Velocity Racing's 'Honey Badger' Blog

Sonoma Raceway has historically been one of my worst tracks on the AFM circuit. While my overall laptimes were of a similar range compared to the other tracks (ie I would like to be 5 seconds a lap faster than I am) the overall times seem to be a bit closer than they are at the other tracks with less spread between the front and the back. I had some clear cut goals and ambitions for the weekend, the big one being to make up for what I didn’t accomplish at Round 1. One of the things I realized after R1 was that I needed to sort out my mental game. Obviously the pros must have a way of dealing with this, and I knew I needed some tips and ideas on how to get out of my own way. Ken Hill has been doing a podcast series, so I suggested that as one of the topics. He graciously offered to discuss this particular issue with me prior to the podcast, and he shared a fair bit of information with me on how to deal with this particular issue. He also arranged for Cameron Gish to review some of ...

I've been waiting for race season to get started, well, pretty much since it ended last year. In 2015, I had spent most of the year chasing bike set up and then working on improving myself. I raced one round with the bike fully set up, and that was the final round, with 2 big  changes (exhaust and tune to go with it, and a quick shifter installed) that I hadn't even tested. So I was looking forward to the 2016 season and being able to get out there on a bike that I was happy - and familiar - with. Over the winter, however, I also made a few other decisions, and started to lay out some longer term racing goals, with an eye on what I'd be doing in another 3 seasons. In order to reach those lofty goals (which may well exceed my talent), I was going to have to put in some serious improvements over the 2016 season. I knew the bike would be good, so that left me as the weak spot. One of the things I knew I could control was my general fitness, so over the winter months I bega...

Well, more like tear down, but the work continues! After that last track day of the year, getting moved, and finally getting settled in, it was time to get started with the winter tear down. Parts began to be ordered, the bike got tore down, and eventually I started putting it back together. Finding random things that needed to be replaced that I hadn't counted on - always a blast (insert ironic tone).  And then I have the exciting realization that as I ordered stuff I forgot some random part here or there that I forgot. Ugh. Another order to be placed! This coming week we'll be heading up to GP Wheel and Frame to get the bike checked out, fairings will be off to the painter, and hopefully suspension off for it's annual refresh. So basically about the time I get the bike slightly back together it will be tore all back apart again. Oh well, good thing is that it will be ready to go for the first race of the season in March! The bike, however, is nto the only thing that...

Every good story needs a good ending, and this was a great story. It was great in the sense of personal accomplishments throughout a long year, a story of perseverance, improvements, highs and lows. Many of the victories were personal, but this sport is very personal – trophies are great, but the changes that make the most effect are usually not seen on the stage. That was my year and my weekend. I rolled in to Buttonwillow with plans to attend the Friday test day since I have only ridden the track one other time, when I came down for Round 1. It was not a track I have much time on, and I have never been down for just a track day. I had enjoyed the track the previous time though, and looked forward to riding it again. I arrived very late Thursday (technically 3:30am on Friday), unloaded what I had to and set up to get a little sleep. Needless to say I only got a couple hours in before the morning was getting started. I got the garage key and started moving in and setting up for ...

Fall has officially begun as the smell of fallen leaves wafts through the air, and that means I head off to Thunderhill for the AFM Round 6 races. This was to be our final round at THill, with one remaining at Buttonwillow later in the month. Courtesy of @RiderzLaw I was able to pick up a few things for the bike that would help with the whole "going faster" thing, to include an exhaust, a quick shifter, a few tools to help make tear down and reassembly that much easier - all stuff I've been lusting after for awhile. Add in some new brakes lines, new wheel bearings and we'd see what she could do. Unfortunately, I got sent the wrong linkage for the quick shifter, so that wasn't going to be installed in time, but I was still looking forward to making use of the new Remus titanium system, with a tune scheduled for the Friday before the races - a little last minute, but seemed like it would all work. Which was the case right up until Thursday when the scheduled tune ...

Sonoma Raceway was the setting for the 5 th AFM race round of 2015. One of the most technical tracks on our circuit, it is the one track we race on that used to host AMA racing as well as club level races. Historically this particular track has been my worst track that we ride, and even more so on my current bike. I hadn’t been here since our last round at Sonoma earlier in the year when I had finally broken my previous personal best by just a bit. I came into this weekend fairly hopeful, however, partially due to a few things happening over the summer break that I knew would help me improve in various ways. I had received some coaching at one of the PTT track days from one of our faster racers, and there were several take away pieces of information that I knew I could apply to any track I was on. Over the few weeks in between that track day and our races I sat down with a notebook, some videos, and a track map and tried to really apply some of the things we had gone over...