First race of the year was a very successful one, thanks to the help of my fantastic sponsors

Bosphorus Racing and Tracktactics, without them the weekend likely would not have happened.

Arlen Ness, for help with the fantastic riding gear that kept me safe and comfortable on the track

Lucas Oil, their products are awesome, and support for the sport is amazing.

Motomummy.com helping me get the parts to make my bike go fast.

Livengood Motorsports for all the help with suspension and tuning advice.

VHS photography, for support for MANY years in my track/racing endeavors.



Due to some unforseen circumstances the weekend was quite a challenge, but we were able to get the bike on the grid for the races. Albeit dead last on the grid

Race one, C-Superbike. Started in 20th, and with some smart riding and patience was able to work my way to a third place finish.

Race two, B-Superbike. Started 12th, and again with some smart riding, patience, and some changes to the setup made my way to a 2nd place finish.

Two races, two podiums. Cant ask for much more with all things considered.

Thanks again to all. Hopefully we can carry this momentum throughout the season.
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/167247_169200086459690_169092753137090_331716_4594 05_n.jpg
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180095_169200143126351_169092753137090_331720_3436 433_n.jpg
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/181705_169200129793019_169092753137090_331719_4885 737_n.jpg
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http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/181613_1826330656247_1179695051_2244846_5210500_n. jpg

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/181031_169125163133849_169092753137090_331389_7929 976_n.jpg

Keep up the good work! :punk

You did good babe, you just keep riding smart & it'll be a great year ;)

and remember to get a new gas cap ordered before your next race! :thumbup

:thumbup

A whole race weekend without crashing? :biggrin

J/k...good to see you back out on the race grid. Congrats on the good finishes.

Out of curiosity.....what set-up changes did you end up making and why?

He did an adjustment on rear tire pressure & shock ... can't remember specifics though, sorry :o

Good deal!

Nice! :thumbup

good job Joe. :cheers

A whole race weekend without crashing? :biggrin

J/k...good to see you back out on the race grid. Congrats on the good finishes.

Out of curiosity.....what set-up changes did you end up making and why?


was using a rear tire I was not completely familiar with, and needed to make some pressure adjustments, and a compression adjustment to get better bite off the corners.

:w00t :w00t :w00t

Nice job man!!! Good to see that some of the ol timers are racing. :cheers

Remember -
If you cut a 1/10 second off every corner of a 10 corner track you've gained 1 second faster.

a lot of people don't remember that basic rule of thumb and fight themselves. I know you'll remember :thumbup

Thanks. I heard BMF might be going back racing too. I know it has been awhile since he has seen a grid last I heard

Sweet pics! :w00t

And congrats again :cheers

Hey Joe, you have been around enough that you should bump to expert. I know you don't race a lot of events, but you will pick up a couple seconds running mid pack with the experts and learn a hell of a lot. Plus it is a lot safer IMO.

Then again sandbaggin' can be kinda fun.:cheers

BTW....BMF had some good advise. A few years ago, when I went expert I noticed that all the time is on corner ENTRY. If you can get to the apex faster and get the bike to rotate, your times will start to drop effortlessly.

Dude, it was his 3rd & 4th races . . . I see no harm in getting some more race experience before bumping :lol

Hey Joe, you have been around enough that you should bump to expert. I know you don't race a lot of events, but you will pick up a couple seconds running mid pack with the experts and learn a hell of a lot. Plus it is a lot safer IMO.

Then again sandbaggin' can be kinda fun.:cheers

BTW....BMF had some good advise. A few years ago, when I went expert I noticed that all the time is on corner ENTRY. If you can get to the apex faster and get the bike to rotate, your times will start to drop effortlessly.

how could he just "bump" to expert? don't have have to get a certain number of points in a season to do that? i didn't think it was like track days where you could just "bump" to the higher group.

:dunno

how could he just "bump" to expert? don't have have to get a certain number of points in a season to do that? i didn't think it was like track days where you could just "bump" to the higher group.

:dunno


He will need a certain amount of points/races to move up. The only way I can see you getting bumped is if you were an expert, walked away for a few years, returned as an AM and proved ASAP that you don't belong in AM.

From the WERA rule book:

3. Novices finishing in the top 3 in any of their Sportsman classes at the Grand National Finals and/or in the top five in points in any class in any Region will be advanced to Expert status the following season. Novice riders not meeting the above criteria may apply for advancement to Expert status by submitting a written request to WERA Headquarters, which may or may not be allowed pending review of the rider’s performance and finishes by WERA Headquarters. Riders may decline advancement via writing or email to WERA Headquarters if they feel they are not ready to compete on the Expert level, and may or may not be allowed to retain Novice status pending review of the rider’s performance and finishes by WERA Headquarters.


CCS:

2.2.4 Riders will be issued Regional Series licenses as Amateur or Expert.
A. CCS Officials will issue Expert licenses to those riders with proven
experience or ability as follows:
(1.) Applicants who are renewing a CCS Expert license or who are
applying with an Expert license from one of the racing
organizations listed in section 2.2.1.
(2.) Amateur riders with the organizations listed in section 2.2.1
who are being upgraded to Expert.
(3.) Any Amateur Rider who in the opinion of CCS Officials has the
ability and experience for Expert competition.
(4.) Any Amateur Rider who scores 400 points within a 12 month
period.
(a.) CCS reserves the right to deny Expert Status to any Amateur
who meets the point criteria and has not shown the ability and
experience for expert competition.
(5.) Any Amateur Rider who wins a Series Championship or
finishes in the top 5 positions in any class at the Race of
Champions.
(a.) CCS reserves the right to deny Expert Status to any Amateur
who meets the Series Championship or Race of
Champions criteria and has not shown the ability and
experience for expert competition.

From what I have heard, WERA is pretty good about using common sense about where a rider should be regardless of the rules.

If I wanted to petition to bump in a few races,if the season continues like it is, I could.

but when I have people helping me who ALSO want a plate (be it novice or expert) I will do what they want.

I have always said that if it were just up to me, and I had the opportunity to bump early, I would.

It is not up to me solely now. I will run novice all year if I am asked to, without hesitation

Sorry, I thought Joe had a lot more race weekends under his belt. If you are going to run a whole season, then a Novice Championship would be a good goal. That is what I did.

....but if you are just doing a few weekends here and there...make the move as soon as you can.

I have seen many people ask for the bump and Sean (WERA) will look at your laptimes and decide. I have seen it go both ways.

Either way....good luck.

Nope.

I did years of trackdays, did two races and was taken out in the second (front wheel sawed off on the brakes by a "swooper")

came back a few months later, and was taken out in practice (t1 talladega). Spent a year off the bike and it ruined me financially. Hell I am STILL paying for that like 4 years later I think.

So then when I did get back on the bike, I went back to trackdays, and eventually coaching. did that for the last 4 or so years, and am just now getting back to racing.

I am confident after just a few weekends I could get the bump if I wanted. But it is not my call like I said, and we are doing a full season.

Novice is FAST this year though. Years past my laptimes would have likely had me waltzing to a championship.

I think I will have to work for it this year. There are a good many guys jus as fast as I am.

congrats!

It can go both ways. I remember WERA denying a guy's plea to bump mid-year because he had crashed several times.

The guy was fast...fucking fast. He was winning Novice races...everywhere...by 15-20 seconds and his lap times were good enough to put him on the podium in Expert races.

But out of 6 weekends, he had crashed like 3-4 times or some shit like that.

Later in the year, he had a bad crash at Roebling that ended his racing career.

WERA probably wouldn't even entertain a bump right now. They would likely tell you to at least get several weekends behind you (so they can see consistency).

No doubt. That is why I said after a few weekends.

I think you are talking about Tyler Burroughs right? Was that him? Guy of elbow dragging race bike on deals gap fame?

Just race in the uncontested classes :)

In North Central I think I was top 10 in a class and I was still a PN!

Might ask for the bump this year :D!!!

No doubt. That is why I said after a few weekends.

I think you are talking about Tyler Burroughs right? Was that him? Guy of elbow dragging race bike on deals gap fame?

Yep that's the guy. He was one of those guys who was born and raised on the Gap, did tons of track days etc and then finally decided to race.

He was fast as fuck...but either won or crashed. Literally. His racer transcript was full of 1's and DNF's. It was the DNF's the kept WERA from bumping him.

I think i remembered reading that he had like 3-4 crashes in 1 weekend at Nashville or some shit like that.

The sad part is that several of his crashes happened towards the end of races, when he had a 20 second lead. He had the talent, but not the brains.

Yep that's the guy. He was one of those guys who was born and raised on the Gap, did tons of track days etc and then finally decided to race.

He was fast as fuck...but either won or crashed. Literally. His racer transcript was full of 1's and DNF's. It was the DNF's the kept WERA from bumping him.

I think i remembered reading that he had like 3-4 crashes in 1 weekend at Nashville or some shit like that.

The sad part is that several of his crashes happened towards the end of races, when he had a 20 second lead. He had the talent, but not the brains.

We had a guy like that who used to race at NHIS. He would either run at or close to the front or crash. I think he crashed like 17 times in 3 or 4 weekends and a few of the last crashes involved him taking out other racers. The Org dropped the hammer on him and he never raced with us again. Oh yeah, his bike and leathers were like 60% duct tape.:lol

:lmao

Gotta do what you gotta do.

Joe,
Stay where you are and get the #1 plate. That will "help" with next years sponser phishing.

We had a guy like that who used to race at NHIS. He would either run at or close to the front or crash. I think he crashed like 17 times in 3 or 4 weekends and a few of the last crashes involved him taking out other racers. The Org dropped the hammer on him and he never raced with us again. Oh yeah, his bike and leathers were like 60% duct tape.:lol


So that is why you have not been to NHIS in years huh......:bitchslap

damn. NJ and Dave still going at it. 4-strokes choke, 2-strokes smoke. Nooge.