I am convinced that my racing friends are trying to kill me!

[Xian_13]

 
Over this last weekend, I have become convinced that my racing friends are simply trying to kill me.

Let me explain...
First off, your racing friends encourage you to drive all night long with little to no sleep.

Once you get to the track, they hand you beer after beer, only resulting in nasty hangovers the next day.

Out on the track... Your best friend in the world... now won't give up one inch of asphalt! If you try to take it... They will fight you for it, with all their might.

In the off chance you should crash... These so called friends, sit up all night helping you get your bike back together. Just so they can put you back out on the track the next day.

In the worst cases... After a back wreck, they wait for the perfect moment when you need your track fix... And they get you back out on the bike as soon as possible.

So, it seems to me... My racing friends are trying to kill me!
And they are still the best friends in the world!!!   

XIII

[spyderchick]

Aw.. that's so sweet, we luv you X! 

[grasshopper]

 :thumb:Yup!

Did K3 get you drunk and take advatage of you last weekend X? It's OK, he get kinda emotional and lonely all by himself in that fandango champion motorhome of his.

[Jeff]

Let me be the party pooper...

Cute story but I hope it isn't true...  If it isn't true, just stop reading now.



Getting on a track with a hangover is absolutely stupid.  It's incredibly irresponsible and a danger to not only yourself, but everyone there.  The reason you're hung over is that you still have alcohol in your body and it's deprived of water.  Both scenarios equate to decreased reaction time and poor judgement.  Definitely not something you want while you're piloting a 145 mph 550lb (rider/bike) missile.

Christian, I'm sure you meant this thread to be funny.  It will stop being amusing when your "friends" succeed and something tragic happens.  That is the cold, harsh reality of this. Death...  It's not humorous, it's a factor we all play with when we're out there.

Since I'm being the prick, I'll use this thread to convey the message to EVERYONE.  People, grow up and be responsible when you're getting on the track!  Save the drinking for the non-race weekends, or after the weekend is done.  Besides, lugging around an extra 20lbs in beer-fat doesn't do you any favors.  To coin a phrase, "The life you save may not be your own".

And on a final note, Christian, if you did crash again this weekend, you might really consider involving a professional coach/instructor to work with you on a number of things.  In the long run it will be cheaper than all the repairs and downtime you've been experiencing.  I don't say this as a slam, I say it from personal experience...  I crashed a LOT when I started and started picking up the pace.  I brought on a couple of professionals (one in the race instruction dept, one in suspension) and worked methodically on my problems.  I am much faster these days and crash a hell of a lot less.

I'd say I'm sorry if I pissed in anyone's wheaties, but I'm not.  This is my stance.  You're welcome to your own...

[grasshopper]

You're Monday morning piss in everyones Cherrios makes sense Jeff. But I wouldn't run around preaching that on Saturday night during the wegman weekend. You mite get 1 or 2 dirty looks from people trying to have a good time. A couple beers to relax before bed never hurt anyone, I think 99% of the people around the club race scene know that. There's a certain common sense line that people should KNOW not to cross. If you're well off and intelligent enough to be finacially stable enough to be a Club racer the assumption is you carry some common sense.

[Jeff]

actually the wegman weekend is the ideal one to preach it at.  if you wanna get plowed sucking the margarita ball, that's cool.  I have no issues with that.  Just forego your racing on sunday if you're still hungover or impared.

and your assumption is a very large one...  :-)

[Xian_13]

Yes Jeff, I was trying to be entertaining with this thread.
By no means am I encouraging anyone to drink heavily the night before a race.

I find humor to be my release in things and some times I have a twisted way of saying thank you.

Let me be the party pooper...

And on a final note, Christian, if you did crash again this weekend, you might really consider involving a professional coach/instructor to work with you on a number of things.  In the long run it will be cheaper than all the repairs and downtime you've been experiencing.  I don't say this as a slam, I say it from personal experience...  I crashed a LOT when I started and started picking up the pace.  I brought on a couple of professionals (one in the race instruction dept, one in suspension) and worked methodically on my problems.  I am much faster these days and crash a hell of a lot less.

I'd say I'm sorry if I pissed in anyone's wheaties, but I'm not.  This is my stance.  You're welcome to your own...

Yes, I have crashed 3 times this year.
Each one was by a differant reason... and yes one came damn close to taking my life.
One was a suspension mistake I made...
One was the crash involving Greg
And the last one was just a freak thing but we will chalk that up to poor judgement on my part.
Last year.... I crashed once. That was due to me trying to use a front tire for to long.

Unlike many racers, my budget doesn't allow for the money spent to have some one tune my suspension.
Unless somebody is going to have this done as a gift to me... I choose to learn it myself and tune it myself.

While I understand your "Lodgic" on the coaching...
Yes I could use coaching... Hell, I could use alot of things.
Like Money!
I try to ride in the range of my equipment. This means a Crappy Old bike, Rashed Leathers, Running tires longer then I would like and so on.
Keep in mind, I raced out of my pickup truck till this year because I didn't have the extra 2k for a small trailer.

Yeah... I could go faster and safer...
Just not on my budget...


XIII

P.S. Anyone looking to adopt a Racer?

[msbrit1]

Xian if you find someone to adopt you ask them if they want a 19yo brunette daughter too...
I don't mean to plug another site but chicagolandsportbikes did a suspension seminar at 4&6 last winter and I'm pretty sure that alot of guys found it really helpful.  I don't have the notes anymore but it might be something to look in to.  I learned alot and so did Vic. 
I don't think riding/racing/driving or operating anything with a motor is a good idea hung over. 
But again thats just my .02

[Jeff]

Sometimes it's cheaper to take the expensive route...  Case in point, my amateur year, I couldn't afford tire warmers.  1st race weekend, practice #1 I crashed on cold tires.  Cost me $400 in crash repair and $200 for those used tire warmers that I "couldn't afford".

When I was crashing a lot, I spent a hell of a lot more than running a few schools and working with suspension tuners. 

I ended up scaling back my racing, cutting out weekends here and there and doing a LOT of favors for others to get the help I needed.

Really it comes down to controlled chaos.   Track days are useless if you go out and just run through 100 laps making the same mistakes. 

Expensive?  Sure, it can be.

Years ago I told a guy named Dave Rosno that I couldn't afford to race if I bought a new shock for $800.  He replied that all I was doing was frustrating myself because I was falling down all the time and that I would have much more fun, even if it meant missing a couple weekends, to correct my suspension.

I bought the shock, missed 2 weekends and came  back and really started improving.

If you don't have an unlimited bankroll (which most of us don't), you have to make sacrafices (or is it sacrifices? too lazy to look it up) somewhere to make up for it.

[Xian_13]

Crashed on Cold Tires?
Man thats a lame excuse. You crashed because you did something on the bike, that just happened to have cold tires.

Ohh I agree about track days...
Then again, I didn't go out there for a trackday.
Also, I didn't crash.

A friend of mine, has done me a favor...
To help me get out on the bike, even though I am still battered and bruised.
I was trying to thank him and all my friend for being behind me.
I guess your opinions are much more important then that.

Next time I try to be entertaining...
Delete my post... or edit it to your own flavor.

XIII

[Woofentino Pugrossi]

I have become convinced that my racing friends are simply trying to kill me.

If they do can I have your truck and trailer?

[jer271]

YA Edgar listen too Jeff