VIR March 2007

Mike and I head out for VIR for 2 days with TPM on March 18th on the VIR Patriot and 19th on the famed VIR north. Craig and Jack are sitting this one out. Our plan is to leave Saturday after Mike finishes work. All day Friday happen to dump a large amount of sleet and snow on our area, which made getting around a little difficult. I plan to get to Mike's shop after lunch and install my bodywork, newer front brake pads and select some spare tires for Mike to mount up. I pull into about 1 pm, Mike is busy working on the days line of cars. While Mike works away I address my tasks and load my bike on to the trailer. Since the weather was nasty Mike got a large spool of plastic wrap for the bikes to protect the bikes from the ice and snow disaster that occurred on the ride home from Jennings in January. I wrapped the bikes and load the rest of the gear into the trusty Saturn and we were ready to hit the road. The clock in the car displays 4:15 pm we are heading south and with the typical sign of relief that always occurs when we head to the track. Outside of some traffic just south of DC, as usual, the trip rolls along well. Mike takes the helm for the whole ride to VIR. We make the usual phone calls to check on everyone progress and kill some time. Allison loaned us her Ipod with hours of music to listen to. The grand plan is to meet up with Kenny and split the hotel rooms over the next 2 night with to cut down on expenses. About 10:30 Kenny calls to report he’s at the Holiday Inn and gets the room and settles in. We arrive at about midnight and hit the beds for some rest.

As dawn arrives we grab some breakfast in the lobby and meet Rich, a fellow TPM coach in the lobby. A quick meal and we head out into the chilly morning air. The weather forecast for today is sunny but a high of about 53 degrees. Granted that the high of 53 will only be there for a very short window of time, but since there is no sign of rain it’s all good. We get to the track, sign in and lead a hand here and there. Glen, Bill Skink, Mike and I set the cones out and take a few laps to verify the cones placement is correct. It’s one of those unsaid duties of placing the cones. With the sun getting higher in the sky it brings hope for warmer temps but it really doesn't help. Bruce and Andy were nice enough to let us use their warm motor coach to get suited up in. with Mike, Kenny and I suited up we head over to the riders meeting. Dave goes over the rules for the day in his own very special way with Glen filling in where needed. Mike and I are coaching in white today, so when the white group is called we ride over the grid. The track is still cool and traction is not quite at its best yet. We cruise along at a moderate pace just waiting for the sun to warm up the track temp before upping the pace. Mike has his groove going since he was down here the previous Friday with TPM with the rest of us sitting at work. Kenny is running well too as I don't quite have the confidence in myself, the track, tires and cool weather and hold back some.

We break for “quite time” from 11am to noon. This happens every Sunday in this area for church services. We take the down time to grab some lunch over on the North side. As we approach the food stand we notice a nice Mercedes on the flatbed rolling through the north paddock with both sides and the hood with heavy damage. A car guy in line with us states that he rolled it when he lost the rear heading into the Stevie Wonder section. Apparently the drive caught some dirt and caused it to roll. We give the usual ouch reply. The car guy adds that it was a $100,000 car and that the guy was going trade it in last week but want to a track with it. Ouch again. He also states it not a problem because the driver is loaded. We take note that the term “loaded” is very relative. Loaded for one car guy to another is a huge step. Loaded for us as bike riders is what this guy spends on his 911 on all year. Granted his tire budget would provide us with a one year old bike, new helmet, leathers and enough tires for the season. As we sit and eat out lunch happily at the lower end of track day budget chain but content with the fact that what we do takes more skill and guts to do well then it does to drive. The main point being the when we stop we need a stand to hold the bike upright vs a car that can balance on it own. Score one for the people that walk funny, Nomex is a lot easier to walk in then leather. All kidding aside it takes major skills to drive a car very fast, having raced cars myself for years and now coaching car track days with TPM. It was just fun to explore the budget of cars vs bikes.

With everyone ready for a long afternoon, we run until 6pm today, the track opens for the remainder of the day. The Celtic racing team arrived and with their young gun rider named Jacobson. This 13 year old kid took the 2006 USGPU 125 national championship and showed us why he did. This kid can ride and was putting on clinic for the blue group and the people watching along pit road. Today Glen was offering his 2 up rides to people will to ride along. As the blue group heads out for one of their sessions the lucky few get to witness something that is amazing. Glen heads out with Michele, TPM instructor Omar girlfriend, and a competent driver herself. After the first lap Glen and Michele find a groove and up the pace a little. Now each lap the pace quickens to the point where the only one out there that can pass him is the 13 year old kid. As we all watch in amazement from the grid. The checked flag comes out and Glen and Michele pull in. A few of us greet them as the get off the bikes and thank for the show. They both enjoyed the session even more then we did watching it, which is always the case. Glen estimated they were popping off laps in the low 50 second range, which is hard enough to do alone much less with 2 people. Glen is the master.

The day winds to a close and we talk to a few others as we run the bikes and tow vehicles over to the north side. We got our room along pit road, which are very nice. Since neither the day never really warmed up nor did we, we set thermostat in the room to “incinerate” to warm us up. The room has 2 Murphy beds that pull down from the wall and a flat screen TV mounted high on the wall. The room with the bed folded up would provide an open area that is great for entertainment during the day. A nice concept considering it located above pit road. I toss in a CD of some track day videos and the 2005 Superbike race from Daytona. We rest up for a bit, watch some TV and head over to the VIR club for dinner. After dinner Mike and I head claim our spot between the TPM trailer and Bruce and Andy’s motor home. We head out to see if we can wrangle up the cot that we tried to get when we got the room key. We stop by the guard shack and to no avail there are not cots available for us. Mike and I grab some sodas and head back to the room. We debate over weather to change Mike’s rear tires now vs later and opt to wait for warmer weather in the morning.

The morning comes and we exit the room into the cold. Cold enough that the car windows have frost on them. We find our parking spot and shoot over to change Mike's rear tire to a fresher one. Fresher being a matter of opinion because Dave comes along and he might disagree but being the understanding type guy Dave is gets the big picture. After the tire change we lend a hand setting things up and just trying to say warm. TPM coach Rich is having a bit of trouble with his dampener and we lend him a hand. Mike and I get our group assignment, me in Red and Mike in White. As the riders meeting starts I get ready in Bruce and Andy's motor home. I start the bike and warm it up as the first call comes for the red group. Mike hangs out to help in case the bike does not start. With my bike idling away Mike heads off to suit up. I don my helmet and gloves and head to the grid. Bert our trusty grid marshal is finalizing all the corner stations in preparation or the day’s activity.

With a few other bikes on the grid and since I'm likely to be the first one on the track I formulate the diabolical plan. For anyone who's seen or heard my launch from the grid at VIR will attest it is a sound that resembles a race start. Here’s the scene, it's a cool crisp morning the paddock somewhat quite and bikes are idling away on the grid. Bret sends me off. I rev the motor to about 10 grand and feathering out the clutch keeping the revs between 10 and 12 grand all the way down pit road and off towards turn 1. Mike's in the paddock and instantly knows what’s happening, having witnessed this in person a few times. Mike scans the paddock for the reaction. Heads turn and people stop what they are doing to look. Glen, Dave and Linda hear this and assume there is going to a rider down in Turn 1 and look over and realize it me. At this point I set the tone for the day and I go off laughing in my helmet towards turn one. I slow up and wait for my group as I exit turn 1. With my group in tow by turn 3 I complete the first lap coming down the front straight at a moderate pace under the watchful eye of Mr. Gallo. Mission accomplished, insert evil grin.

Mike runs the day at very good pace and is having fun. I opt out of the blue group sessions not willing to go 100% today. Mike and I run the red white groups and pick our way though looking for people to help. As lunch arrives we head over to Omar and Michele’s motor home for some food. Mike chats with the crew that came down with Omar and Mammoth Cycle and I lend Michele a hand with cooking the burgers and dogs. Bert comes along and talks about the upcoming events and the improvement planed for the track.

With lunch over we start the sessions off again and run thought the day with not real major events, which is a good thing. In one of sessions the later I come upon Mike and fellow coach Ernie who are trolling for students themselves. Executing a mellow sneak attack I pass Mike then Ernie and try to run off on them in search of some more riders. As we head down the front straight we close on a cluster for riders on the left side of the track with Glen doing 2 up ride coming on to the track on the right. I squeeze between Glen and the group of riders as Mike and Ernie end up somewhere in the mix. Whenever we pass Glen we know to active your super hero senses and know he's coming sooner or later. Since he's got a passenger we kind of hope for the later, just for our own dignity. A few laps go by then we head down into the Hogpen and as I exit Glen rolls past and sets off down the front straight. I draft along, which is not very comfortable as the turbulence shakes your head and almost blurs your vision. Logic would dictate that you back off at this point but the racer in you says “no way” and you stay in the draft. Mike and I first experienced this a few years ago at Nelson Ledges and learned that when you are in the draft you don't rely so much on vision since you really can't see but rely on sound. If the bike in front is still on the gas, you stay on the gas. If it gets quite you sit up, grab a handful of brake and hope for the best. Anyways Glen and I head into turn 1. Glen has me by a wheel in the braking zone and cuts across my line, as I figured he would and pulls away. I try to keep up but by the uphill section I give up and look back to see Mike and Ernie behind me. I wave them by and let them go as I do one more lap behind Mike who is heading off to catch Glen. We head under the bridge and out comes the checkered flag and the session end.

The last few sessions Mike works on some advice offered by Glen in the red and white groups and runs the Blue group. I run the red and white and start to load up while the blue group is on the track. I help Kenny load as Mike is blitzing around the track. The session ends and we finish loading up say our goodbyes and head north. We stop at the local Sheetz for some sandwiches and supplies for the ride home. Dara and Dafan stop by and talk for a bit while we sit out and eat. We finish up our food and are back on the road. We head north up 360 onto 288 then 64 popping on 95 just north of Richmond. Traffic is light so far but that will soon change. As we approach the 95 junction on the 495 loop around DC we encounter a sea of brake lights ahead of us. We push to the exit that is close by. As we exit the police putting out flares to block the entire highway. Good timing on our part. We breakout the maps and find the way around the traffic and jump back on 95. I call Omar who is about 1 hour behind to warn him. After about 45 minutes we are back on 95 and heading north. We roll through Baltimore and just north of the Maryland house, 95 is closed again this time for construction. We take yet another detour and with the extra miles traveled we arrive at Mike's about 1am, not too bad of a run and still enough time to get some sleep before going to work the next day. This makes winning the lottery, something to seriously think about.

With a few more track days under our belts and more stories to tell sitting on the porch in our rocking chairs (in our later years) to anyone who will listen.

George Benes…

Team Xcedrin member #929.