2022 WMRRA Round 1
Track:
The Ridge Motorsports Park, Shelton, WA
Date:
May 7, 2022
Results:
| Class | Result | Video |
|---|---|---|
| 600 SS | 11th | Video |
| Formula 600 | 10th | Video |
Report:
Back on track for 2022!
The weather this weekend was true to a PNW spring. Friday was pretty consistent rain, which made bike tech a damp affair. To top off the wet, it was COLD; 30s in the evening. Luckily the rain stopped around 6AM and by Qualifying the track was mostly dry, with the exception of a small stream through turn 11. This allowed for dry qualifying and I was able to get gridded in the 4th and 5th rows for my two races on Saturday. I am a so-so qualifier. Luckily I tend to be a decent starter.
600 Supersport was up first. I was able to get an alright start, but didn’t quite hang on to the group in front of me. I’d end up getting passed by Alex Kibis into the chicane. I also got a front seat view as he tried to send himself skyward. It took two laps, but I got better exits out of 11, 12, allowing me to make a block pass in turn 13 to regain that position.
Formula 600 had a similar feel to 600 Supersport, but I was able to finish a place higher. The race did have to be red flagged due to a sudden volume of rain. For an idea of what I mean, this was my view into turn 6 just as they threw the red flag.
As usual I want to thank a few people for making this all work.
Thanks to Sage at CT Racing Services this weekend. I decided to try out Pirelli again after taking a break and running Dunlop last year. The cold weather and unpredictable moisture made it hardly the ideal setting to do testing, but I was able to find the tweaks to my setup to make the tires work.
Thanks to Track Time for giving me the opportunity to work with riders and get the track time I need to become a better rider. The entire team, from control riders, to owners Alan Schwen and Ken Hill, help me improve and grow each year as a rider.
Thanks to Nate at 2WDW for putting time in with me in the offseason to find some extra power from my R6. I think we are probably at the max power from a stock R6 motor on pump gas. The bike rips!
Thanks to Louis at StevensonFoto for solid photos all weekend long. Even though I know he was hiding in a tree at one point to stay a bit drier, he stuck with it and captured this weekend for all of the racers.
Last but not least thanks to my wife for letting me do this and to the rest of the team at Short Fuse Racing for supporting one another trackside. The weather may have been chilly, but the conversations and team dinner helped to make it bearable.
Until next time!
