We were at Motorsport Ranch at Cresson on Saturday, 11/14, including 2 of the 3 endurance teammates that I will have next year as we race for Genesta Racing. We were all just trying to improve our riding, and we were focused on getting Carlo comfortable on the R6 as he has very limited experience on a 600cc 4-cylinder bike. While the first session was typically a bit slippery, the track came in starting with the 11am session and it was great for the last 5 sessions. We were able to run several laps in the low 1:31 range which is a good start, but when compared to data from a 1:30 run on the lower horsepower SV, we saw that there were some corners where there were large gaps that we can address next time.
1. Rattlesnake/Wagonwheel: We are braking too hard and too soon and was off by as much as 10 mph in the turn. We are about 5mph slower inside Rattlesnake and about 5 mph slower entering wagonwheel. Compared to the SV, we are losing about 2 seconds just in this section.
2. We’re about 3 mph slower in Little Bend (and braking too early) and about 5 mph into Buzzard’s neck.
3. We’re about 5 mph slower into Big Bend
We should be able to target 1:29 the next time with just minor improvements (if track conditions are decent) in those 3 sections.
We also saw abnormally quick tire wear on the rear. There were signs of cold tearing so we are going to check our warmers to make sure they are getting the tires to the right temperature.
For the next test/practice session (planned for weekend of 11/21 at ECR at this time), we will be focused on corner entry speed and working the front tire a little more:
1. For the first 2 laps of every session, we will run the track in one gear and little to no braking. The focus will be getting Carlo’s perception to get used to faster entry and finding the right reference points.
2. Crack throttle right before apex (off the brakes and on the throttle asap). Smooth roll on while keeping vision ahead.
3. Limit moving off the seat and lean off with upper body but countersteer and weigh inside peg as quickly as possible to the right lean.
Photos courtesy of Shelley Debnam.
Jim D also got some footage of a few laps:
