[eternal05]

Finally. The schmuck follows through on his promise.

I hit up Pacific Raceways again last Friday for the very last track day in the Washington state season. No more fun until March. U-Haul somehow gave me the same busted trailer they did last time. However, now I’ve corrected the false information some other U-Haul employee gave me and know that the $14.99/day motorcycle trailer WILL in fact fit my ‘Zuke. Next time will be cheaper!

I was just about ready to kill somebody by 1pm. It was freezing, it had been raining all day, my bike was in pieces, and I hadn’t even hit the track once.

On account of the cold and my lack of wet tires, I opted to take care of a few mechanical issues and install steel-braided brake lines and race brake pads. Unfortunately, I forgot a key tool or two, and ended up having to strip all the bodywork off my bike to make sure that any escaping brake fluid wouldn’t eat my paint.

My patience paid off, and right around the time my bike was back together it cleared up and got really sunny. The track dried in no time, and I was out there. Here’s a hotlap from my last session of the day:

Link in case embedding still doesn’t work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BLofkfLvio

[megaspaz]

very nice! very smooth out there. well done! What kind of pace you running out there?

[eternal05]

Like you said, Elwood, there’s not a lot of room for error at PR. The road surface is pretty crummy as far as courses go. There are bumps, cracks, seams, holes, etc. all over the place. The only substantial runoff is on the two sweepers (#2 and #9), and even then it’s not much. In other places, you have concrete walls in front of you, trees, hillsides, and other really scary things to “break” your fall. Like you say, this is not the track to really push it all the time.

That first turn at 157mph…that still blows my mind. I keep the throttle at 100% up to that corner, but about 200ft before I ease off and maintain neutral throttle throughout the turn, before braking for turn #2. Racers take that on literbikes (I’m on a 600) with the throttle pinned in 6th gear. F@#$%!!!!!

As far as my pace, Mega, I don’t really know. I used to use a lap timer, but I’d always get into the game of recklessly trying to lower my best lap. I was riding sloppily and beyond my limits, and after a few near run-offs, I took my timer off and started focusing on form, line, and smoothness. My lowest recorded times were in the low 1:40s, but I think I’ve been substantially slower lately, albeit less frantic. I’d guess I was running somewhere in the 1:50-1:55 range in the vid. For reference, the track record is 1:23.something, and being a boonies-ville track, that record is set by club racers, so it’s not completely unattainable like Laguna Seca’s track record.

[eternal05]

Pacific raceways is here:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=pacific+raceways,+kent,+wa&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=41.632176,93.076172&ie=UTF8&hq=pacific+raceways,&hnear=Kent,+WA&ll=47.320847,-122.145481&spn=0.008728,0.030899&t=h&z=16

[owlie]

That looks like fun, even if an unplanned get-off wouldn’t result in a soft landing. 

[eon]

I like the shot from the front forks, that was neat. Now you just need someone to chase you to get the external shots.

[eternal05]

I think one thing that will help, especially as I start going to new tracks next year (I plan to hit up Oregon Raceway Park and Portland International Raceway, maybe some in Cali if I can get an excuse to road trip down for a week or so), is maybe adding one more forward-facing cam. I might try behind the windscreen as I’m switching back to a clear screen, but otherwise maybe under the front cowl or on the front fender.

But yeah, hopefully I can get a buddy out with me. They’ve all been super reluctant about track days.

[megaspaz]

I’m in cali brah. home of the most race tracks of any state. let me know if you’re down this way. Gotta do thill and sears point. sears point is a lot like the track you’re running at… not a whole lot of run off and kwalls everywhere. but it’s still the best track i’ve been on… been to laguna seca, thunderhill, reno fernley, and sears point.

[eternal05]

Don’t forget infineon…right?

[megaspaz]

sorry… sears point is infineon. i just call it sears point because that’s how i remember it. :p

Actually that’s not true… sometimes i call it sears point, sometimes i call it infineon…

[eternal05]

I was just looking at california tracks and saw it listed as “Sears Point (Infineon).” Figures

[Author]

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