Todays Race Results by China_Racer_1

[China_Racer_1]

Well I made it back in one piece. Here is how it all went down.

Rained in the AM so we went on the morning practice on rain tires. However by the time our practice heat came up it stopped raining and the track dried. So dry track + rain tires…. Not good.

So I went a bit slow but no issue just wanted to get out there and get around the track to see the condition due to the large amount of construction going on. Last few days there have been mud clogs on the track and dirt and crap. Today it was cleared up though.

Came time to get on the grid at 2:15 PM. I went up to the #10 spot where I knew I was supposed to be on the grid. The officials said no go to the back. I argued that yesterday I was confirmed in #10 Spot.

I went to the back after a futile argument and called over my team manager. He went and talked to them. They finally admitted they screwed up. However we were all on the grid in our spots and they said to bad he has to start form there because we don’t want to change everyone now.

So I was on the exact last row with a rider on either side of me. Total 25 bikes on the starting grid. I was pissed of to say the least.

So at that point when I could see there was nothing I could do about it I simply accepted it and concentrated on my race plan and lowering my personal best race time which was a 1:17.89. I also told my self to go kick ass and pass as many of these guys as I could to at least give a fair showing to the 15 or so friends that were there to support me.

They al wondered why I was in the back as well since I told them I was grid spot #10. Oh well.

The warm up lap came. I had put tire warmers on the bike, as it was a bit cool form the morning rain. My warm up lap was good and I made sure I pushed it to get the heat back up from sitting idle on the grid. I gave no second thought to tire heat or if they would hold first lap. I knew I was good to go.

My position on the grid was second form the left last row. The flag dropped and I hit it hard. Wheel got light but not off the ground. One of my better starts. I cut right as since I knew the up coming hairpin left turn would be jammed on the inside. I went right – outside and immediately passed 4 riders. Game on.

The rest of the race was a bit of a blur really other than I passed every Mo-Fo I could. If I saw them I caught them and passed them. All I knew when I finished was I had passed a bunch of riders. At least on per lap. No one passed me but one guy and I re passed him and never saw him again.

I was relaxed, calculated and enjoyed the race. After waiting to see where I was since I had no clue who was a back marker and who was not I got the final result.

I pulled off a 6th place form starting in 23rd on the grid. My best lap time was 1:16.47 thats about 1.5 seconds better than last time on a 1.2 mile-14 turn track, so no ill feelings about that. Thats a lot of time I think to drop on such a short track.

So I felt pretty damned good about that. The first place guy was doing a 1:15.68. #5 rider had a best time of 1:17 32, but he was grid in spot #3.

I was about 3 bike lengths behind the #5 rider at teh checkered flag so a few more turns I might have caught him but alas that’s racing I ran out of laps ha ha.

Overall I feel pretty good with my performance. I really ticked off a lot of riders as I stuffed them in the corners but that’s all about racing her. No holds bar and go for the throat so no one complained.

Well that’s it. Showered up and ready to go eat like a starving Ethiopian.

Oh I have pictures on the way so give me about 24 hours I will post them here on this thread. Also they put a camera on my bike so I will get footage of me passing some of these guys. Not sure if it will be on you tube or what but I will let you know.

Update - I called the team manager and he said the footage did nt come out. Maybe a bad memory card or something. Bummer I whould have had some good on baord passing footage too. Crap!

[ShogunTX]

Bummer on the footage

[YAM93]

hey, like i always say, after a race if you and your bike come out in 1 piece, it's been a pretty good race. Nothing wrong with 6th. Only bad position really is DNF.

[yamaha_george]

Steve ,
with out the pro's that is a 4th from the last row, had you started in 10th spot you would have been on the podium
Well done

[cad600]

Way to go man. 23rd to 6th. Keep it up.

[ragedigital]

Good job! I agree you would have hit the podium if it wasn't for the knuckleheads working the grid...

darrin

[haunter]

nice work dude!!!!

[China_Racer_1]

I think if I started 10th on the grid I would have gotten the podium as well. However the 6th I got did not count the two cherry pickers, to be honest.

They were disqualified the moment they crossed the start line for being pros and steppinig down a level doing what they did.

They were ther for exebision only for the sake of honda. But man they had some nice HRC bikes far far from stock that were SCREAMERS and I hate Hondas. So not as good as you may have persieved.

Still I think I did ok. Passing that many riders in jsut 12 laps on such a short track was a real work out. I slid her a bit here and there and stuffed the living crap out of a few overly aggresive riders. Nothing like going under someone and being able to rub elbows he he he I made a few riders stand up mid turn ...opps

OMG then I found a new local mall just opened up and they have subway sandwich shop like the USA. right next to a new PIZZZA HUT

I piged out there for a victory meal...ahh the quality of life just got turned up a notch. No more eel, fish head soup, pig uterus.....Subway Mmmmmmmmmmm. My daughter swore she heard the sound of angels singing when we turned the corner and saw "SUBWAY"

Ok I am still amped from the day better leave now or I will ramble on even more ha ha

[95FZR600]

Congrats! I would of put my bike in grid #10 where they told me to and not moved it until they moved everyone else. Oh well, you did what you had to do but could you imagine starting where you were supposed to? You may have won or atleast been on the podium.

[Luke-a-Tron]

Freaking sweet! I wish the video would have come out. Just reading the story got my adrenal glands pumping.

[Fizzinatorr]

You did damn well given your circumstances

be proud.

[China_Racer_1]

My buddy sent a few pics just now


On the starting grid waiting for the show to start it is about 80% humidity and 80 degrees (F) after the morning rain. muggy and hot. My race coach and good friend Kareem Fee is in the Orange shirt directly in front of me. The other guy in the orange shirt is the Head Mechanic


Can I get any more in the back than this? The Honda to my Left is misisng a rider due to him helping bump start his buddy that was up a few rows


Another shot of me just before they cleared the track for the warm up lap. The umbrella girl was a friend of mine from Siberia Russia. I invited her due to the fact she knows a lot of high end execs that might be able to help me with Sponsorship. Not the hottest babe out there but nice looking and she thought it such a thrill being on the grid. She said she could feel the energy coming up from the track......That might have been me looking at her massive breast though ha ha.


Coming to grid position after the warm up lap. I am all consentration now - Game on (Note the lack of Run off room on this turn)





I did not even see or hear these screaming 4000-6000 fans that were present today until I pulled into the pits after the race. Only two times did my eyes go off line when a few photographers leaned out over the barrier quite far to get their shot.

To be honest when I came in the pits, people I did not know were giving me the thumbs up and clapping and I got to say that is a pretty good ego boost. But thats indicative of the race fans here. They know we are putitng it all on the line and racing is so new to China, at a regional level anyway, They are really cool and respective and looooove to take pictures with you.



After the race everyone jumped out of their leathers due to the heat. But I stuck around and posed for pics with fans for another 10 minutes and they thought was pretty cool of me 'cause they knew it was really hot.

I like posing with the kids becuase they are so jazzed to be at a race and to have a racer put them on the bike with them is a reall thrill for them. I got a few kids of my own so maybe thats why I enjoy it so much. Just a lot of fun on race day.



Flag about to drop - I only know this becaue just when the light was red and about to turn I leaned forward to keep the front end from coming up.
It worked and I hardly got the front end airborn. I rolled on the throttle and once I had my launch under control I gave her hell. The guy on my left on the red got a good start as well he and I rubbed elbows in the first turn.



We both had the same idea - let everyone jam up on the inside and since the entry from pit lane is at the exit of the turn its a bit wide so we both went to the outside to avoid the jam and get a leg up. It worked though I let up on the throttle a bit and let myself drift out and nearly hit him (Purposely). He backed off then I dropped her to first and got the front end light and took off like a bat out of hell and left him in the dust still trying to recover from the near miss.... I know how to play the game here now. Its a lot of intimidation and who has the bigger balls. Maybe its like that in the West as well, now, but here it just seems to be like that a whole lot more... real cut throat.

A bit of a blurry shot but I passed a few guys right off the bat.


This is the only action shot my buddy could get. I just passed two riders coming out of a sharp left which decreases, has a very short straight and turns into this left just before the front straight. The two in front of me I passed right after the hairpin at the end of the front straight.


Shanghai has a lot of hot looking girls. After being here so long these girls pictured, except for maybe the third from the right, are really not all that good looking by local standards.


Ok I have a few more pics on the way from other friends in a day or two

[95FZR600]

Very good kid. When is your next race?

[China_Racer_1]

Very good kid. When is your next race?

Kid? ha ha I just turned 46 years old. But thanks for teh compliment.

Next race is either the last week of October or the first week of November.

Hoping to be on my own bike Spyder and I have been working on. the FZR400/YZF

[95FZR600]

Very good kid. When is your next race?

Kid? ha ha I just turned 46 years old. But thanks for teh compliment.

Next race is either the last week of October or the first week of November.

Hoping to be on my own bike Spyder and I have been working on. the FZR400/YZF

Were all kids at heart.