SEASON 2 - 2010
Shannonvile - Quinte TT - June 4-6, 2010
Little more aggressive body position than last year...
The Quinte TT fell on the first weekend of June. As the weekend loomed "in the distance" my plan this year was to enter early and get a good grid position versus last year gridding at the back. Well, it worked! I was on the front row of the grid! That was the plan, so work it!
This year I volunteered to instruct at the Race School on the Friday prior to my races. It was a lot of fun for me and the feedback from the students was positive, they felt I had given them some good tips for managing their first race focused track situations.
This year I volunteered to instruct at the Race School on the Friday prior to my races. It was a lot of fun for me and the feedback from the students was positive, they felt I had given them some good tips for managing their first race focused track situations.
Sunday
Sunday dawned overcast and rainy, with a wet track continuing the theme of "firsts" from last year. Oh well, I paid to play so I'm going to play. After a wet riders meeting, I was off in the first practice session. I had been warned about the Dunlops on the bike being a tad slippery in the wet, after donning a two piece rainsuit, and getting taped in by Scott, I found the wet practice very confidence inspiring and dropped my lap times consistently over the session, finishing about 3 seconds a lap slower than Brian Henderson seen above on #93. Click here for a 3 minute video of me circulating in the wet.
My first final of the weekend was the P2 Light/Pre 65-500 and P1-200. I finished a wet race 2nd in P2 Light, on the lead lap and 1 only second per lap slower than the class leader! So much for my fear of wet tracks!
The rain stopped and held off, though skies continued to threaten. So after a practice and a race in the wet, it was back to the dry lines. Pulling onto the grid for the start of my P1 race, I joined the 2 other competitors for P1-350! I turned to Shaun and said "see you on the podium"! All I had to do was to keep it on two wheels. I was slightly off my fastest times of the weekend but managed to keep it upright, and in fact, to continue the list of "firsts", got both knees down in this race. It is nice to know that it really did not feel threatening at all, the bike took it all in stride too!
At the end of the day, I finished 2nd in the P2 Light class and 3rd in the P1-350 class. Some of this was due to weather related attrition I suppose, but everyone has the opportunity to stay and play, and I am happy to take points from those that don't!
Overall, my best time on the 350 was almost 5 seconds a lap faster than on last years 500. This year my goal was to remove as much of the 11 second per lap difference as I could to the class leaders, so I still have 6 seconds a lap to loose - turn 2 and turn 5 will be the focus next year.
My first final of the weekend was the P2 Light/Pre 65-500 and P1-200. I finished a wet race 2nd in P2 Light, on the lead lap and 1 only second per lap slower than the class leader! So much for my fear of wet tracks!
The rain stopped and held off, though skies continued to threaten. So after a practice and a race in the wet, it was back to the dry lines. Pulling onto the grid for the start of my P1 race, I joined the 2 other competitors for P1-350! I turned to Shaun and said "see you on the podium"! All I had to do was to keep it on two wheels. I was slightly off my fastest times of the weekend but managed to keep it upright, and in fact, to continue the list of "firsts", got both knees down in this race. It is nice to know that it really did not feel threatening at all, the bike took it all in stride too!
At the end of the day, I finished 2nd in the P2 Light class and 3rd in the P1-350 class. Some of this was due to weather related attrition I suppose, but everyone has the opportunity to stay and play, and I am happy to take points from those that don't!
Overall, my best time on the 350 was almost 5 seconds a lap faster than on last years 500. This year my goal was to remove as much of the 11 second per lap difference as I could to the class leaders, so I still have 6 seconds a lap to loose - turn 2 and turn 5 will be the focus next year.
Shannonville Results
This is a picture of the P2 Podium at Shannonville with Shaun MacDonald on the right and yours truly on the left holding the silver medal.
Links
Click here to view some pictures from the 2010 Quinte 2010
Mosport - Vintage Festival - August 13-15, 2010
This years Mosport Vintage Festival were a dual celebration, Mosports 50th anniversary, and the VRRA's 30th anniversary. Out of the blue I received an email from Scott Martin. Ever the optomist after last years 2 lap endurance race, he asked if I would participate in the endurance race with him this year on a well historied CB550. I was thrilled to accept. In true racer form, the next email contained the list of changes and upgrades he will be completing before the race in 3 weeks! New bodywork, paint, rearsets complete with a GP shift pattern (yikes), improved front brakes, and ignition. Heres hoping for the full 2 hour event this year! With a 2 hour race on our plate, I decided to enter only Period 1 on my 350.
After arriving Thursday night and setting up the pit and tents, Scott arrived to a magical Mosport sunset. The Friday morning practice for the endurance race went off with little fanfare. I quickly adapted to the GP style shift pattern and only missed one shift. We decided that with only 20 minutes on the bike each we would grid near the back for the race, after all it was a 2 hour race! Scott offered me the start which wasn't my best, oh well, head down and go! Our strategy was 9 laps, look for the pit sign and then in, and that worked well with the exception of 3 red flags during the 2 hours and me missing the pit sign twice!
We both agreed the handling was a little off with the bike being very "nervous" if you get too far off the throttle setting up especially for turns 1 and 2. But we discussed it and holding more throttle going into the turn steadied things greatly.
At the end of the 2 hours we were both beat and the BT45R front tire on the CB550 had given a few of its "lives"!
After arriving Thursday night and setting up the pit and tents, Scott arrived to a magical Mosport sunset. The Friday morning practice for the endurance race went off with little fanfare. I quickly adapted to the GP style shift pattern and only missed one shift. We decided that with only 20 minutes on the bike each we would grid near the back for the race, after all it was a 2 hour race! Scott offered me the start which wasn't my best, oh well, head down and go! Our strategy was 9 laps, look for the pit sign and then in, and that worked well with the exception of 3 red flags during the 2 hours and me missing the pit sign twice!
We both agreed the handling was a little off with the bike being very "nervous" if you get too far off the throttle setting up especially for turns 1 and 2. But we discussed it and holding more throttle going into the turn steadied things greatly.
At the end of the 2 hours we were both beat and the BT45R front tire on the CB550 had given a few of its "lives"!
Mosport Endurance Race
Scott had a number of race oriented parts in the basement and with a little work, got them to fit, added a fresh coat of paint and the team numbers in time for the Mosport endurance race. A short practice session for Scott to become familiar with the bike and for me to become familiar with the reversed GP shift pattern, and it was time for the race.
So, how did we do?
This is a picture of Scott accepting the plaque for our team as winners of the Period 2 class of the endurance race! He is accepting the plaque from Paul Smart, winner of the 1972 Imola Gran Prix!
North Bay - Runway Romp - September 11-12, 2010
Here is a link to my practice session prior to the the lowsides at left! - North Bay 2010 Medium Practice
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Season Standings
Here is how things finished up for my first full year of racing in Period 1 and 2 of the VRRA...
P1 350 | ||||||
Plate | Racer | Quinte | St. Croix | Mosport | North Bay | Total |
109 | Shawn MacDonald | 19 | 20 | 13 | 2 | 54 |
91 | Bob Smith | 15 | 0 | 6 | 15 | 36 |
51 | Andrew D'Ornellas | 0 | 0 | 9 | 20 | 29 |
P2 Light | ||||||
Plate | Racer | Quinte | St. Croix | Mosport | North Bay | Total |
70 | Stan Nicholson | 22 | 20 | 0 | 17 | 59 |
109 | Shawn MacDonald | 0 | 17 | 15 | 22 | 54 |
91 | Bob Smith | 17 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 32 |