We'll always have Perris. Part 1

Well, it certainly has been a long time since I posted. To be fair I've only had my computer back for a few weeks. Since I got it, I've been working longer days and stuffing my closets at night trying to fit everything into my new home. If it has been so long that you don't know what I'm talking about or are new to the blog, I moved to Japan two months ago for the Navy. A month of that time was living in a two Queen bed hotel. Another two weeks was living in my rental house with borrowed furniture out of my suitcase. I am now in the mindset to finish up the last couple of blog posts I started back in early May. If you want to follow along with my experiences in real time, follow me on Instagram. Now back to the post.

The next two posts are from my last weekend of racing back in SoCal with SCFTA and going to the AFT Races at the Perris Auto Speedway. Part 1 will be about my last race. Part 2 will be about the races I watched. Let's get to it!

I was lucky to get a good pit spot. If you know Perris Raceway, you know they have extra parking in the Motocross track next to the 1/8th mile dirt oval. Knowing it would be a busy night, I got there early. Usually when I get there, I have my choice of spots. This time around I was relegated to the back nine. After this pic was taken another dozen or so people showed up, filling the Motocross track space even more. The reason the track was so busy was because it was the night before the AFT race in the same town. This race would have a pro class along with the usual SCFTA club races. The pro classes promised a nice cash purse to the winner. Since the pros would be in town anyway, they might as well get warmed up by dishing it out against the locals at our little track. I was as excited to race as I was to watch the pros race on my track. The action didn't disappoint!

I got unloaded and set about catching up with some people I knew at the track. The promise of some good racing and cool weather brought out a good sized crowd. Soon enough it was time for the riders meeting and the first of the practice sessions. I strapped on my Lightshoe and geared up for what would be my last race before the big move. I was smiling the whole time I was at the track. The smells of race fuel, the chatter of motorbike conversation, the roar of the race bikes getting warmed up for the event just had me excited. I was here to have fun. It didn't matter if I was first or last, I was in my element and I was soaking it all in.

Here is one of the guys that has helped my a good deal in learning how to flat track. Go Takamine and his wife Masumi have been awesome to me and my wife when at the track. For this race, Go brought out an old Harley WL hand shifter. It is such a cool bike and makes me wonder how racers from the 40's and 50's survived racing on these things! It is bare bones. Go said that is is down on power, coming in around 11 hp for its 750cc engine size. I'm not sure what year it is or if he has had it long enough to tune it any. He did his best, but was put powered by the other hand-shifters out on the track. It sounded sweet and looked great. I'm sure he'll get it running just as well as his Indian racer and be back at the front of the pack soon!

There were some heavy hitters in the pro class that came out for the prize money. Many sponsors ponied up some cash to grow the purse. These guys were eager to try their hand at taking home the grand prize. The Pro purse was $4,000 and the pro framer shootout had another couple of grand on the line as well. For the shootout, all bikes had to be framers like the #65 bike also pictured here of Cory Texter. The framer bikes could be used in the pro race also. Each of these races had a full grid. I didn't get to see the framer race as I was in my paddock getting ready for my Vet 35+ Novice race. I did see the pro race, which was the last race of the night. These guys just put on a clinic on how to get around the track as fast as possible. With 14 guys banging it out on the tight 1/8 mile track, there was some amazing race action.

The bikes pictured here are the bikes of Dalton Gauthier, #122 and and SoCal local, Kayl Kolkman, #98. Kayl took home the prize money in the framer shootout and second in the pro race. Dalton was right there in the top five for both of these races. Dalton's bikes are 450 engined singles. Remove the heart of a 450cc class dirt bike and plunk it into a custom built flat track frame and you have a recipe for speed. I really want to build on of these, I just need to figure out my CRF in its stock form first. The #98 bike in the foreground of Kayl Kolkman is a twin framer, a Yamaha MT-07 in this case. Kayl rode the blue and white Honda in the background from the Blackmore Ranch collection in the final race. I'm not sure what size the Honda is, possibly a 500cc. Regardless, anyway you shape it, it takes a good rider and a lot of fortitude to hustle one of these around the dirt oval.

The three bikes pictured above were just some of the other fine machines inhabiting the paddock this night. With the big crowd, the pits were teaming with examples of every era of flat track race bike. Two stroke classics like the Bultaco, modern framers like the #47 Rotax bike and even the latest thing to hit flat track, a Roland Sands Super Hooligan race Indian. The different club races had a good turnout. They cut the kids classes for time and ran a special qualifying session for the pro class events. I was trying to study how they rode to apply it to my own riding. They were just so fast.

Like the rest of the year I rode in the Vet 35+ Novice and Open Beginner classes. Practice went well and I felt good. I was having some issues controlling the rear wheel exiting the corners. After lots of thought over the last three months, I believe it is a combination of two things. One, I have been using first gear for most races. I wanted to limit my speed until I could get used to drifting the rear through the turn while maintaining control. For the gearing I have, first gear is too low. I have too much torque coming out of the corner causing the rear to come around on me. Because the rear steps out, I lose the pack as we exit the turn. The other issue is that I have been trying to two-wheel it through the turns, basically keeping my wheels in line and riding like I was on an asphalt track. I over-slow going into the turn and apply throttle at the apex. Combined with the extra torque from first gear, I blow through a lot of turns or limp through them trying to the bike's attitude in shape. I need to use the first part of the corner to slow, then power out when I am pointed in the right direction and have the speed  & traction to put the power down. I started to use second gear later in the night and I could tell that it was easier better.

Just as in the past events, the Vet 35+ Novice class race was combined with the Vet 35+ Amateur riders. I think I'm the only Novice rider in this class. The other riders are much faster than I am. I usually run this class first during the night. I treat it like a practice session and try to stay as close to the pack as I can without getting lapped. I got last place again this night. In my Open Beginner class race. I managed to get off the line third out of four riders and held off the fourth place rider through the checkered flag. He was probing for the pass, but like me was tentative in the corners. It was one race with two races going on. First and second battled it out while me and fourth had our fight. I was glad to end my SCFTA race season with a solid "not last" place.

My wife and kids came to see me end my club racing career before moving onto bigger and better things in Japan. A few days after this race they updated the points total. Not counting the May race, I was first in the Open beginner class after threes races! I was the championship points leader in my class! It didn't last long as the other racers kept showing up while I was getting used to life in Japan. I believe I am currently third in the standings now.

Well, there it is finally. My first blog post in as many months. I will have a second post coming shortly after this one to talk about the AFT races I went to the next day. It was a blast and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Take care friends and ride safe.

Blue