From: ae219rh@prism.gatech.EDU (Ray Hixon)
Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles.racing
Subject: WERA Singles racing in August '92 (Talladega, Pocono, and Memphis)
Summary: Trials and tribulations and Thumpers
Date: 31 Aug 92 17:14:46 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

August has been a long month for the Formula Clubman ranks.  At Talladega
GPR, John Kennett got the 'mouse motor' 500 Ascot together (a mere 46 hp
on the Cycle Nuts and Bolts dyno -- very demoralizing for those of us
with only 50), and ran very hard in the Clubman and Twins classes.  Sammy
Brown showed up with Dunlop slicks on his 540 Ascot, but after a friend 
was airlifted to Birmingham after highsiding an EX500 in the Twins heat
race on Saturday, Sammy wasn't really up to riding up front.  

The Clubman race on Sunday saw John Kennett and myself running away from e
the rest of the field (high 1:03's and low 1:04's), with me leading for the
first 4 laps, and John leading the rest until I nipped him right at the line
for the win.  Sammy took 4th overall, and 1st novice.  In the novice points
race, Mike Duncan (GS500, #376, 2nd in the points) locked up his transmission in
practice, which gave Bill Lumsden (CB400F, #471, leading the points) a chance
to wrap up the title.  Unfortunately, Bill crashed on the first lap, and the
Novice title is still up for grabs.

In Twins, a Harley was the fast bike, but fell prey to Harley Spontaneous
Disintegration Syndrome, giving Kennett the win with me in second.  Kennett
now had a 7 point lead in Twins.

Then I went to Pocono to try out Bill Cardell and get enough points in Twins
to win the championship (Kennett didn't show).  Neither happened -- my
throttle cable came out on the warmup lap (I know -- call me Mr. Bike Prep), 
and the bike wouldn't restart in time for the race.  So I got to spectate.
Cardell won, with Surfast (? -- yellow SRX Yam) in second.  I'm not sure who
won Novice.

(Adding insult to injury, in Twins the next day I beat Surfast by 5 places 
(I was 15th -- first single, he was 20th), leading me to believe that I at
least would have had 2nd....)

Then for Memphis, I spent a week building the Killer 591.  It came together
at 2pm on Thursday, went on the dyno at 5pm (54 hp up to 9000 rpm-- a little
less than I'd hoped for), and the head was retorqued at 9pm.  Then I left
for Memphis at 12pm and got there when the gates opened Friday for open
practice.

Then came the New Motor Teething problems:  a persistent ignition stutter
above 8000 rpm (fixed by retaping the ignition wires), a slipping clutch
(fixed Friday by putting Barnett plates in).  On Sunday:  a slipping clutch
(oops, springs were the problem), a transmission that wouldn't upshift to
4th and 5th at high revs without a lot of tries (I think it's related to 
the Barnett plates possibly dragging), a footpeg that was slowly bending
(until it broke in the Twins race), and an unexplained noise (turns out
one of the front disc bolts was backing off).  Also, the brakes weren't
working very well (needs rebuild of the master cylinder).

Results:  Twins:  3rd with no left peg and hard shifting 
                  (1:20 with peg, 1:23 without)
        Clubman:  1st with slipping clutch and hard shifting
                  (1:20's)
        D Super:  4th in class/5th overall with incredibly
                  slipping clutch and hard shifting (and noise
                  from front brake bolt trying to come out).
                  (1:19's)

Until Savannah!
  

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ray Hixon
A Single-minded Guy
-- 
Ray Hixon
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
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