The results of this weekend, combined with comments made by some certain notable racers, my “standings” or “classification” or whatever you wish to call it was made official. My treatment by other racers around me was profoundly different than any other time… all very, very good comments and experiences…. An absolute surreal feeling… even now as I write this a few days later.
Race Prep
August 19th was a track day at AutoClub that I attended to get a feel for the “new” configuration as I had only ridden it once with the additional chicane located after turn 10 (the decreasing radius). The last time I rode AutoClub was back in January – for half a track day – a month out of surgery from having a hysterectomy. A best lap of 1:41 was recorded that day. The chicane was primarily hay bales and cones. I recall a conversation with a Fastrack Riders employee that they were experimenting with the shape of the chicane.
Fast forward to August, and the chicane now has the plastic bolted down curbing, and is a seemingly different configuration than back in January… at least based on my analysis of lap times.
It was hard to compare my own lap times to January due to the different track configuration. There were only a few racers attending this track day, so all I had to go by was what they were running, and what lap times I could snoop around online through Fastrack Riders’ online lap times from their events.
My best lap time was a 1:38.0 with a handful of laps in the 1:38 range. The fastest guy in August was a former top level club racer, and he ran 1:33-1:34s most of the day. When I heard he was going to come race WERA in September I realized super fast that I better get faster, because while 1:38s definitely made me a track day hero, they weren’t going to cut it in the expert liter bike class =/
I had put on a brand new set of CT Racing Pirelli tires for this August track day, and when the day was over, there were no more wear indicators on the left side of the tire. Crap. I was hoping to use those tires to practice on the Friday before the race weekend.
Some funny stories from the track day… I won’t lie… it was a good confidence building experience to be a track day hero. Some dudes got real upset with me because I “beat them”… at least according to one of the Fastrack Riders instructors (whom I race against).
It was a very pleasant experience to have compliments given rather than dudes coming to tell me how much better they are than me.
Race Weekend
Friday, September 21st was a regular track day before the races on Sunday. I had already planned to ride and rest on Saturday. AutoClub, with its multiple chicanes, really kicks my butt… literally. It is exhausting to ride that track! It is incredibly physically demanding – especially on the upper body trying to get the bike flicked as quickly as possible. Us girls are at a considerable disadvantage to men here, with our significantly reduced upper body strength and subsequent upper body muscle endurance.
This rest day proved to be invaluable as almost two weeks before the event I was involved in a serious bicycle crash, and have a rather large, grotesque, contusion / hematoma on my 
upper right thigh. It was still holding large amounts of fluid, and the bruise was enormous. The muscle was painful to engage – I practiced on my street bike during my commute to work to see how it would feel to ride.
My Orthopedic doc gave me the “kind of ok” to race. He explained to me what to watch out for, and what the worst case scenario would be if I re-injured it – a kidney infection that could result in my death. Awesome.
Saturday was spent on pain killers, ice packs, elevation, recovery, and delivering cupcakes when I could walk hobble around. It was hot day, and my shorts put my injury on display… and I had to laugh as some of my friends almost got sick when I poked at the fluid filled bulge.
Ok… back to the riding part…
Friday started out slow. I arrived a bit late to feel really ready for the first session, plus I didn’t know how my leg would feel. Cousin Matt Buanno, my crew chief, was working on Friday, so I was on my own… and oh man did that suck! His help is so invaluable!!!!
I didn’t even ride until the 10a session. I had to haul my rears over to get them flipped. I found a “gently” used medium compound rear in the trailer that I had no idea what it was from! I usually mark all my tires, but this one … I had no clue! I hadn’t ridden a medium in so long! I had to laugh a bit at that… I also had the August track day rear flipped just in case I needed it to finish off the day.
First session went well. My leg was wrapped up, and it felt good. A few laps later, I pulled in calling it good… checked my tire pressures and relaxed until the next session. I reviewed my notebook on the technical parts I had written down for improvement. From my second session on, I worked hard on improving my brake markers, and corner entries. Adding some preload to my forks helped to move my brake markers about 20 feet deeper! It also made the bike physically easier to get around the track… that was an unexpected side affect. I tried adding compression for improved corner entry and mid corner, and all it did was make my bike incredibly hard to turn! Crazy! The preload was added to reduce the front end dive on initial braking. In the end I added 3 full turns of preload, and reduced compression a bit.
That preload change made a huge difference! I was able to run more consistent 38s, where before I struggled to hit 38. I also ran two 37s, with the best being a 37.0 .
I worked hard to move my brake markers deeper, but all I did was make mistakes, and blow those turns. Missing shifts, target fixating… ugh… I was a mess.
Professor Toye
Jeremy Toye would periodically pass me under the brakes somewhere… he was a hell of show to watch… going sideways into the turns, getting the bike steered with the rear, then sliding sideways laying blackies as he exited corners… so smooth, so controlled, and so effing RAD.
One of the last sessions of the day, my brake markers had improved enough that Toye was now passing me while we were both braking – earlier, I was rolling off and he was still on the throttle! That’s how much a difference 2 turns of preload makes!!! — anyway… We both entered the horseshoe pretty much the same time, so I followed him, looked at what line he took, where did he pick up the throttle, how was his bike pointed as he hit the second apex… how hard did he get out of the corner. I tried to match him… line for line, throttle pick up for throttle pick up. I watched his rear tire dance as he exited the flat turn six; then felt my tire dance as I accelerated as hard as I dared. I pulled a little wheelie as I squirted it down the short straight before the super tight, super quick – super effing physical – chicane that dumps you into the decreasing radius turn nine. I studied where he rolled off, where did he turn in… how fast did he take it. I tried to emulate his marks, and by the time I had my bike flipped right to squirt it into the decreasing radius, Toye was about to apex the turn… and then he was gone. I tried like hell to keep him in sight long enough to study him through that tricky new chicane…
Thanks for the lesson Mr. Toye… I hope you don’t mind that I took advantage of you 😉
Sunday Race Day
Practice didn’t go so well… the first one I felt so blah… I came in after only a few laps. The second I tried to really go aggressive and just made a billion and one mistakes =/ And my best lap was still a 38… ugh…
WERA had the chicane opened up, which I thought would increase lap times, but it only improved them by a half second or less – at least by watching consistent guys like Corey Sarros and Toye.
I was just going to have to find my Umph on the grid…
When I looked at the grids… my umph started to fizzle before it even got started… oh my God… look at these dudes I have to race against…. I literally felt like a wounded seal in a shark tank… the loan salmon in a pond surrounded by big hungry Grizzlies….
Fighting feelings of intimidation, I got myself ready … well, Matty got my bike ready, and he tried to get me ready too… It was such a treat when my friends Josh and Hannah came out to watch, they really helped distract me from imploding into a pile of dead seal.
Just before my races, I put on my headphones, and got myself into aggressive mode… between the lyrics of the songs, and summoning up as much “girl power” as I could… I was ready to go out and fuck shit up.
I had great starting positions in all of my classes, and Open (A) Superbike was up first, a one race break (read 15 minutes) then Open (A) Superstock, another one race break, then Women’s Superstock. Thankfully, and not thankfully, only one girl was in my class…
Open (A) Superbike
The big boys are in this class. The dudes with the, biggest cojones on the biggest bikes… Fourteen men were on the grid with little ol me… one-four… 14…. I made the grid 15 riders deep. Nothing intimidated me more than seeing my name smack in the middle of this grid sheet… me… surrounded by fire breathing liter bikes oozing testosterone…
I spoke some choice words to my Big Boy … that’s all I had to protect me was him… he was the only one on my team.
I’m not gonna lie… I have never been this intimidated on the 600 grid…. Not even for my first race.
I got a killer start, and stuck out my proverbial elbows, and held my own as we turned into the infield. I had initially gotten past a certain Ducati, only to be re-passed as we turned into the infield. I found myself behind two Willow fast guys, and the three of us battled for who was going to get a shot at passing the Ducati first. Myself and the GSX-R Sbk went back and forth a few times, but his monster engine just destroyed me down the back straight…. Grrrrr….
One at a time they got around the big Duc until I was left to figure it out on my own. The big Duc would just dust me on the front straight, but the next lap, I set up a killer drive, and capitalized on his comparative weakness through the ridiculously fast chicane off the oval banking. I went through there faster than ever, feeling my Big Boy dance underneath me as I picked up the throttle after the second curbing and ran down the big Ducati. As we approached the turn into the infield, I went along the outside hoping to overtake, but was shocked when he checked up, then swung out to the right to turn left! He ended up swinging right in behind me! That worked out amazing!!
I completed my turn into the infield, flicking right, then left and on the throttle so hard the front end lofted slightly, while the rear end danced under acceleration. Grabbing one gear after another I could feel the rear slide with each upshift as I drove the arcing left hander into the braking zone for the turn five/six horseshoe.
I bombed my Big Boy in there so deep he wagged his rear end as I trail braked passed the first curbing. Certain he was hot on my heels, I took my lessons from Toye, and danced our way out of the flat corner, lofting the front end as my Big Boy drove to the chicane, and into the decreasing radius. Around the slowest turn we went, and felt him dance as we drove for the new chicane. Nearly dragging my knee we flicked right, then I stood him up, and was at the throttle stop… screaming in my helmet… Goooooo Baby goooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!
Taking defensive lines, I went deep into the right hand turn 12, oh man it was a hot entry, flicked him left for the drive through the final corners until the front straight. I set up the last two left handers for the best drive I could muster onto the front straight…. My position depended on it!
If I could make it to turn one before him, I would be good… not fully clear, but not as much pressure.
At the throttle stop I clicked that shifter listening to the familiar bah, bah, bah, bah of the quick shifter bombing through gears as we rocketed along the big wide oval track. I went deep into turn one, through it down the banking, using my whole body to get it turned right for the second curbing, picking up the throttle, as we flipped left, just missing the third curbing… knee on the ground, blazing the apron into the braking zone. Three more clicks down, into the infield, grab two gears as we blast back into the horseshoe again.
And around again… ultimately putting 2 seconds between us by the time the race was over… finishing 8th of 15 riders…. Fifteen….
I was so elated as I crossed the finish line!!!! Completely spent, and so overwhelmed with relief, shock, happiness, exhaustion…. Shock…. Ha ha ha….
On account of the women’s class, I started blowing kisses to the corner workers, to say thank you rather than just waving… being the only girl in my classes, it has kind of become my thing… I was so elated with my performance … the corner workers could even see it!!
Imagine my shock when several of them blew me kisses! Ha ha ha!!! Awesome =)
I love it when the corner workers get excited about my performance…. Many of the lady corner workers jump up and down and clap, pump their fist, whatever, to show how stoked they are to see a girl to awesome in the big boy class…. That always makes my day.
Open (A) Superbike – another top ten with an 8th place finish… a best lap time of 1:35.0…
I am so proud of how I rode… no hesitation, no fear, no mistakes.
Open (A) Superstock
I didn’t have much aggression left for Superstock… I was so emotionally drained after Superbike… overcoming my fears, performing well, in absolute shock at how I finished….
I spent the warm up lap trying to get my engine to cool off more… and trying to get my game face back on.
On the grid, I was on Row 2… a damn good starting position.
Green flag…. And I launched like Top Fuel Dragster… Damn near went sailing into first place. Sadly, I couldn’t quite make it stick, and was poorly positioned as we turned into the infield, and I got shuffled back into fourth place… then into fifth as we went through the horseshoe.
I rode smooth, and made a pass into fourth, but wasn’t able to run down third… way to far away. I tried… but as the race continued, I just made sure to hit my marks and hang onto my fourth place.
Exhaustion started to set in…. I was barely hanging on. It was so hard to turn my bike, my leg hurt, my aggression was slipping. I was all alone, and it was hard to keep up that pace with no one to push you… just an imaginary racer behind you.
As I came into the last set of left handers, I thought… this should be it… this should be the checkered flag….
As I approached, I was deflated to see the white flag… oh crap….
Then another rider sailed passed me on the big front straight…. Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo…..
I got on it, and tried to get him back in the next few turns, but he was already too far ahead…. Ugh…
I rode as hard as I could to make sure I didn’t lose another position, and sailed home in fifth place… I was disappointed… deflated that I allowed myself to slow down. That’s not like me at all. The hematoma on my leg had been sucking a lot of energy from me lately…. So, sadly, I was not surprised. It was also over a hundred degrees outside.
A top five is still a top five! There were four other dudes I finished in front of!!
Open (A) Superstock finish of 5th of 9 racers, and a best lap of 1:34.7 … 4 seconds better than I did in practice…. My “slow” pace was 35s!
That’s three top five finishes in Superstock … in the last three races…. =D
Women’s Superstock
By the time this class was up I was as spent as my rear tire. Again, a one race break between Open Superstock and Women’s Superstock… huge thank you to WERA for placing a class in between the two races!! Also a huge thank you to WERA for placing us girls up front! We were gridded – for the first time ever! – in front of Heavyweight Twins Sbk!
Now… Please note… I have utmost respect for the girls I was racing against… I love that more girls are getting back on the grid, and getting their number plates. I feel somewhat bad writing this part of the write up because my experience in the class was considerably different than the other girls lined up on the grid.
I only had one girl in my class (Expert) and there were only three of us total with one Novice girl.
I was so exhausted, that I had no desire to do the warm up lap… I had no need to so I rolled out and placed myself in P1. The starter came up to me and asked what was going on… I commented… I’m too tired to do the warm up lap! Ha ha ha…
Please forgive me for being honest…. This kind of sounds bad….
I knew I would win the race provided I didn’t fall down. My plan was to get a solid start, go somewhat hard in the first few corners, then back off and cruise home.
I got a good start, was first going into the infield, and as I lined up to enter the horseshoe turn (turns five and six) the big Ducati flew by me under the brakes…. I knew he would pass me, and I had already decided to let him go. Often times it is fun to engage him solely for the ego boost of not just winning the women’s class, but for beating every bike on the grid.
I won’t lie… it was hard not to engage! I half heartedly tried in the next lap or so, but I was tired and made mistakes. That; combined with my spent rear tire that could no longer handle the corner exits required to stay with the big Duc; I yielded, backed off, and called it a day.
I cruised around the last few laps at about 70% effort… shockingly… my lap times at the end were what I struggled to obtain during the track day!!! 37s and 38s… can you believe it?!?! I still can’t…
In the end, I won the Women’s Superstock by one minute and twenty-one seconds…
I’m really debating about sitting out the women’s class next year. I really enjoy being on the grid to support the class, but …
In The End
This weekend was unbelievable. I often day dreamed of rocking a liter bike, and giving dudes a run for their money… but I never, ever expected it to come true!
It does not escape me that I am not just out there as myself… I’m also out there representing what girls can do… I hope to be a role model for girls … to show that you can swim in the testosterone pool and not drown. I do this because I love it… not to prove something…but I understand the impact it has on my gender.
Thank You…
Huge thank you to Corey Neuer of CT Racing – Pirelli for the immense support over the weekend … this was the first time I completely burned up a rear tire in one race…
A very gracious and appreciated thank you to my cousin Matt Buanno because he takes care of me so incredibly well at the races!! He cooks me breakfast in the morning; changes my tires, checks over my bike… puts up with my girly emotions…. lol
Thank you to my amazing sponsors who help to make this all happen!!!
Graves Motorsports (gravesport.com)
EBC Brakes (ebcbrakes.com)
Scorpion Helmet (scorpionusa.com)
Lenny Albin (superbikechassis.com)
Pirelli Tires (CT Racing – ctracetires.com)
RaceTech (racetech.com)
M Racing (mracingperformance.com)
Five & Dime Tattoo (fiveanddimetattoo.com)
Moonstone Cellars (moonstonecellars.com)
STAR School (starmotorycle.com)
Five-0 Racing (five-0racing.com)
Aussie Body Fitness (aussiebodyfitness.com)
Attack Performance (attackperformance.com)
785Graphics (785graphics.com)
Xoxo,
Psycho Kitty
