58 Tracks
I raced at Streets of Willow Counter Clockwise on Sunday, AKA Steerts of Willow. That brings the total tracks I’ve ridden on to 58!
Tracks I have raced and ridden on in chronological order:
Hawaii Raceway Park, 7 configurations
Willow Springs
Seattle International Raceway
Portland International Raceway
Heartland Park Raceway
Memphis Raceway
Road Atlanta
Nelson Ledges
Suzuka
Ford Island, Pearl Harbor
Pomona AMA course
Streets of Willow
Phoenix Speedway
Daytona Int. Speedway
Laguna Seca
Sears Point Raceway
Infineon Raceway
Road America
Loudan
Indy
Button Willow
Button Willow Backwards
Las Vegas Speedway
Robling Road
Mosport International Raceway
Mid Ohio
Shannonville
Brainerd Int. Raceway
Shube
Pikes Peak
Virginia Int. Raceway
California Speedway, AMA Course
California Speedway, Interior Test Circuit
Mid America
Barber Motorsports Park
Miller Motorsports Park, AMA Course
Miller, Full Course
Talladega Grand Prix Raceway
Horse Thief Mile
Grange
Spring Mtn. Motorsports Ranch
Jennings
ICAR
New Jersey, Lightening Course
Mosport International Raceway’s Rider Development Track
Race City
Race City Mini Track
Chuckwalla Valley Raceway
Mosport Kart Track
Willow Springs Kart Track
Streets of Willow Counterclock
Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Backwards
58 Tracks so far.
Thinking of Jim
I talked with Jim’s wife Debra today. Jim and Debra prefer a private service. Jim’s friends are spread around the world so getting together would be tough anyway.
With that in mind Debra and I propose that we all take a moment this Sunday at Noon to think of Jim. Tell a Jim story, ask your friend what rate springs he has, teach someone how to measure sag, drink a toast to Jim or whatever strikes your fancy.
I’ll be racing with WSMC and with luck will be on track at Noon putting the LE suspension on my bike to good use.
One of my best Jim stories: I pull into the pits and tell Jim I needed more front chatter and less grip on the rear, the look on his face was priceless.
RIP Jim Lindemann
I met Jim in 1998, when I was racing the 250cc GP class in the AMA series. Jim was a guy who was willing to help out a broke rider trying to string it together and race Nationals. He got me thinking about suspension in the right way. We tried to focus on the big picture, the goal, and then try to make that happen. He would always be willing to listen to new ideas. You could always see the gears turning.
I’m sad that my friend is gone.
Eric and the Bearings
Last we saw Race Dad, Eric working under his trailer. Here we see him with his spare trailer bearings. This guy learns well!
Note the Lindemann Engineering stickers on the forks of both Kenny’s race bikes.
What does a Sportbike rider do when he gets a Cruiser?
First I replaced the stock non adjustable internals with cartridge assembles from another bike. Because adding compression adjusters to these forks would be near impossible I modified the cartridges to have the compression damping in the left fork and rebound damping in the right fork.
Spring rate and spring/spacer size took a bit of work but in the end, I was able to use a common spring size.
To make it all look cool we had the outer tubes, the feet and the new caps that fit inside stock cap anodized black. The compression adjuster is blue and the rebound adjuster is red.
Now Scott has the correct springs for his weight with pre-load adjusters. He also has custom valving with compression and rebound adjusters.
Forks that look good and feel good because Suspension is not, just a word.
Kenny and I
are looking at you.
Eric & the Trailer
A few phone calls the next day and a trip into town, while his son Kenny and I played on the track, and Eric was ready to go to work.
Here Eric is removing the bolts that hold the backing plate in place. He has already cut the inner bearing race off the spindle. A positive attitude is essential for jobs like this because the race gas and lighter are never far away.
Scott’s SV
Check out Scott’s SV, it has LE suspension work and a Penske shock.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1N3VaPyKoI&feature=youtube_gdata
Too Many 24 Hour Races?
This is my list of 24 hour races:
Team Hawaii Race Results
1986 2nd Lightweight Superbike, WERA 24 hours of Willow, CB400T w/450 engine & VF500 front end, one set of tires.
1987 2nd Mediumweight Superbike, WERA 24 hours of Willow, the only 600 Ninja to ever finish the Willow 24 and we did it with stock 16 inch wheels, sold the bike before it made it home.
1988 3rd Mediumweight Superbike, WERA 24 hours of Willow, CBR600F1, also ran Team Hawaii Too on a VF500.
1989 3rd Mediumweight Production, WERA 24 hours of Willow, CBR600F1, also ran THT on a F1.
1990 1st Mediumweight Production & 3rd Overall, WERA 24 hours of Willow, 2005 miles is a class milage world record, ran the first rear tire for 7 hours, also ran THT on a F-1 they took 5th in class ans 12th Overall.
1991 DNF WERA 24 hours of Willow, FZR600 w/Hawk arm.
1991 DNF WERA 24 hours of Nelson, FRZ600 w/Hawk arm, 2 engines and 3 crashes, 6 flat tires on the transporter.
1992 4th Mediumweight Superbike, WERA 24 hours of Willow, destroyed a GSXR750 Superbike in night practice and raced friends CBR600F1 that happened to be at the track.
Other Teams
1999 2nd Mediumweight Supersport, WERA 24 hours of Willow, Team GP Tech, CBR600F4
2000 Hard Luck Award, WERA 24 hours of Willow, Team goshift.com, R-6, crashed hard in T-4 and T-8, limped it across the finish line and got $1000 award.
2006 25 Hour dirt bike race in Washington, Team Enduro, don’t know how we did because I quit before it was over when I got back to the pits after a loop and everyone had gone to bed.
2011 1st 100 Mod, M!GP 24 Hours of Willow Kart Track, 2nd Overall, eXhausted Racers, XR100.
Fischer’s first race!
Congratulations to Bill Wickersham, Fischer Motorcycles and the California State Championship!
Bill Wickersham raced a Frischer MRX 650 V-Twin today at Willow Springs Raceway. It was a banner day for all involved as this was the first ever race of a Fischer MRX anywhere. Bill entered the California State Championship Fourmula-40 Lightweight class run in conjunction with this months regularly scheduled WSMC races. Bill’s 5th place finish today combined with his results from the first two rounds of the CSC clinched the class championship.
The Fischer MRX is an American made Sportbike.
The California State Championship runs in conjunction with one each AFM, WERA and WSMC race in California to crown class and an overall State Championships‘.
EDventure Racing transformed the MRX from a street bike into a race bike.
This project is just getting started. Stay tuned for more results.
Bill’s Great Fischer Project is sponsored by:
EDventure Racing
Lindemann Engineering
Catalyst Racing Composites
MC Pro
Factory Pro
M-4 Exhausts