Nelson Ledges, Ohio 6/30/00

Gearing: 15 - 43

Tires: Dunlop DOT 207's

Tire Pressure: ???

Gas: 94 octane pump gas

6/27/00

Perparing for 6/30/00 weekend at Nelson Ledges. Had to rebuild bike from crash at Summit Point 6/11/00. Bike is currently at Martin's Motorsports for brake bleed. Need to watch out for handling - frame has serious dent. Put rear wheel on with 43 tooth rear sprocket as recomended by the 400 list. Need to also watch carberation and throttle response. Had carbs apart to clean, had to adjust idle. Also watch shifting. Shift rod was severly bent in crash. Put Dunlop 207 DOTs on. I like the Bridgestone slicks better, but DOT's are all I have.

Dave used to run 1:29s on ZX-6 at Nelson's. List serve said fast guys do 1:17's. Don't know if that's 400s or not. Presumably so.

It's a fast track. Told to watch out for turn 9 (decreasing radius). Steve Bell wrecked hard at turn 3. Caught peg on tire barrier at inside of turn.

Have been running and dieting. Should get a couple nights rest before leaving.

6/30/00

Didn't get to Nelson's till 2am. No sleep!

Morning Fast Trax Practice: Track is bumpy! Shifting sucks - something is wrong? Tires sliding in turn 13. Don't like 13 or 4. Can't find a line. Pull in. Bike is reving too high. Fix shifting rod (nuts shook loose) and adjusted idle. Dave says look at the orange dots on track to find line. Go back out. See the orange dots - immediate difference! Don't always follow dots, but they help.

Turn 1 Right hander off of front straight. 5th gear turn. Go fast and go tight. Stay away from crap on outside of turn.

Turn 2 right hand continuation of turn 1. there's a patch of asphault on the track. stick to inside to line up for 2. go to outside for exit and line up for entrance to turn 3.

Turn 3 Another right hander. You can see the rubber on the track. Follow the lines. Go fast and get knee down. Might not have to brake here. So far just back off the throttle then hit it again.

Turn 4 Blind left hander. big turn and it's banked. Enter at the outside of the track. There's an orange dot and asphault patch. Go to the outside of them. Not much track there, but it's where you should be. Also drop a gear before you make turn. Has a late apex. need to start wide then dive on the apex. don't wide around turn or at exit. too many bumps. Bike is red-lining and hitting rev limiter at exit. Need to go in faster and hit gas later. Shift up at exit.

Turn 5 Fast right hander at Oaktree. come out of turn 4 tight to its inside then shoot across toward oaktree, or stay wide to pass in turn 5. Turn 5 exits into the carasoul which is turns 6, 7, and 8. Can go super fast through 5 and scrub speed with carasoul if need be.

Turn 6 & 7 combined right handers for the carasoul. Smooth and wide. good place to pass people on the outside. A lot of people take the inside line, but there's a huge bump on the inside of 8 and it doesn't set you up well for 9.

Turn 8 continuing right hander toward the carasoul exit. bumpier than turns 6 and 7. Big patch in the middle of it. Have tendancy to drift to inside, but need to stay wide so I can shoot straight for turn 9.

Turn 9 Decreasing radius right hander. Not bad if i lean it over and shoot straight enough from 8. It looks bumpy but is not, though it is slick when wide. slid the rear pretty good a couple of times. Come out of 9 into the shoot (shoot like thing in asphault. shift up.

Turn 10 not really a turn. GO FAST! be careful passing here. everyone is flying and not really paying attention (not like they should) to who might be coming up the insideusually stay tight and exit wide, but Roach made the argument to stay tight the whole way through - cuts out a lot of unnecassary track..

Turn 11 The kink. Another slight turn to the right. Very bad pavement here. Bike will wobble and bounce all over. just hold on and hope for the best. downshift at first pavement transition, but don't slow down! Turn in sooner than you think and stay super tight on the apex (your knee should be over the grass). you can exit wide 9most do), but exit tight to set up for next turn.

Turn 12 Quick left hander. Brake and downshift twice at pavement transition. can probably brake later. go wide into the turn, then shoot it over to late apex. Cut the rhino crap straight across. so go deep/wide and cut tight to setup for 13. Can exit 11 wide and take 12 tight. good way to pass people, but i think the first version is the faster line and better setup for 13.

Turn 13 go in deep and wide then yank it over to cut across apex. very slow and tight decreasing radius turn to the right onto the front straight. Been dragging parts through there. very tight turn. Don't exit wide. most people make the turn on the inside. it's possible, but I think the faster line is on the outside (though not normally a line to pass with). too pass (or block pass) stay tight. Was sliding the rear earlier, but not anymore.

Front straight go up a few gears. start thinking about turn one at the bridge. don't go up the last gear. back off a little then hit it for turn one. turn late (not too late or it's bumpy and crappy) and go fast.