So I'm going in my first race on Sunday and I'm looking for some tips on race strategies and what to look out for??

Cheers

Race strategy........... Pass everyone.


What to look out for............






Dave in his underwear.








Just have fun man!!!

your first race........ just stay upright ;)

^^^ What he said.

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You taking the school?
Where is the event?

Don't get run over.....

Dont listen to Dan (gixxerracer317) ....Unless you like falling over in pit out....

I did.. for my first race......... but not the second of same event :squid

We need to redo the :squid to have an orange or yellow shirt! :lol

:flipoff

We need to redo the :squid to have an orange or yellow shirt! :lol

smartass :flipoff

:shifty :spit :shifty

shit happens.... I don't think I know one yellow or orange shirt that has been able to go through completely unscathed.

Surprisingly Casino did....... but hes slow :spit

Surprisingly Casino did....... but hes slow :spit

yeah I meant to say those shirts that are actually fast! :lol

So I'm going in my first race on Sunday and I'm looking for some tips on race strategies and what to look out for??

Cheers


Where ya racing?

Ya'll can both suck my balls...


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That brings up a question. How many of you guys do the practice sessions and/or Solo20's before sprint events? The last 2 events I've felt pretty comfortable when my times started getting moving closer towards respectable, but I felt that I needed 10 or 20 laps on the previous day to work the bugs out.

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yeah I meant to say those shirts that are actually fast! :lol

Hey I should get some props for starting from the 3rd wave at Road Atlanta for my first orange jersey race and not ending up on my head.

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Thanks guys

and I'm racing at QR in Brisbane Australia

Ya'll can both suck my balls...


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That brings up a question. How many of you guys do the practice sessions and/or Solo20's before sprint events? The last 2 events I've felt pretty comfortable when my times started getting moving closer towards respectable, but I felt that I needed 10 or 20 laps on the previous day to work the bugs out.

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On CCS weekends, I do the Friday practice and on Saturday, GTO, GTU, F40 and MWGP. Sunday a sprint or two but more often then not, I'm on my way home early Sunday trying to beat the traffic.

Hey I should get some props for starting from the 3rd wave at Road Atlanta for my first orange jersey race and not ending up on my head.

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Why is that? You are so slow I would give you props if you started on the first wave, and no one ran into you on their way by.

Ya'll can both suck my balls...


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That brings up a question. How many of you guys do the practice sessions and/or Solo20's before sprint events? The last 2 events I've felt pretty comfortable when my times started getting moving closer towards respectable, but I felt that I needed 10 or 20 laps on the previous day to work the bugs out.

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We don't have Solo20's in the CMRA but they do have track days on the Friday prior to the weekends racing and most times they have two Saturday practice sessions... then the usual two practice sessions on sunday before the sprints. If I had my way I would do the track days prior to the event to get a feel for the track, figure out where good places for me to pass people at then rest Saturday and be fresh for the races sunday. That worked out well for me at the last race but I do not forsee that happening much in the future and the high cost of tires.... So far it seems to take me about 3 practice sessions to get up to a good race pace at tracks that are not familiar to me and maybe a couple more to get comfortable with it. I would suggest you get all the track time you can...... if they have Solo20's then do them.:cheers

My understanding Casino is you can run Saturday practice withot being signed up in the 20's if you are already signed up for the sprints...... so do sat practice (2 sessions) and sunday practice (2 sessions) then your sprints that afternoon. I would like to do the solos, but that would bump me to at least two rears and a front rather than one set per weekend.... and I cant afford that in my racing budget right now. One set per weekend is what I am budgeted for.

I ride a 4 to 6 hour end. race on Sat for practice before my sunday sprints!!!

Why is that? You are so slow I would give you props if you started on the first wave, and no one ran into you on their way by.

You can suck it too.

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I think Casino and Steve secretly like each other....:lol :lol

My understanding Casino is you can run Saturday practice withot being signed up in the 20's if you are already signed up for the sprints...... so do sat practice (2 sessions) and sunday practice (2 sessions) then your sprints that afternoon. I would like to do the solos, but that would bump me to at least two rears and a front rather than one set per weekend.... and I cant afford that in my racing budget right now. One set per weekend is what I am budgeted for.

I got an opportunity to do the Saturday practices at Nashville and it seemed to help. But I totally agree with the tire situation that running the solo 20 + practice + sprints brings up - it blows a big hole in the budget. Now I know I MUST run either the practice day or Solo 20 before sprints, because the last two race weekends I've felt that I was leaving something on the table.

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Question...how many sprints are you doing on Sunday??

I dont mean this in a derogatory way....... but it doesnt sound like youre anywhere near a blinding pace, which would tell me your tires arent getting toasted. That is, unless you're doing a ton of sprint races every Sunday.

Would it be possible to use your 'race' tires from the previous events to go out and do the Saturday practice or even one of the Solo 20's? I mean.....if you just want the practice and to familarize yourself with the tracks there is no need to do a fast pace during practice or even one of the Solo's for that matter, so the tires should hold up just fine. Not only that but youll get used to how the tires handle as the degrade.
Then come Sunday you can put the new rubber on and use them for the sprints.

Again all of that is dependent on how many races you do on Sunday. Just a suggestion.

Thanks guys

and I'm racing at QR in Brisbane Australia

I LOVE Brisbane, very cool city. I hope to get back there again someday. :cheers

My schedule is to run the tires from the previous race weekend for practice on Saturday and Sunday ( 4 sessions if I am lucky ) then switch to new rubber for my 3 sprints on Sunday ( I was running 4 sprints on Sunday up until last weekend ) and start the cycle over again.

I used to run 2 practices and a Solo 20 on Saturday, then run 2 practices on Sunday, put new rubber on and run 3-4 sprints on Sunday and continue the cycle but I stopped doing the Solo 20's this season.

Question...how many sprints are you doing on Sunday??

I dont mean this in a derogatory way....... but it doesnt sound like youre anywhere near a blinding pace, which would tell me your tires arent getting toasted. That is, unless you're doing a ton of sprint races every Sunday.

Would it be possible to use your 'race' tires from the previous events to go out and do the Saturday practice or even one of the Solo 20's? I mean.....if you just want the practice and to familarize yourself with the tracks there is no need to do a fast pace during practice or even one of the Solo's for that matter, so the tires should hold up just fine. Not only that but youll get used to how the tires handle as the degrade.
Then come Sunday you can put the new rubber on and use them for the sprints.

Again all of that is dependent on how many races you do on Sunday. Just a suggestion.

No offense taken. I was talking to Joe about this yesterday. It just seems that I take a few more laps than other people before I start to wick up the pace. My expectation is that prior raceday tires will be fine for practice (and maybe the trackday on friday) but a fresh set would be needed for the solo20. That set would prolly last for the solo+sunday practice+1 sprint event before going off... That would leave me with shagged or close to shagged tires for two more events.

I feel what you are saying on throttle modulation to preserve the tires. I don't know if that would or wouldn't work yet because if by chance there is an opportunity for me to grab some money or contingency I'd keep pushing or if I got into some good times I'd probably want to continue trying to duplicate it each time around..

I'm def gonna do the trackday b4 and/or the solo 20's from now on. Otherwise I'm spending alot of money and not really giving myself a chance to be competitive.

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Easy, he is also on stock suspension... which doesnt help him with tire wear. He is not "fat" but he isnt a little guy either, so he is obviously under sprung, and probably under damped as well.


For me personally, I only run two sprints, and up until now I had some rear shock issues and I would DEMOLISH a rear in one track day and/or two practices and a sprint +2laps (didnt finish the second sprint :hammer)

Well see if my re-sprung and valved shock fixs that problem.. will deffinately help my budget if so. Id then use new rubber for sun sprints, then keep them all the way thru the next weekends practices and spoon new rubber on before the next sprints.. maybe even thru the solos if I can now. well see.

I got an opportunity to do the Saturday practices at Nashville and it seemed to help. But I totally agree with the tire situation that running the solo 20 + practice + sprints brings up - it blows a big hole in the budget. Now I know I MUST run either the practice day or Solo 20 before sprints, because the last two race weekends I've felt that I was leaving something on the table.

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Well run Bridgestone tires.

I run 2 Practice sessions both Sat and Sunday. MW solo on Saturday, and 4 Sprints on Sunday.

Last two weeks my best lap of the weekend was on the last lap of the last race.

Then I can run Friday practice or a trackday on the set after the race weekend.

Well run Bridgestone tires.

Chris he wants to go faster, not slower! :p

With that being the case he should run a Michelin PRC front and PR5 rear!:biggrin

No,no He should run Dunlops.....they make Magic tires!!!

Chris he wants to go faster, not slower! :p

With that being the case he should run a Michelin PRC front and PR5 rear!:biggrin

+1 :banana


Or a PRC front and PR3 rear...... those rears are almost like sex..... but gawdamn do they shag fast :hammer

No,no He should run Dunlops.....they make Magic tires!!!

Tires that are like SEX are better than tires that are "magic" :rolleyes

Everyone knows sex is real...... magic is make believe :phhht

+1 :banana


Or a PRC front and PR3 rear...... those rears are almost like sex..... but gawdamn do they shag fast :hammer

Yeah thats why I said the PR5..... it last a bit longer than the PR3 and since Casino takes a bit longer to wick it up a bit I figured it would do him more good.:cheers

"Casino" and "fast" in the same post....... :lol........

I kid, I kid. He holds his own for limited track experience.

"Casino" and "fast" in the same post....... :lol........

I kid, I kid. He holds his own for limited track experience.

Did I mention that you can suck it?

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Easy, he is also on stock suspension... which doesnt help him with tire wear. He is not "fat" but he isnt a little guy either, so he is obviously under sprung, and probably under damped as well.


Yeah, been eyeballing a Penske shock. Still don't know what to do about the front.

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Yeah, been eyeballing a Penske shock. Still don't know what to do about the front.

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I'm using an Ohlins Superstock valving/spring kit and can't complain a bit..... it was good enough for me at Hallett to turn consistent times that would have placed me top 5 novice in every A, B or C superbike or Superstock class that weekend. I was happy considering that Hallett was only my second full race event after 12 years in the retirement home for Ex Racers. :lol

:cheers

I'm using an Ohlins Superstock valving/spring kit and can't complain a bit..... i

I have the same Ohilins setup on the front and I love it. Im no where near fast enough to get the full use out of a set of cartridges or full forks for that matter so why spend that kind of money. In fact Dan got it because I got a top 5 my very first race weekend :phhht :flipoff

In all seriousness though, you really need to get off the stock crap. Getting faster is all about confidence and if you dont have any in the bike than youre not going to get anywhere. Of all the money Ive spent, getting the suspension done by far made the most difference.

Of all the money Ive spent, getting the suspension done by far made the most difference.

And who suggested that? :flipoff



:lol

And who suggested that? :flipoff

Some old fart I know.......I think you do too but I doubt youd remember him :flipoff

Where can I cop a valve kit for '02 600 forks?

edit: nevermind... I think I found what I'm looking for on the Race Tech site. Any opinions on their merchandise?

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I have racetech valving and springs on my bike. 02 600. My shim stack is setup by GMD. Seems to work well. I have never raced any other bike than my own so I guess it could be a total piece of shit for all I know. I am about 2-4 seconds off of the fastest novice times consistently. This is my 2nd year racing.

how much of an improvement did you notice over stock?

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The forks work fairly well even on a track like Nelson Ledges where cars and winter tear it up. I am not very good with Suspension setup, but the Race Tech is a good starter for racing and I am still on it with my 03 Gix 600.

I do need to have stiffer oil put in my forks though. According the Race Tech who was at Nelson testing first round he thinks my damping is light and I know MPH put in 5w oil instead of 10.