2008 Archive- Buttonwillow Raceway 10/18-19

AFM Round 8: Buttonwillow Raceway- October 18-19, 2008

I arrived at the track Friday morning at about 3:30am after working relentlessly all day Thursday to get the bike prepared to race. I got a tiny bit of shut eye, then back to work at about 7am Friday morning. I had to replace the fork seal on my right fork leg, put on practice tires, and then get through tech. Friday practice went smoothly without incident. I hadn't been to the track since March, so needed a little bit of time to get acclimated to my bike (which was heavily modified since my last outing at Buttonwillow). I practiced all day and was feeling pretty good by the end of the day. I was on take-off tires for the whole day, and still practicing faster than my fastest race time from March. Best time was an unofficial 1:54.xx

Originally I wasn't planning on practicing on Saturday, but because I still had some tire left on my practice tires and wanted to ride some more I decided to do a half day. So, after lunch I registered and got through tech. I rode the last two sessions on Saturday, and was going slightly faster than I had been Friday. In the last session on Saturday I was having some issues in a very fast section of the track, the shock was bottoming out while on the gas over some rough pavement. This was causing the front end to become unstable and induce headshake. But, because the day was over suspension changes would have to wait until Sunday morning.

Sunday morning I arrived at the track and put on my race tires. These were the race tires that I crashed on at Infineon Raceway (Sears Point) three weeks earlier, so they only had 8 laps on them. I got the tire warmers on and the bike prepped for morning practice. I went out for practice just to scrub in the tires and try out the suspension changes made to prevent the instability I was experiencing the day before. I only completed three laps, but this was plenty to know that the bike and the tires were ready for Race 1: 600 Production.

Race #1 - 600 Production

I was gridded 7th for this race, the inside of row two. I was feeling very calm and ready to race. When the green flag dropped I got a great jump off the line, passed some riders around the outside of T1, and came out of turn 1 in 1st place. On the entrance of T3 I was passed for the lead. For the next 3 laps I hunted the rider in the lead, I was much faster then him in the tighter sections of the track, but because of the track layout, it is very difficult to pass in these sections. After learning where I was stronger, I passed him on the brakes into the last corner. My drive out of the last corner suffered just enough for him to repass me on the front straight. Then, at some point on lap 4 I was passed by the rider in 3rd. I was faster than this rider in the same sections as the rider in the lead, and I struggled to regain 2nd position. At this point in the race I began to have cramping in my right hand, due to the brake lever being adjusted too far out. This hurt my ability to brake aggressively and my control of the throttle. On lap 5 I was passed by Bryce Prince, a Red Bull Rookies Cup rider who had started from the back of the grid. When he came by I knew he had the pace to make it through the two riders in front of me. I planned on tucking in behind him and passing the other riders when he opened up the path. However, with the cramping in my hand this proved impossible. I settled for 4th in what was a very exciting race. This was a personal best finish to date, best race time is unknown due to a transponder issue.

After Race #1 I put on fresh slicks that I would use for 600 Superbike and Formula Pacific. The slicks were AMA test tires left over from 2007, and I had never tested them personally. However, because the tires are identical in construction and size, and I only needed them for 14 laps, I decided to run them.

Race #2 - 600 Superbike

I was gridded 11th for this race, the inside of row 3. I needed to get a good start if I wanted to run up front. On the warm up lap I was sliding around on the slicks I had mounted. I knew I would have to take it easy on the first few laps before pushing hard. Anxious to get off the line similar to race #1, I botched the start and got pinched on the inside of T1. From the 1st lap my drives out of the corners were suffering, the rear tire seemingly had very little grip. I struggled to find the pace to pass the riders in front of me, watching the leaders go away quickly into the distance. As the race progressed, grip only got worse and worse. I began losing positions to the riders behind me, just hoping to bring the bike home in one piece. I finished the race in 14th place, managing a best lap of 1:52.240.

In my second race the rear tire had disintegrated to the point that it impossible to ride at pace. Pirelli had given me the wrong compound tire and it didn't come anywhere near lasting the whole race. Ultimately this was entirely my mistake, as I hadn't personally tested these tires and they were unproven.

With only a few minutes until the Formula Pacific race, and a shredded tire, I pulled out of the race and did not compete.

All things considered this was an excellent weekend. I had a spectacular 600 Production race in which I was able to battle for the lead. I learned some things, both good and bad, that will help develop my skills in making the right decisions in the future.

I want to give a HUGE thanks to Dave Moss of Catalyst Reaction Suspension Tuning, for without his help this weekend would have never been possible. Also, a big thanks to Derek Capito of motolab for giving me the power to run up front.

So now, on to 2009. I will be working rigorously to prepare a new 2009 Kawasaki 600 to be competitive for the first round of the year in March.

Thanks for your time and interest!

-Michael Pesicka
AFM #417

2008 Archive- Infineon Raceway 9/26-28

AFM Round 7: Infineon Raceway- September 26-28, 2008

The action this past weekend kicked off on Friday the 26th, as opposed to Saturday, as the schedule was expanded to accommodate the annual 4 hour endurance race. Friday was day long practice to get up to speed and get grooved in with some new parts and extra horsepower. Prior to this weekend the bike spent a good amount of time being worked on by Derek Capito of motolab in Redwood City, CA. Derek found a bunch of extra horsepower in the bike at multiple throttle positions and helped smooth out the power band tremendously. This would help me get off the corners a little quicker and give me a much better chance of hanging with the guys running up front, although I'm still about 10 hp down at 114hp compared to 122-125hp. Also, I once again updated the forks with stiffer springs and a minor change to the damping characteristics to help stability on the brakes. Friday practice went smoothly, I was able to work through some issues and find a good set-up with the new forks. The extra horsepower was helping me get off the corners much faster, and caught me off guard in the first session of the day. I wasn't quite ready for all that power with a cold track, cold tires, and a cold brain! Best time of Friday practice was a 1:45.9 about 1 second off of my best race time with old tires, and old brake pads.

Saturday was devoted solely to the 4 hour endurance race, which I would be racing in with a couple of other racers I know from the track. Saturday morning we practiced together, finding a good set-up on the bike and giving everyone a chance to ride the bike and get comfortable with the controls. We would be riding a 2004 Suzuki GSX-R 750 on Bridgestone tires, which is much different from my 2007 Kawasaki 600 on Pirelli tires. I adapted to the bike with few issues, the main problem being the ergonomics, the bike had a much different seating position than my bike and caused my lower back and hips to cramp up. But, assuming that the position was comfortable for the other riders I figured I'd just tough it out.

4 Hour Endurance Race
We were gridded 13th and got off to a good start, running around 10th place for the first hour. Our 1st rider Harley Barnes came in early, not trusting the fuel light, at the 50 minute mark. So, our second rider Eric Arnold would have to do a 1 hour and 10 minute stint to get us back on time with our pit stops. At the 2 hour mark Eric came in with the fuel light blinking, and after a quick stop for fuel our 3rd rider Gabe Santa Coloma jumped on and took off. Gabe was maintaining an excellent pace and gaining some valuable time for us during his stint. As his stint was coming close to the 3 hour mark, I suited up and waited for him to come in. Suddenly, Gabe was in the pits, with no warning. Gabe had a minor crash in turn 11, the last corner, and when he picked the bike up he rode straight into the pits. Everyone frantically went through the re-fueling procedures while I threw on my helmet and gloves and jumped on the bike. I would have to do a 1 hour and 10 minute stint to bring the bike to the checkered flag. With about 20 minutes to go in the race the fuel light came on and I knew I would not be able to finish the race without a splash-and-go. So, with about 10 minutes to go I came in, got a splash of gas and took off again. We finished the race with an outstanding 3rd in class with 127 laps in 4 hours. All things considered, with a crash, running on one set of tires for the whole race, and having an extra pit stop we did very well.

At this point, I was extremely cramped and hurting. I couldn't even bend down to take my own boots off! I would need some good rest to get ready for Sunday.

Sunday morning I arrived feeling much better, a little sore but ready for action. I put in some better brake pads for the morning warm-up and went out. I was feeling very crisp in the warm up and ready to race. Due to a transponder issue I didn't get any times from the warm-up. After the warm up I put on some fresh tires and tire warmers and was ready to race!

Race #5 - 600 Superbike

I was gridded 9th for this race. Not bad considering that I missed the previous AFM round at Thunderhill due to scheduling conflicts. I got off to an okay start, not gaining any positions, but not losing any. I came out of T2 in about 9th place. I was feeling very good and wasn't letting anyone hold me up. I began passing other riders immediately, sometimes two at a time, and hunting anyone in front of me. By lap three I was up to 3rd place. At one point, I passed the rider in 2nd place for one corner before he made the pass back. I settled in at an excellent pace and ran 3rd place all the way to the white flag, signaling the last lap. Upon getting the flag I was wondering how far 4th place was behind me, not knowing how hard to push. The rider in 2nd place was about two seconds off of 1st, and I was about two seconds from the rider in 2nd, so I wasn't going to catch up. I just needed to bring it home. Unfortunately I made a mistake in T4, and came out in 4th gear instead of 3rd, bogging and losing time. Not knowing that 4th place was over four seconds behind me, I tried to make up for the mistake in the next corner, T5. This proved to be a race ending mistake, as I lost the rear end and low-sided while traveling about 110 mph. My best lap of the race was a 1:43.06, almost two seconds faster than I had ever gone before, and only about 0.5 seconds off of the race winners lap times.

Fortunately, I was unhurt and the bike is fixable, so I'll be ready and hungrier than ever at the last race weekend of the season at Buttonwillow raceway in 3 weeks time.

In conclusion, many things were learned this past weekend. With a properly tuned bike, with good suspension and decent power, I CAN run the pace required to put the bike on the podium, and have the potential to win. Secondly, I must not try to make up for mistakes, for the biggest mistake is trying to make up for lost time. Lastly, I need a pit board to tell me how far I am from other riders, so I don't push hard when its unnecessary.

I want to give a huge THANKS to Derek Capito of motolab for putting in countless hours on the dyno and giving me the power needed to run up front. Also, thanks to Dave Moss and Jim Williams of Catalyst Reaction Suspension Tuning, without these guys none of this would be possible.

Feel free to forward this report to anyone for any reason, any exposure is always appreciated and I am always looking for support for my racing efforts. The 2009 season is just around the corner, and plans are being made now, so please let the word out!

Thanks for your time and interest!

-Michael Pesicka
AFM# 417

2008 Archive- Infineon Raceway 8/16-17

AFM Round 5: Infineon Raceway- August 16-17, 2008

Saturday started out unusually, I was prepared and not rushed for time. I got to the track early, got through tech and got ready for practice. With my new gearing, slightly shorter, and all new forks I had some testing to do to get grooved in for Sunday. I got out in my first session and began to acquaint myself with the new gearing when I was struck by another rider entering the turn 9 chicane. Apparently the rider had lost his brakes or came into the corner much too fast, as he was fully upright when he struck me at the apex of the first corner of the chicane. The impact stood the bike straight up instantly and I was almost knocked off. I nearly managed to save the bike from crashing before falling in the dirt. Luckily, there wasn't any major damage to the bike, and I only had a bruised right ankle that didn't affect me while on the bike. So, I fixed the bike with spares on hand, and got to finish practice incident free for the remainder of the day. In the last session of the day I put in some fresh brake pads and was able to get in a rhythm with the new forks and gearing. Best time of the day from the last session - 1:46.5 or about .5 sec off of my previous best time at the track while on shagged tires. In the last session when I was finally back up to pace I had front end chattering issues. The bike was bottoming out hard on the brakes, so changes would need to be made Sunday to try and fix the problem.

Sunday morning I arrived bright and early and got the bike through tech and ready for the warm-up. I made some large changes to the forks in an attempt to find some stability while heavy on the brakes. The changes paid off and I was able to brake more aggressively while maintaining more stability, and not bottom out. Best time in the warm-up - 1:47.1 still on the practice tires used all day Saturday.

Race # 7 - 600 Production

I had an excellent grid position of 7th for this race. I had fresh tires mounted up and was feeling very good entering this race. I got off the line decently but lost positions heading up the hill into T2. I was in 10th or 11th exiting T2. By the middle of the first lap there was about 6 riders in front of me, all similar in speed and trying to pass each other. I jumped onto the back of the pack and began picking riders off one by one. Adrenaline was high and I worked my way up to 5th place. With about two laps to go I began to have cramping in my shifting foot, and began to struggle with down-shifts. On the last lap I missed a shift entering the carousel, and it cost me drive on the exit of the corner. I came out of the carousel one gear too high and was passed on the exit. I was unable to regain the position before the end of the race and crossed the line in 6th. After the cool down lap Tech officials were stopping every rider exiting the track to look for equipment that wasn't production legal. One rider that finished ahead of me was disqualified so I gained one position and finished a personal best 5th place! Personal best race time - 1:45.3

Needless to say I was pumped with not only my first top 10 finish, but my first top 5 finish to date. I was ready for the next race and feeling very good on the bike with fresh tires.

Race # 12 - 600 Superbike

I was gridded 8th for this race, another excellent 2nd row starting position. I got a much better start in this race and gained a couple spots heading up the hill into T2. I tried my best to hold on to the leaders, but they were maintaining a fierce pace at the front. My only goal for the race was to beat the rider that had passed me on the final lap of the previous race. At one point in the race he passed me on the brakes and pulled a slight gap on me. I settled into a rhythm and began to hunt him down, capitalizing on any mistake he made. On lap 4 I had an excellent line through the carousel, which allowed me to get back on the gas and drive out much sooner. I pulled alongside him and passed him down the back straight, despite being underpowered by almost 10hp. Once past him I put my head down and settled into an excellent relaxed rhythm. For the remainder of the race I made virtually zero mistakes and never looked back. I finished the race in 6th place with another personal best finish for the class and another top 10 finish! Beat my previous best race time with a 1:44.915

I want to give a big thanks to Dave Moss and Jim Williams of Catalyst Reaction Suspension Tuning, without their support this wouldn't be possible.

Feel free to forward this report to anyone for any reason, any exposure is always appreciated and I am always looking for support for my racing efforts.

Thanks for your time and interest!

-Michael Pesicka
AFM# 417

2008 Archive- Thunderhill Raceway 7/5-6

AFM Round 4: Thunderhill Raceway- July 5-6, 2008

I decided to practice on Friday July 4th, an open track day hosted by the track itself, instead of the AFM practice held on Saturday. Reason being I would get much more practice for the money, and there would be less people on track. This was a great opportunity to test my updated forks, and get completely adapted to the recent motor work. About a week before I had the bike completely torn apart to degree the cams and put in a head gasket, both supersport legal modifications. I got the bike on the dyno to make sure I got the most from the modifications, and was slightly disappointed with the results. The bike made 107rwhp, and 43 ft-lbs of torque. To put this in perspective, the 2008 GSXR 600 makes 106 rwhp, and almost 45 ft-lbs of torque from the factory, totally bone stock! Needless to say, this would have to do for the race weekend, I didn't have the resources nor the money to make any significant changes to the bike to make more power. Friday practice went very smoothly and incident free. I got some very good practice time and got the suspension dialed in as much as possible. The updated forks worked better, but still not perfectly. Because the forks are a custom, one off unit made with components from other bikes, they are constantly evolving in order for me to get the most from them. My best practice time on Friday was an unofficial 1:57.xxx as timed by a friend helping out.

On Saturday I worked with Dave Moss of Catalyst Reaction Suspension Tuning, helping other racers get dialed in for the race weekend. And, on Saturday many AMA regulars and contingency chasers showed up, as multiple manufacturers were paying out at this event. Also, past AFM champions came out to ride. Such racers as Jeff Tigert, Lenny Hale, Tony Meiring, Rick Corey, and Brant Wiwi. All notable names in the 600 class, the talent field for the 600 class was very deep for this weekend, and it made the races that much more exciting.

In the afternoon on Saturday I fitted new tires for Sunday and got the bike through tech. I was ready for Sunday.

Sunday morning I went out in practice to scrub in the new tires and get warmed up. The session went well and I was feeling very good heading into the first race. Best time 1:58.1 in the warm up.

Race # 4 - 600 Production

I was gridded in the 3rd row in 11th position of nearly 60 riders, with a few "known fast guys" gridded behind me. I got an okay start but got pushed wide on the entrance of T1, losing a few positions. During the first lap I got one or two spots back and tried to put my head down as the lead group was already gone. I got onto the back of a pack behind the leaders but couldn't get close enough to make a pass. I was pushing hard and made a few mistakes, letting a rider past me. I settled in and re-focused, setting my sights on the rider who had just gotten by. Coming into the last two corners that lead onto the straight he made a mistake and ran wide before the drive onto the straight. I pounced and took the spot back. For the rest of the race I tried to get in a groove, a tough thing to do in a 6 lap sprint race. I ended up finishing in 11th place, only 1.5 seconds out of the top 10 in a very deep field. This was a personal best finish in the 600 Production class, best race lap time of 1:57.2

Race # 9 - 600 Superbike

I was gridded on the third row again, this time in 13th position of 60+ riders, again with "known fast guys" behind me. I got a great start off the line and was trying to get past the row in front of me when two riders I was trying to squeeze between closed the gap. I was pinched off and had to roll off to avoid being hit, still stuck in between the two riders and having no way around. At this moment about 4 riders went around the outside of me and I ended up losing positions in what began as a great start, "Damn!" My goal for this race was to make a minimum of mistakes and to get into a rhythm as I can in practice. The ambient temperature had come up about 15 degrees since the first race and the track temp was now over 140 degrees. With the extreme heat the forks weren't working properly, and I had to slow slightly to bring the bike home in one piece. I ended up finishing 14th, tying my previous best finish in the class, with a best race time of 1:55.95 despite fork issues. This lap time put me roughly 3.5 seconds off of race winning pace.

All in all this was a great race weekend. I had a lot of fun (that's the whole point right?!) and learned a lot. Plans for the upcoming race weekend include getting the bike back on the dyno with a few tweaks to find more power, and again tearing the forks apart to get them to work properly. Ideally, I would like to get a full 25mm cartridge kit designed specifically for my bike, but that's just not in the budget right now... anyone?

Please feel free to pass this report on to anyone for any reason.

-Michael Pesicka
AFM# 417

2008 Archive- Infineon Raceway 5/24-25

AFM Round 3: Infineon Raceway- May 24-25

Saturday started with the usual duties, tires and tech. Got the tires and tech done, and got myself ready to ride. Before this weekend I finally got some long awaited parts, but unfortunately I had no testing time to get used to them and optimize the bike set up. These came in the form of a "new to me" used full Arata exhaust system and a quickshifter which allows for full throttle clutch-less upshifts. I got out on the track in my first warm up session, got the tires scrubbed in, and started adapting to the new exhaust system - more power and a lot more noise! At first I was a little disoriented, I wasn't used to how loud the bike was and was shifting prematurely, but by the end of the session it didn't bother me. I wasn't able to get the quickshifter on before this session so this would have to wait for the next session. Unfortunately... it started raining shortly after my first warm up session. Infineon is an unsafe "wet" track, and the rain didn't let up for about an hour. So, practice was canceled for the remainder of the day. Best lap - 1:47.8 - about half a second from my best time in April.

Sunday morning was dry, and fortunately this weather would last the whole day. So, Sunday morning warm up was spent trying to adapt to the new quickshifter. This was very helpful in the straights but proved to hurt more than it helped. For one reason or another the quickshifter wouldn't always work properly, sometimes it would allow for the proper shift and sometimes not. This was a little frustrating and would sometimes cause me to be in the wrong gear in some crucial sections. Still, it was a great morning warm-up and aside from the quickshifter the bike was working well.

Race 1 - 600 Production

I started this race with an excellent grid position of 9th out of 60+ riders. I wasn't used to launching the bike with the extra horsepower and did a wheelie after getting off the line. The little bit of hesitation to bring the wheel back to the ground cost me a few positions. I entered T2 in about 14th place. In the first couple of laps I was able to recover a couple positions by capitalizing on others' mistakes. When someone would run wide or miss a shift I would use it as an opportunity to get by. As the race progressed my rear tire began to fall off. Something wasn't right, either suspension and/or tire pressure, and traction on the right side began to suffer badly. In the last 3 laps two of the riders that I had passed got me back. Then, in the last lap I missed a shift due to the malfunctioning quickshifter and another rider got by. Ultimately finished this race in a personal best 15th and Top Novice in the race. Best lap of 1:46.000 - a time that would've put me on the supersport grid at the AMA race at Infineon a week earlier.

In between the Production and Superbike races Jim from Catalyst Reaction Suspension Tuning made some significant changes to the shock to help the bike handle better and also to help prevent a new tire from tearing up the way the tire did in the first race. So, I would go out in the next race with a slightly new set up and also a new rear tire.

Race 2 - 600 Superbike

I was gridded 14th of 60+ riders in this race. Again I botched the start, but not as badly this time, and I stuffed a couple riders entering T2 to gain a couple positions back. I had some excellent battles in this race and had a lot of fun! At one point we were three riders wide through turn 7, no one wanting to give an inch! I had more difficulties in this race with the quickshifter, and hit neutral a couple times exiting T11 instead of making a complete shift to 2nd. I ended up abandoning the quickshifter in quite a few places as I couldn't rely on it to make every shift when I needed it. There were quite a few crashes in this race resulting in many standing and waving yellow flags. One bike crashed in T11 and the bike remained right in the middle of the track for the last 3 laps forcing riders to completely alter the line. Still I managed another personal best finish of 14th place and was again the Top Novice in the race. Best lap of 1:46.412 - also would've qualified me for the AMA Supersport race.

All in all it was a great weekend with personal bests in both races. I ultimately went about one and a half seconds faster than my last race weekend at Infineon in April. I would like to give a big thanks to Dave Moss and Jim Williams of Catalyst Reaction for helping during the race weekend, there's no way I could do it without these guys.

Also, I am still actively seeking sponsors to help support me for the remainder of the 2008 racing season. Tires, fuel, and entry fees being the main expense as the bike needs only motor work to be completed for the rest of the season. Please contact me to discuss joint benefits of sponsorship if interested. Or please pass on the word to anyone who may be interested in supporting a young racer at the beginning of what looks to be a great career.

Cheers!

-Michael Pesicka
AFM #417

2008 Archive- Infineon Raceway 4/26-27

AFM Round 2: Infineon Raceway - April 26-27, 2008

Saturday practice started out hectic as usual, unfortunately. Got to the track around 7:15am and had to do a little work on the bike, change tires and go through tech before my practice started. I was in practice group 5, so practice didn't begin until about 9:00 but time disappeared as usual. I brought my tires to Pirelli for a new rear and a "take-off" front that they were supposed to be saving me from an Attack Kawasaki test. Well, they couldn't find the front tire, so Pirelli had to track down another front for me and didn't get my tires back to me until 15minutes before the first session. I scrambled to get the tires back on and get through tech in time to make the session. I assumed (bad idea) that the pressures were set from Pirelli so I went out without checking my pressures. The first session was a total wash because I had 60psi in the rear! So, next session I went out with the correct pressure and had a better session, but I was still struggling to find traction in the rear. The bike was just sliding and not going anywhere... on a 600cc bike with a stock motor and exhaust this shouldn't happen. I brought the bike into Dave Moss to check my suspension, he made some changes and I went out for my 3rd session. Traction was slightly better in the 3rd session but still not there. At this point we had one more chance to get it right because there are only four practice sessions on Saturday. So, we had to look for another solution. I changed my geometry slightly by adjusting the rear ride height to alter the swingarm angle, again it was slightly better but it was still really bad. Other 600's were driving away from me out of the corners and not sliding an inch, while I was just spinning myself silly trying to keep up. Best lap of the day- 1:47.8 in the last session.

Sunday morning practice I worked with Dave in the hot pits to try to find rear grip. I came in every 2 laps and made changes to the shock, with the track being cooler there was more traction than the previous day but ultimately the changes we made were the wrong way, and I would pay for it in my first race. I put fresh tires on for the races so we'd know it wasn't the tires.

Race 1 - 600 Superbike
I pulled the bike off the tire warmers with the pressures set and went out for the warm up lap. This was the first race of the day and I was starting 21st of 60something. I got a bad start and lost a couple of positions in the first couple corners. Fought back during the 1st lap and got the spots back. By the end of the 1st lap I was back to where I started. With a brand new tire I was spinning worse than the morning session, and what was worse was that it was taking all of my attention away, I was only focusing on keeping the back end of the bike underneath me. As the race went on traction got progressively worse and I started losing positions. Around lap 6 of 8 I had a near highside. While driving out of T7 the rear end stepped out suddenly, I paused on the gas and the rear end tried to highside me instead of coming back in line with the front. As I got kicked out of the seat I got back into the gas and the bike convulsed violently underneath me, almost running me off track. I got the bike stabilized and knew at this point I would have to do damage control the rest of the race and just bring the bike back in one piece. I finished 26th with a best lap of 1:48.7.

I found out after the race that the tire pressure gauge I was using was wrong. Causing the pressures to be set too low and overheat the tire as a result. This is why traction got progressively worse but not the reason that it was bad in the first place. With the help of Jim Williams, the Catalyst Reaction Suspension Tuning shop tech, we made some massive changes to the shock for the next race. Again I'd go out on a totally different set up I hadn't ridden before.

Race 2 - 600 Production
Got the bike off the warmers with the correct pressure this time, and headed out. I was starting 12th of 60something. I got a much better start this race and maintained my position of 12th. Traction was better but again not what it should be. At least the pressures were set properly in this race and traction was predictable all race. I was able to get into a rhythm and maintain a decent pace but still had a lot of attention on traction. I lost a couple spots during the race and finished 16th. Overall a much better race than race 1. Best lap of 1:47.3

The weekend proved to be a very frustrating one, but I learned some good things about the bike. Ultimately I've concluded that the traction issues were related to geometry, the swing arm angle was too steep causing the rear end to extend and top out the shock while on the throttle instead of squat and load the tire. The next race weekend should be much better, and hopefully I'll have some new parts in the form of a steering damper and quickshifter. Can't wait til' May!

-Michael Pesicka
AFM # 417

2008 Archive- Buttonwillow Raceway 3/22-23

AFM Round 1: Buttonwillow Raceway - March 22-23, 2008

I traveled down to the track on Thursday night with Dave Moss to work the Friday Practice. I spent most of the day prepping my bike and then the afternoon tuning suspension and pulling shocks, forks, etc. Saturday started out pretty hectic as my friend Jake was racing for the first time and I helped him prep his bike. I got placed in practice group 4 of 5 (5 being the fastest) because of my times from a year ago. It was the wrong group for me (too slow) but there wasn't much I could do about it because I didn't have any faster documented times. It was pretty frustrating just because it was impossible to put in clean laps and get into a rhythm, but at least I got to practice. At the end of the day I got a clean session and had some issues with my forks, but it was the end of the day so I the forks would have to wait until Sunday.

Sunday morning warm up I basically just tested the forks, came in every lap and made a change, another lap, another change. Dave and I were trying to get to a set up that would keep me from bottoming out the forks. The session ended, we had a set up that wasn't perfect but would have to work for the race.

Race #1 - 600 Superbike

I have no points for this class from last year, so I started 42nd of 62. The field was pretty deep as it was a money weekend for a few manufacturers, the usual fast guys then a bunch of AMA guys going for the money. On the start I just relaxed and tried not to get hit, it was a bunch of goons in the back. Everyone was single file by half way through the 1st lap so I could start picking guys off. Throughout the whole race I was unable to get a clean lap in as I was just swimming through traffic the whole race, but I managed to finish 26th with a best lap of 1:55.8. The forks weren't perfect, still bottoming out hard, so I had to make changes and go into race 2 with a set up I hadn't ridden yet.

Race #2 - 600 Production

I did have a few points in this class from last year, so I started this race 32nd of 57. I got a decent start and picked up a few spots through T1, only to get pinched in T2 and lose them. But, all in all it was a decent race, again I just spent the whole race working through traffic and didn't get any clean laps in. However, I ended up finishing 17th with a time of 1:55.3. I was also the top novice in this race.

All together it was a positive weekend, I have things I need to work on with my own riding and things to change on the bike. I earned crucial points that will get me much better grid positions for the next race weekend at Sears Point, especially in the 600 Production class. Hopefully a full exhaust system will be on the bike soon, shortly followed by a quick-shifter. Either way I'll be ready for Sears!

All the best,

-Michael Pesicka
AFM #417