Redneck tour first leg

[tommymac]

this is cut and pasted from my cycleforums post but figured I would give you guys an early update

Ok as the story will be Tom was thrown off the redneck tour after the first leg so heres my report of how things went.

Karen and I met up with the TGR crew (jimmy, ray, john and Lori) and we headed down to our hotel where we met up with ant and joe (cakes) then headed outto dinner and met up with cbrbob and rita. Had a good time eating dinner and swapping stories and plenty of shiner bock then it was back to the hotel for a few more beers and some conversation. As usual I didnt sleep much before a trackday and was a bit anxious. I was hoping the track would make a good first impression on me after a 3rd try

Summit is an intresting track, its fast and has some well placed concrete patches that can mess with your head (but you wont loose traction ) and I was a little anxious going in there in the red group now.

First session out i took it easy and refamiliarized myself with the track. Got yelled at by a coach for improper pit out but that was the worst of it. I started working on different lines and where I wanted to be on the track for the next 2 session all the while getting faster ( I was still one of the slow guys out there too)

Going into lunch break I needed to figure out a way to get thru turns 7-9 properly, you mess up there and you could wind up in some hay bails or air fence as many people did. Usualy my fist session out I ride like crap, bu tthis time I ate a light lunch and headed back out. We had to pit out on a hot track since they were already screaming down the straight at over 140 I got out there and got up to speed first lap I just took it easy and messed upa few turns (went into 5 too hot and had to brake mid turn and run wide ) however I set up for the carousel and when I came thru it set me up perfectly for those last turns now I started feeling good and realy started to pick it up. I was going into turn 1 a lot faster and going thru 2 was a blast being leaned over still and realy getting on the throttle ( I was waiting to spin the rear or have it slide but the PP held strong) My last challenge was to try to go thru turn 10 without rolling off before the turn. This turn was fun being leaned over at speeds near or over 100mph (jimmy said he hit about 110 through there but hes one of those crazy fast blue guys ) I went thru that turn many times saying I can do this alot faster but would always hesitate at the moment of truth and roll off a bit in setting up for the turn

So that was session 4, next time out I feel realy good and start turning some good laps, a few guys pass me ( not a ton of gus this time ) and one doiesnt realy go away so I start chasing him and follow him for a few laps and see a few spots where I am faster than him and can get by him so I start reeling him in and figure I better pass him soon because my legs are giving out. Then 2 coaches pass me but not him at first so he gets some space on me (now this is my last lap for the session) and by the time they go by him hes too far for me to reel in and pass in a half a lap. Oh well next time.

my 3rd and what would be final session would be rather short, I ran 3 prety fast laps and then hit the wall (figurativeley not literally) so I just packed it in and called it a day.

So all in all it was a great day and I can now say I like summit main. I still cant getover how hard/fast I rode yesterday but was very happy about it and it def helps with my confidence and sets the stage for what should be a fun weekend at VIR south next week

[carl_g]

Originally Posted by tommymac

this is cut and pasted from my cycleforums post but figured I would give you guys an early update

Ok as the story will be Tom was thrown off the redneck tour after the first leg so heres my report of how things went.

Karen and I met up with the TGR crew (jimmy, ray, john and Lori) and we headed down to our hotel where we met up with ant and joe (cakes) then headed outto dinner and met up with cbrbob and rita. Had a good time eating dinner and swapping stories and plenty of shiner bock then it was back to the hotel for a few more beers and some conversation. As usual I didnt sleep much before a trackday and was a bit anxious. I was hoping the track would make a good first impression on me after a 3rd try

Summit is an intresting track, its fast and has some well placed concrete patches that can mess with your head (but you wont loose traction ) and I was a little anxious going in there in the red group now.

First session out i took it easy and refamiliarized myself with the track. Got yelled at by a coach for improper pit out but that was the worst of it. I started working on different lines and where I wanted to be on the track for the next 2 session all the while getting faster ( I was still one of the slow guys out there too)

Going into lunch break I needed to figure out a way to get thru turns 7-9 properly, you mess up there and you could wind up in some hay bails or air fence as many people did. Usualy my fist session out I ride like crap, bu tthis time I ate a light lunch and headed back out. We had to pit out on a hot track since they were already screaming down the straight at over 140 I got out there and got up to speed first lap I just took it easy and messed upa few turns (went into 5 too hot and had to brake mid turn and run wide ) however I set up for the carousel and when I came thru it set me up perfectly for those last turns now I started feeling good and realy started to pick it up. I was going into turn 1 a lot faster and going thru 2 was a blast being leaned over still and realy getting on the throttle ( I was waiting to spin the rear or have it slide but the PP held strong) My last challenge was to try to go thru turn 10 without rolling off before the turn. This turn was fun being leaned over at speeds near or over 100mph (jimmy said he hit about 110 through there but hes one of those crazy fast blue guys ) I went thru that turn many times saying I can do this alot faster but would always hesitate at the moment of truth and roll off a bit in setting up for the turn

So that was session 4, next time out I feel realy good and start turning some good laps, a few guys pass me ( not a ton of gus this time ) and one doiesnt realy go away so I start chasing him and follow him for a few laps and see a few spots where I am faster than him and can get by him so I start reeling him in and figure I better pass him soon because my legs are giving out. Then 2 coaches pass me but not him at first so he gets some space on me (now this is my last lap for the session) and by the time they go by him hes too far for me to reel in and pass in a half a lap. Oh well next time.

my 3rd and what would be final session would be rather short, I ran 3 prety fast laps and then hit the wall (figurativeley not literally) so I just packed it in and called it a day.

So all in all it was a great day and I can now say I like summit main. I still cant getover how hard/fast I rode yesterday but was very happy about it and it def helps with my confidence and sets the stage for what should be a fun weekend at VIR south next week

So why were you thrown off?? Did you just not sign up for the other days?

[tommymac]

I had to work this weekend so I couldnt book those days, so at dinner joe came up with me being kicked off the tour although I will complete the second leg of the tour next week at vir south

Tom

[GinoE]

heading down the nj shore (belmar) saturday afternoon - pickup truck packed for the beach with bicycles, coolers, fishing rods...

i happen upon a familiar trailer & truck. i did notice a bulldog sticker - lo & behold i pass by ken, jen & meatball.

i made it down to the beach, never fails - i ran into a squid...

[CBRBob]

Some pics on the tour...........

Bowler on the phone...........


Ant's b-day............


RCM's dragbike......


Some crap under my truck's tire.......

[Kennedy]

I was seriously about to explode on the drag bike pic! lol