Wow – who would have thought that Redline Motorsports could put together a race team in our first year. Well, we did it, and we are having some crazy fun!
First of all, a big thanks to the HardNox and BGPR race teams! The HardNox crew helped get our bikes ready for the round 2 races working side by side with us until the rockets were done at 1:30 am on Race day – who needs sleep, it’s for babies. Then the BGPR and HardNox teams allowed us to pit with them and tried to show us the race day ropes in the CMRA rounds 2 and 3. The HardNox and BGPR race teams are an awesome bunch of individuals who happen to be great racers too!
The Redline Race Team
- Ben Wheeler – #28 Red – 2006 Suzuki GSXR750 (SV650 collecting dust)
- Curtis Brown -#37 Red – 2006 Suzuki GSXR600
- Richard Brown – #44 Red – Yamaha 2006 R6S
- Craig Hubly – #60 Red – Suzuki SV650 (the old dust collector)
Round 2 – June
Ben and Richard competed in the Novice races on Saturday and Sunday and we managed to finish both races without incident – almost. The novice field did nearly run down a flag person in the waved start on Saturday which resulted in a restart but other than that, our first race was uneventful and we posted times in the 1.38’s. Race two on Sunday, also very fun and the Redline crew managed to finish without incident with times a little better in the 1:36’s – is that a two second improvement!
Round 3 – July
Curtis joined the Redline team and with a race weekend under our belts, Ben and Richard were ready to race “Leroy Jenkin’s” style. The races were very exciting, the whole field was getting faster but the Redline team was up for the challenge.
Race 1 Saturday
Curtis finished the race in 11th and posted a respectable first race lap time of 1:37.54. Ben, while pulling his signature passing move on the outside, was forced off the track in corner 4 when the rider he was passing got a little “squirely” and stood his bike up mid turn and drove off the track taking Ben with him. Ben lost the front in the grass took a tumble but emerged unharmed and with very little damage to the rocket. Before the grass cutting he posted a fast lap time of 1:32.57. Richard finished 3rd fending off a late race charge by Red #66, a Ducati 749s, posting a personal best lap time of 1:32.28.
Race 2 Sunday
Ben finished the race in 5th after fighting through the traffic for 8 laps posting a fast lap of 1:31.03. If he didn’t keep getting passed on the long front straight because his bike soooo slow, he claims 1st place had his name on it – he did post the fastest novice lap time in the race though.
Curtis finished the race with a fast lap of 1:38.02 and he was able to finish in 12th. He’s hoping to discover his “Leroy Jenkin’s” style for round 4 and give Ben and Richard a run for the front or the grass, whichever finds him first. Richard, while running in 2nd place on lap 5, got a little loose in corner 3 and thinking that Red #42 (750 Gixxer) was right on his back wheel decided to try and fix his line in corner 4 while hard on the throttle and learned quickly that he didn’t have the skill required to pull it off and tucked the front, sliding off the track in 4 and cutting the grass that Ben missed the day before. After some difficulty getting his bike restarted, Richard finished the race in last place with no left peg and a bent shift lever but posted a fast lap of 1:31.31. Ben wins this round, beating Richard by 2.8 tenths of a second. It’s on now, round 4, mid August, will be a race weekend to watch!
Round 4 – August
What an exciting race weekend! Ben unveiled his new ride, a 2006 Gixxer 750. After becoming very frustrated during the last race weekend with all the bikes that flew by him on the front straight, only to have to re-pass them on the south section, Ben was contemplating the move from the SV650 to the GSXR750 (his street bike) to get a little more power. Well, Richard being the considerate paddock mate that he is, helped Ben make the change. Richard was riding the SV650 during a BGPR track night just prior to the race weekend and during a rather long lapse of judgement, decided he would try to attempt the SV speed record through the chicane and with predictable results, crashed in true Redline style by sliding on his face across the back straight and performing the very exciting “crab roll” in the grass to the cement wall. The results, a nasty shoulder separation and the Rossi helmet is toast. The bike however faired well with only a broken off clip-on, busted off rear set and a bent fairing stay but with the August race weekend fast approaching, there was no time for Ben to mess around with repairs – the 750 would have to be released on the rest of the Novice field – let the carnage begin. Unfortunately, Richard, unable to race competitively whilst wearing a sling, will sit out the August weekend. We’ll see if he can get things back together by September. Look for his new, custom designed shoulder support armour – it should be ground breaking if not at least interesting.
Race Two – Sunday
With perfect weather Ben and Curtis were ready to represent in Race One. The field of 15 let loose with the drop of the flag and Ben flew into corner one first after a fantastic launch and quickly started to separate himself from the pack.
Curtis on the other hand decided to mix it up in corner one which is dangerous but very exciting. Ben rode hard out in front while being chased by #51 Nelson Gonclaves riding a 2007 Honda CBR600rr. Nelson sqeezed by Ben in lap 6 and then the race was on. Ben chased Nelson, attempting a few passes until lap 8 when he entered turn 1 a little too hot and ran off turn 2 into the grass and since slowing down was not an option once in the grass, he ignored the badger holes and showed off his off-roading skills by ripping it all the way over to corner 4 where he entered the track again – crazy grass riding skills or just luck, who cares, that was exciting! Ben finishes in 2nd way out in front of the pack with a best lap time of 1:28:00. Curtis also ran an exciting race finishing 6th, fending off charges by Scott Graham riding the #40 bike and Gary Lee on the #122 bike and posting a fast lap time of of 1:32:56. Good racing, some upright grass cutting and no damage to the awesome Redline paint jobs! Congrats to Travis Meier, #42 who pitted with the Redline crew for the weekend and finished 4th in Race one. He is slightly faster than a sloth because he is a hyper-sloth.
Sunday morning, Race Two, the Redline crew was ready to run. The flag drops and Ben rockets into corner 1 first with that pesky #51 Nelson Goncalves right on his back tire. Curtis also gets a fabulous start, rounding corner 1 in 4th place, just behind # 18 Vladimir Jovanovic on his Kawi ZX10r and in front of #40 Scott Graham. After leading the race for almost 4 laps, Ben gave up the lead to Nelson and then the race got exciting.
Ben seems to prefer the chase more than leading so when Nelson took the lead Ben really turned it up. With Nelson and Ben both going all out and starting to lap the field things really got exciting. A double pass on corner 3 and another double pass with the riders only inches apart on the hill going into corner 9 had the crowd gasping but both riders stuck the .
Curtis in the meantime was busy chasing down Vladimir, finally catching him in the south end of the track in lap 7, taking over 3rd place.
Driving into the chute on the last lap, Ben was right on Nelson’s back wheel and snapped the throttle wide open hoping to out accelerate Nelson to the finish line but instead his rear wheel broke loose momentarily and he started into a highside but with both feet off the pegs, managed to tame the beast and finish the race in 2nd. Ben claims that his pants remained dry, I wonder. The Redline team places 2nd and 3rd in the most exciting novice race to date! Ben posted a mind numbing best lap time of 1:27:74 and Curtis a much improved and respectable time of 1:31:64. That puts Ben way out in front of the Redline crew and Curtis and Richard within 3 tenths of each other. Rounds 5 and 6 in September are going to be exciting!
Rounds 5 & 6
Saturday – Sunny and nice
First our resident rocket, Ben Wheeler riding the GSXR750, #28. He finished 2nd in what’s called the 1st race with a best lap time of 130.51. Curtis, Richard and Craig all raced the Novice which incidently is run with the 1st race riders – two groups, one race. Curtis on his 2006 GSXR600, # 37, finished a respectable 3rd and posted a fast lap time of 132.40. In Craig’s first race ever, riding the 2006 SV650, #60, finished a very good 7th posting a best lap time of 133.35 – impressive!
Richard on the other hand riding a 2006 Yamaha R6S, #44, couldn’t get his head into it and finished 8th with a best lap time of 136.32. In Ben`s first real amature race later that afternoon he finished in 12th just behind Claude of HardNox posting a best lap time of 129.84. Ben ran the first half of the race near the front of the midpack but ran out of steam at the end – racing apperantly is hard work! Side note – Ben now holds the CMRA Novice class fastest lap!!!!!
Sunday – Rain and more rain
Novice race, in the rain, two words, Gong Show! Craig, Curtis and Richard went out, Craig on street tires which he ran all weekend, Curtis and Richard on DOT race tires – not rain tires. It was slippery to say the least so the times are not worth mentioning, cause they are slow. Craig finished 2nd in the Novice race.
Great finish! Curtis and Richard on the other hand in the 1st Race finished 4th and 5th. Richard highsided on the last lap coming out of the chicane but because speeds were soooo low, was able to jump back on the bike and finish the race – Richard got a “did not finish” on the race but he did actually finnish as he outran the meat wagon that was sent out to collect his busted bike. Ben, Curtis and Richard raced the Middleweight Sportbike amature race in the mostly dry with Ben riding like Rossi and finishing in 6th and posting a fast lap time in the 126`s. Curtis and Richard finished 12th and 14th respectively. Ben later raced the Middle Weight Superbike on a wet track and finished in 10th. Overall a great weekend of racing. Can`t wait until nextyear!
