Oversteer, understeer and where's my downforce?
Saturday was the first event of the SoCal Track Cup at the ADT center in Carson. The event brought out a good crowd from Sand Diego, LA, and even some of the Hellyerites from up North.
I love racing at this facility. Nothing makes you feel more like a hero than rocketing around the 45 degree banking at full throttle. I don't care if they have volleyball games, basketball, and the X-games in the center of the infield - while I'm racing, and that we all have to cram into a tiny little corner and fight like rats in a cage for roller space. Just keep the doors open, and the boards flat, and I'll be there with bells on!!
Racing was a little light this session, just two races for the 3/4s - a 40lap points race and a 36 lap scratch race.
The points race felt OK, I attacked a lot, got points in three of the four sprints, but still ended up out of the points in 6th at the end. Was a total idiot and planed, executed, and failed in an attack all because I went one lap too early for the sprint. Should have been 2nd or at least 3rd. It was totally my fault, no excuses. Oversteer.
The Scratch race. A guy from Adams Ave cyclery from San Diego kept flying off the front. No one was willing to work, so I kept reeling him in, and back to the field. Then, no matter how high I pulled up track the pack would follow. During the Adams' Ave guys third attack I bridged solo, started yelling at him to get on the horse and "GO!" but he was toast. Another guy tried to go with me after he bridged up to us, but he was cooked too so I settled back into the group and was waiting for the finish sprint. At two to go a junior pulls a full suicide move that shuffled the field and and screwed my position. There was also a crash at 5 to go, the guy got back in the race and contested the final sprint. This is verboten in the racing rules so I protested but the officials had already placed him a lap down. I was 5th. Understeer.
That was good enough for 5th in the Ominum. At least I'm on the leader's board but I wanted more. Where's my downforce?!
More racing next Saturday the 3rd at Encino. With a TT in Piru on Sunday. If the TT bike gets here in time I'll do Piru too.
Jason.
I love racing at this facility. Nothing makes you feel more like a hero than rocketing around the 45 degree banking at full throttle. I don't care if they have volleyball games, basketball, and the X-games in the center of the infield - while I'm racing, and that we all have to cram into a tiny little corner and fight like rats in a cage for roller space. Just keep the doors open, and the boards flat, and I'll be there with bells on!!
Racing was a little light this session, just two races for the 3/4s - a 40lap points race and a 36 lap scratch race.
The points race felt OK, I attacked a lot, got points in three of the four sprints, but still ended up out of the points in 6th at the end. Was a total idiot and planed, executed, and failed in an attack all because I went one lap too early for the sprint. Should have been 2nd or at least 3rd. It was totally my fault, no excuses. Oversteer.
The Scratch race. A guy from Adams Ave cyclery from San Diego kept flying off the front. No one was willing to work, so I kept reeling him in, and back to the field. Then, no matter how high I pulled up track the pack would follow. During the Adams' Ave guys third attack I bridged solo, started yelling at him to get on the horse and "GO!" but he was toast. Another guy tried to go with me after he bridged up to us, but he was cooked too so I settled back into the group and was waiting for the finish sprint. At two to go a junior pulls a full suicide move that shuffled the field and and screwed my position. There was also a crash at 5 to go, the guy got back in the race and contested the final sprint. This is verboten in the racing rules so I protested but the officials had already placed him a lap down. I was 5th. Understeer.
That was good enough for 5th in the Ominum. At least I'm on the leader's board but I wanted more. Where's my downforce?!
More racing next Saturday the 3rd at Encino. With a TT in Piru on Sunday. If the TT bike gets here in time I'll do Piru too.
Jason.
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