Went to the track Saturday and they had a motorcycle class racing so instead of doing the test n tune I entered in the race. I got 3 runs in before the race and was running 10.5's. It was cooling off as it came time to race so I picked 10.52 as my dial in. I also got a look at most of the other bikes. Mine my 2 buddies and 2 other bikes were street bikes with various setups the other 15 were all purpose built drag bikes. So we were not expecting to do too well.
My first round I was paired up against a purpose built 07 zx14 and they guy on it had been racing for awhile. He told me he tries to make every race he can. He dialed in at 9 something. I ran a 10.54 and he broke out so I won.
2 of the other street bikes didn't win and were bumped out. One of my friends also advanced.
The next round I was paired with a badass turbo busa. I can't remember his dial in. I overheard him and some of the other riders talking in the staging lanes. They were the 3 guys going against us on the street legal bikes. They were all talking about who they were going to be racing next round, obviously overlooking us. I kept my dial in at 10.52. We lined up and were both staged then it took awhile for the starter to start us. I had a decent launch and was about 3/4 of the track when he flew by me like I was standing still. So I figured I really screwed up he broke out. Got to the end of the track and he told me congrats and said he ended up red lighting because we sat so long staged. I didn't even see the win light so I was surprised. Got my time slip and had run a 10.53 so I think I would've given him a run for his money had he not redlighted.
My buddy lost but the other guy on a street bike (a gen3) had won. So the next round was 2 street legal Zx10r's vs. 3 drag bikes (a badass busa, a turbo'd vrod and some other bike).
A car leaked on the track so it was down and they resprayed the track. The temp also started dropping due to sundown so I dropped my dial in to 10.51.
I went up against the busa and he dialed in at 10.35 so we started close. I came off the line and wheelied hard chopped the throttle instead of pulling the clutch like I should have. Then grabbed a handful of throttle and wheelied again but rode it out. The other guy jumped way ahead and then sat up and waited at the end of track then punched it for the win.
The other street bike also lost but I think its not to bad to tie for 4th at our first attempt racing. Especially with the guys we were up against. The first round the dragbike guys were really cool and bullshited with us and talked about the bikes. Then the next round it was like we walked into their clubhouse uninvited and they kind of gave us a cold shoulder. Then the third round they acted like we had pissed in their wheaties and weren't even standing there. The wasn't even money on the line it was a charity race and the only prize was a trophy. So I don't know if we did something wrong or if they were mad we were beating their buddies.
So what's the normal strategy for picking a dial in? Do you pick a slower time than you normally run and let off or do you play it safe and go just faster than what you normally run and stay in it? Everyone i went against asked what my dial was going to be? Do you base your dial in off the opponent's? The only strategy I was using was if I was ahead by a good amount at the line let off. If it was close or I was behind I'd stay in the throttle.
My first round I was paired up against a purpose built 07 zx14 and they guy on it had been racing for awhile. He told me he tries to make every race he can. He dialed in at 9 something. I ran a 10.54 and he broke out so I won.
2 of the other street bikes didn't win and were bumped out. One of my friends also advanced.
The next round I was paired with a badass turbo busa. I can't remember his dial in. I overheard him and some of the other riders talking in the staging lanes. They were the 3 guys going against us on the street legal bikes. They were all talking about who they were going to be racing next round, obviously overlooking us. I kept my dial in at 10.52. We lined up and were both staged then it took awhile for the starter to start us. I had a decent launch and was about 3/4 of the track when he flew by me like I was standing still. So I figured I really screwed up he broke out. Got to the end of the track and he told me congrats and said he ended up red lighting because we sat so long staged. I didn't even see the win light so I was surprised. Got my time slip and had run a 10.53 so I think I would've given him a run for his money had he not redlighted.
My buddy lost but the other guy on a street bike (a gen3) had won. So the next round was 2 street legal Zx10r's vs. 3 drag bikes (a badass busa, a turbo'd vrod and some other bike).
A car leaked on the track so it was down and they resprayed the track. The temp also started dropping due to sundown so I dropped my dial in to 10.51.
I went up against the busa and he dialed in at 10.35 so we started close. I came off the line and wheelied hard chopped the throttle instead of pulling the clutch like I should have. Then grabbed a handful of throttle and wheelied again but rode it out. The other guy jumped way ahead and then sat up and waited at the end of track then punched it for the win.
The other street bike also lost but I think its not to bad to tie for 4th at our first attempt racing. Especially with the guys we were up against. The first round the dragbike guys were really cool and bullshited with us and talked about the bikes. Then the next round it was like we walked into their clubhouse uninvited and they kind of gave us a cold shoulder. Then the third round they acted like we had pissed in their wheaties and weren't even standing there. The wasn't even money on the line it was a charity race and the only prize was a trophy. So I don't know if we did something wrong or if they were mad we were beating their buddies.
So what's the normal strategy for picking a dial in? Do you pick a slower time than you normally run and let off or do you play it safe and go just faster than what you normally run and stay in it? Everyone i went against asked what my dial was going to be? Do you base your dial in off the opponent's? The only strategy I was using was if I was ahead by a good amount at the line let off. If it was close or I was behind I'd stay in the throttle.