2016 VCGP Race Report Part #1

Rick

New member
This past weekend raced the 45th running of the VCGP held in Virginia City, NV.

Loaded up Friday to meet a riding buddy for an overnight stay in Reno, then Saturday morning head out to VC. Since I was pre-entered I just need my transponder and tech inspection on the bike.

As I was heading east over Donner Summit on I 80 the weather was turning cloudy and much colder as I headed east. The weather forecast called for rain and mix of snow in and around the VC area on Thursday and Friday with clearing on Saturday. When I arrived in Reno, 5:30ish, rain had started near Verdi and continued through the early evening into early morning. One of our buddies was staying out in VC Friday night and he report it was snowing pretty good on the upper mountain peaks. I prepared a set of goggles with 6 tear off?s and pulled out a water proof windbreaker as my outer layer. That was about all I could muster for cold weather riding gear.

Saturday morning arrived in VC dropped off the fuel cans at the pit box, proceeded to find a parking locations to unload the bikes. We found a parking spot, unloaded, dressed and headed for tech and transponder check. Cleared with no issues, it was time to stage down town mainstreet for the start of the race. Once we were in place in our proper row there wasn?t much to do but wait. I guess it was right at 10:am the first row was off, that was the Pro Cash race, after a 2 minute delay the organizers started sending off rows, bout every 30 seconds, I was row 36 so I had about a 18 minute wait.

Lap1: > Not knowing the course or terrain I really laid back took a conservative approach to the race. My main goal was to finish and knowing that I had at least 4 hours plus of seat time I wasn?t really in a big hurry to WFO. So I just held my lines and rode the first lap. Right off the bat the course was very wet and slippery, peanut butter like dirt! I was running intermediate terrain tires so that really didn?t help matters. Mud was packing around the bike and I noticed that my front fender was shacking more than normal??this continued to get worse as I rode. At mile seven I stopped and checked out the fender, I noticed it was cracked, so I just twisted it off, tossed it to the side and motored on?? Every time I hit muddy water the front tire kicked the spray on my goggles. I didn?t want to pull a tear off just yet. I pretty much just rode smart and tried really hard to keep the bike on two wheels. Aside from slipping and sliding lap one was pretty uneventful.

Lap2: > As the course dried out the dirt became really tacky and packed, the intermediate tires were starting to work much better. With the course drying out the sharp jagged rocks were really starting to show their faces. I?d say the majority of the 25 miles loop was rocks, clay and loose rocks and of course plenty of knee to thigh deep whoops which were filled with water in some cases. I started to put my head down and pick up the pace. The 99 EC200 was working really well, the 2k3 heavy flywheel set up was suited for this type of track, the linear power delivery was working so sweet on the slick up hills and exiting the turns! There was a 2 mile paved section which was a county road which provided some rest from fighting the slick trails. I was able to open it up in 6th gear for a nice run. I crossed the transponder check and headed to the pit for some 100 octane and Motul 710.

Lap3: > Topped off the tank with gas and headed back out for more torture, the course was really starting to work in, my speed in certain sections were picking up and I was getting more confident with the bike. I should have made a clicker adjustment to the forks, they were set up for faster terrain so softening them up 3-4 clicks would have helped. I ride more over the bars so I prefer my forks a little stiffer, but I could have taken some compression and rebound out. The rear was working awesome, tracking really well and hooking up! By this point I had about 50 race miles under my legs and I was starting to get stiff. My knees were getting sore even with my POD 800 braces keeping everything aligned. Due to the forks being too stiff my hands were starting to feel it as well. I thought about stopping and pulling out the flat tip, but I was making some passes and just felt like I could solider through it. ( BIG MISTAKE ) I never really encountered any bottle necks, the riders were pretty spread out and now it was just ride smart and keep the rubber on the ground. I was pulling one tear off per lap and I had two left on the 100% Racecraft goggles with 1 lap to go. I was catching up to a rider and went to make a pass on a two track section, I revved my motor an yelled ? on your left? and started to make the pass when he drifted into my line, I had no other choice but to head off into the rock gardens in third gear.. My front end rolled off a couple of bowling ball sized rocks, then the rear tire them and I started to swap big time?.all I was thinking was ?YARD SALE??I?m not sure how I managed to save it, but I did, scared the living crap out of me?. thanks for the stable chassis GasGas! Saved my bacon! As I approached the transponder check area I noticed about 20-30 riders all lined up next to the snow fence???? WTH?? I crossed the transponder and it scored me, I almost kept going out for my 4th lap. I stopped and backed up 10 feet and headed into the pits.

Head over to Part #2 for the finish!
 
Back
Top