Another reason that you should race in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship: Free Thursday practice at the first race of the season! Regular practice starts on Friday.

There were 15 of us practicing today for the Honda CBR125R Challenge. After practice we did a little classroom at the big Honda truck then did a track walk. We except more to join us tomorrow and Saturday. On Friday we have two practices. On Saturday we Q and race. Then we race again on Sunday.

Follow my link to the PCSC web site on the right side of my page to get the full story about our races at ICAR.

I’m also in charge of parking and I want to thank all the teams for working with me to make our paddock look better than it ever has.

Great School Day

Honda Canada hosted a track day for Honda CBR125R Challenge racers and CBR125R street riders last Friday at Mosport International Raceway’s Rider Development Track.

The day started with bike and sticker tech to make sure everyone is ready for the new season. PCSC staff were on hand for tech as well as timing and scoring.

I was there to coach along with Brian Williams and reigning Honda CBR125R Champion Steven Nickerson. We did lead/follow with all 19 riders from Noon till 5 pm. New and returning racers had fun and learned while knocking the rust off or riding on track for the first time.

All indications point to a great season of racing and it starts next weekend at ICAR.

The Honda CBR125R Challenge National Championship is sponsored by Pirelli tires, Armour Bodies race bodywork, Elka shock absorbers, Z-1 Cycle frame sliders and Arrow exhausts.

I’m flying to Canada tomorrow for the Honda CBR125R Challenge school at Mosport on Friday the 21st. I hope to see all of you at the school and racing again this year.

If you want to reach me when I’m in Canada the best way is on my cell, 909 838-4587. Don’t leave a voice message, I can’t receive them in Canada for a reason known only to Verizon. I’ll see your number and return your call as soon as I can. Text messages work too.

I can check my e mail when I can find a place to plug into the web.

I’m ready to race, are you?

Sunday’s race did not go as planed. I used a soft front tire when we needed a medium front tire. Elena lead for a few laps then faded to 3rd as the tire went off. Bad luck on the last lap put us in 5th at the finish.

The next race is at Road America, June 4th to 6th. Stay tuned, Elena has more wins to come.

Just a quick up-date, because I’ve been working late and need to get some sleep.

We Q’ed 8th. Got a great start. Held onto the lead group in 5th. Moved to 4th when someone ran off. Then a red flag. We made a small change. Grided 4th on the restart but this time her great start netted 2nd. Back to 3rd in turn 2 battled for 2nd for a few laps, took 2nd. Then a bold braking moved into turn 9 to take 1st. History is made by the bold.

We have another race tomorrow. I have a plan. The tires are mounted. The bike is ready. The rider is fast.

Elena Myers is sponsored by Lucas Oils, RoadracingWorld.com, RMR and Suzuki.

This text just in from Bill: Garage looks amazing!

Thank you Bill. Bill has it tough because one car parks in his garage along with the washer and dryer. Still it’s a two car garage so with the race bike on the side next to his work bench and tools hanging from the peg board I think we can call it a Shop/Garage.

When you find a mess in your garage,
When your threatened by a pile of junk,
When it looks like you will take a lickin’,

(puk, puk, puk, puk)

There is someone waiting,
Who will hurry up and rescue you,
just Call for EDventure Racing!

(puk, ack!)

Ed, if you’re afraid you’ll have to overlook it,
Besides you knew the job was dangerous when you took it

(puk, ack!)

He will drink his super sauce
And throw the mess for a loss
And he will bring race bikes in alive and kickin’

(puk, puk, puk, puk)

There is one thing you should learn
When there is no one else to turn to
Call for EDventure Racing!

(puk, puk, puk, puk)

Call for EDventure Racing!

(puk, ack!)

My pit strolling and card distribution process paid off in the form of better handling bikes for two racers this weekend.

Dan became only the second person to have his set up measured by my new invention the EGS. EGS can determine swing arm angle and trail, the two geometry numbers that I’m most concerned with. With my suspisions about the geometry of Dan’s Ducati 900 SS confirmed Dan’s crew made big changes to the geometry and I moved the clickers around. Dan loved the changes so much that when he gets back to the shop he’ll make even bigger changes that we could not do at the track.

Pitted next to Dan was his friend Dave, riding another Ducati, this one a 1098. Dave had a fun weekend that included riding his Supermoto bike in a pit and getting a surprise bath from a lake of rain water that was laying in wait for him on top of his awning. As needed as the bath may have been, Dave’s best move was paying enough attention to the success that his friend was having with the crazy changes we made and deciding to try similar big changes to his set up. They worked.

Both bikes are now more stable, change direction better with less effort, hold the line better and have more feel. If this sounds like a contradiction to you, more stable but able to change direction easier, my answer is that your understanding of the dynamics of motorcycle racing is incomplete.

What I do is different from suspension guys because I change the geometry and the damping. But more importantly I help you understand how it works with you.

Buttonwillow is still here and so am I. I say this because Buttonwillow has a bunch of blind sections. There are three hills that block your view of the next part of the track. You have to learn the line, then trust that the track will still be where it was last time when you come around at full speed on the next lap.

The weather was perfect yesterday when Dave and I were blasting around the track all day in a TheTrackClub.com track day.

TheTrackClub.com and EDventure Racing have a deal that allows me to ride free when one of my clients buys a track day, this deal seriously cuts your cost to hire me for a day of on track coaching. Yesterday was my first experience with TheTrackClub.com. The Ninja Twins were right, the event was well run with an emphasizes on maximizing our track time. We’ll be back.

Dave has been renting a Ninja from Feel Like A Pro and yesterday he put money down on one of his own.

The weather is perfect again today and will be on Sunday as well. WERA practice is going on now. I’m strolling the pits talking to people and passing out cards.

TheTrackClub.com, provider of track days at Buttonwillow Raceway Park and Laguna Seca, made a deal with EDventure Racing. When an Edventure Racing client buys a track day the fee for Ed to ride and do lead/follow is waved. That’s a big savings for you.

I’ll be at Buttonwillow for the Friday May 7th TheTrackClub.com track day. I’ll be set up in RV spot 15C. Then I’ll stick around for the WERA races on Saturday and Sunday, May 8th & 9th.

If you want to join us for one, two or even three fun filled days at Buttonwillow call or e mail right away!

EDventure Racing clients at this past weekends WSMC race included Tony on his ‘08 250 Ninja and my ‘90 TZ 250, Dennis on a RacebikeRentals.com 250 Ninja, the Ninja Twins, Andrew & Niccole, on their matching 250 Ninja’s, Tom on his 250 Ninja, Michael on his SV650 & SV500, Wendy on her 250 Ninja and brothers Guy & Allen also on 250 Ninja’s.

All had fun blasting around in the sunshine. All had good and bad laps. All learned stuff. All are working on doing stuff better. All are subconsciously making their stories better as you read this blog.

Wendy has been named the “Queen of the Ninjas” or “Ninja Queen” for short.

EDventure Racing started sponsoring the New Racers Race. All new racers get a coupon good for $50 off on their first day of Crew Chiefing & Coaching by me. The class is now called the EDventure Racing New Racers Race and I, for one, got a kick out of hearing that on the PA and seeing it on the schedule. If you did not get your coupon call the WSMC office and ask them to mail one to you or bring me proof that you were in a New Racers Race when you sign up with me.

I won’t be at the May WSMC race weekend because I’ll be Crew Chiefing for Elena Myers at the Infineon AMA race on that same weekend. In fact I’ll be working with Elena for the rest of the AMA season. This is good news for me because Elena is fun to work with and her speed will help improve my understanding of race set up. The learning never ends and the journey begins with a single step.

After Infineon I travel to Canada for the Honda CBR125R Challenge School at the Mosport Development Track on May 21st. Then to Circuit ICAR for round one of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship. I’m the coach for the riders in the 125R Challenge and the pit parking dude for PCSC. Sometimes the parking gig can be a tough job when everyone wants the same spot but mostly everyone is willing to compromise and it all works out. The coaching gig rocks because I get to ride and race with the kids so I get my racing fix too.

What all this work means for my WSMC customers: Between the AMA and PCSC schedule, I’ll miss most of the summer WSMC races. June is a maybe right now then I’ll miss everything till September. So if you are thinking about hiring me we need to pick a track day that works for both of us. I’ll be home between rounds and there are “lots and lots” of track days so give me a shout and we can pick a date.