I’ll be attending the 2-Fast track day on September 23rd. This is the last 2-Fast event of the year, and I scrounged up enough money to do it. I haven’t been on the track since June, so I’ve really been wanting to get out and get one last track day in.
Hope to see ya’ll out there!
After much time sitting around, deliberating over it, and putting the scenarios in my head, while staring into the nothingness, I have decided to wrap things up and call it a year.
We all know track day and race attendances are down this year, due to the sluggish “economy”. Some good friends of mine decided to take the year off, others lost their jobs early on, and were not able to make it out this year. Myself? Everything seemed fine, and I had put aside a bit of play money for this year, enough to last a few months, knowing I could make up the rest of what was needed by the time I ran out of that.
But, like more times than not, things didn’t go as planned.
Earlier this year, I was hit with a pay decrease, but I still had my job. I realized at that point, I was going to have to really cut back in order to continue to enjoy this sport.
So I moved out of my place I was living in, got a roommate, and figured all would be good.
A couple miscalculations here, a couple of blunders there, and here I am.
It has been an amazing season for me really. I enjoyed every day of it, even the slight “mishap” I had during round 4.
Along with this, I have decided to sale the track bike, which is a “very” hard decision for me as I had originally planned on keeping it for eternity.
The Bike that Ebay Built, a name that it was coined by some friends of mine, after I had made the decision to build it piece by piece from ebay auctions. It started with a frame, than a swing-arm and rear shock. Next came front forks, and a front wheel, than a rear wheel, finally an engine. It went together, it roared to life, and it put a smile on my face knowing I accomplished everything I set out to do. The first day I took it out on the track I was filled with fear. Fear that I may have “Missed” something, after spending 8 months of scouring ebay, and piecing it together.
That first lap went by, than another, than another. The day went on, and I had the biggest smile on my face.
Just over a year later, I never would have dreamed I’d be making this decision, but there are more important things financially I must tend to now.
My ultimate goal is to be back out next year. I hope that I can get everything squared away, and feel comfortable that I can purchase, or who knows, build another bike to be out for the first race of 2010. Or who knows, maybe be back out on an 07 R6, as my Street Bike is just that. I just don’t know at this stage.
For those interested in the track bike who may read this, feel free to email me at memclane at gmail dot com.
07 R6 – Stock Engine, Stock Exhaust, Armour Bodies Body Work, ASV Levers, Motobits Rear Sets, SBS Dual Carbon Front Pads, an extra set of wheels, spare frame, spare swingarm, spare subframe, spare triple clamp, spare radiator, spare airbox, spare throttle bodies, pitbull front and rear stands, yade yade Too much to continue listing. I’ll have a For Sale up soon :p
I would like to thank everyone who came out and supported me this last year, as well as Troy of Pennell Powersports/Bridgestone. Also a big thanks to Mark of 2-Fast and his crew, as well as Mario with Adrenaline Freaks and his crew. Both these local guys put on amazing track days for us, and we are fortunate to have them.
Until Next Year,
Michael McLane #812 (The Fat Lazy Bastard)
#812 Michael McLane Turn 8 Pacific Raceways - June 3rd, 2009
There are certain things, that once I try it, I must absolutely continue to feed the addiction.
Coffee
Smoking
Track Riding
Etc…
This last weekend at ORP, I got hooked on a new addiction, one, that I must feed.
I am talking about, motards…
Now, I’ve ridden friends motards before, but only on the street.
JD Decided he was going to take his Motard down with us to ORP. This would be an excellent idea, as ORP is a tight and technical track where these types of shenanigans can take place.
JD went out his first session, came back with a huge smile on his face. It was over, he knew what he liked out there already without taking the CBR out.
The day went on, and every session he’d come back, he’d have a bigger and bigger grin on his face.
Finally… He let me take it out..
And that was it, my weekend was ruined. He gave me the first dose for free, 1 session out on it the whole weekend. Every time I went out on my R6 after that, I just kept thinking about the Motard.
Even though it is only a WR250X, I had more fun on it, than I could have on the 600, due to the track configuration. On top of that, it just was a fricken blast.
I now want one
I now desperately seek one
I now will be in more debt
I now must restrain myself from spending money on one
I now must have one though!
le sigh
#812 coming out of Turn 14 at ORP Clockwise - Photo courtesy XQSME Photography (Ben)
Well, What a wonderful weekend spent in Oregon!
Myself and my buddy JD, had signed up for the Oregon Raceway Park, two day extravaganza with 2-Fast May 16th and 17th about 2 months prior to the actual date. We had been wanting to ride this track since the first bit of blacktop went down on it.
So what can I say?
Meh…
The track is good, still needs some work, and I am not just talking facilities.
For starters, just for track itself, they really need to get a roller out there on a damned hot day, and re roll the seams. They can really screw you up going into corners or exiting corners.
Secondly, there is a couple corners going counter clockwise, that just completely and utterly screw you up, and destroy the flow of the track. Throw in the multiple blind rises, and you have yourself some problems.
Clockwise, flows much better, and there is not that break up in the flow as bad. It also does not have the blind rise problem like CCW does.
Personally, I loved Turn 15 in CW (Turn 1, CCW). It is a pretty high speed slight bend, that you drag knee without much effort.
All in all, with running it cw and ccw, I was able to get my knee down in every corner.
The Half Pipe is awesome, especially in CCW. It’s just a blast.
I took my buddies Motard out, and all I can say is, that deserves its own post. I think I found a new love!
