Tom's Report from Seattle 100

07/30/05 Seattle, WA

3rd Annual Seattle 100

Racing Towards a Cure for Kidney Disease

http://www.2-fast.org/seattle-100.html

Sally and I didn’t get to the hotel until just before 1am. Got to bed by 1:30 and up at 5:30. Rian and I left for the track at 6 am. Rian left the trailer at the track Friday night but when we got there people had set up pit tight against it. We just moved the trailer to the rear and set up. The day was perfect, 80 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. We got the CBR and 749r teched and I got registered. I saw Mark (emdee) from Rogue, said hi and since this was he and his partner’s event, didn’t want to take up much of his time. His trackday company (2Fast.com) was putting on this event, and let me say they run a very organized event. One of the things I think every trackday company should do that 2Fast does, is to put apex cones on the edge of the track. Freddie Spenser School does this also and they are invaluable. Jake Zemke, Jason DiSalvo, Josh Hayes, Jimmy Moore, Jake Holden and Greg White were all there and on the track. I was impressed how approachable, friendly and genuine Jason, Jimmy, Jake Holden and Josh were, hats off to them. It was fun to run around the track with these guys.

Pacific Raceways in Seattle is a fun track. I have to describe it as 2 different tracks put together. From T2 to T8 the track is smooth, twisted and has a large elevation change. From T8 back to T2 is flat, bumpy and well, not very good. T8 to T2 is the drag strip and parking lot. If it was smoother and safer, the layout would be fine. The best part about T8-T2 is the front straight; it’s a 6th gear 190mph long one! There is a kink with Armco barriers on both sides that locals call the “death chute”, without other bikes your fine and it’s part of the front straight. I never got up to speed through here only getting to 161mph. It is long and where time can be made up. I was 10 mph slower here than on the Thunderhill front straight which is way shorter. Still the layout is great and it goes left which I think I am finding I like tracks that go left. The track felt good right from the first lap, a few blind areas took some getting use to but it was fun. I never really got T5 correct and found out from the locals that that was the toughest turn to get correct.

Unfortunately I never got to 100 laps because there were 2 crashes and a blown engine that delayed sessions. The blown engine left ALL it’s oil on the exit of T4 all the way to T5. It took 1 hour and 35 men to clean up. I did 1 session on the 749r and quickly found out that the set up needs to be changed on the bike. The front had so much head shake down the front straight I had to back out of throttle. It scared the shit out of me the first time and was aware the second and the 3 lap just didn’t top it out. I’m not sure what to do with it because it was perfect in the twisted sections, that thing just plain flicks!! Needless to say I never pushed either bike, this was a trackday after all and after the 2 crashes that delayed our riding time there was no way I wanted to be one of those guys! Not to mention a broken shoulder from one crash and a totaled bike from the other. I got my time in the 4 sessions I did down to 1:36.1. The track record is 1:26.?. I am not sure how low I would ever get because of the safety factor, but I would guess a comfortable 1:30. to 1:32 would be within reach. I only completed 32 laps, 10 on the 749r.

I’d like to thank Pat, Brian and Ed for their generous donations, not only did you guys step up to the plate you stepped up in a big way, thank you. Thanks again to Rian for driving up the truck and trailer and pit work. Thanks again Sally for another fun trip.
 

Tom Savoca
#151