WMRRA Round 4 Race Report
August 7th (Pacific Raceways MX Track): This would be a very unusual race weekend, & it would start
early, in an unexpected environment. I had been itching to get on the MX bike for quite some time, and I needed a way to get
my body to cooperate & SLEEP through the entire night, without waking up and staying up past 2am.
The MX track at Pacific Raceways was a first for me, but I was excited to cautiously give it a try -- I had not ridden
the dirt bike on a dirt track since the beginning of March, so I felt like I was almost starting all over again. After walking
the course once & rolling all of the jumps once, I felt that the track would be okay to try as a beginner. The dirt surface
was very loose & littered with rocks. However, they had a guy out there with a water truck trying to wet down the track
-- so you would have a loose, dry surface to run on in one lap, then you would come around the corner and find it watery &
muddy the next! As usual, I experimented with using my head to stop the rest of my body on the handlebars a couple of times
-- I cased the upside of most of the doubles multiple times -- and I almost lost it once landing the front wheel sideways
off of the big finish line jump. Boy, that Leatt Brace came in handy, because I managed to whip my neck back several times
while trying to land! After about two hours, all of the muscles in my upper body were burning, so I called it a day. Overall,
the experience was a blast, and I'd like to take a beginner MX class out there sometime soon.
August 8th (Adrenaline Freaks Trackday): We started the morning with an Ibuprofen diet -- I expected to
be pretty sore!! My game plan was to run a few racer sessions to work on conserving energy while braking hard, and to work
on my body positioning -- training yourself out of bad habits takes practice & patience. The first time I came down the
hill into Turn 3 pretty deep, I forgot what I was working on, & I just let all of my weight dump onto my arms -- they
both immediately screamed out in a painful protest! Whoops! This is why you put Stomp Grips on the sides of your tank &
you remember to use them once in awhile.
After getting it right the next few times, I opted to spend the rest of the day coaching other riders. I needed to save
my tires & my energy for the rest of the weekend.
August 9th (WMMRA Race Day 1): Not to my surprise, Ibuprofen was again going to be my REALLY GOOD friend
when I woke up in the morning! It's amazing how quickly you get out of shape when you drop one sport for another. However,
I had slept very well for the past two nights!
When I poked my head out of Joni's RV, I got excited -- it was RAINING!! This would possibly be a chance to test the bike
in the rain with the proper rear suspension settings. Plus, I would have an opportunity to put myself closer to the front
of the grid in 600 Supersport. Of course, this is mid-summer & this is the Pacific Northwest, and by the time I had managed
to mount my rain tires, set the suspension up for the wet, and roll out for practice, the track was nearly dry. GRRRRR!! I
did one lap and pulled in -- it was not worth wasting a set of $450 rain tires. So…. it was back to the pits to swap
wheels out again for a set of fresh DOTs.
750 Supersport Race: I took great advantage of my decent grid position in this race by completely blowing
the start! Ha! I waited a bit longer before I revved the bike up to where I wanted it (in efforts to not overheat the clutch)
-- I let the clutch out till it was starting to engage -- as the light went out, I tried to give it more gas & slip the
clutch, then chatter…chatter…. chatter…chatter…. and just about everyone went flying by. Poop! ….
another race with A LOT of work to do. After the first lap chaos had settled down and we were all moving a bit quicker, I
began to notice that the front was noticeably headshaking out of the bus stop, Turn 2, and out of Turn 4 -- something it had
not done in the last round. After adjusting as much as I could for it coming out of the corners, I played the fight &
pass game for a few more laps until I managed to settle in behind my teammate, Mike Tobin. He was definitely getting a better
drive out of the corners, and I couldn't catch him down the straights. On the very last lap, he slowed up a bit in Turns 5,
6, & 7, and I thought about going up the inside in Turn 6, but I decided against it -- I had no idea what place we were
in (if I really cared this year), & wasn't going to try a "bonehead" move unless I knew I could do it successfully &
safely! There's always next time. Result: 13th, Best Lap Time: 1.32.1
Both Mike & I were pretty disappointed with our lap times in the 750 Supersport race. It was funny, because we both
thought we were going good -- my only guess (excuse) after talking to Dave Alexander was that maybe we weren't up to speed
after not racing or practicing on the track since mid-June.
600 Supersport Race: My goal was to get a good start in this race, but it just didn't happen. This time…I
tried a higher rpm and it wheelied first, then chattered just like the previous start. I had even more folks to work through
coming into Turn 2, so I went around the outside in efforts to make up a few spots. On lap 3 it began to rain. I looked up
at the sky going down the front stretch and figured that it would probably stop, or we at least had one more lap to go before
it would really start to effect traction. I began passing as many folks as I could until there was nobody in front of me in
Lap 4 -- the rain did NOT stop. Two things came to mind at this point -- I have ZERO experience on DOTs in the rain, and with
nobody in front of me, I'M THE SACRIFICIAL RABBIT!!! My guess was that everybody behind me was going to gauge their speed
off of what happens to me! As the bike slid coming around Turns 3 & 4, I put me hand up -- game over. I decided that since
I was not in the points, it's not worth risking the bike & the body again. Heck, if I was in the points hunt and/or the
bike was new enough to qualify for contingency money, you bet I'd give it a go. It turns out that a bunch of folks behind
me followed suit and pulled in as well. Next time…Result: DNF (pulled off)
This was a frustrating day…. crummy starts, no lap time improvement, & "mixed bag" weather that I knew I would
have to eventually face again. Luckily, I managed to get a few future pointers on how to handle racing on DOTs in the rain
(aside from learning how to flat-track).
WMRRA Race Day 2: I decided to enter 750 Superbike in efforts to get more seat time. Morning warm-up was
solely devoted to practicing starts, but I just couldn't keep the bike from chattering off of the line. After talking to Brad
Gua, who had similar problems with Barnett clutches in 04-05 GSXR600s, I decided to try swapping out the Barnett clutch for
my old stock clutch. Dave Alexander worked his magic & had it in the bike halfway through lunch -- he also raised the
rear ride height again to see if it would help with the headshake. After everything was back together, I wanted to put a load
on the clutch to make sure it was working properly, and that it would not slip between gear changes. I managed to cross paths
with Ric, who runs the crash truck -- he was able to get us okayed for a one lap run on the track during lunch, where I found
everything to be working properly.
600 Superbike Race: At the very least, I was hoping to take the clutch out of the equation as a reason
for my chatter problems at the start -- and I did -- with another bad start! The chattering wasn't quite as bad, but it still
persisted. Thus, it was more than likely a RIDER problem (something I did not doubt up to this point anyway). This time, I
was angry -- I wasted no time trying to make up ground. However, the headshake was violent enough to knock my outside foot
off of the pegs exiting Turn 2. Going down the front stretch, I happened to look down to see the washer under my main steering
head bolt spinning around -- there was nothing I could do about it at this point beyond trying to ride around the issue. I
managed to catch up to another rider, and I noticed that the next group ahead included Rick Rinaldo, Colin Rimes, Jeff Seehorn,
& Jason McCarty -- this was the group I wanted to be running with from the start. In efforts to get there, I tried to
go around the outside of the rider in front of me, only to find myself frantically adjusting my line to keep us from colliding
without taking the run-off road -- he was on the inside of the track coming into the turn, but he decided to pull out wide
as I was coming up behind him. Oh well, that's racing. On the next lap, I tried to go up the inside, but this time, he held
his inside line. We eventually ran out of laps, and I knew I wouldn't have enough time to catch the group in front of us,
even if I had made it around him, so I decided to let it be. Result: 12th place. Best lap time: 1.30.8
750 Superbike Race: When I got back to the pits I immediately checked my steering head bolt only to find
it finger loose! Dave Alexander confirmed that this could have been the reason for the new headshake -- we checked to make
sure everything else with the steering was aligned & tightened, and I was ready to give it a shot one more time. Unfortunately,
there was a HUGE oil spill in Turn 2 from the previous Novice race, and on their re-start, two more riders went down after
the clean up. When they called for 750 Superbike, we were told that we would have one sighting lap & one warm-up lap to
decide if we were happy enough with the track conditions to race. After having a look at things and realizing that we would
only get 5 laps, I pulled in and decided to save my money & not race. The only reason I wanted to run 750 Superbike was
to work on my lap times -- yet, I felt that we would all probably be off pace a bit -- sure enough, the lap time results showed
exactly that. I would have to wait for the next round. Result: DNS
Despite the frustrating moments this weekend, I still had a blast racing & simply spending time with the WMRRA family
-- we never fail to have a lot of fun. I'd like to thank Dave Alexander for throwing in the stock clutch & adjusting the
suspension on such short notice. Furthermore, I'd like to thank Joni for her wonderful hospitality (it's nice to not have
to drive all the way back home & get up at the crack of dawn to drive all the way back to the track). Likewise, I'm very
grateful for the help of John Lippis, Monica Wallace, & James Wadkin's crew in the pits this weekend -- every one of you
really made life a lot easier. Finally, a big thanks goes out to Pirelli, Eastside Motosports, and all of my sponsors that
continue to help keep me in the racing game throughout the season! You guys ROCK!
Till next time!
Cheers,
Wendy Kristen Leber
www.FourwindsRoadracing.com
WMRRA ROUND 3 RACE REPORT
Adrenaline Freaks Trackday (Friday):
Dave Alexander of Fluid Suspension had worked his magic to get the motor back together in time for the race weekend. We
had decided to replace bearings, rings, & the cam chain, but we would leave the rest of the motor alone. The idea was
to have a bike that would last the rest of the season before I retired it from racing. Since we ran out of time to run the
motor on the dyno, I spent the morning breaking it in on the track.
In the afternoon, I put the bike through a few strong runs to test the motor, & to see if we needed to make
any major changes with the suspension. After a while, the whole bike started to wobble & shake on the power coming out
of Turns 2, 4, & 9, & the rear tire was starting to slide a bit on the exits. Dave made a few adjustments with the
suspension settings & re-checked the sag, and Mike with Pirelli worked with me on setting the hot tire pressures. Once
we were done, I spent the rest of the afternoon doing one of the things that I really enjoy -- helping to teach other riders.
Overall, it was a great day -- the weather cooperated for the most part, & everyone seemed to be having a good time.
WMMRA Race Day (Saturday):
Mike with Pirelli helped to flip my rear tire around so I could make it last for one more practice session in the morning
-- both tires had quite a few laps on them, & the rear tire was starting to look pretty torn up on the left side. I went
out in practice for only a few laps, but I was able to drop my best lap time at Pacific Raceways since 2006 to a 1.31.4. Frankly,
I couldn't believe it, because I normally don't have a history of running terribly close to race pace in practice (I've never
needed to run qualifying laps before -- maybe I should re-think how I run practice in the future…hmmm). Since I was
pretty happy with how the bike felt in practice, I skipped the second one to save some energy, & I spent the time getting
new tires mounted for the races in the afternoon.
600 Supersport:
I was gridded on the fourth row (first wave), second from the left. As the red light went out, I pulled off a crummy start
-- the front wheel lurched & bounced off the ground & into the air multiple times. By Turn 2, there were a bunch of
riders in front of me, & I was stuck in the middle of them with no place to go. Someone would swerve into every spot on
the track I tried to go for. I could see Mike Tobin & Colin Rimes just ahead of me in another group, & I had just
made it around two riders that Colin had put between us, when the red flag came out. Rats! We had only completed 5 laps!
One thing that was quite clear to me was that I needed to get better at passing folks quickly. These races are far
too short to daydream over the idea. Result: 14th place. Best time: 1.32.1.
750 Supersport:
The funny part about this season is that I'm doing better in the class that I should be the least competitive in (if
I cared about where I placed). As I had mentioned before, this year is all about simply getting the lap times down -- I
was in a good position to go for it in this race. I was gridded in the second row, first rider on the left (because my last
race in 750 Supersport was in the rain, & I actually stayed upright). Ha!
This time, I got a decent start & I managed to hold onto the lead group for at least a little bit. It's fun "trying"
to keep up with these guys because I trust them, they ride predictable lines, & in the past, they have pulled me along
just enough to help me squeeze out faster lap times -- and they did once again. Thanks guys! Result: 11th
place. Best time: 1.31.2.
WMRRA Race Day (Sunday):
The morning practice session was very short -- all I wanted to do was to make sure the transponder still worked (the case
had been smashed into about six pieces from the last crash, & duck tape was the only thing holding it all together). The
front & rear tire seemed to chatter & push a bit in Turns 2 & 9, so we fiddled with the suspension & tire
pressures again before 600 Superbike. The track & air temperatures were going to be warmer than on the previous two days.
600 Superbike:
I was gridded in the middle of the 4th row, and once again, my start was absolutely terrible. However,
I managed to push myself to the outside of Turn 2, & I made it around several folks. From this point forward,
I was not going to waste any time -- I needed to be more aggressive with my passing. By lap 3 or 4, I was able
to get some clear track to hunt down the guys in front of me. The bike was handling well till just before
the halfway point, when the rear tire stepped way out in Turn 2. Just to let me know that I wasn't dreaming, it did
it again on the exit of Turn 4, and it felt like the back tire was clawing for grip in Turn 9. I
managed to catch another rider in front of me, but I decided to back it off a bit and finish the race. Right after the
cool down lap, I rode up to the Pirelli guys, and Mike checked the rear tire. He said it was almost 1 3/4 lbs too high
(which apparently, this is enough to cause the rear tire to spin up). My guess is that it was probably higher at race
pace because I had slowed down significantly on the cool down lap, & I was stopped at the gate. We now know that
we are going to have to drop the pressures quite a bit if the next race weekend produces warmer weather. Result:
14th place. Best time: 1.30.8.
I'd like to thank Dave Alexander of Fluid Suspension for putting together a solid motor & setting up the suspension
to work fantastically this weekend. Likewise, Dave fixed all of the broken bits on the bike from my last airborne
flight in Turn 3 during WMRRA Round 2. Furthermore, a big thanks goes out to Mike at Pirelli for all of his help with
getting the tires to hook up this weekend. I'm amazed at just how long the new Diablo Supercorsa's last! I'd also
like to thank everyone who provided a hand in the Eastside Motosports pits when it was time to race -- you made getting out
there a lot easier! ... and finally, these race weekends wouldn't be possible without the help of all of my
sponsors -- everyone has come through with outstanding products & services to keep this season alive! I'm now only
9/10ths of a second from reaching my goal for the year!
By the way, CONGRATULATIONS to James Wadkins and Corson Piper! You guys are flyin! They both made it into the 1.29s this
weekend -- keep it up!
I was also happy to hear that Lash Mullen, Danny Lippis, and Mark Degross are doing well and healing up -- we miss you,
& we hope that you are able to get back on the track soon.
I look forward to seeing everyone in August!
Cheers,
Wendy
www.FourwindsRoadracing.com
Pics to follow!
WMRRA Round 2 Race
Report
I had just spent two full days of driving back
from Monterey, CA, after attending the California Superbike School at Laguna Seca and at the Streets of Willow Springs. Completing all four levels of the Superbike School was worth every bit of over-time
that I've had to work to pay for it! The riding fundamentals that you learn in
each level clearly build upon each other, and the step-by-step approach they use to help you achieve your goals certainly
works! I highly recommend this school to any rider or racer looking to improve
their skills on the track and/or on the street. They have definitely made me
a more confident rider, & I'm certain that I can utilize what I have learned to become a better racer. Check out their website: http://www.superbikeschool.com
Saturday (600 Supersport): The
day's events caught everyone off guard for this race. It had just started raining,
& they had cancelled the sidecar practice & moved up the scheduled start time for our race! Thirty minutes before the start, I ran over to the Pirelli crew to get my front wheel back (which needed
a new rain tire mounted). After I scrambled to switch the suspension to my previous
rain settings, we mounted the front wheel & slapped the tire warmers on to try to get some heat into the tires. As the whistle blew, I realized that I had not drained the race fuel from the tank. I normally run 92 Octane fuel with a bit of R110 in the rain -- I don't want the extra power that the race
fuel mix has. Since we ran out of time, the plan was to "just be careful." Ha! Likewise, I did not have any time
to switch my helmet visor to the clear shield -- I figured it wouldn't be that big of an issue. At the start of the race, I was gridded in the 6th row -- I got a good start, but I couldn't see anything
going into Turn One. I decided to hang back a bit till the chaos settled. After the first few turns, I started to get around some folks. However, the dark visor was a mistake -- it was a guessing game in trying to see where I was going. Likewise, it felt as if the back of the bike was struggling for grip. Just after the halfway point, I was somewhere between 7th & 8th place.
Coming into Turn 3, I tried to pass another rider on the outside. Just
as we were exiting, I probably gave it "a bit" too much gas, & the backend spun all the way around to my left, the handlebars
went to full lock, & I must have inadvertently closed the throttle. The next
thing I knew, I was tossed into the air! This was my first ever highside (I've
managed to save a number of previous "almost" highsides in the past). It's funny
just how many thoughts come to your mind once you are in the air. Before I slammed
into the ground, I recalled thinking, "Oh no! Not again! Now my grid position is gonna be even worse," as well as, "There goes the new Akrapovic exhaust system
I just scored for such a great deal on Ebay," and finally, "This one is gonna hurt!"
I thought I felt my helmet rack the ground with a loud THUD! However,
it must have been my body, because the helmet ended up without a scratch on it. After
sliding & tumbling a bit, I came to a stop, got my bearings, & stumbled off into the infield. I noticed the poor GSXR laying on its side on the track, but I figured it was too dangerous to try and
rescue it. One by one, everyone kept going by.... I tossed my gloves in deep
frustration and I thought, "I've never crashed so much...what is going on?" I
would have to figure it out back in the pits. RESULT: DNF (Crash)
Unfortunately, I had to skip 750 Supersport. I would have enjoyed my best grid position so far this year if I had started -- second
row, 1st rider on the left. There was only one race in between this race and
the previous, and they could not get the bike back to the pits until the end of the 650 Supersport race (too many folks had
crashed & the tow trucks were full). Once the GSXR arrived, we unloaded it
to assess the damage. Brandon Bones said he watched it flip several times. The damage proved this as well. The windscreen
was shattered, the fairing stay was smashed downward, the tops of the forks were scuffed, the tank was scuffed, both handlebars
were bent, one frame-saver was destroyed, the clutch lever was broken, the right rear-set was broken, the transponder was
smashed into about 20 pieces, the exhaust can was crushed in, & the bodywork had damage to all sides. Sigh... The rider -- I was a bit sore everywhere, but not
too bad. I'd get a little dizzy if I moved too fast, & a headache was forming. One thing I noticed was that I'd be talking about something, & then I'd just completely
lose my train of thought in mid-sentence. Furthermore, when I was working on
the bike, I'd get started on some task, drop it for a second, and then forget what I was just doing! Luckily, I had Dave Alexander, Brandon Knowles, & the Eastside Motosports crew to help get the bike
back together. Once again, they saved the day!
THANK YOU! Furthermore, Joni Larned offered up lodging, dinner, and moral
support overnight in her motor home -- it was probably not a good idea to drive back to Seattle anyway that night. THANK YOU, JONI!
Sunday (600 Superbike): I woke
up initially feeling like a freight train had hit me, but after a couple of Naproxen, I could get around in the pits okay. I took a hacksaw to the tops of my forks in order to cut enough of a groove to allow
a screwdriver in to manipulate the rebound dampening adjusters. After Dave Alexander
fixed a case cover that was leaking a bit, I went out for practice to see if the bike at least rode in a straight line &
ran okay. Well, it did, but something just wasn't right. It felt like the throttle tube had moved -- the "throttle on" position had changed, & I just couldn't
adjust to it. We checked everything related to the throttle, but nothing seemed
to be broken or malfunctioning. We made a couple more adjustments, & I went
out again -- same problem. I had almost decided to just call it quits & start
packing up. In my mind, I had already done enough damage for the weekend, &
I didn't want to run the chance of completely yard-saling the bike, thus ending my season financially sunk. However, Danny Lippis & John Lippis decided to sit me down & work through my doubts. They went over to the bike & carefully measured where the handlebars sat - the right side was quite
a bit out of alignment, & both of them were bent down. After lining things
up properly, they encouraged me to get back in the saddle & get the seat time that I SORELY needed. Ending the season short like last year would not accomplish anything -- you can take all of the schooling
you want, but it won't help you much unless you have the seat time to practice what you have learned.
This time, I was gridded in the middle of the
first row on the second wave. It just killed me to see the first wave take off
& get away -- I wasn't used to being in the second wave. As the seconds began
to tick by, I almost couldn't take it anymore! As the engine started to scream
& the clutch started to slip.... we were off! To my surprise, I managed to
take the holeshot.... in the second wave (yeah, big deal). I finally caught the
back of the first wave of riders somewhere between Turns 4 & 5 on the first lap.
After a couple of laps, I managed to pass a few folks. Just after the
halfway point, I decided to simply finish the race. I was already worn out (probably
after the weekend's get-off), and I felt like I was trying to hard but going slower & making more mistakes. Finally, the checkered flag flew and I finished unscathed. RESULT: 15th. Best Time: 1.32.7
Once again, I'd like to thank everyone who helped
out over the race weekend -- the Eastside Motosports crew & fellow racers for lending a hand in the pits with the wheel
swaps, tire warmers, & stands; Mike Tobin & his wife for providing the food; Dave Alexander & Brandon Knowles
for helping to piece the GSXR back together AGAIN; John & Danny Lippis for the words of encouragement & the final
handlebar adjustments (IT WORKED); & Joni Larned for providing a warm place to stay & a some yummy food on Saturday
night!
After thinking about what had gone wrong in the
past two rain races, I went back through my notes to find out that we had switched to a stiffer rear spring after the 2007
rain races. I never had a chance to test & re-adjust my settings for the
rain after we made the swap. I'm assuming that since the backend of the bike
has been the big problem so far, we just might need to soften things up a bit for the next rain race. Furthermore, the engine is getting freshened up & all the broken & bent items will be fixed by
the next round (Thanks to Dave Alexander)! I hope to see everyone in June!
Cheers,
Wendy Kristen Leber
2008 WMRRA Round One Race Report
I had decided over
the winter that the primary focus for the 2008 season would be to improve myself as a rider without the help of updated machinery. The 2005 GSXR600 is capable of pulling quicker lap times than I had run on it in 2006,
& I was hoping to get some seat time this season to do just that. Furthermore,
I would not focus so much on where I finished in any one event this year. If
the season proved successful, I could then hopefully justify the tremendous financial burden of a new race bike for 2009. We did nothing to the 2005 motor throughout the winter. However, we did have to replace the transmission (with a mostly new one from Dave Lannigan -- THANKYOU)
& we installed a new clutch.
Friday (Adrenaline
Freaks Trackday): -- It was practice in the snow for the first time! Aside
from the tires never keeping temperature on the cold track, the conditions were much like a regular rain practice -- except
for not being able to see due to snowflakes piling up on my visor. A few times,
I had to pull off of the track because I could not feel my fingers & toes anymore!
The bike seemed to be working fine until the end of my second session in the morning -- I pulled into the pits after
the idle started to climb higher & higher out on the track. Just as I reached
my pit area, the bike revved to the MOON -- I frantically hit the kill switch! Luckily,
with the help of Dave Alexander & John Lippis, we managed to narrow it down to a loose fuel pump electrical connection
(the fastener was broken). After we zip-tied it back on, the bike never had this
problem again. EEEEKK!
Saturday (WMRRA
750 Supersport): I was gridded on the 5th row, so I knew that the start &
Turn 1 would be a challenge in the rain. My goal was to stay upright & be
smooth. From the start to the finish, I could barely see anything with the amount
of rain & spray from the track. The bike did the normal slip/grip/slip/grip
through Turn 2 & 9. However, I enjoyed the added thrill of a consistent &
violent front wheel & back wheel shake down the front and back stretch each lap when I hit standing water -- I tried to
stay loose because I knew that I'd get tossed if I held on tight to the handlebars.
A few times, the rear tire stepped out considerably in Turn 6, but it would eventually recover. I LOVE riding in the rain! It definitely tests your ability
to be smooth in every input you make with the bike. RESULT: 6th Place
Saturday (WMRRA
600 Supersport): I started this race on the 3rd row, but the weather was
not improving -- the track remained very cold, & the rain continued. Unfortunately,
I did not get a very good start this time, so I had quite a few folks in front of me for the first lap. By the 8th lap, I managed to work my way up to 8th place. I
tested the limits of my braking coming into Turn 3 by almost tucking the front with the bike straight up! After the rear tire had stepped out once or twice in Turn 6, I knew I needed to be very careful with applying
the gas through this section (several riders were already down in the corner). This
time, I had just barely tipped into Turn 6 when the rear tire stepped out & just kept on going. The next thing I knew, I was sliding on my back, hoping to not hit the hillside or get tangled with the
bike. As soon as I slid into the grass, I started tumbling -- by the time I stopped,
my visor & leathers were completely covered in mud. Once the track was clear,
I ran to the other side to get out of the impact zone. GRRRR!!! Things were going
so well until then! I was very angry & frustrated with myself -- but that's
racing. You try to learn from your mistakes & move on. After we hosed all of the mud off of the bike, we added up the damage -- the exhaust can was significantly
crushed at the front, the right clip-on was bent, one of the case covers would need to be replaced, and the bodywork would
need some major duct-tape work on the right side. RESULT: DNF (CRASH)
With the help of
Danny & John Lippis, their crew, Eric Stanton, & Ryan Parker, we got the bike patched up & running within two
hours! I found out just what the Eastside Motosports Team was made of this weekend! Without their help, I would have not been able to race on Sunday -- you guys ROCK!!
Sunday (WMRRA
600 Superbike): Today would be a dry but cold race -- I was gridded on the
last row of the first wave this time. At the start, I did not make up as much
ground as I wanted too, but I ended up in a battle with two of my own teammates for several laps. This was A LOT of FUN! However, the bike felt noticeably down
on power when running down the front & back stretch -- it normally would wheelie over the rise on the back stretch, even
without race fuel -- this time it wouldn't. On lap 6, I managed to get an open
track & I started to pull away, but the red flag came out and they decided to end the race. RESULT: 15th Place
Despite the rough
beginning to the weekend, I was very happy with the end results. It's great to
get back into racing after such a long break. I'm hoping to get more seat time
this year to work on the goals I did not have a chance to pursue last season. The
bike will need a new exhaust -- after taking the entire system off, I found a hole in the canister that was pushing some of
the packing out. However, everything should be back together in time for Round
2.
Once again, I would
like to thank everyone that helped to get my bike back together during this past race weekend!
Words really can't express how much I appreciated the support you guys provided.
Likewise, I'd like to thank Dave Alexander for his work over the winter to make the bike ready for 2008 -- he's helped
to keep the GSXR running strong, & he's simply made the suspension WORK. Furthermore,
I can't forget Tyson & Mike with Pirelli -- they provided outstanding service & fantastic tires! Finally, I'd like to thank EVERY ONE of my sponsors this year for helping to make this season happen. Racing would not be a reality without their support.
THANK YOU!!
Cheers,
Wendy
Update (10/16/07): Now that the 2007 WMRRA season has
come to an end, I'd like to congratulate Eli Edwards for winning the overall #1 plate! Furthermore, congratulations
to Mike Sullivan & Ross Delong for breaking the Pacific Raceways & Spokane Raceway Park's track records multiple times!
Finally, congratulations goes out to all of the class & overall winners this season, as well as to everyone who had a
great year -- it was exciting to watch so many folks improve tremendously throughout each round. To the volunteer
& race-day staff -- words cannot express how much we appreciate your hard work -- without you, we simply cannot race!
I look forward to re-joining everyone in the racing action in 2008! Have a great off-season!
Update (8/13/07):
After thinking about my goals & plans for next season, I've come to the decision to keep the
current race bike for 2008. When time & money permit, I'll have the transmission looked over a bit closer (if needed,
replace gears & shifting forks), & I'll address the front brake issues as well. Aside from this, the engine,
suspension, & tires were working great at the start of the year. The bike is capable of going faster
than I have gone on it - I never gave it a chance this year. Thus, my primary goal for next season (once again)
is to work with the tools that I have to become a better rider.
2007 WMRRA Round 3 & 4 Race Report
We had such a great start to the 2007 WMRRA season, & my plans were to keep the momentum
going for the rest of the year. However, I hit some sizable potholes along the way!
Round 3 (Spokane Raceway Park): I had a successful few testing sessions at
the Mike Sullivan Track School on Friday - the suspension & gearing seemed to be working well. The rest of the time was
devoted to instructing several students. It’s enjoyable helping folks improve on their riding skills, & I’m
always excited & pleased when they are able to reach their goals at the end of the day.
On Sunday, I set out to grid for the 600 Superbike race. Due to a poor start, I ended up spending
a considerable amount of time trying to get around a lot of folks. I eventually found myself behind a racer who was starting
to fall off of the pace, so I went for an inside pass coming into a high-speed corner, but he turned in anyway. In efforts
to keep from hitting him, I was forced to run off of the track -- I went down hard. The corner workers said that after tumbling
for quite a ways, I landed (unconscious) in the infield by the grandstands - after a couple of minutes I came to. Luckily,
I suffered no broken bones & the bike had only minor damage. However, they were not going to let me start the 600 Supersport
race after suffering a concussion. Thus, I spent the rest of the day cleaning up the bike & eventually heading back to
Seattle.
Round 4 (Pacific Raceways): The Adrenaline Freaks Trackday was very similar to
my previous outings. The beginning of the morning was used to shake out the race bike in efforts to make sure it did not have
any major problems from the crash in Spokane. After this, I was able to devote my time to helping other riders. At one point
during the day, a friend of mine was generous enough to let me borrow his Triumph Speed Triple for several sessions –
this bike was a blast! It had quite a bit more torque & surprisingly better breaks than my own race bike!
On Saturday, we were all reminded as to why we like Seattle so much. Our 6 Hour Northwest Endurance
Race would be enjoyed in the pouring rain! My team decided to run intermediate tires on our Suzuki SV650 (this was our only
option for the size of rims we had) – all the other teams were running full rain tires. Despite my lack of experience
on twins, they wanted me to start the race. We had no time to get any practice, & the tires would need to be broken in.
I went out for the sighting lap only to come back around & find that there were no other riders on the grid. As I pulled
into the pits, one of my teammates yelled, "Just go – the race has already started!" Thinking that we now had a great
advantage, I frantically took off. However, the bike began to sporadically bog & surge after one lap. Once I returned
to the pits, we spent the rest of the race trying to figure out the problem – we eventually came to the conclusion that
it was a faulty ignition coil. Despite the frustrating day, I actually had a few laps to learn how to steer the bike with
it sideways due to the wet track conditions. Though you could only push it so far with the intermediate tires, the experience
was great fun!
On Sunday, I was excited to get back out on the track for another battle in 600 Supersport, but
I was forced to end the day early due to not feeling well & literally being HALF-ASLEEP on the starting grid. This
has been an ongoing issue since I started racing again in 2005. My hopes are to work out more time off before race weekends
in order to get myself used to being awake during the daytime (my current job hours are 7pm-7:30am). Though I was disappointed
in the idea of not getting a chance to race, I tried to keep in mind that the July round in Spokane was not far away...
Unfortunately, after adding up the costs of the season so far, I had to come to a very difficult
decision to end the racing efforts for 2007 due a number of financial, insurance, & work-related barriers. However, this
decision does not involve canceling events planned outside of the remaining WMRRA competition dates. I will continue to represent
& promote my sponsors with the following activities for the rest of the year:
*All remaining Adrenaline Freaks Trackday Events for 2007 as an instructor & track marshal
(including the 2-Day Miller Motorsports Park Event in Utah)
*Mike Sullivan's Race School (Women's Event) as a guest instructor
*All Eastside Motorsports Promotional Events & Open House Days
*All Seattle Cycle Center Open House Days
*The Alki Sportbike Show & Northwest Harvest Food Drive
*Remaining WMRRA dates as a volunteer corner worker or pit crew for Eastside Motorsports
Along with the activities noted above, I am currently working towards having the finances for a
new race bike next season. Furthermore, I plan to spend quite a bit more time with off season training by actually
getting some saddle time learning how to ride in the dirt. However, my primary goal is to have the funding
for a full racing effort with WMRRA and/or several rounds of the WERA West Series in 2008.
I would like to thank all of my sponsors for their outstanding support this season! It is my goal
to continue to seek out promotional opportunities & to provide excellent representation for my sponsors for the remainder
of the season, and for 2008 as well.
I will continue to post updates on the events currently scheduled & on any further developments
for next year. I'm looking forward to a successful 2008 season with the help of the fantastic organizations already supporting
Fourwinds Roadracing, and with the assistance of some new sponsors coming aboard soon!
Sincerely,
Wendy Kristen Leber
www.FourwindsRoadracing.com
2007 WMRRA Round 2 Race Report
Pre-Race Weekend: There was always a good reason why I did not leave myself
with too much to do the night before a trackday - and the Sunday NESBA trackday reminded me of this. I came home from
a 12 hour night shift on Saturday morning - I spent the whole day working on the bike (accidently dropping the bike off of
the jack stand and onto my front forks -- ooops), paying bills, & losing my mind by making very stupid
decisions. I went to bed at 9:30pm & woke up at midnight -- never really falling back to sleep until it was
time to get up and go to the track.....
The plan was to make use of the needed track time & try to figure out the new gearing.
I had decided to go quite a bit taller in efforts to reduce my gear changes around the track, & to fix the problem
of having the bike bounce off of the rev limiter well before I turned it into Turn One. The first two sessions
were spent making sure the bike & forks were okay after my mishap the day before. I took a nap during lunch
time (BAD IDEA). When I woke up, I never REALLY woke up. During the first session after lunch, I got the front
wheel to come up gradually out of the busstop by not getting on the gas very hard. When I decided to get on the
gas harder (as I would in a race), the front wheel came up so fast that the windscreen smacked my helmet!! Thus, I chopped
the throttle & lost my drive. Poop. After making a lot of mistakes, I started to get the feeling that I'm
too dangerous to be out there - so, I pulled in, and with reservation, packed it up & went home. Initially, I thought,
"great, another $200 down the drain & no real track time." However, I came to the conclusion with the help of others
(including Rick of SB Motosports), that it is better to hang it up then to toss it and pay another $1000+ from a crash.
WMRRA Round 2 Saturday Practice: Before Saturday, I decided
to go back to my original gearing until I had more time to get used to the taller gearing that I had tried during
the NESBA trackday. Reason being - if I couldn't control the wheelies out of the busstop, it would REALLY mess
up my drive down the front stretch. Dave Alexander had made some considerable suspension changes during the two practice
sessions, and the front-end headshake started to get better. Before Sunday, I dropped down another tooth in the
rear sprocket, & we made another big suspension change to the front end. I would have to test it all with
one semi-flying lap on Sunday morning before the sprint races.
600 Superbike: After 3 laps of practice, the bike felt fine - nothing
extreme was happening with the front end. For the race, I managed a great start & I hung on to 5th or 6th
place into Turn 2. Then I proceeded to get my butte whipped by every fast guy from present to recent past that decided
to show up this weekend! After spending the first several laps trying WAY TO HARD (which does nothing but cause
you to make mistakes & slow you down), I wore myself out & the lap times eventually showed it.
Results: 15th out of 45, Best lap time: 1.31.9
Despite dropping the rear sprocket one tooth, the bike still bounced off of the rev limiter before
reaching Turn One on each lap during the race. I thought about cutting the chain & switching to the gearing I was
trying for the NESBA day, but this would leave me with no time to get used to the change (a big change in shift points &
dealing with the busstop exit).
Instead, I decided to pack it up & work on a major attitude adjustment over the next
few weeks. With all things considered, I realized that maybe I was expecting too much too soon. It was pointed
out that my lap times are a bit faster than they were at this point last season. Though it is only a small improvement
compared to where I really want to be, it is at least a start.
Thus, I've decided to cough up the money for another track day at Pacific Raceways because the
track time is sorely needed. I'll give the considerably taller gearing a try again, and I'll continue to work on tweaking
the suspension. Furthermore, I need to not forget to practice the body positioning tips learned over the winter (practice
will make it second nature eventually).
Despite my decision to cut the weekend short, I'm feeling more confident about the rest of the
season. I can't find the words to express just how much I appreciated the re-assuring words of John & Dan Lippis,
Brenda & Tom Wertman, & Dave Alexander. They have really helped me to put things into the right perspective,
and to regain focus on what's most important at this level of club racing. Once again, I'd like to thank everyone in
the Eastside Motorsports pits for all of their help over the weekend.
I hope to see everyone in Spokane!!
Cheers,
Wendy
2007 WMRRA Round 1 Race Report
Friday (3/30/07): The plans for the Adrenaline Freaks Trackday
included working on some dry track set-up changes with the new 425lb rear spring that Dave Alexander installed
that morning. I was eager to get things going early, so I went out on nicely warmed DOTs for the first session. My
plans ended abruptly when I came up on another rider on the first lap of the first session in Turn 6. He tucked
his front wheel and went down right in front of me -- his body & his bike covered every inch of an escape
route that I could have taken -- unfortunately, I had no way to avoid him - I ended up hitting his
leg or the bike (not sure which), and I instantly tucked my front wheel & went down as well. After the tumbling
stopped, I tried to get up but the wind was knocked out of me - after a minute or so, I was able to get off of the
track. On the way back to the pits in the ambulance, my right shoulder began to hurt a bit worse than it did initially.
Likewise, I bruised up both of the insides of my knees on something from getting launched off of the bike.
Aside from all of this, I felt terrible for hitting the other rider - I should have stayed
a bit further back because I did not know him. Luckily, he was okay. So, a good majority of the day was spent
cleaning out the airbox & bike of dirt, soil, and broken bits. We managed to ziptie & duct tape the bodywork
up enough to pass tech inspection for the next day. I ended up running one session in the dry and two
sessions in the wet to shake the bike out - making sure it still road in a straight line, etc.
I apologize to those who may have wanted some instruction from me during the day - I promise
to make it up to everyone at the next Adrenaline Freaks Trackday.
Saturday (3/31): I discovered that with enough Ibuprofen,
Icy Hot, and adrenaline, I didn't notice my shoulder too much while riding. However, John Lippis ended up putting a
piece of tape with "please don't touch me here" on my right shoulder after he was the third person to whack me in that spot
during the day! Unfortunately, he joined the "Ice, Elevation, Compression, & Ibuprofen Team" as well after his crash
on Saturday! After a bit of rain practice in the morning, I realized that the 750SS race would be in the dry, and that
I had forgotten my race fuel. Ooops! So I ran around the pits trying to find some Outlaw to mix with 92 Octane
- I was unsuccessful. I ended up going with 1/2 92 Octane & 1/2 U4. Right before the race, I noticed that
the bike hesitated on the throttle a bit, but I wasn't too concerned (I use the 750SS race more for practice).
I was fortunate to get a front row grid position, but I completely blew it! The starter
tripped the light sooner than I had expected, and I was looking down when everyone took off! In a fit of panic, I grabbed
a handful of throttle and the front wheel launched into outerspace (of course). For the first time, I think I found
the balance point since it floated there for quite awhile...but I panicked because now I couldn't steer! So I cut
the throttle and down she went...then more folks flew by...I panicked again....and up she went...(you would think I would
have known better by now)! By the time I entered Turn 2, well over half the pack was in front of me. Poop!
After awhile, I managed to break out of one group, and I started to make significant ground on the next, but as soon as I
almost reached them, the bike began to have shifting troubles - it wouldn't go into 3rd or 6th without multiple
attempts (via kicking the shift pedal hard). It did this quite a few times. By the end of the race, I was about
one wheel's-length behind 13th place at the line.
750Supersport Results: 14th Place
Sunday (4/1/07): Today was a day full of more running around in the pits
looking for parts & making some suspension changes. Dave Alexander decided to crack the clutch case cover to see
if an internal shift linkage bolt had come loose - it had not. We then realized that the entire shift pedal assembly
& all of its parts were considerably loose (they had a lot of "slop"). After I ran to Homie's pits for a new
shift arm (thanks, Homie!), we tightened everything up as much as possible. We knew the clutch was okay because Dave
had looked at it over the winter. However, if this didn't fix it, we would have to consider possibly replacing some
gears & shift forks ( = $$$ that I don't have).
600Supersport: This was going to be a rain race. Once again, I was
lucky to be on the front row. My goal was to pay more attention to the starter this time! I got a decent
start, but I was gridded second from the right - since I didn't bother to push my way over to the left, I got pinched
off in Turn One - thus, I had to roll off the throttle for a second, & a few folks went by. However, I managed to
make up ground on the drive out of Turn 2 & into Turn 3. At this point (to my complete surprise), I realized I was
right behind Mike Sullivan - and he was in fourth place. After a few laps, the first two racers took off as Mike &
I had to avoid a crash in the busstop. The entire time I kept thinking, "this is unreal....and don't blow it!"
There was a point where I thought about trying to pass him, and the opportunity presented itself, but I came to the decision
to stay right where I was. Why? Nobody was behind us, he would have blown past me down the front or back stretch
anyway (time for some gearing changes), and I was learning so much just from having the opportunity to be behind him.
600Supersport Results: 5th Place
After the race, I noted to Dave Alexander that the bike experienced a lot of headshake down the
front & back stretch, and it missed 3rd gear once (making a terrible noise when I finally got it into gear). We
made some more suspension changes, but any further work on the shifting issue would have to wait till after the weekend.
600 Superbike: On my way out to the grid, I almost crashed!
The front wheel was REALLY difficult & slow to turn - I stopped just past the Pirelli vendors and looked down
- the tire appeared to be okay....I should have yelled for some help, but I decided to continue down the pit road - the
steering felt a bit better when I picked up some speed. This time, I was gridded on the front row but to the very far
right. Once again, I didn't drift to the left like I needed to, and I had to roll off of the throttle into Turn
1, or collide with my teammate, Mike Tobin, #19. As everyone was scrambling & fighting for position into Turn
2, I hit a false neutral while trying to downshift. As I popped it into gear, I didn't match the rpms, and I nearly
highsided myself! As the bike tried to settle, I ended up drifting wide. I assumed a bunch of folks would run
up the inside of me, but they didn't. As I managed to get the bike pointed in the right direction, I rushed
down into Turn 3 in order to catch back up to the lead pack. Some of the turns were really starting to
dry out, & I noticed that the tires didn't seem to grip as well after a couple of laps - the front kept wanting to
push & the rear kept stepping out more than during the previous race. It began to rain off & on (including some
hail). At about lap 3, I almost highsided again in the busstop. Once the bike settled,
I was aimed off of the track a bit, and I ran over one of the corner cones. At this point, I looked back &
realized that there wasn't anybody terribly close. Thus, I decided to let the front pack go & back it down
a bit. As the race progressed, I kept taking a peak behind me to make sure nobody had gained significant ground.
The bike continued to slide out in the busstop & not grip as well in the corners - I thought I had fried my tires.
So I slowed down even more - I wanted to keep it upright! Finally, I crossed the line in one piece!
As I came into the pits, I almost crashed again TWICE! The bike just wouldn't steer!!
Once I got to the Eastside pits, I asked my boyfriend, Gary, if the front tire was flat - he said, "no." However, as
he tried to turn the handlebars, he found them extremely difficult to move. We thought that the steering damper
must have been accidently manipulated during some suspension changes before the race. I went back and checked my settings,
and I turned the damper back to "zero" - the front wheel moved easily. When I adjusted the damper to my original
settings, the front wheel became extremely difficult to turn again. After checking for damage to the
damper body (which there was none of), we came to the conclusion that the cold air temperature might have affected
the oil viscosity inside. Thus, we needed to check the settings & make the appropriate adjustments before
races in colder temperatures.
600Superbike Results: 7th Place
Wow! There are so many folks to thank for such a shockingly successful weekend despite
the setbacks! Both the Eastside Motorsports Team & Dave Alexander & his crew provided a tremendous amount of
help in getting the bike back together, working on the shifting problems, and making changes with the suspension. Also, I'd
like to thank: Homie - for letting me borrow a new shift arm, and John & Dan Lippis - for your words of
encouragement, and for the fuel on Saturday. Finally, I'd like to thank Gary for coming out on Sunday to help in the
pits, as well as for his much needed advice!
My mindset for this year is quite a bit different, and I'm hoping that all of the efforts over
the winter will continue to pay off throughout the season.
One final note, I would like to wish Dan & John Lippis, along with everyone else out
there that got tossed out of the saddle this weekend, a speedy recovery. It's always a challange to
get back up and fight another day, but just remember that it is a long season and we have only just begun!
Cheers,
Wendy
(Pics to Follow)
2006 Season Race Results (WMRRA)
*600 Supersport - 9th Place Overall
*600 Superbike - 11th Place Overall
*Round 1 (Pacific Raceways): 600SS - 9th, 600SBK - 12th
*Round 2 (Pacific Raceways): 600SS - 9th, 600SBK - DNS
*Round 3 (Spokane Raceway Park): Cancelled
*Round 4 (Pacific Raceways): 600SS - 10th, 600SBK - DNF (crash)
*Round 5 (Spokane Raceway Park): 600SS - 9th, 600SBK - 10th
*Round 6 (Pacific Raceways): 600SS - 9th, 600SBK - 9th
*Round 7 (Spokane Raceway Park): 600SS - 9th, 600SBK - 9th
*Round 8 (Pacific Raceways): Did Not Attend
Notice: Unfortunately, it now looks like I will not be able to attend the last round
of WMRRA Sprints in October due to financial constraints. Good luck to those who will
be racing! Have fun & keep the rubber-side down!
2006 WMRRA Round 7 Race Report:
Okay, I'm going to make this report short & sweet since it's 3:00am in the morning!
Saturday: It was confirmed on Friday that I would be doing an endurance race with
an Oregon team called "No Dignity!" This was going to be quite the informal affair since several of our members had never
ridden at Spokane Raceway Park until the day of the race! We didn't expect any earth-shattering results, but we actually
ended up 2nd in the Heavyweight class! The last time I participated in an endurance race was in Portland
in 2001. My first ride on the team's 2004 GSXR750 was during my one & only stent in the race. In
efforts to not wreck the owner's bike & to accomplish finishing the 45min run, I kept my pace at about 50%-60%.
The really fun part was using the exit of Turn 2 to launch the front end skyward for some REALLY big wheelies - it was like
finally finding that "sweet jump." My lower legs promptly fell asleep, & my left thigh cramped as soon as I came
in and took my feet off of the pegs. Now I know how the other guys felt! Needless to say, I'm very proud
of everyone on the team, & I was honored to enjoy the endurance racing experience with them. Good times were had
by all!
Sunday: I obstained from the Saturday night partying, I got plenty of sleep, &
I hydrated fairly well. In the 600 Superbike race, I was in 3rd place going into Turn 2 on the first lap -
however, I sealed my destiny with some good old-fashioned negative thinking. At the time, I thought, "Wow! I'm
not suppose to be here!" Heck, with that attitude, I should have just pulled into the pits! The tires stuck fine
- I wasn't sliding. Yet, I reverted to my defensive lines when I didn't need to - this slowed me down significantly.
After reflecting on the whole experience, I've realized that I have a great deal of "personal" work to do as a rider
over the winter...I'm pretty tired of finishing 9th. You can make excuses for your performance till the "cows
come home" - but sometimes, you just have to point the finger at yourself.
Results: 600 Supersport - 9th place, 600 Superbike - 9th place
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