To: nedod@linus.mitre.org
Subject: the exciting life of a pit tootsie
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1998 17:23:02 -0500
From: gayathri 


quick impressions of a willow weekend, that wasnt.

Wed. nite, Steve (aka squidboy) gets sick - you know, that flu that
makes you feel like crap and not want to do anything. So he stays home
Thursday and Friday, all frantic about being sick and missing another
weekend (his bike broke the weekend before - chain snapped in
practice, taking out the clutch pushrod and doing some damage to the
engine casings (know anyone with an fzr400 engine?).)

We pack up the truck and head out on Saturday, getting there about 945
am - the first practices are already over, an I hear that the openbike
class had an accident they are cleaning up.

	so, hey, Prez, is Stevey-Racer out here? - yea yea, he's out in
	practice - says Kevin President, a racer Squidboy has started
	pitting with.

Then the ambulance pulls up. with the crash truck. And Stevey-Racer gets
out, really dazed, his leathers hanging around his waist, one arm
bandaged up, and the other in a sling.

	oh mi GOSH!!!! Stevey-Racer! dude! what happened to your BIKE!?

(He highsided in turn 6, during practice, due to Rider Stupidity) his bike
looked like it needed a bunch of work, and a new gas tank. The muffler
was bent 90 degrees to the bike, the rear tire was broken, the tank
was dashed and dinked, and the front end still had most of the
parts, but all the bodywork was trashed. The remote master cylinder
was destroyed, the brake lever was gone, footpeg mounting brackets may
have been gone...

So we take all of Stevey-Racer's crap^H^H^H^Hstuff out of his truck
and I take him to the nearest Kaiser Urgent Care place and spend the
next 4 to 5 hours sitting about in different waiting rooms, while they
xray, bloodtest, and poke and prod him. Right shoulder CV seperation,
and the left hand was roadrashed mess - looks like his GLOVE fell off
and his leathers rode up his arm. Fortunately, no broken bones in his
hand. The shoulder will take the longest to heal, followed by the
roadrash on his left hand.

So we finally get back, after he's shot full of pain killer and
antibiotics and feeling FINE! (Hell, he wants to get back on a bike
and go out for practice - painkillers are a wonderful thing).

I get back to see STEVE's bike back on HIS truck. WTF?!? 

I notice a sheen of oil on the rear tyre and groan. That stupid clutch
push rod must have caused trouble. In fact, it had managed to weld
itself to the ball bearing inside and spin out the seal, and pour oil
all over his rear tyre. I think he'd gotten to turn 9. Less then a
lap. He managed not to drop the bike, but said he was sliding pretty
damn good.

So we leave Stevey-Racer with his buddies and his painkillers, and head to
Hollywood Motorcycles to get the parts. Thank goodness for CellPhones
- - - what an LA moment to be riding south on rt14, talking to the parts
guy at Hollywood Motorcycles and glancing at the bike in the back of
the truck.

We get the parts, go home, and I make dinner while Steve takes apart
his bike. I didn't want to tell him it doesnt make sense to try and
get it ready for the next day, since he hasn't gotten any practice
time in on the new suspension setup, and he's planning on going out
for his novice race. He seemed sorta hellbent to get the bike back
together.

	oh well, didnt need to do any xmas shopping. really.

	oh, btw, did I mention it was fscking FREEZING out at willow?
WINDY, cold, windy and still colder. I was not looking forward to
going back. :/ ((okok, not as cold as New England, but ewwww.))

Now, as he pulls off the clutch cover, I hear a scream of
frustration. He'd forgotten to get a new gasket for the cover. Damn!
Fortunately, or unfortunately, Bert's Motorcycle Mall is open Sunday
morning, so there we are, 10 30 am, getting the new gasket.

By the time everything is all back together, its about 1 pm. Then the
oil won't wash off the tyre. 

Poor squidboy. He finally admits defeat, and we pile into the truck,
and head to the track to see the last of the races. (and bring
Stevey-Racer back his bag I accidentally packed into our truck).

We get there, to see just about no one left. the pits are empty and
the wind is BLOWING. I met Kevin President's wife and kid and helped
them pack up the trailer. Turns out the races ended early (3 30 pm)
since they doubled up on a few races, and we'd just missed the last
race.

	all I could think of, was if the squidboy had packed up the
bike to try and run the last race, boy, would he have been mad. 

	He just laughed. He said, if that had happened, he would have
just had to laugh.

We piled back into the truck, drove home and went to bed early.

	score - willow springs 2, Labikers 0

Gayathri
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 gayathri@world.std.com   		Calamari Club #002, SquidWannaBe
					'98 T595, Huckleberry Hound