The 3rd round of the National ASRA Pro Thunderbike series headed to Summit Point, WV.
Going into that round I knew the competition was hungry and for sure did not want a repeat of what happened 3 weeks previously. The BMW HP2Sport still has not changed from its showroom stock condition. I felt the need to keep stock and prove what it can do, as if a customer just bought it. The shocks have not been revalved and/or resprung, which is the most necessary upgrade for racing.
With a win in 750 Superbike (Heavyweight Superbike) that shocked all the spectators and riders alike at Summit Point, our BMW HP2Sport did it again! This time I was blown away by the lack of sportsmanship as I found out, almost the hard way, on the warm up lap. This past race weekend was the first time I have ever left the HP2Sport out under the canopy over night. I did not practice on it, as I knew what it was capable of from the day before. Due to limited budgets, I wanted to conserve tire wear and race fuel. On the warm-up lap, the machine about spit me off every time I pulled the trigger. Something was terribly wrong.
As I gridded up on the front straight to start the race, I hopped up and down on the seat and man, did it feel like crap (rear shock). I reached down for the compression adjuster and found that it was completely turned all the way out. That left me in total disbelief. No time to check the rebound. 2 board, 1 board, BAM nailed the holeshot into T1. With the lead now I had a dilemma - lead it and stay out front knowing I can't get the power down safely/efficiently, or just go for some good points and bring it home?! The latter quickly faded away, as I was livid! We ended up winnning the race Monday (Memorial Day) morning.
Backing it up a day to Sunday. The Morton's BMW crew and BMWBMW.org members who volunteered the time and effort to put us up front, had some work to do. Morton's BMW brought the R1200S that Mini Cooper rode at Daytona. The bike was the heaviest and dynoed good power, so that was my choice weapon for ASRA Pro Thunderbike's 4lbs. per HP ratio class. Qualifying was a game. It always is. No one wants to give the seemingly "old man's" BMW a tow down the straights for a good draft. That ever-precious draft at Summit can start a really good lap going. So, I put my head down and did what I could. Came up .3 seconds short of the pole and qualified 2nd. I was not happy at all with that because I went .8 seconds faster in practice that morning. Oh well, time to get ready for the CCS Thunderbike and 600 Supersport race.
The same players in the Natl. ASRA Pro Thnderbike were in the CCS Thunderbike so it was a big pregame warm up. Less than stellar launch, but was able to outbrake everyone into T1 due to my Telelever front suspension. I have never experienced the ability to go so deep on the brakes on another motorcycle. From there I ran 4 laps with .3 seconds of each other and was able to pull away for the win. This turned up the heat for the next day. The competition was now even more fired up.
The 600 Supersport race was awesome! We led the first 2 laps and then Robert Jensen, who I feel is the best privateer in the country, came past on the brakes to start lap 3. I put my head down and wanted to show that our BMW HP2Sport does not just run past good riders, but can hang with great ones! At the line we finished a strong 2nd, just over 1 second behind.
So back to Monday, Memorial Day... a day that I know personal friends of mine who are serving and everyone else who knows someone serving our country keeps in the thoughts all day. This day was going to be a great showdown. I had to forget about the mysteriously and drastically changed rear shock that found my compression and rebound adjusters backed all the way off. Hmmm... Just added more fuel and rode stronger. So now the ASRA Pro Thunderbike race is gridding up. The top 4 spots were only seperated by .4 seconds. Another crappy launch but repeat on the brakes into T1. With the lead going into T2 I was energized. I started to calm down and just hit my mark. With no draft and decent headwind down Summit's long straight, the pack was leap-frogging each other closer. Finally I had a front wheel shown to me. That made me think I needed to push a bit more there. The 10 lap race had a just an awesome lead change around 7 to 8 times. 3 laps to go and a Factory Buell racer and another rider who I know is ultra- talented, Dave Estok, ran down the the side of me into T1 but no worries, we both stayed up. It was pretty early in the brake markers so I was not expecting it. Dave ran wide and fortunately stayed up. What I did not know was the Morton's BMW R1200S I was racing still had the heated grips hooked up. I would later find out why I was swallowing my tongue and having trouble with my fading melting brain for the last 3 laps, as the high position was on! So here is where it gets interesting, especially for anyone who has EVER raced anything under the sun...
Last lap was a jugg-dragging fest. I have never ever dragged the cylinder heads for a whole lap, everywhere. Every corner, not due to going blistering fast, but due to brain melting. Literally, I was thinking, man it's only 80 degees and a great day for racing, not the 100+ we are used to at Barber. Last corner T10 is a fast 4th gear (for me) right-hander onto the front straight. As I drive off the corner, I see the checkered flag waving about 200 meters down the straight. NATURALLY what would any racer do knowing they are being drafted to the line?! This is where I found out the direction some racing is going.... I took a look over my left shoulder, while wide open on the gas, and I could see the 2nd place rider drafting me. He dips left, so NATURALLY as I look forward I dipped left, then right, and we crossed the finish line. I took the hard fought win in the Natl. ASRA Pro Thunderbike race.
Well you know, when I heard, "Nate Kern to the scoring tower", I didn't think much of it. Boy, did I think alot when I left, though. I was penalized 10 seconds onto my race time and dropped to third. I was accused of "blocking". I simply replied "I was just racing", the same way any other series and or race comes down to the last lap being drafted. In this series, regardless of the situation, last lap or not, you have to just hold your line and let the next rider draft by you. So all in all we still lead the natl. championship, but 9 valuable points were lost.
Going into that round I knew the competition was hungry and for sure did not want a repeat of what happened 3 weeks previously. The BMW HP2Sport still has not changed from its showroom stock condition. I felt the need to keep stock and prove what it can do, as if a customer just bought it. The shocks have not been revalved and/or resprung, which is the most necessary upgrade for racing.
With a win in 750 Superbike (Heavyweight Superbike) that shocked all the spectators and riders alike at Summit Point, our BMW HP2Sport did it again! This time I was blown away by the lack of sportsmanship as I found out, almost the hard way, on the warm up lap. This past race weekend was the first time I have ever left the HP2Sport out under the canopy over night. I did not practice on it, as I knew what it was capable of from the day before. Due to limited budgets, I wanted to conserve tire wear and race fuel. On the warm-up lap, the machine about spit me off every time I pulled the trigger. Something was terribly wrong.
As I gridded up on the front straight to start the race, I hopped up and down on the seat and man, did it feel like crap (rear shock). I reached down for the compression adjuster and found that it was completely turned all the way out. That left me in total disbelief. No time to check the rebound. 2 board, 1 board, BAM nailed the holeshot into T1. With the lead now I had a dilemma - lead it and stay out front knowing I can't get the power down safely/efficiently, or just go for some good points and bring it home?! The latter quickly faded away, as I was livid! We ended up winnning the race Monday (Memorial Day) morning.
Backing it up a day to Sunday. The Morton's BMW crew and BMWBMW.org members who volunteered the time and effort to put us up front, had some work to do. Morton's BMW brought the R1200S that Mini Cooper rode at Daytona. The bike was the heaviest and dynoed good power, so that was my choice weapon for ASRA Pro Thunderbike's 4lbs. per HP ratio class. Qualifying was a game. It always is. No one wants to give the seemingly "old man's" BMW a tow down the straights for a good draft. That ever-precious draft at Summit can start a really good lap going. So, I put my head down and did what I could. Came up .3 seconds short of the pole and qualified 2nd. I was not happy at all with that because I went .8 seconds faster in practice that morning. Oh well, time to get ready for the CCS Thunderbike and 600 Supersport race.
The same players in the Natl. ASRA Pro Thnderbike were in the CCS Thunderbike so it was a big pregame warm up. Less than stellar launch, but was able to outbrake everyone into T1 due to my Telelever front suspension. I have never experienced the ability to go so deep on the brakes on another motorcycle. From there I ran 4 laps with .3 seconds of each other and was able to pull away for the win. This turned up the heat for the next day. The competition was now even more fired up.
The 600 Supersport race was awesome! We led the first 2 laps and then Robert Jensen, who I feel is the best privateer in the country, came past on the brakes to start lap 3. I put my head down and wanted to show that our BMW HP2Sport does not just run past good riders, but can hang with great ones! At the line we finished a strong 2nd, just over 1 second behind.
So back to Monday, Memorial Day... a day that I know personal friends of mine who are serving and everyone else who knows someone serving our country keeps in the thoughts all day. This day was going to be a great showdown. I had to forget about the mysteriously and drastically changed rear shock that found my compression and rebound adjusters backed all the way off. Hmmm... Just added more fuel and rode stronger. So now the ASRA Pro Thunderbike race is gridding up. The top 4 spots were only seperated by .4 seconds. Another crappy launch but repeat on the brakes into T1. With the lead going into T2 I was energized. I started to calm down and just hit my mark. With no draft and decent headwind down Summit's long straight, the pack was leap-frogging each other closer. Finally I had a front wheel shown to me. That made me think I needed to push a bit more there. The 10 lap race had a just an awesome lead change around 7 to 8 times. 3 laps to go and a Factory Buell racer and another rider who I know is ultra- talented, Dave Estok, ran down the the side of me into T1 but no worries, we both stayed up. It was pretty early in the brake markers so I was not expecting it. Dave ran wide and fortunately stayed up. What I did not know was the Morton's BMW R1200S I was racing still had the heated grips hooked up. I would later find out why I was swallowing my tongue and having trouble with my fading melting brain for the last 3 laps, as the high position was on! So here is where it gets interesting, especially for anyone who has EVER raced anything under the sun...
Last lap was a jugg-dragging fest. I have never ever dragged the cylinder heads for a whole lap, everywhere. Every corner, not due to going blistering fast, but due to brain melting. Literally, I was thinking, man it's only 80 degees and a great day for racing, not the 100+ we are used to at Barber. Last corner T10 is a fast 4th gear (for me) right-hander onto the front straight. As I drive off the corner, I see the checkered flag waving about 200 meters down the straight. NATURALLY what would any racer do knowing they are being drafted to the line?! This is where I found out the direction some racing is going.... I took a look over my left shoulder, while wide open on the gas, and I could see the 2nd place rider drafting me. He dips left, so NATURALLY as I look forward I dipped left, then right, and we crossed the finish line. I took the hard fought win in the Natl. ASRA Pro Thunderbike race.
Well you know, when I heard, "Nate Kern to the scoring tower", I didn't think much of it. Boy, did I think alot when I left, though. I was penalized 10 seconds onto my race time and dropped to third. I was accused of "blocking". I simply replied "I was just racing", the same way any other series and or race comes down to the last lap being drafted. In this series, regardless of the situation, last lap or not, you have to just hold your line and let the next rider draft by you. So all in all we still lead the natl. championship, but 9 valuable points were lost.
posted by nate_kern at 10:25 AM
1 Comments:
Nate, great recap of the weekend. Sorry that I missed all the excitement on Monday. Just keep doing what you're doing!
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