For those who need the rush that you can only get when sitting infront of the tree on a Sportbike with 100+ hp knowing in about 11 sec you will have traversed 1/4 mile and passed the finish at about 125+ mph this page is for you.
So you think that you wanna race your bike ? Then you must read this .
Rob Miller launching just a tad to hot
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Well my desire, and hidden fear, to race came mid July '97. The guys I ride with, as seen on "My buddies" page, all have very trick, new, powerfull sport bikes compared to my old 1986 grandpa bike, well that is how I used to feel. Anyway, I digress. They were talking and talking about what a ball it was to go to Clarenville and go down the strip, they had all previously gone, got a hotel room (where they actually parked their bikes until the hotel manager saw them in the room and made them remove them - but thats a different story) they raced, got drunk, ya know the whole nine yards. However, I couldn't go, I work shift work and was working that weekend.
We were all talking about the infamous weekend, they were comparing their times, RT, 60' and other acromymns that I didn't understand, when I piped up and asked how they felt my "ole buddy" would do? Actually they were all quite reassuring and felt I would run a high 11 or a low 12 for sure, they all were running mid to high 11's , except for Rob who ran a 11.2. As the topic progressed they all attempted to give me tips: just relax- don't launch to hard your first time- go on the 3rd yellow etc etc etc. However, they were falling on deaf ears. I was to excited and shitbaked to listen. A little while later I got one of the guys to take my bike for a spin- to get his opinion on the machine and how he felt I would do.To my regret when he returned he tore my baby my self confidence and expectations, apart. The rest of the guys were much more optimistic, they still felt I would do well. Even though the bike is 11 ( thats right eleven) years old , they said it it was a GSX-R1100 with 130+hp and weighed in at 434lbs dry, which made me feel a bit better.
The weekend of the race arrived. After a traditional breakfast at A&W we hit the road. I can't say how long it took us to get there but we averaged about 180 km/hr and maxed out at 270+.
A few of the guys took off and went mad and a few of us (me) held back. When we arrived we were greated at the gates by a man and a woman asking us if we were racing or a spectator, racing costs $10 and to watch $4. After paying my entrance fee
and signing a few pieces of paper we had to wait on the entrance way to the track itself about half way down. We sat between a ambulance and a firetruck (both running). This kinda gave me a feeling of confidence but at the same time reminded me
of the danger involved. I was there in time to see 2 of my buddies fly down the strip at 120 mph. Looks Sharp!!
That's it, I'm here...Cool
I parked the bike next to the rest of them and I was told to find the "bike tech" for an inspection. I didn't know what or who I was looking for so I just followed one of the other guys. We finally tracked him down and he came over and gave the bikes a "quick" inspection. Don't rely on it, inspect your bike yourself...its not his ass going down the track at 125 mph. I had to fillout a bit of bike and personnal info and a waiver, real assuring. He then told me I had to go to the tower and get a number and then find him, NOT a easy task. Well I got my number, 1153, and finally tracked him down and he marked it on the front of the windscreen, make sure you wash it off the next day otherwise it is HELL to get off, and that was it I could race. What now? I was lost. Lucky for me it was dinner time and then was the "Car Burn Out" contest, so I was safe for a while yet...We ate and had a little walk about and a pee in the woods, oh yes they don't like that... you have to walk 10 min to find some smelly port-a-pottie. Oh well we were done. After dinner the racing resumed, with the elminination.
How do I describe this without going to hell???? Well think of it this way...it would be no fun for a 600 to go against a 750, or greater, 'cause he would lose every time, so what you do is go down the strip a load of times and find your best average time, if that makes sense, then you call this time your "DIAL IN" time. Say a guy on a 600 does it in 12 sec, and a guy on a 750 does it in 11 sec. Thats is what they would call their DIAL IN , 12 and 11 respectively. So what happens is when you approach the tree the is a guy, with a radio, who tells the tower which bike is in each lane, say 1209 left and 1143 right. This way the people in the tower look up each drivers DIAL IN and programs the tree. What happens is there is a 1 sec difference in DIAL INs between the 600 and the 750 so the 600 will get a 1 sec head start. This way if they both run a perfect race they will cross the finish line at the same time. The only factor affecting the race is the riders ability. Kinda cool eh. So the speed of your doesn't really matter only your skill. To simple...here is the catch...if you dial in to LOW you are giving your opponent a extra headstart and if you dial in to high, say 14sec on a 750 puresport and you break that time you are kicked out because you "BROKE OUT". This way you have to choose your dialin time very carefully. I hope this make sense, if not to hell with it.
Well back to the story. I didn't have a dial in, since this was my first time there, so I couldn't be part of the eliminator. At this point all the cars race followed by the bikes, for a round or two. and the loser of the race is elimated. After this is going on for a while you can "fill in". What this means is that after 2 cars goes down you, 2 bikes, can fill in behind them. Basically I just stood aroun and waited for my budies to tell me it was my turn. Well it finally arrived... I made my way up to the starting line. Which, during the burn out of the guys, Rob Miller, showed me. What happens is you stop about 50' back and he will flag you up, you roll up to get "STAGED" meaning you position your bike EXACTLY in the same position as your opponent. This is accomplished by two senors, as you SLOWLY roll forward your front tire will trip a sensor turning on a light, bottom, just a TAD more forward a second light , top, will turn on. Both lights indicates that you are staged. If you go to far the bottom light will go off, if you got WAY to far both will go off. when your Staged the tree countdown begins.
Well here I was on my 1986 stock Gixer sitting on the track staged, about 4000 people watching me, my heart about one beat shy of a cornary and a guy on a Yamaha FZR 600 wanting to kick my ass. All those thing the guys told me befor, thins that I thought I missed were rushing through my head. Then BOOM it happened!!!!!!!!!!!! The tree Started........... To my disbelief my heartrate DOUBLED. I was almost sick. I wanted to prove myself while at the same time I didn't want to flip the bike by launching to hot or to stall by launching to low. What to do. All I knew was I saw green and I looked over and saw my competitions licence plate as he flew away from me (#@*&*%%$#). A perfect reaction time is .5 s and a normal reaction time is ~.6ish I had 1.3 s. After I had launched then came the next problem .....What the hell to do with 1st gear. If I walk on it I'll be sitting on my ass watching my bike roll away and crash, but if I hold off I'll be switching to 2nd to low and won't be developing any power. This can only be fixed with knowing your bike, expecience and guts. I was underway, I got in "the tuck" gas open and going mad. I watched my opponent getting closer..closer ..next to me... then behind me..then further behind me. and before I knew it ...it was over: all the anticipation, all the fright ..etc . It was all gone. We got at the end and sat on our bikes to wait till we could return. It was at this point we could talk about the race, kinda cool. Then we got the clearance to return. After we returned, BTW don't do any wheelies, endos or other shit... they don't like it, we parked our bikes. Then the new exciting part began.
After the race you don't know if you won or not. If you launch to early you get a red light (which you don't see) and you lose the race. When you pick up ypur race slip, it has your dialin, your reaction time (RT), time for your first 60' ( a VERY critical time) and your final 1/4 mile time with your final speed. The guy asked me my number and handed me a "WHITE" slip , white means you WON, this was another think the guys told me that I didn't realized I heard. When I looked at the time I ran a 11.5 sec. A very respectible time, especially for my 1st run. . Well thats it.... I was HOOKED...My times varied, this is do mainly to experimentation. My worst time for the day was 11.6s and my best time was 11.1 s. Not bad.
So in closing all I can say is don't be to nervous..it's normal. Don't worry your first run means shit, it will get alot better. Be SAFE and have fun. Thats what it's all about.
Cheers Alan
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