Same concept, different flavor.

One of the major trips in the 2007 Team Xcedrin calendar is a trip to the Mid-Ohio Motorsports Course. Since only SportbikeTrackTime offer date there, aside from WERA and CCS. Having taken the racing option in 2006 we opted to try track days this year. Sportbike Track Time had a weekend in April date and we all signed up for it. This is the first time in a while that the whole team was assembled for the event. With all our fees paid, thanks Jack, we were set to roll. Funny how after doing this for close to 10 years that a new track still brings added excitement to us and feed the need to explore new tracks. With travel plans made by Jack, since he's got a million Marriot points and we only need to borrow a few for our hotel stays we are all set. We'd be towing along the camper to act as a kitchen, storage and trailer for a bikes and gear. Last on the list of the gather spot to load up at and leave from. Mike's shop will act as stop number one in the loading process. Mike and Craig's bike were there and I stopped by with my gear to load there. Jack bike was at Craig's for a new lower to be fitted a week or so before and my bikes was waiting with Jack's also as I’m in between vehicles at this time. With everything loaded at Mike's shop Craig and Jack head over for stop #2 to load Jack's and my bike and get Craig's gear loaded. Mike and I head off to his house to wait for Jack that night and Craig will be by in the morning. Jack arrives a hour or so later.

The overnight thunder storms rolled through the area making Craig's morning drive to meet us at Mike house rather interesting. With the team ready to depart and head west. Jack has a new GPS system that we open up and get all setup. Hotel and track addresses punched in and the system calculates the path west. With a few stops along the way the trip goes by fast. With our destination as Independence Ohio, just outside of Cleveland, in close we pull up a few local restaurants on the GPS and arrive at the hotel and check in. We settle in with alot of time to spare. After a hour or so we head out to a local steak house recommended by the hotel desk, not the person at the desk but the actual desk, Ohio has talking desks which only come with Marriot points along with the massage when we return form dinner but that's a different story. Before leaving the hotel we ask for cones to block off a few spots for the truck since we'll be leaving the camper in the hotel lot. As we unhitch out come the hotel gopher boy with the cones. We explain what we need and the kid misses the point. As we pull out we rearrange the cones as needed and head out. Dominic’s makes some great food and we return, hook the trailer back up and head in for some rest. A quick stop in the lobby for some drinks and snacks and we head up to the rooms for the night. Craig runs through the list of movies and selects one for the night. Later we head off to dream for nice weather and a great track day.

Since the track is about an hour and half away but our track event does not start until afternoon. STT got to share the track with the Dart Kart club to save on expenses and pass the savings along to us. Plus with the light rain and cooler temps the karts dried the track for us. We arrive at the track about noon and get in line for registration. A process only Craig is familiar with since the rest of us are coaches and are usually on the other end of this process. Once registered we get our garage assignment and unload get the bikes teched we prepare for the day. Some fellow TPM members, Gregg White (aka: White Meat) share our garage with Glen Halfhide, Bill Deal and Glen friend Allen in the garage next to us. We catch up on life with everyone. About that time the first call comes for the riders meeting. We head over and gather around. Monte is the head of STT and goes over the normal items for the day. STT runs the day basically the same as TPM with a few modifications. Monte finishes up with a few sponsors and sends us on our way. Craig and Allen are in the Intermediate group with the rest of us in the advanced group. STT runs the groups Intermediate, Advanced and Novice and sighting laps for the first round of sessions of the day.

The Intermediate group is called out and Craig and Allen head out. With our group next we have no time to talk with Craig about the track. On the first call for the advanced group we head up to the grid eager to experience another track. We are delayed as they cleanup from 2 incidents. With the track now clear we get the signal to fire up the bikes and take to the track. I end up going out first with everyone else behind. With a clear view of the track we figure out the line and get a feel for the layout. With no cones out we are left to find our own reference marks and other queues to determine the line. We all get buzzed by the coaches, locals and those that have been here before. First thing we notice is the track is smooth and offers great traction. numerous elevation changes and some blind turns add to the mystery of finding the line. We finish the session and assemble in the garage. We meet up with Craig and talk about our different lines and reference points. Funny how the same track is seen by all but we all pick the same line just different reference points. Some pick the pavement while others use the painted curbs, while others use the grass or trees as reference points.

Round 2 gets under way. Craig and Allen pick up a coach for their session and learn the line even better. The rest of us figure the line out on our own and watch the locals and coaches, if only for a few turns, and determine the better lines. Since we are running straight through today with no break the session come up every 40 minutes, which is great. As the sessions progress we notice less people are passing us and we are passing a few others. Since we are at the front of the grid most times this is a good sign. We finish out the day with none of us having any problems and huge smiles on our faces.

More on the track, this track is different than any other place we've been to. T1 is a wide, fast and with tons of room at the exit. The concrete curbing inside defines the turn and acts as a separator from pitout. This makes for nice open turn and can be taken at a decent clip. T2 and T3 are a chicane that slows us down for the entry into the famous Keyhole turn. The Key is a long right that starts out uphill then crests very quickly only to drop off as you exit. The exit leads you on to the back straight, with a slight kink , like the front straight at VIR north, with speeds similar to that. Most time we were hitting 6th gear before having to brake hard for the next right. This is a quick flick right then leads into what is called the Brow. This uphill left that crests at the apex and drops off after the apex. Next is a short downhill straight to a quick right that opens to uphill left under a bridge. As you exit the left your rise over a hill making the next slight right totally blind. If you exit here correctly it's a straight line to the right turn before Thunder Valley. If you exit wide then you added a slight but quick right. If you exit very wide right here the pucker factor is about 11 since your headed for grass and the wring side of the curbing, which Mike did witness someone doing. Back to the right into Thunder Valley, this has a slight up at the entry and at the apex with the exit over a rise and back down. Now here you want to just pin the throttle open but the drop makes you think otherwise. With the rear wheel light as you descend downhill you think better and hold the throttle until you get about midway down into the valley. Pin the throttle to the bottom of the valley and head for the next section of turns. Next you rip past a guard rail on the right and pitch the bike left for a wide open left turn that requires you to slam you knee on the deck and run the turn hard on the throttle. The track flows into a slight right but we noticed that you can bypass this right and take a straight line into the last long right. We tended to blaze into here grab a handful for brakes and tilt it in and drive to the exit and into the last turn. The last turn is a quick left that you need to take as fast as you can because it leads onto the front straight. Hammer down the front straight and lift and slight brake at the bridge, Ok this might not require as much braking as we did but we didn't exceed our comfort speed and lean angle. Right under the bridge in the first session it was a bit slick here and cause the rear to step out on our first lap. There is a lap at Mid-Ohio and all I have to say is, you got to ride here.

With the day drawing to a close Jack has the track wired and has Mike and I covered. We hang out for a bit talking about the days events and wondering why we didn't come here sooner. as the paddock clears out some spots open close to our garage and Jack decides to move the trailer closer to us. With the carts and a full bike event the paddock is on the tight side. A few times we had a clear shot to haul the trailer in but someone else had the same thought and blocked our path. With daylight fading Jack gets the trailer in and unhitched and we head out. Gregg White is without a room for the night and tags along with us. As we work towards the hotel as we watch the thunder storm off in the distance, which is actually pretty amazing. We arrive at the hotel get the rooms. Mike and Jack in one room, Craig, Gregg and I in the other. We all get settled in and get cleaned up. Dinner plans are on the recommendation of the receptionist and she pointed us to the Fish Market close to the hotel. I opt out from dinner to let myself recover a bit and catch some extra sleep. A few hours later Craig and Gregg arrive back and settle in for the night.

About 8:30am a tap comes on our door, Mike is up and ready to go. We hustle to get ready and by 9:00 we have all our stuff in the truck and are in the lobby having breakfast. We eat while Jack gets ready and joins us as we are finishing up. By 10 am we are on the road to the track. It's about a 40 minute trek back to the track and with a stop to refill some gas cans with our typical 87 octane, we are at the track by 11:00am. The weather is warm, about 70 degrees and sunny. The karts are finishing up their day and we prepare for our day. Tire pressures checked and our gear sits patiently waiting for us. Time flies by and we hear the call for the riders meeting. We assemble and Monte gives us the run down on the days events. Basically the same deal as yesterday. Monte reviews the passing rules and other important items and we hear from some of the sponsors that are in attendance. The meeting breaks up and Craig heads gets ready to go out first. Prior to the meeting Mike and I went over to ask the staff about riding one session with Craig but the groups are full so we can't. Their house, their rules. On a side note, Craig and Jack bought chest protectors on Saturday and Mike and Gregg purchased ones on Sunday. I've had one for 3 years now. It goes without saying that this is a good thing. Craig gets suited and takes to the track. The rest of us finish up checking over the bikes and head to the grid to start our day.

The first session was good. Jack was taking a bit of time to warm-up, considering he topped our charts on Saturday, and Mike and I went by him during this session. Personally I think he was just playing with us. With a night to sleep on the track and get it engrained in out heads makes the first session out a whole lot better. We get into the flow better. A few session later Mike meets up with a carbon fiber clad Duc that was giving me fits on Saturday. Ducboy was slow into the turns, vague in his line through the turns and with the low end power from the bike ducboy would motor us on the exit. After the session Mike stops over to talk with Ducboy. Mike returns and now has a new carrot for the day. Next session out Mike gets out ahead of Jack and me, with Ducboy at the front of the line. I get held up by the grid woman and wait for wave to go. I hunt down Mike who has now found Ducboy again. With hot on Ducboy's rear tire and approaching slower traffic. The slower traffic baulks Mike and Ducboy and I take Mike. I start poking at Ducboy looking for a way by, but to no avail. The session ends and Mike and I talk on pit road and laugh about the session and how to get by Ducboy. We realize that in the short time we had on the track we know the line but the advantage we have at other tracks is that we know the passing areas and where we can go off line without losing too much time. Local track knowledge is a huge advantage here. Granted we did learn passing areas, like Mike's pass on Glen at the entry to the keyhole and my pass on Glen at the entry of The Brow, but the trust and experience we have riding with Glen allowed us to make these passes. I tear up a rear tire and get one mounted on my spare rim and Mike had tore a tire up late Saturday and swapped for another one. Jack's on new tires with Craig tires looking just fine. In the last session of the day Mike is tooling around and lets you to see if anyone comes along. Low and behold Jack comes wailing by Mike and its “Game on” mode. Mike chases down Jack and make the passes him only to get the checked very soon after. Unofficially it’s a win for Mike, but we are never really racing, yeah right.

The day draws to close and we prepare for the drive home. Mike and I hunt down Monte to thank him for a great day, in our TPM shirts of course. We meet Monte on the grid and asked us for a minute to talk to his coaches. Apparently there were reports for the Intermediate group of coaches racing each other. Funny we've been had this told to us before too (insert evil grin). Monte makes his point and most coaches don’t offer any argument, but there always one that has to poke at the nest. This guy goes on to explain that it was not him and starts his list of excuses. Monte politely stops him and send him back out. Monte has some unique saying and for this situation "If I throw a grenade at you and can take out another coach, you’re riding to close to each other!" Monte comes over to us and we thank him for that day and talk for a bit. He's a super nice guy and we have a lot in common. We are done we pack up and head for home.

Still wound up from the days events we head east for home. With the GPS is loaded with Mike's address, snacks and drinks ready for mass consumption. We cross the boarder back into Pa and stop in the Beaver Run area at the rest stop for some dinner. Back on the road and onto the next exit to hunt for a hotel. The Red roof in makes a great place to get some sleep. About 8am we are awake and ready to roll. By 1pm we are at Mike's house. Jack heads to Craig's to unload and Craig takes Mike and me to his shop to pickup my car and Mike will jump on his Super Hawk to meet up with Jack. We unload the camper and bikes and reload our vehicles with our gear. In about an hours time we are heading for home and our families.

With another track checked off the list and a new club, that's not much different then our own club, TPM. We add another chapter in the adventures of Team Xcedrin and more stories to tell sitting in our rocking chairs on the porch to whoever will listen.

George Benes...

Team Xcedrin #929.