Grattan Raceway 7/22

PFFOG · 07-19-2006, 10:55 AM

Anyone else going to Grattan this weekend? Going to be there at a Section 8 superbike (Ducati) trackday, hopefully showing some Ducati's the fast way around the track on the BoxerCup.

gigantic · gigantic's Garage

when are you going Yeskino? I was considering going up there on Sunday.

PFFOG · 07-19-2006, 12:37 PM

saturday, heading home Sat eve or Sunday morning, unless we are having so much fun we stay an extra day.

Daniel Restrepo · 07-19-2006, 01:28 PM

missing gratten but heading down to putnam on the 29th. i'm going to try my hand in the advanced class for the first time. i'm pretty excited but its gonna be sad being the slowest after seeming so fast in intermediate...

PFFOG · 07-23-2006, 07:25 AM

While you guys were trying to stay dry, sitting around talking about riding (Rally) and a few are sitting around watching people ride (Laguna). I went riding around one of the most interesting race tracks, I have been on, and Gigantic’s "home" track, Grattan. Prefect weather upper 70's and sunshine.

It was a track day by Sport Bike Track Time, and sponsored by Section 8 Superbike, a well known Ducati Dealer in Detroit, so over half the riders were Duc mounted. Track is very technical, and has several off camber, blind apex turns so it took a couple of sessions to begain to learn the track. By the third session I felt confident enough to move to the front of the line in the Intermediate class and install the lap timer to get a base for improvement during the day. I went out third, and ended up passing the 2 riders that went ahead of me, I only got passed by 2 others, so I was running pretty good for being the first time on this track. Lap times were in the low 1:40's range.

After a much needed break for lunch I again got out front, Gridded behind a kid that was running in the expert class in the morning, but had done a little moto-crossing on his 749 Duc, so he dropped a class to get his MoJo back. He went out just ahead of me and I followed him for a lap to let the tires get warm, and then started to push him through the corners, showed him a wheel at the end of the esses, but could not get enough to beat him to the turn in, 3rd lap same place I got a little run and got by him, and ran clear track until I started to run into the tail end of the group.

Not sure if getting passed by an old guy on a BMW, complete with saddle bag mounts, helped his MoJo.

I was curious to see my times, as I am usually the fastest just after lunch, Checked the lap timer and it was blank!!!! Turned out the harness unplugged itself inside the timer. I saw the kid later and he said he was showing 1:38's for those laps. After a fix to the timer, and when fatigue was setting in I ran near 1:40-1:41 range the rest of the day.

All in all a productive day of Duc hunting. By the end of the day a lot of Duc riders that got passed by an old guy on a touring bike, learned that there is another bike from the north side of the Alps, that is a sport bike too...............where is that R1200S................

The seven hour ride home after was a bit tough, but all in all a great day, on a very interesting piece of payment.

Heads next?? This is the stand spool and brake lever.

Never been this far over on the front.

Been here before with the rear

gigantic · gigantic's Garage

Ah, yes! my home sweet home! sorry that I missed it, but I had other matters to take care of. 138's are pretty good! I've done 137's on both the boxer and the gixxer. I just love that place, it's just too bad about the pavement. i think My favorite turn there is T5, after the "hump". I usually am on the gas until the crest of the hump and then brake like heck for the turn. The R1100S can pass just about anythng, on the brakes going into there and maintain that advantage at least until the straight. Grattan, the best Roller Coaster in Michigan! Backwards is even better!
Lance

PFFOG · 07-23-2006, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by gigantic
Ah, yes! my home sweet home! sorry that I missed it, but I had other matters to take care of. 138's are pretty good! I've done 137's on both the boxer and the gixxer. I just love that place, it's just too bad about the pavement. i think My favorite turn there is T5, after the "hump". I usually am on the gas until the crest of the hump and then brake like heck for the turn. The R1100S can pass just about anythng, on the brakes going into there and maintain that advantage at least until the straight. Grattan, the best Roller Coaster in Michigan! Backwards is even better!
Lance

Got a little more confident at the hump later in the day, think I even got "air", but definitly a place I could pick up some time. Also know I need to run a little harder in one, and from the bowl to the bus stop, and up the hill into the blind right kink before the left bend into the straight.

I ran strong and caught many bikes between 1 and through 4, also pushed everyone through the esses and into the bowl. In fact most of my passes were coming into the bowl, and a few dropping into 3. Know I can drop 2 or 3 seconds next time.

gigantic · gigantic's Garage

You can drop into three at mid track, most run too wide there. if you go into it there, you'll spend less time leaned over and you can get a better drive into four and make passes there. the same goes for the bus stop. turn in later & get most of the turning done before you drop as it's easy to tuck it there. going up the hill the big twins have much better drive than the fours. of course once you hit the straight it's over, the fours will take it back. but due to the magic of the Telelever and brembo brakes, you can stay on the gas longer going towards turn one and pass the kids on the brakes there if you take an inside line. If you take a wider line, you can also carry more speed into turn one than you'd think. I found how much is too much, the hard way... personally, I prefer the inside line -I've yet to really get comfortable on the outside, carrying more speed. I've heard stories of a guy doing 1:28's on an R1100S with the bags still on!!!