MotoVixens

Ride Confident, Hard and in Control

You are here: Home / Archives for WMRRA

Motorcycle Racing

By

Racing isn’t for everyone, it requires a certain level of skill, tenacity and hard work to achieve a level that most people will not have the time and funds to accomplish.  I’ve heard people be blunt in saying that racing isn’t for the faint of heart, if you are willing to stack $100 bills and light them on fire then you may be crazy enough to race.  I chuckled at this comment, but had I been smarter, I may have actually turned and ran.  However, I am who I am, I love a challenge and instead of heeding that comment and taking it to heart, I decided that it was something I wanted…needed to do to prove to myself I could accomplish that unlikely goal.   If you are interested our local club racing chapter is WMRRA.

It has been a journey to get my expert license, to race those ten races and finish.  Just because you sign up for ten races doesn’t mean you get credit for them, you must finish, which means you cannot crash and you must cross start/ finish.  I’ve done more than ten races and crashed out on a few, it is heartbreaking, you question your abilities, the pain of the injuries makes you second guess your skills or your bike, you get the picture.  As a racer, you are constantly trying to improve yourself or your bike to give yourself the upper hand.  Let’s be clear, I don’t have the latest bike, I have a 2004 Yamaha R6, bone stock and with Ohlins cartridges and a GP suspension revalved and resprung rear shock (cuz I’m a girl), Vortex brake and clutch levers, rearsets, clip ons, case covers, sprockets, sliders and chain.  There is no slipper clutch, no electronics or gp shift.  It’s old school and it has made me a smoother rider not being able to rely on electronics to save my ass.  What I have developed is skill and smoothness, no dumping clutches, trail clutching and trail braking, learning it takes patience to initiate a turn with precision at times and that multitasking all these things as you are entering a corner in triple digits is an accomplishment like nothing else.  Not everything goes right all the time, timing can be off, your mind not clear, so many things can happen to mess up that could be perfect turn, but it is the trying over and over again to do it that says volumes.  We are not anything if not tenacious and seeking that feeling of the perfect lap (i.e. the drive onto the straightaway, patience to your brake marker, braking, gear selection, trail clutching and trail braking to the apex, letting the bike finish the turn, rolling the bike up on the fat part of the tire to get the perfect drive out of the exit, repeating this process 16 times a lap at the Ridge Motorsports Park)  is what brings us back over and over.

June 27, 2015 I finished my last novice race and when all was said and done I came in 7th.  It was a personal goal that I achieved on that day, I had promised myself one day I would get my expert number and at least place in the top 10 and that day I did both.  I went from #809 to my chosen number #72.   My love of riding, whether it is on the track or on the street, is about passion for a sport unlike anything else.  Anyone who rides understands, those who don’t, think we are bonkers risking our lives.  It just appears that our sport raises more fear in people than many other sports, yet I find motorcyclists to be some of the most interesting intelligent individuals out there.  Even if you never race, come to the track, take lessons from a trusted individual, read, absorb as much information on how to be a better rider.  In doing so you will be a rider for life and reap the benefits of that information when a situation arises that requires you to use your skills appropriately.  Ken Hill was the person that said to me, “Practice makes permanent” meaning practicing without a plan means the development of bad habits that will be hard to break, so go into every practice with a plan and make “Perfect practice permanent.”

Endurance Racing

By

Team shot before the races

Team shot before the races

Memorial Day weekend was WMRRA’s Sprint and Endurance races, which has been consistently iffy where weather has been concerned and if it was anything, it was consistent.  Greg Canright (number 888) has been asking me for years to join the endurance races telling me how fun they are, but in my mind just seemed like too much work so I never signed up.  Well, I have to say after doing it I’m sorry I hadn’t done it before, the teamwork and camaraderie was amazing and throwing together a team with sheer ignorance was a blessing.  Chris Johnson, owner of WMST, came to me saying he wanted to do an endurance team and got Phil Melnyk of Pirelli and Premium Rush to donate the tires, would Troy and I join the team?  I offered up my bike for the race and we had originally signed Matt Staples (lovingly known as the Ginger Avenger), but he got injured Sunday during the race and had to pull out.  So there was our team Chris, Phil, Troy and myself with Phil as the only person who had any experience or idea what this race would entail.  We assigned roles and responsibilities, items that were necessary for that day and Troy got busy making the bike ready for the 6 hours of riding my R6 was going to endure.

Fast forward after the sprint races, most everyone had been there since Friday (track day) and feeling pretty beat, yet there was an incredible excitement and energy in the pits on Monday when the paddock started stirring with people.  Everyone had staked out their claim for real estate along the wall the night before, literally sitting on the concrete barriers before trailers were even out to make sure they got a prime spot.  The weather never did give, it was misty to misty and dry most of the day and cold, not optimal conditions for the race.  The canopies went up and teams started their setups, bikes were fueled and prepped, riders were getting geared and discussing order and time of each rider, signals for emergencies or wanting to come in next lap.  The rules of the race requires an expert to start and end the race for the first and last 30 minutes, then the order can be determined by the team and the length of time each rider wants to be on the bike.

Shot with my R6 after 6 hours of riding

Shot with my R6 after 6 hours of riding

Each tank can take about an hour of riding and holds close to 4.5 gallons so we could ride till the light came on or just come in when we got tired.  Only one bike can be used, but a team can have multiple bikes with multiple riders in case one crashes out.   Troy had a great start and I came on deck next, followed by Phil when we encountered our first little setback.  He had only been out 2 laps and we heard over the radio he was pitting out, so we knew something was wrong…one of the rearsets was dangling, the bolt had backed out.  No one had thought about that so we did a mad dash to the trailer for parts, which hurt us for time, but since we had agreed we were doing it only for fun we wouldn’t stress.  After what seemed like forever we got a bolt (from another Vortex rearset), loctited everything and sent him on his way.  Phil was followed next by Chris and I got hydrated and fueled up myself to be on deck for my turn.  When Chris came in we checked out the tires and they still looked decent so I went out again, but at this point the tires were getting worn and the team  knowing this they had prepped another rear for the remainder of the race.  In I came after my turn and the bike was placed on its stand as the tire was changed as quickly as Troy could get it done, then with a tap of the back off Phil went.  While picking up Troy realized he forgot the spacer in the wheel and we had to ask control to black flag our rider to pit in.  Phil had only completed 2 laps and came in wondering what happened, but a quick redo of the tire swap and safety wire and off Phil went.  Phil loves riding and he was so focused all of our attempts to get his attention down the front straight went unnoticed, the rule required an expert to complete the race so we had to get him back in, we finally asked control to black flag him.  Troy finished the race for us, no one crashed, we had a few snafus and poor Phil got black flagged twice (although he wasn’t in trouble we just needed to get his attention), we didn’t have a program down for issues and we didn’t have a quick fuel can, but we ended up 7th out of 15.  Not bad for a group of riders who threw together a team at the last minute completely unaware of what they were getting into.

If you’ve never done an endurance race, you should!   Get a team together, 4-5 is perfect and no one gets too tired.  Have spouses join in for moral support and help, it was more fun than I ever thought it would be.  We had a team next to us that was just a blast and while everyone is competitive, it’s really just about the love of the sport and sharing that with others who have the same affinity.  The season is upon us and track days are rampant, find one and signup to really understand why we love this sport so much.  If it is your first time on track, sign up for a school, if it’s been a while get a refresher.  Riding is a dangerous sport, but we can take the element of surprise out of it by arming ourselves with knowledge and skills.  See you out there on track or on the street!

Vixens Ride!

Too much excitement!

Too much excitement!

End of Season

By

After the call from MJ of Ducati Bellevue on Sunday that the track day was cancelled due to the weather, I got calls, texts and emails about whether or not there would be rescheduling.  Judging from the drastic change in the weather…from hot and muggy to cold and rainy in the span of what seemed was overnight, I would be extremely surprised if it was.  However, I will keep you all posted should there be a freak warm spell and Mark lets me know he is putting one on (he’ll get cabin fever and call Rod I’m sure).  I will post on Facebook if and when it should happen (keep those fingers crossed) so like MotoVixens and you’ll be the first to know!

Speaking of Mark, not only is he the owner of 2 Fast, he is also an amazing racer, my mentor and a friend.  I tend to be self sufficient and stubborn, but when I needed him to show me lines and help me improve, he was always there.  This last year Mark was the #1 plate holder and even without racing every race this year he earned a spot as the #3 plate holder for next year!  I have enclosed the rankings of our top racers in WMRRA should you wish to check it out.

I know many of you are disappointed with how this season ended, but truth be told it might of been for the best since the weather would have been a factor of many a crash.  I know we all hate to discuss crashes, but the rainy day track days tend to cause a great deal of them and I wanted a beautiful day with dry, warm pavement where we could all really enjoy ourselves and get to push the limits a bit more while expanding our knowledge.  Next year we are discussing track days with the women’s school in the months we know tend to be sunny, in fact, I am hoping to discuss a combo school where we can do a co-ed school for those who wish to bring spouses, significant others, boyfriends/girlfriends or even friends.  Stay tuned as we figure out the details.

The weather is turning, but you’ll still see some crazy broad out there riding…that’d be me!  I suppose once you’ve developed crazy it’s hard to be cured, just be safe…it’s all about tires (make sure you have ones for the wet weather), check that tire pressure and most of all be smooth.  If you are putting your baby up for the winter remember to winterize your bike so it’ll be ready to go when you feel like it.  Check out Winterizing for Modern Motorcycles in our archived blogs and I will let you know should we do another winterizing/maintenance event.  Vixens Ride!

WMRA Standings

Novice Racing

By

I have recently been asked by several women why I chose to be a novice racer and is it something they can do as well? The answer to the first question is I’m a little whacko and truth be told spent most of my life trying to make others happy while neglecting my needs. Becoming a mother in my mid-twenties and having been a part of corporate America since I was 18, I knew the ins and outs of that world, thus I became a corporate wife (sort of). As my boys were growing up, my marriage was coming to an end and I needed to find myself again and this is how my journey with motorcycles began. Having always wanted to learn how to ride and it having this bad ass kind of feel to it that was incredibly empowering (should I survive) I was game, again this is where the crazy comes in… The BRC class was my first foray into the world of motorcycling and after 3 terrifying and exhilarating days I received my endorsement. Then came the search for continuing my journey, my next step. I found that there were intermediate classes offered but most were after you completed some riding time on the street (since riding in a parking lot wasn’t real preparation to riding in everyday conditions). Not helpful. Then in searching for schools, up popped “track training”, 😉 hmmmmmm what is that? Well, that ladies is how it all began for me…The California SuperBike School (http://www.superbikeschool.com) was the catalyst into finding out about track schools like 2 Fast (http://www.2-fast.org) and OPRT (http://www.optimum-performance.org). Being a gal you certainly stand out in a sport mainly dominated by men, but I believe that walking into racing completely unaware was a blessing, the fact that I was so naive and genuine, those guys took me in, taught and have helped me along the way. By no means do I even know all I should, but now I’m much more aware if what it takes and it’s been a journey that I would’ve taken many times over exactly the same way.

As for becoming a racer, it is actually fairly easy. Search for an organization in your area under road racing associations and if you live in Seattle it is WMRRA (http://www.wmrra.com), Portland it is OMRRA (http://www.omrra.com) and nationally there is WERA (http://www.wera.com) too, check your area for a local one near you. Visit their website, find out how to become a racer and start your own journey. There is one thing I wish someone would’ve warned me about though, it is that racing is great until you crash then it becomes expensive and a mad rush to get everything put together again before the next race. Be prepared to spend every free moment searching for parts, finding the right people to fix your bike and make sure you have great health insurance because everyone eventually will require some form of medical attention. Please be aware of the risks involved and don’t believe that you are exempt from falling, we all do and it happens so fast. There is risk in everything, but this allows us to race with controlled risk, every racer knows what they are getting into. We all have to go to work after the weekend is over, have families to return to, loved ones to care for so there is almost a gentlemen’s code that you don’t take out people intentionally, you race with dignity. Sure sometimes accidents happen, but when they do there is no hard feelings and it is funny at times to see one guy walk up to another and say, “Hey sorry about that man” and they shake hands and get busy fixing their bikes for the next race. This is the only place where I’ve seen one guy take out another and they will actually give each other hugs, yeah we are seriously twisted. I’ve found a place where I feel at home, where competition and camaraderie co-exist, feel like I’m a part of a huge extended family, part of a community…I finally found myself in this crazy place that I now call home.

Corner Working @ Pacific Raceways

By

On June 15, 2013 I corner worked for WMRRA as one of my requirements that needed to be met for graduating. I came to the 7am meeting completely unaware of what my duties would be for the day and hoping that nothing would happen that would require me to jump into action. Corner working is purely by volunteers and there is a group of individuals that seem to know each other quite well and are very knowledgeable about what to do in any given situation. This core group were what appeared to be regulars and were very knowledgeable about procedures and how to handle each incident. I however knew absolutely nothing so when the captain said I would be working as an active in a corner part of me was freaking out with what that responsibility would entail. Craig Johnson, the Corner Captain, gave me a bright yellow vest, a radio and headset and we filled our arms with water and snacks to take to our stations which we were assigned. To my relief, I found Mel, “a regular” at my station and she filled me in on what the duties were with more detail. Then came time for the morning practices, if you have never corner worked, consider doing it sometime. It is a thrill to have some of the best seats in the house and watch racers of every class compete.

During one of the practices, the vintage and 250 class, one of the racers highsided through my corner landing head first into the dirt and gravel. I was looking up the turn while Mel was in charge of looking down the turn, where the accident happened and as soon as it occurred, she called it in to control. We were all told to red flag the track and get the racers off and prepare to get an emergency vehicle on the track, thus waving the ambulance flag to alert racers of a 4 wheeled vehicle on track. This all happened within seconds, the chatter on the radio was short and concise, everyone knew what to do and he was attended to immediately. Due to his injuries, he was airlifted to Harborview and we watched as the helicopter landed on the track to transport him. However, this would not be the last time they would be called. After lunch, Formula Ultra races started the actual race day and we watched these guys navigate the corners with just speed and skill it made me feel like a complete sissy. One lap completed and racers were starting lap 2 when all of a sudden a voice on the radio said to clear the track that there was a crash on the straight away and there were shattered pieces of bike everywhere. My heart just stopped, I could not believe that another racer went down. These men are incredible riders, people I would trust with my life, how could this happen? The man who went down was an expert racer and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. He was also airlifted to Harborview and my thoughts are with him and his family at this time. Again, these individuals knew exactly what to do and he was on his way in minutes after the helicopter arrived.

The one thing I took away from this tragic day was that I was in great hands with this organization, that each and every person that is a part of WMRRA is, was or has known a rider and does this because they care. They take their jobs seriously and they make sure everything runs like it should, being on the other side of it all helps bring it into perspective. I have a deep appreciation for all the people that make up this organization and all that they do to ensure that this sport can continue as safely as possible. They don’t tolerate arrogance and ignorance, they will revoke your license if you break rules. As racers, we are a reflection of this organization, what we do directly impacts how people feel about WMRRA. I am proud to be a member and racing with them.

If you are interested in corner working, it does have benefits. They feed you throughout the day and you can get passes for Taste of Racing the next race, you usually can’t get back in time to man your corner if you attend Taste of Racing the same day so they discourage it. Visit www.wmrra.com and go to Racing and then from pull down hit corner workers to find out how to volunteer. It is an experience you won’t soon forget!

WMRRA Round 1 at The Ridge

By

When I first decided to start racing it was based on a discussion I had with Mary McGee. She has been racing for quite a while and had these amazing stories of meeting people, situations she found herself in that were unreal and just fond memories she had of not just of races, but the people involved in her “extended family.” I listened to her tell a story about Steve McQueen and how she started racing with him, it seemed so fantastic and in watching her tell this story I wanted to join in on the fun. I stated I had this desire, however, I felt as if it was beyond my abilities. Her reply was and continues to be, “Race your race.” So I joined WMRRA earlier this year, not to race and win, but to race and prove to myself that anything is possible.

WMRRA-Round-1Round 1 at The Ridge started on Saturday, April 27th and due to circumstances I was unable to attend that day, but entered as a late entry on Sunday. I had never raced and that day was a flurry of issues that included a dance with mother nature, she was playing, “Am I gonna stay wet or should I mess with every racer out there?” I had just taken my rains off from PIR and put on my DOT’s after watching the weather report say mostly dry and had it safety wired to save time. By the time I got there on Sunday, I realized it was the wrong call and in a moment of sheer panic had to get the wheels changed, safety wired and clear tech before our morning practice. Short tools, there was a mad rush to borrow from everyone available and luckily everyone was incredibly helpful in loaning out there tools. My boyfriend, Beau, was my pit crew and was phenomenal in getting everything swapped out for me and my bike ready, on the stands with tire warmers. When practice rounds came, it was wet and everyone was taking it easy so as not to crash and being out there 2 days later (most had attended a Friday track day and raced on Saturday) I was at a disadvantage I didn’t like.

The Novice Race was not scheduled until 4:10pm and there was a lot of time to question my decision of racing. It is a mental game that sometimes can get the better of us and waiting 6 hours to race didn’t make that doubt go away. By the time 2pm rolled around, it was clear that keeping the rains on would tear them up so we had to switch them back to the DOT’s, re-safety wire. Then the waiting game started again as we watched the clouds and checked the weather reports which were forecasting rain coming in by 7pm, however the clouds were looking like they may push in before then. By 3:40pm I was in sheer panic mode and Nels Byersdorf of 2 Wheel Dyno Works and his guys, Tyler, Andrew and Jarod had surrounded my bike and were getting the tires pressures set, checking the safety wiring and covering my wheels (with tire warmers on high) with anything to shield it from the blistering cold wind. Heather, Nels’ wife and I were talking and the welcomed distraction kept me from going into full on freak mode. Between Beau, Nels and his guys I knew that I would be OK on the track. Then the 5 minute warning came and we waited, knowing that my tires would get cold almost immediately, by 2 minutes before the practice lap I got on the bike and they dropped me to go, heart racing and mind trying to focus. Checking my grid position, I headed out for the lap and gridded for the race. Then the moment came, everyone diving into turn 1 and I saw that my decision not to attend on Friday and Saturday left me at a disadvantage. Then it was all over, almost as quickly as it started. There I was, mentally exhausted, but relieved and able to say that I raced my first race. When I pulled in, everyone was congratulating me on finishing my first race and Nels stated that I had one up on him and the guys. I didn’t understand what he meant, then he said, “None of us have ever raced.” I was in disbelief, but had this wonderful sense of accomplishment, this coming from a guy who has been around bikes his entire life. It was exactly what I needed to hear at that moment to understand that what I just accomplished was larger than just finishing.

If you have a desire or a dream of doing something, don’t let fear of failure keep you from doing it, just do it. Fear is our biggest enemy. I know I won’t be the fastest one out there, for now, but I will get faster through practice and determination. So if you have a dream, follow it, because not doing so will leave regret. I never in a million years would have thought I would be entering the world of racing motorcycles, but here I am. It is natural to have fear, fear is good in some situations, but fear can also keep us from accomplishing our goals. Not everyone will want to tackle road racing, but it applies to any goal you may have. Conquer those fears and understand that you can accomplish anything you put your mind and energy into. Ride on Vixens!