which turned out to give me quite the battle. I did not get a great start, in fact , I think I was 15th going into T1 at the start and that's where I stayed .... battling to get around Robert. The craziest event of the weekend happened during this race . It had gotten even hotter and my tires were sliding even more. I was pushing hard to pass Robert and I low sided the bike while exiting T10, BUT I lifted the bike back up and gave it gas and somehow saved it! I hit the left frame slider on the ground so hard that it snapped off and broke the engine mounting bolt that holds it and the motor to the frame! Pucker factor 9.5! All I can tell you is that after that, I tried and tried to get around him lap after lap but he would pull away from me over and over again on the back straight. After showing him a wheel on a couple occasions , I finally made my move. Last lap , I closed in on him and did the only thing I could to pass him ..... late break him going into the 2nd to last turn and try to hold him off to the finish line. After 8 laps of dicing it up, I made the pass stick and BARELY held him off to the checkered flag finishing merely .043 seconds in front of him for 14th place out of 40 riders. WHEW! Now that was close! Good racing Robert!
Before:
After:
After my incident in that race , Billy loaned me his spare frame slider and engine mounting bolt while Ethan drilled and EZ outed my broken bolt from my frame while I tried to re hydrate and get ready for my next race.
Thanks guys , true sportsman's!
Race #3: Formula 1
Did I mention it was hot in Florida? Almost 90* if not 90* , definitely not used to that! I was already tired by my 3rd race but I went out for my sighting lap and tried to focus. I was on the grid with my teammate Michael, Chris and Ethan. I got a decent start and I was in 4th going into T1, trying to stay on Chris' back wheel like I did the first race. We got to T8 and Ethan low sided and crashed right in front of me. The next lap, Michael put a clean pass on me sending me to 5th position where I stayed for the remainder of the race. My second 5th place finish of the day.
Race #4: B Superbike
I have to say , I almost did not go out for this race. I had to be talked into going out onto the grid. When I say that I had no energy left and that I was drained both mentally and physically, I really mean it. I was wiped out. I did go out and I did grid up. Out there with me was my Teammate Michael again, Scotty, Robert as well as Chad. I got a decent start and pushed hard for the first 2 laps but then faded out quickly. I had nothing left and my focus soon turned from fighting for position, to just trying to finish the race without throwing the bike down the track in the process. Several times during the race, I thought to myself " If I did crash , at least I could lay down and rest for a bit". I know , that's bad but I did think it. I managed to hold it together and finish the race in 11th , right in front of Robert. For the first time ever , I thought I was going to puke in my helmet on the cool down lap. That feeling did not go away until the following morning, I was drained.
Summary:
Opening round, 4 races completed ....... I earned points in all 4 classes.
Two 5th place finishes , an 11th and 14th. I was expecting to do better but I now know all to well the importance of getting a good start and getting clean laps in without getting held up in traffic ..... now I just have to do it!