WSMC Race 1: Willow Springs Raceway, 16-17 January 2010

Mother Nature would prove to be the only force that would stop us from finishing all of our races this weekend. As usual, we had something to test on our bike and this time it was a new Traction Control Pod (TC-Pod) that would allow us to adjust the settings while riding- critical for limiting the effects of tire wear during a race. The device also would allow us to reprogram the software for different-sized tires (e.g., Dunlop slicks) other than the Pirelli DOTs which came on the bike. We would finally be able to have a system that was actually useful! Now more than one or two settings were useable without the TC becoming too intrusive when the rear tire would start to spin.

The Big Track at Willow Springs is one of those tracks that looks deceptively simple but is extremely difficult to master. Each time we return, we manage to milk a second or two from our lap times as we uncover new tricks in the faster sections (the 160+mph T7 for example!) and our confidence grows accordingly. After a few years of stepping onto the podium but never reaching the top, we were finally able to bring home our first winner’s trophy! We were well on our way to a second victory when the Open Twins race was red-flagged due to an incident on track. As we awaited the re-start, the rain that had threatened all weekend finally began to fall and after a quick cost/benefit analysis, we decided to pack it up for the weekend.

The Big Track at Willow Springs Raceway

Results

Battle of the Twins Heavyweight: 1^st

Formula 40 Heavyweight: 3^rd

Open Superbike: 7^th

Open Twins: DNS

WSMC Race 3: Willow Springs Raceway, 20-21 March 2010

After finally getting our quick-shifter to work at the end of the 2009 season, we encountered a mysterious electronic issue while testing earlier in the month that threw our bike into a coughing fit causing it to die while riding. We chased down the issue to just a faulty fuse (of all things!) and were in good spirits for the upcoming race weekend. As we learn more about our Ducati’s idiosyncrasies, we are able to be less of a “mechanic” and more of a “rider” which certainly helps in our search for better performances and race results. We were also treated with a special visit for the first time by Sherwick’s sister Charrisse along with niece Kelly and nephew Cooper so we wanted to put on a good show and indeed we did! This weekend would see us step on each level of the podium in three races! Here’s how it played out…

Testing at Thunderhill Raceway revealed an electronic weakness

Battle of the Twins (BOTT) Heavyweight kicked off our race schedule for the weekend. We didn’t get off the line very quickly as our clutch was nearing the end of its life after 10 race starts. Even so, on the first lap we were in 5^th position on the tail end of a 3-rider train while the leader, AMA Pro Racer Shawn Higbee on a 1098R, checked out rather quickly. We struggled to get by the two riders ahead of us, while a third one, whose speeds we matched during practice, began to walk away with 2^nd. When we finally made it past, the gap between us and 2^nd was too large to make up and we crossed the line in a solid 3^rd!

The second race of the weekend was Open Superbike (OSB) immediately following BOTT. We were two laps into the race when the clutch started slipping and after limping around for almost a complete lap, we pulled out on third to register a DNF. (Did Not Finish). We are now resigned to the fact that two back-to-back race starts are too much for a Ducati dry clutch to handle for this much horsepower. Once in the pits, we immediately got to work replacing the plates in order to be ready for the next race while Charrisse, Kelly and Cooper took a nap (too excited by all the proceedings).

A worn clutch led to a DNF in Open Superbike

Photo by CaliPhotography

We were gridded in 2^nd position for race #3, Formula 40 (F40) and with the new clutch, let loose like a bull into the arena. This was our best start ever as it became clear that our clutch had been holding us back. As the green flag dropped our “bull” shot into T1 getting the holeshot for the lead! We had been struggling with our entry into T3 all weekend and our weakness was clearly apparent as we lost the lead under braking. The gap became two seconds, stabilized but then shrank when the leader came upon lapped traffic. His hesitated slightly and we capitalized on his mistake by passing him on the exit of T6- an area where we noticed he was slow on the previous lap. However, we could not shake him and on the white flag lap, he nosed underneath us in T8 (the fastest corner on the track) leaving us with only 2^nd place, but pumped up for our last race of the weekend!

In Open Twins (OT), we were gridded in 5^th position (2^nd row). By T1, we were into 3^rd. It wasn’t long before we hooked onto 2^nd place to get around the leader and from then on, it was a two-rider battle. We made a move going into T3- turning our weakness into a strength. This put us in the lead nose-to-tail for a lap. The only breathing room we had was on the front straight where our “bull” had some grunt! Second place made a pass on the outside of T2 and while positions had been swapped, the distance between us remained the same. On the penultimate lap, we encountered lapped traffic on the front straight and we jumped at the opportunity to pass BOTH the leader and lapper by going deep into T1. We hoped that the lapper would slow down 2^nd place enough for us to get away but unfortunately that was not the case. He made a move on the last lap (again underneath us in T8), taking a very tight line which put him out wide for a slow exit. This was enough for us to draft by him on the front straight just before the finish, to cross the line in 1^st place!