The first BeaveRun track day of the year was a good one! I did this event last year and it snowed on Saturday. One year later and the weather was much better. The temp display on my car dropped as low as 33 degrees on my way to the track, but it was clear, with no wind, and it would warm up nicely.

I’m not sure how it happened, but I was the first of the SCR gang to make it to the track. Kenny, Bill, Mike, Pat and Steve showed up shortly after. I ran into Trackwhores – Mike as the riders meeting. I know there were other Trackwhores there, but I didn’t get to chat with any of them – next time. It was great to catch up with everyone after the long hard winter!!!

We went out for the first session and it was the first time I really felt like I didn’t belong in the I class. I was not riding very well while knocking the rust off and the speed differential was still really large.

I put my transponder out before we went out for the second session. I hooked up with Gary Yancoskie during the session. He waved me past, followed for a lap or 2, passed me, led for a couple laps and then waved my by again. He found me after the session and asked Pat and I to line up in front for the next session and go out behind Dave Sanders. I was surprised when I looked at my lap timer and saw that even with all the traffic I had gotten down to a 1:05.24.

Pat and I went out behind Dave in the next session. He waved me by after a lap and I tried to put in some good laps while getting through traffic. At some point I got behind Gary again. He gave me a good tow and then waved me past. After the session was over Pat and I talked with Dave. He said we got split up in traffic and he didn’t get a chance to follow us enough to bump us. He told us to go out in A in the next session and he would give us a look. It was good to finally meet Dave! When I checked my lap timer, I had run two 1:04.53’s in a row. They were my fastest ever laps a BeaveRun by 0.07 seconds and I did them in traffic. Oddly enough, they would be my fastest laps of the day. I’m not sure if it was fatigue, my rear tire going off, the track cooling down, or what, by my fastest lap-time would go up in each of the remaining sessions. It was weird, but it sounded like the same thing happened to Pat and Mike (we all ran our fastest laps of the day in the 3rd session).

Dave followed us out in the A session after lunch. What a difference – there was no traffic! I didn’t see any other bikes the whole session until Gary came past me. He was hauling! He slowed down, waved me past, followed for a lap, came back past me and towed me around for a bit. I did a best lap of 1:04.59.

We didn’t get to talk with Dave of Gary after the session (they had to CR the I session) so we decided we’d keep going out in A until we could catch up with them.

I ran a best of 1:04.76 in the 5th session.

Kenny came past me on the brakes going into turn #1 in the 6th session. I had a great time trying to hang onto to his back wheel for the rest of the session. He got held up a bit in traffic which helped my cause. I finally pulled an Andy Matvey move and passed him on the checkered flag lap while he was waving to the corner workers for the track day win. It was a really fun session! I ran a best lap of 1:04.84.

Gary and Dave gave Pat and I the official bump to the A class before the last session. We slapped the new stickers on our bikes and had a fun last session of the day. I ran a best lap of 1:04.87 in the last session.

I can’t believe how sore I am today! I feel like I got drug behind a truck! I need to either work out more, ride more, or both! It was a fun day and a great start to the BeaveRun track day season.

Video of me following Kenny.

http://vimeo.com/23114920

Good time there.Mike sorrry we didn't get to bs much and wasn't able to do the diinner thing with everyone.I had to go watch Leon(dog) for the night.

We will have to all get together at Summit sometime in the future.

Thanks Nate!

So another more or less successful track outing is concluded. A short post mortem:

A few lesions learned:

Never, ever go against your intuition in favor of on-line reviews in regard to motel selection. To further expand this axiom in practice - never ever stay (or for that matter eat) at either the Alpine Inn or Lark Hotel in Beaver Falls. These are both dumps of the first order.

Garages at BeaveRun are great.. Really hard to beat the set up we had this weekend, particularly when considering the weather on Sunday. While people in the pits hunkered down under their canopies in the rain we would lounge around in relative comfort and dryness. Not having to listen to generators (mostly) all weekend, having concessions right next doors and a real bathroom around the corner was pretty cool for less $40/per person for both days. Beaver staff was very nice as well.

Tom loves and artfully manhandles wet beaver - he seemed to love it all slippery and wet on Sunday. Some great riding on his part in the wet. Did pretty damn good in the dry Saturday as well.

There is something very disturbing on an almost infinite number of levels about Troy (landshark) in a latex onesie.

Anyhow, it was great riding with everyone this weekend. Matt and Pat - big congrats on the bump to A! Glad we at least got to dice it up a bit in the 3rd session on Saturday. Was fun watching you guys chase Kenny around during the afternoon. That's one fast Mofo!
I had fun playing tag with the gent on the white gix750 who was pitted with you guys. I can't remember his name but he rode quite well and got the better of our dicing much of the time.
Good to see Paul and Brian out there. Brain, congrats on the bump to "I"! I did not see you out on the course at all unfortunately. Glad to see both of you guys back at the track!
Jim, always a pleasure to see you guys. You picked up the track really well and rode great on Sunday, particularly considering the piss poor weather.
Walt, nice to get to know you guys better and I'm really glad that chain incident went as well as it did. Usually that shit ends really badly. From what we could see you were riding well out there. I'm sure I'll see you at Beaver again soon.
Tom, I got the video of "the pass" from Saturday, loll. Nice job out there particularly in the rain. At the rate you're picking up your pace I'm sure you'll be riding A sooner than later, probably well before my old ass. The level of masochism you displayed in the midst of your rain proficiency was almost enough to motivate my old ass to get back out for yet another rain soaked session but alas old age and a general sense of sloth got the better of me

Those who decided to bail for Sunday probably made the correct decision. Though I was looking forward to seeing Joe, Dave, Kevin, etc. I probably would have made the same call if it I wasn't already there. I only rode the first 3 sessions on Sunday. I think Tom rode the most of any of us doing the first 5. By the time we rolled out at like 3 there were probably less than a dozen people left in the pits. Seems like the first weekend at BeaveRun is always half doomed. Last year was pretty much exactly the same drill with a good Saturday and a shit Sunday. Maybe there's a lesson in that?!

So in all it was great to see those that made it and ride with everyone again. Hotel fiasco aside, good to get together with everyone for out semi traditional dinner at Giuseppe's Saturday night too. Big thanks to Dave, Todd, Troy, Yank and Kevin as well as the rest of the NESBA crew from making it a great weekend.

I haven't seen my pics yet from the weekend and I have only 1 video unfortunately. I'll post it up when I manage to edit and upload it.

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Thanks Mike! You seemed to be riding very well! The 3rd session was good fun! I agree, Kenny is an excellent rider! I had a great time trying to keep him in sight. Mike's the 750 guy. Another good rider and all around good guy. I'm sure we'll be seeing both the Mikes in the A class soon! Thanks for the invite to dinner, sorry I had to pass. I had to get home before my wife got too angry with me. I don't want to lose my hall pass privileges!

Pics from this weekend have been posted on the "photographer's" site: http://www.photoreflect.com/store/thumb ... ?e=8010878

(we REALLY need to get Ray back...)

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Had a great time this past weekend. Nice to meet some fellow trackwhores. There were some that i missed but i will catch you next time.

mike pretty much summed most of it up. I just want to make sure that it is clear to never stay at the alpine inn, or the lark. I had a dead fly on my pillow and a USED bar of soap in the bathroom.

I had alot of fun on sat, i was hoping to get a tow around from mike but we had trouble hooking up. I was running consistant 1:06s on sat. I was dreading the rain but once i got out there i had a blast. I was debating on putting my rains on (i need another set of rims) because the weather looked like it could go either way. I decided not to and went out with my supercorsas. I was completly shocked at how good much grip i had with them. my timer wasnt working but kait timed me in the 1:16s which i was very happy with. I started to find the limits of them closer to lunch as it started to rain more. I was looking at the pics and i look like a retard with my hugh rain jacket.... oh well it kept me dry. the pics were not too bad but it is hard keeping up with ray.

congrats to the guys who got their bumps to A. keep up the good work walt, i think your time is coming as well.

oh yea. make sure you never stay at the alpine inn or the lark.

Matt and Pat congrats on the bump! I'm going to have to find some other people to chase now.

Mike and Tom, duly noted about the Alpine and the Lark haha. Makes you wonder the last time the sheets and comforter were washed...but used soap, that is just hilarious (for me).

Sounds like everyone had a good time, hope to see you out there in June.

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Ben
#535

grats on all the bumps.
grats to tom for taking his skirt off and riding and not crashing
grats to mike just because

what made you not stay at the super 8? was guiseppe's good at least?

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LETS GO PRAIRIE DOGGIN!!!!!!!!!YEEE HAWWWW!!!
WERA & NESBA #45