| Author | Message | ||
     Blake |
Was just wondering how many here have road raced and are planning to continue doing so? Off the top of my head I know we have the cream of the crop with Walt Sipp, RacerX1, Slaughter, Steve899, Skully, and a bunch others no? Sorry if I missed you; I suck at name and list recall. If you race/raced lets hear about your most harrowing moments on the track, your most satisfying, and most agonizing. Then of course we have the track day maniacs. Pipe up if you do the track day scene too. Frankly that may be more risky than racing.  | ||
| Daves |
Just track days for me I've done about 40+ of them I wish I could do me! IMO there is no better riding than on the track for a sportbike rider. Crashed once,Brainerd in 03. I would love to race! | ||
| Blake |
Just doooo eeeeet. It is fun! It's difficult to recall a time in my life when I've been more focused on the task at hand than when going wheel-to-wheel with other like-minded sport bikers.. | ||
| Bake |
I did some in the 70's, I think the talent scouts looking for guys my age went home a long time ago. I would consider a track day if it was convient. | ||
| Rocketsprink |
Myself, Tom (M2guy) and Jason (Griz) at Jason and my Racing School weekend and Tom with one of his Top 3 finishes of the weekend. That's saying a lot considering the weather for the weekend left a lot to be desired. For our Track School, it rained all but the first session. It poured for our "Test/Race". Jason and I started in row 5, side by side. We both got a great start, passing the 2 rows ahead of us, when all hell broke loose. People were smashing into each other, one guy was doing kart wheels down the front straight going into turn one. That's when I believe it dawned on both of us that the only thing needed to finish the day and get our licenses was to just not crash. That's when I pretty much backed out of it and just rode a nice pace to finish and get my license. One guy highsided and to add insult to injury, got smacked by his bike as they slid across the track. Paul James was with our little group that weekend as well and I sure didn't envy him and Tom racing on Sunday. It rained so much, that at certain places on the Track, the water went just about clear across the entire surface. There were a lot of close calls at those points. So that's my story. I'll be running a Ducati 750 SS, Tom will be on his, well, M2 and Jason, last I heard, was in the process of securing a S-1 race bike. Hope to see ya at the races!!  | ||
| Rocketsprink |
Wow, that pic looks like crap! | ||
| Crusty |
Ever Road Race a Motorcycle? Yes. Still alive to tell about it? Yes. | ||
| Blake |
Do tell Crusty! Lets hear about your most harrowing moments on the track, your most satisfying, and most agonizing. Mine have as of yet been relatively unharrowing, and without much agony. Sure have been satisfying though. | ||
| Blake |
Thanks Rocco! So that's three more for our list of BadWeB track hooligans. And yes, of course how the HECK did I forget DaveS? DOH! Dago too. Who else? Iowa Craig, oh yeah, "Anonymous" whoever the heck that is, Henrik does track days, not on a Buell... yet. ![: ]](http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/clipart/proud.gif) If you have pics, post 'em.  | ||
| Hobanbrothers |
I raced CCS for a little over 3 years back in the 90's. Threw away my sportster hard at Blackhawk racing CCS, not sure what class it was at the time, about all I remember from that was it was about 8 years ago. That was the last time I raced in a organized sort of way. My wife was pregnant with my 2nd child, now she is pregnant with my 3rd and I plan on racing in the World Championship Ice races (bad gig?) Hit my head so hard it broke my ear drum from my brain sloshing around. She likes the idea of Jeff racing for us now, so do my partners as I wrecked a lot of bikes. Win, spin or pitch it through the fence! I guess I did too much fence pitching... | ||
| Blake |
Congrats on the expected new kiddo! Got any pics of your racing days? Would be cool to see some if you get a chance. So... y'all planning on Formula Xtreme again this year? Same bike, different bike? The Buell racing fans wanna know! Daytona? Throw us a bone? Please invite Jeff to stop in and say hello if he gets a chance. We'd really dig hearing from him. Ditto for any other pro-racer out there. | ||
| Hobanbrothers |
No pictures web ready, just lucky that they are not black and white, that was the 90's... We really want to do FX again this year, but that ball is in others court right now. Appleton HD/Buell has signed on again(to what final degree-we do not know), Jeff will race anything we put underneath him, so it is really up to others from here. Formula USA is now kitty wampus, hard to say what will happen there, we will do CCS Daytona in spring for sure, after that Road America (both CCS and FX) other than that-- who knows? I am afraid I can not throw any bones at this point, lets just put it this way, it will be very interesting and I only know 1/2 of it... Factory holds most all the keys, Appleton holds the others, which, by the way...DaveS-did you talk to Terry?? In negotiations with others, but they are all very stable and have been with us for a long time and is pretty automatic. Never taken for granted though, just need the full plan to solidify them. I believe we will have a bigger effort on some stuff, that we are putting together on this end. Hows about that, must be about as clear as mud, I know, sorry. I will tell Jeff to sign on, I am afraid he may become addicted though... "Sorry John, missed the plane, too busy reading the Badweb!" | ||
| Bomber |
done a buncha trak days, and while I'm far from the fastest guy (way far), NO ONE grins as much as I do -- most harrowing track day event was trying to get around a rider on their first track day experience -- poor dear had no idea, and was wallowing around all over the joynt (and Blackhawk ain't the wide to begin with) -- best trackday memory was FINALLY getting the carosel (again, blackhawk) pretty much right and grinding the peg all the way round (the good thing about being slow is that you are also easily amused) beside just good fun w/out minivans and the like, I love the track cuz it's the only time I can focus so hard all the rest of the noise in my head shuts down -- no work worries, no gutters to be cleaned, nuthin but me, the bike and the track -- heaven! racing, well, it tweren't roadracing, but I used to flattrack and TT a bit -- got lapped by Bugsy Mann, once ;-} (I sure miss Santa Fe Speedway!) hey, SOMEBODY'S got to be last, right? | ||
| Dago |
Me? I'm just a poser trying to get started at this point. I got a gooooood taste of what it's all about this year. I plan on really diving into it next year. (OHR here I come.) The really great part is that my wife is all for it! Something tells me Spatten1 and Ortegakid may both have a few stories up their sleeves. I've never ridden with Spatten1. But I know he and Ortega have some history. And Ortega makes me feel like a Gomer out there. That guy is seriously fast. | ||
| Chasespeed |
And here I opened this thread thinking it was about Street racing.... nevermind...lol Chase | ||
| Crusty |
Lets hear about your most harrowing moments on the track, your most satisfying, and most agonizing. The most harrowing moment was the first lap of the Aspen (CO) Four Hour race in 1976. I was gridded on the fourth row, with each row starting at two second intervals.(Starting positions were drawn from a hat) I got a good start and made my way through the infield. There was a decreasing radius hairpin turn leading onto the main straight, and there were bikes scattered everywhere. My bike kicked sideways, but strictly by luck, I didn't fall down; though the rider beside me did. A Honda Gold Wing with serious engine mods had gone down ripping open its cam cover and spread a gallon of oil all over the tightest turn on the track. In all, he took out almost half of the field, though most were able to make repairs and re enter the race. | ||
| Danny_h__jesternut |
I was racing a pack of inline meteric's across rt.112 in New Hampshire. I was last but it was fun. I was racing an XB9R tru the Catkills,apexing a sweeper with my peg grinding the deck I saw a lg buck jest three feet from the rd. I did a race shcool/track day once and hope to do a few more before its all said and done. | ||
| Buellgirlie |
just got my race license this year at loudon. raced there this spring, lowsided in 40 degree rain on DOT tires - lived to tell about it, and learned that the gear does its job. though i should learn to trust my judgement a bit more... i TOLD myself it was too slick in the warmup lap, but then i convinced myself that i would just "take it easy". was just about to finish my 2nd lap in the race (turn 10 at loudon, sharp right hander while coming off a downhill) when the bike decided to keep leaning and i fell off and slid across the track) the pic on the left is from race school (the red duc was a rental - i do have a 900SS, but its an older one) moved to milwaukee this summer. only had time for 1 trackday at blackhawk in sept. thats the pic on the right. had a ton of fun. figuring out what to do next year right now - looking like it has to be trackdays for 2006, and back into CCS 2007...?  | ||
| Buelldealer |
The last race I rode in was the 2005 F-USA Team Challenge at Road America, Elkhart Lake Wisconsin. We (Josh Guyer, Lee Bailey and I) finished third in class aboard a Buell of Bloomington XBR. I rode clean-up and completed the last third of the race. When I climbed aboard the bike for my session we were running in third place and we were still in third place when I took the checkered flag, but that was only because Josh and Lee had gained such a large lead over the second place machine that, as hard as I tried, I couldn’t squander it away. For 2006 we are planning on racing our Buells at select CCS events and Josh Guyer will be our number one rider. We will also be doing a bit a drag racing this year with our new V-Rod Destroyer. We are planning to do a few of the national AHDRA events, but will do most of our racing just up the road at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Our Rider’s Edge Program Manager and BRAG Club Director, Ron Hess, is also planning on doing a bit more drag racing this next season aboard his Buell M2 drag bike.  | ||
| Slaughter |
...LONG post warning... The race after my first-ever podium on the XB, the rain had started at Willow Springs and temperature had dropped almost 12 degrees (February) I hand-cut grooves to the edges of the Pirelli Supercorsa that morning since light rain was forecast and they were working pretty well but the bike was really sliding a lot on the cold track. I was still getting pretty comfortable starting hard and sliding the bike through the first turn and for the first time, felt like everything was working for me. I was feeling pretty good after coming in 3rd in race #3 (Middleweight Twins) -and my 4th race that day was going to be Formula Twins. The last thing I remember is pulling on my gloves. I don't remember engine start, pulling out of the pits, the start or anything else until I'm coming to, strapped to the backboard in the rain. The EMT's are already talking to me - so apparently I was mumbling to them before I became aware of what/where/who I was. I'm looking up at the inside of the ambulance as they are moving me in ready for transport. EMT is asking me my name (I got it right) - tells me not to move as I'm tied down (and really pretty D**N sore with all the broken bones and mud plastered into my eyes, nose and mouth after using my helmet as a mud scoop) Next he asks if I know where I am... and I'm not really outta my fog yet so I'm sorta thinking... I'm in leathers, boots, ambulance - so I say "Willow Springs" and he asks if I know what day it is... and I'm still thinking I'm not too sure but I remember that it's a race day so I tell him "Sunday" and he calls in the radio to say that they're going to transport me. Apparently I was unresponsive for a full 2 minutes and if I didn't come around, they were going to call for the helo. Sunny and I have had the "if the worst happens, here's what I want you to do" discussion - and now I'm really insisting that she get in the ambulance - and they say she's in her car following me to the ER. I know I'm not doing really well and am sorta struggling in/out of consciousness. Kinda nice being a head-trauma, multiple broken bones and possible spine injury - you get moved right to the front of the line at the ER Sunny catches up with us at the ER so I relax a bit more. They "ask" me about cutting me out of my leathers as they're doing it - and I give them permission - figured the leathers have done their job! They pretty gently cut me out and strip me, cut off my turtleneck (really nice one too for winter racing - bummer) They lift/slide me off of the backboard onto the gurney and that hurts like a MO FO!!! They have 4 folks who slide me over onto the Xray table and start on my back, ribs and head. I'm generally aching everywhere - now not so much pain as a generally BIG ache all over - but really my upper back hurts. I'm still wiggling my toes and fingers - worrying about whether I can really feel what I think I can feel in my extremeties. I'm half out of it, sometimes conscious, sometimes aware that I'm losing it. Mentally that was weird, knowing that something was wrong (brain injury) - but not being able to think through details. I get wheeled into C-T scan and they find a subdural hematoma about 8mm deep and the size of the palm of my hand. They tell Sunny and me that they'll have to open the skull if the next MRI shows that the subdural hematoma is getting any larger. Fortunately the next 2 MRI's show it to be stable and the next day, it's starting to be reabsorbed - so no need to drain through the skull (big relief) - but I'm still in and out of being really foggy. I'm started on IV Dilantin to prevent seizures because of the brain injury. That STINGS!!! It's done through my IV in my hand and it really burns. (a day later, they let me take it orally when they are confident that I can hold food down) The panic over about the head injury, they give me the list of damages: C6 and T1 vertebra spinous process fractures (those little fin-like extensions on the vertebra) - 2 cracked ribs on the right side attached to C6 and T1. Left Collarbone snapped. My left eye is filled with blood, ruptured sinus. I'm in a hospital bed and have control of the tilt and try keeping it tilted up to relieve the pain in my upper back. The keep asking me about the pain saying they can give me "something for my pain" - and I'm still trying to tough it out and not take anything (I'm one of those who doesn't like drugs) - I keep putting them off but really can't get a position where I don't hurt. I try standing up and tell them that my left foot REALLY hurts and they take me in for more X-Rays and find the Talus (at the base of the leg) is cracked. Bad bone to break since it has a really poor blood supply - meaning it will take twice the time to heal. Finally, I say that sure, I'll take "something for pain" and they come out with this syringe and say that this will help immediately... MORRrrrrphinnne... oooohhhhh yeahhhhhhhh! Day 2 in ICU, everybody starts calling me now that they've heard I'm doing OK. Zoran Vujasinovic (Twin Works Factory - the Suzuki SV King) - calls me up to say he heard I had "brain damage" - asked me if I still had my balls because I didn't need brains, just balls. Johnny Lowery called me. He thought he ran me over in that race and just felt terrible (he was behind me on a 748 Ducati and had a bunch of blue on his fairing from either my helmet or leathers). I told him that this was racing, and we all know and accept the risks - but I thought that was totally cool of the guy to call me - especially since he felt he caused some of my damage. A couple weeks later, I talked to people who saw the crash in the stands, and they said it looked like I was sliding and correcting through turn 1 but the bike hooked up after the apex and tossed me off in a pretty violent high side. My body was doing a major tumble while traffic was trying to avoid me and then my bike pounded me into the mud face first. There's Arai helmet blue paint on the side case, the helmet is mashed. Couple folks say when I came off, my head/helmet hit the pavement really hard which is likely when I got knocked out. A couple people said Johnny only maybe glanced off of me with his Ducati, but he never ran over me. All told, I spent 3 days in intensive care because of the brain injury. Day 4 was critical care, day 5 I was released in a chair to go home. Insurance paid for a hospital bed in the living room for 2 months, wheel chair and all the specialists. Good insurance is worth every penny. After 6 months of physical therapy, I'm left with only minor stiffness in my left ankle - everything else is good. I'm really impatient by nature, building the bike back up and putting together a "secret weapon" singles-class racer for 2006. Budget recovery is going to take longer than medical recovery since I finished last year racing my Visa card to the bank too many times. I transferred my care to my own neurologist and orthopedic surgeon as soon as I could (the local help at the hospital in Lancaster is worthless). The orthopedic surgeon told me the padded hump on my leathers probably saved be from a more serious upper spine injury (thank you Adolph at Z Custom http://www.zcustom.com) I'll just post this thing and proof-read it later (I'm at work, abusing computing priveleges) (Message edited by slaughter on December 05, 2005) (Message edited by slaughter on December 05, 2005) | ||
| Choptop |
nope never raced... I just talk like I have.  | ||
| Choptop |
worst moment? this is right up there... windows media stream mms://dcpvideo.scoe.net/test/05-01-05Turn6750Superbikecrash.wmv Most fun? prolly in the pits just hanging out with everyone. that or when you get into a really good scrap with fellow racers you trust. It can be a hard fought battle for 23rd place... it doesnt matter. | ||
| Hobanbrothers |
Jeff, We are going to miss Josh and yourself on the National circuit, I know Jeff always liked having Josh around. Nice fellow and a good racer to boot. We are happy to see you will be sponsoring our buddy (and X Buell racer) Jess Roeder in dirt track. He, Jeff and I are pretty good buds, he was the one who introduced Jeff to myself. In fact that was shortly after one of my get-offs where I had a broken collar bone and Jeff rode my sportster in the 95th Anniversary/Zman Classic at Road America. Jeff took 5th in what was a 6 man freight train to the finish. Afterward he admitted to not wanting to throw away a guys bike he really did not know. He does not think that way anymore I guess... Jess had an off track excursion, but also ran up front right up until the end. Give Josh our best! | ||
| Race_pirate |
I have been riding since Im 8 years old and racing since 2002. Since I live in the North East we have Loudon(Loudon Road Race Series) for racing and Pocono(Team promotion)for Track days. I have also raced at Summit Point, WV. I have raced Expert with CCS/FUSA since 2003. The best feeling was my first "1st". I was racing my Aprilia RS250 in MW Sportsman which is loaded with Ducati 750 & 800's. I had sold off my Hawk GT and first time out on the RS250 took a 3rd. My next race I got a great start and was in 3rd place going into Turn 1, going onto lap 2 I managed to squeeze into the lead. I put my head down and rode like my a$$ was on fire. It was a strange feeling cause I had no one infront to give me the drive to ride smoother to get the pass. Everyonce in awhile I could here the 2 Duc's downshifting for Turn 3, I just went faster and faster. It was the greatest feeling taking the Checkered flag Fist in the air!!!! The Worst had to be a Turn 2 crash while going 4th to 2nd to crash in LWGP. Going from the RS250 to the Buell was seemless, the XB handles great, in fact I can carry just as much corner speed, be in a higher gear and use the grunt for a delightful exit. Anyway, I have never did better then a 5th place finish in LWGP, I got a great start and was in 5th going into Turn 1, By Turn 3 I slipped into 4th. I stayed there until I mid race, I could see 1st place and 2nd and 3rd were 2 bike lengths ahead of me. The guy in 3rd was being unpredictable on his entries and I was now impatient to get around, I tried for Turn 1 but was squeezed at Turn 1A, I said F-IT, got on the gas took a real wide line going into Turn 2, got up on top of 2nd & 3rd place bikes (2 SV's) and the next thing I knew was the front washed out and I was doing my Superman Impression into the wall.... NOT FUN, I was Okay and the bike faired well but the tail section popped off and the shiter was mangled. If I wasnt impatient I "think" I could have safely passed them and went after #1. So My First 1st rocked and my first DNF did not!!! | ||
| Blake |
This is great. Those are some really great stories. Crusty, a Gold Wing! LOL. Just seeing one of those on the track would be harrowing enough for me. LOL! Do they still run a 4hr race in Aspen, or did the social elites run off all the good clean sportin funloving stuff? Buellgirlie, Be wary of the dude with the pony tail. I hear he will try to get in front of you and phooph a cloud of Kool-Aid powder into the air. If you are on the Buell though, you'll probably be safe. Steve, I already knew some of your story, well quite a bit of it, and you are a great story-teller too, but that post of yours above really put it all together, very dramatic and chilling stuff. Very sobering for the rest of us recreational racers too. I sure wouldn't blame anyone for calling it quits after an experience like that. Major kudos to you for preparing to get back on that horse and live life like it was meant to be lived, with gusto! Will be anxious to see what you can do with/on the Blast-based machine. Thanks for chiming in Jeff! We'll be looking for you and Josh at the CCS events. Congrats on that 3rd place. Do we call the last rider in an endurance team's lineup the "clean-up" rider or "closer"? Well done, you got the "save." Alan, That video is great! Laughed out loud at the rather comical part, right when the camera catches you simultaneously sliding and crotch flashing your way down the track, then you seemed to wave at the camera. LOL. Post a screen shot of that would ya? I cannot get it to work. Pasting into MS Paint just gives me a blank screen. Pirate, Great story. Had me racing right there with you. Patience and racing, those two diametrically opposed concepts; not sure I'd be able to exercise patience with the podium position right in front of me. That is just too much wondrous glory for my inflated ego to resist. LOL. I've only run one race longer than an 8-lap spint. Not much time for patience in an 8-lap sprint. Someone keeping a list? Would be cool to keep track of all of our racing and track days efforts/progress somehow. Maybe we can put together a little informal BadWeB scoring system, with handicaps and such based on lap times. | ||
| Blake |
Would that be your most "harrowing", "satisfying" or "agonizing" experience.  LOL. We love you too Dave! | ||
| Tramp |
I've never roadraced a motorcycle, and i'm a little bummed about it. I've taken test bikes on the nurburgring, i'v eraced flat track and mx, but no roadracing.  | ||
| Bomber |
tramp -- track days are easy on the wallet, the scoot, and the ego (tho I think yours is unassailable) -- have at it man! | ||
| Tramp |
i've done track days. still have me safety wire kit. i meant racing. | ||
| Slaughter |
T*R*A*M*P - 'taint never too late to start! |
