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The Race Story - Part 1 (Jennings GP)
The Race Story - Part
2 (Nashville)
The Race Story - Part
3 (Grattan Raceway)
The Race Story -
Part 4 (Finally got it painted!)
The Race Story -
Part 5 (Race Report Nelson Ledges....and crash!)
The Race Story -
Part 6 (Finally got it back together)
The Race Story -
Part 7 (My Road Atlanta.......)
The Race Story -
Part 8 (Going to Daytona...2005 season is near)
Some facts and figures
(2004 season)
By JBall 21/10/2004 The final race of the SV1000 for
this year was the Road Atlanta WERA Grand National Finals and Suzuki
Cup event. The "weekend" was a bit of an endurance run for myself
due to the demands of work but I persevered (my motto being "You can
sleep when your dead"), and fulfilled my goal for the season which
was to run in the Suzuki Cup race,... and not finish last!
 I
started the week in San Diego where I went for meetings on Tuesday
and Wednesday had been scheduled months before. My need to go to the
WERA GNF in the middle of the week did not carry much weight in the
planning process apparently. The first problem was how to get
myself, and my bike and all the gear, to RA in time to actually
race. My new racing buddy from Columbus, Pete Cline, volunteered to
drive my truck down, with his KTM 640 which he was also going to
race on Wednesday and Thursday so the part of the equation was
worked out. The next part of the puzzle was how to get myself to the
track. That was accomplished by flying the red-eye from San Diego to
Atlanta. The flight left at 10:15 PM Wednesday and arrived at 5:15
AM Thursday morning. The trip was good for about three hours of
sleep on the plane, and not a deep sleep at that. Pete picked me up
at the airport at about six and we drove to the track. I dropped him
off at his hotel so he could get a little more sleep and I went on
to the track.
The early morning was spent getting the requisite paperwork done,
going through tech inspection, and then doing the final race prep. I
then sat in the truck and fell asleep for a few minutes and woke up
for the first round of practice. I got a couple of laps in the first
round and about five or six in the second. I have been to RA before
so I know which way the corners go.
Pete showed up for his practice and his last race of the "weekend".
The day before had been both up and down for him. He had gotten
second in Motard and looked good for the Clubman win until he was
hit on the starting line and crashed out. He had a couple of nice
bruises and his elbow was rashed but he was game for his final race
where he ended up about in sixth against FZR 400's and Aprilla
250's.
My first event of the day was SV1000 Cup qualifying. This was
essentially an additional 15 minutes of timed practice with lap
times setting the Cup grid. The qualifying pointed out some of the
extreme contrast of racing to me. It is adrenaline fueled passion,
but there are also the cold dispassionate evidence of the stop watch
which measures your progress. You try as hard as you know how, but
there are guys out there that may have better skills, or equipment,
or both, and the watch ultimately rules over the passion.
My practice times were in the 1:42's and I ran a 1:40.8 in
qualifying. This put me 8th out of nine on the grid. If I could drop
10 seconds!!!! I could be up with the leader, who was Tray Batey,
one of the fastest guys in WERA.
 Near
the end of the day was my first actual race, which was National
Challenge Heavyweight Twins Superstock. The grid was composed of
almost the all he same guys as would be in the Cup race on Friday.
Although I knew the times some of the other guys would be running,
it actually turned out to be a fun race. I started fifth due to my
season points. For the experts there were 10 Superstock bikes and
three Heavyweight Twins Superbikes, as well as the Novices gridded
behind us. I had huge wheelie off the start and had to back off to
save it. I was the last expert going through T1. I was not going to
let that be the end of my day. I picked off two Superstock guys and
two of the Superbikes. I was then right on the tail of the Superbike
leader who was on a Mille. He had a ton of motor on me but I has
cornering speed on him. I passed him going into T1 on about he third
lap. He got me back on the back straight. I got him between T6 and
T7 and then held him off for two laps. He then got back by me on
dragstrip. A SV650 came by me but I knew he would be no match on the
straight and I mowed him down and didn't see him again. The novice
leaders then came by me and we ran in a pack to the end of the race.
If they hadn't come by I think I could have got the Mille back but
we were all in a pack at the finish, including two guys right behind
me. Pete was watching and said it looked pretty cool. I managed to
drop my times to a 1:39.8 so I was pleased with that. I ended up 8th
in class and should be fifth in points for the year. Tray Batey won
the race which foreshadowed the Cup race on Friday.
That night I slept in my trailer. I was so beat that it was not hard
to sleep on the hard floor, but in the middle of the night there was
a storm and I had to get up and run out into the rain in my
underwear and secure the canopy which kind of cut the night in half.
Friday was one round of practice. It was about 40 degrees out and I
wasn't going to go out but what the heck, its the last race of the
season, so I slapped the warmers on and went out and actually got a
good 8 or 9 laps in. Not super fast, but more track time and some
great views of guys like Mike Smith and Geoff May, just flying. Its
something to be blazing through a corner and have one of the pros
fly by, with the rear stepped out and smoke coming off the rear
tire. There is no better view of some of the best road racers in the
US, doing their thing.
I helped some friends with the endurance race that afternoon. Near
the end of the race I left and went to suit up and put the warmers
on for one more event, the SV1000 Suzuki Cup.
That race was not as fun as the Superstock race because I didn't
really get to race with anyone. I got another crappy start and
passed one guy going up the hill on the first lap. I chased a group
of guys for a lap or so but they slowly took off and I was by
myself. My friend Gary gave me the gap from the wall for a couple of
laps and showed that I was breaking away from the guy behind me. I
ended up 8th out of nine which was just as I had qualified. The
finishing order for the race was exactly the qualifying order in
fact. Once again, the stop watch doesn't lie.
Overall, I was happy with the outcome of the races though. I wasn't
last, made some money (enough to pay the tire bill), had some fun
and brought it home on two wheels.
That night I went out with some of the endurance guys and slammed
some beers, and then came back to the track and slammed some more
beers with some of the other guys I know from my region. Again, I
slept in the trailer. I got up Saturday and packed which took a
couple of hours because everything had to be reorganized and we had
a few more tires to take home than we came with. I watched the
Saturday races and took off for home. I drove until about 1 AM and
then slept in the truck for a while, not a recipe for sound sleep. I
got home about noon on Sunday. I was beat and was glad I had
scheduled a vacation day for Monday. I slept in and finally felt
like I had caught up on my sleep.
Like most things in life like this, you can't do it by yourself. So
I would like to thank the following. (This is my podium speech,
rehearsed just in case).
Pete Cline for helping to get my stuff down and providing
encouragement, my wife Nancy, for putting up with all the time away,
injuries etc. and always being my fan. WERA officials and
cornerworkers. My first real sponsor, Ray Magold and Motorola/Electrocomm
of Columbus. Suzuki for the Suzuki Cup race and a decent contingency
program. Dunlop tires (I've got a bunch of take-offs for sale).
Ferodo brakes, stopping great. Hinds Motorsports, AFAM sprockets,
APE, Lockhart Phillips, GP Tech fairing brackets, Hot Bodies
bodywork. My North Central racing buds, Jerry Van Horn and Pete
Lindquist. All the other SV and Superstock competitors, a classy
bunch.
Also thanks to the SV1000 board folks, for reading this stuff and
providing encouragement.
A big rubber side down to All,
Joe Ball
WERA Expert #180
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