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Jan 14-15, 2006 WSMC Hello sportsfans. It’s been quite awhile since I’ve had the opportunity to post a race report, and I have to admit it feels darn good to be back in front of the keyboard. As you might recall, last season’s troublesome campaign ended with my beautiful rendition of the classic flying W at about 90 MPH. The subsequent broken ankle and some complications kept me sidelined through the remainder of the season. Fast-forward to last weekend, and you would have found me nervous and a little apprehensive, even with my reasonable goals of just finishing well enough to start on the second row next month. Willow Springs International Raceway is a daunting track under the best of circumstances, but throw freezing conditions and 30 plus MPH winds into the equation and it spells “I want my mamma!” Team Little,Big Racing has decided for 2006 to run the full WSMC season and yours truly plans on chasing contingency at a few other events, once I figure out which bike I’m going to buy. I’m leaning towards the ZX-10R, but all the big four have pretty good contingency for open class bikes and they all seem fairly well matched, so it may come down to what deal I can swing where. As you also might know, Little,Big Racing has become the Bridgestone race tire distributor for the South West and that requires some tweaking to my race weekend practice schedule. The idea will be to do the Friday trackday before the weekend, then work as Little,Big Racing Services on Saturday, then race on Sunday. Of course, this plan went right out the window the first weekend. Peanut and I couldn’t get out of San Diego Friday morning and ended up getting to WSIR too late to effectively do anything on Friday. Saturday our employee for tires was unavoidably absent. While I might have practiced the second half of the day, it was raining off and on with blistering winds and forty degree temps. I decided there wasn’t much to learn and just worked tires. I ended up the day working on my racebike after dark illuminated only by Britt’s bright smile and a flashlight. |
 Unfortunately, due to the 40 degree weather, I was frozen like this for half an hour. |
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Sunday morning dawned clear and 25 degrees, ideal conditions to get back on the track and make some progress—not. If I had practiced Friday or Saturday, I would have foregone the morning practice, but I had no choice with the rust caked on my riding skills. I went out on YDC slicks and with a parka over my suit. For the majority of that session I felt like I was sprinting in swim fins. The tires did get a little heat in them, although the front was around 110 degrees, where it should be around 170 to 210. Whadya do, it’s Willow in January. The Second session, sans parka, I went out on tires with adjusted pressures and got both knees down, but that was about it. I imagine we were running all of 1:35 lap times, but at least I felt like I could move around a little on the bike. My first race was Open Superbike, race number 6. OSB attracted a ton of talent, with Michael Beck, Josh Hayes, Tony Meiring and Jack Pfeiffer plus a ton of the regular fast WSMC crew showing up for the prize money. I was gridded down in twenty-something on the fourth row and got my usual crappy start. I knew that if I was in twentieth after turn 2 I would be totally screwed, so when everyone sat up to brake I just went around the outside, then did the same in turn 2 and ended up maybe 10th. I got by a couple of guys holding me up and set out after the lead bunch. I would hate to misrepresent this, cause the top three pros just cleared off, but I did catch the second group of two riders. It took a few laps, and when I got there, I couldn’t make the pass, and ended up welded to them, in sight of the leaders, and 6th at the flag. Second race was Open Modified Production. Mostly the same motley crew, with me way back in the grid yet again. It was really a replay of the first race, only a little better start and a closer battle, with me passing one additional racer to finish 5th. I was feeling like I was not riding that well, and think that with my new bike and some real practice, I can knock a couple seconds off my pace pretty realistically. Final race was Open Superstock, with a smaller grid and me starting from 10th spot. I got another crappy start, but went around a few riders to slot into fourth. After half a lap I managed to pass for third, and set off after Jason Caldwell, riding well in second. Michael Beck had pulled enough of a gap to ride unmolested, and I had my work cut out for me to catch Jason, let alone pass him. It took a couple of laps to reel him in, but I snuck under him going into turn 2 and made myself really wide for the rest of the race, managing a little gap at the line for second place. Next on the list, a little practice and a drag-racing school… dk |
 Mark Watts was in the hizzouse, and he was on 'Stones.  By lap 3, we had pulled a big gap, too bad there was someone in front of us.  This bike is for sale. It seems to work pretty well. |
