2011 WSBK Daddy/Daughter Adventure!

[Warchild]

And an adventure it surely was.... and quite challenging at times, thanks to the never-ending crap weather we've had out West this Spring.

Background:

Last year, 20-year-old daughter Lauryn and I rode to Tooele, Utah for World Superbike races. It was beyond awesome - excellent weather, terrific racing, you couldn't ask for more. We decided to make it an annual pilgrimage. This is this year's story.....

Here we are late Thursday afternoon, May 26th, about to run to the gas station to fill up the bikes before last minute packing and grabbing some sleep before the midnight departure. Lauryn is riding her mighty, mighty Kawasaki Ninja 500, I am on my Gen II Hayabusa:

At midnight, we are up and heading towards questionable weather as we ride south and east into the dark night and heavy deer country that comprises the Blues Mountain range in northeastern Oregon. Here Lauryn refuels the mighty Ninja at the Shell station in Baker City, Oregon:

Day 1 Trackside:

We arrive the first day to decent weather (well... dry weather, anyway), which was a good thing after riding 700 miles in some unseasonably cold temps. Here, Lauryn backs in her Ninja next to my Hayabusa at the motorcycle-only parking lot at the track:

On our way to the paddock, we of course had to check out all the vendor areas and check out the latest models. Here I get a chance to sit on a machine a LOT of folks are eagerly awaiting to arrive on our shores later this fall: the all-new Yamaha Super Ténéré:

Over near the display for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, a familiar tall blond dude was seen talking to race fans: former AMA and World Superbike Champion, SPEEDTV commentator and 5-time Daytona winner, Scott Russell!!

I have not really cared much for the BMW marque over the years, but below is one BMW that I definitely would own in a heartbeat, if I ever hit the Lotto. The BMW S 1000 RR is an unbelievably fast, hot motorcycle, and incredibly well-balanced, compact machine. I want one someday.

That morning saw all the various teams doing their First Qualifying Sessions, so I was keen to try to snag a decent photo of my favorite racer, Ben Bostrom. This year, Ben is is riding the black/red #23 bike from the Michael Jordan Suzuki satellite team this. Here is Ben coming off the track and about to enter Pit Row at the end of the First Qualifying Session:

Since the weather was looking iffy after that first day, Lauryn decided to try to get in her Superbike "Hot Lap" that first day. The Yamaha Champions Riding School Instructors normally take folks on these rides, but amazingly enough, they had a special Guest Rider join the staff for 2-up rides that day.... Scott Russel!!!!!

I told Lauryn a little bit about Scott Russell's career, and she said, "Dad, I am going to tell Scott Russell he has to carry me around the track!" I told her that it is liable to be quite the eye-opening experience if she drew Scott as her rider. With a devil-gleam in her eye, she said: "I am counting on it!"

And she was successful... Scott Russell took her around at great speed, and she just about scrapped a kneepad! Here is Lauryn and Scott Russell after their Hot Lap:

Lauryn stands above the AMA paddock in the late afternoon, looking down over the Graves Yamaha and Rockstar/Mikita Suzuki pits:

Overall, Day 1 at the track was mighty awesome... quasi-decent weather, and Lauryn was thoroughly jazzed from her Scott Russell hot lap..... at the end of that first day, Daddy and Daughter were tired, but pretty happy:

Day 2 Trackside:

Without question, Day 2 was pretty horrible.... the worst weather you can have while racing. 39 degrees, raining like a bitch when we arrived....

Here is a picture that pretty much sums it up.... while Lauryn was smiling for the camera, she exclaimed, "Dad, this weather just sucks ass"!

Another shot that shows what a crapola day it was thanks to the rain/cold..... here are all the AMA factory and satellite trucks lined up behind the paddock....

Here is Roger Lee Hayden, freezing his ass off in the icy rain on the National Guard Suzuki GSXR1000 #54 bike during Second Session of Qualifying:

Later that afternoon, Lauryn laments the brutal cold/wet by pouting that lower lip:

Still and all, we still had mighty good fun, even if we were wishing for portable Heat-Trollers by the end of the day.... even with full riding coats, we were two frozen popsicles by 5pm....

I am sure the scene below was played out by many a rider to Miller Motorsports Park today.... boots and gloves needs a lot of drying after today!

 

[Warchild]

Day 3 Trackside:

Today was Race Day.... lot's going on this day!

To start off, I had an interesting breakfast with Ronald ten Kate, owner of the Castoil Honda team, who were staying at the same motel we were out. I apologized for the bad weather, and he agreed that the rain yesterday didn't do any favors with their two riders, Johnny Rea and Rueben Xaus. I sat down with Rueban Xuas and chatted with him a bit, and got him to autograph his pic in the Miller Motorsports Weekend Program:

Now it was time to hit the track for the last day... Race Day!

Initially, things looks a bit grim early on... Lauryn and I arrive at 8:30am, and as you can see, the snow levels in Tooele Valley fell extremely low the previous evening, only a couple hundred feet above the race track surface!

Later in the morning, a few sun breaks started to emerge.... here is Lauryn showing off here new temporary tattoo applied to her left cheek:

Since today was the last day, I was bound and determine to hunt down Ben Bostrom and score a photo or an autograph.... here, Lauryn takes a shot of me skulking around the Jordan Suzuki truck, looking like a vulture waiting to attack Ben if he was foolish enough to emerge from the truck.....

We eventually wandered over to the AMA Superbike garages, where they let you get up close and personal with the actual racing machines! Here I am next to Ben Bostrom's #23 racebike... the one he used in the race later that afternoon:

SUCCESS!!!! Ben was walking between the garage and the truck, and I snagged him for this photo below... awesome!

Pity I didn't see that they were giving out small posters that the racers could autograph for you, but at least I had this pic!

Later that morning, daughter Lauryn gave me a surprise: *she* had noticed they had AMA posters to signed, so she snuck out between races and scored Ben Bostrom's autograph for me! THANK YOU, DAUGHTER!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Warchild]

Before we head for the stands for the Main Event, Lauryn took this shot of the AMA Superbike pits (for Monster Yamaha Graves riders Josh Hayes, and Josh Herrin) as the sun begins to peep out behind the snowclouds... check out how low the snow level is here!

All you stunnaz out there will probably recognize this photo-op: professional stunt rider Jason Britton gives a thumbs-up with me:

The first World Superbike race had a couple "incidents".... here is poor Michelle Fabrizio's Suzuki GSXR100 after Ruben Xaus plows into him from the rear... 'd'oh!

Here's my man Ben Bostrom rolling in after that morning's final Warm-Up session:

Miller Motorsports Park, unlike many other racetracks, allows their fans to get very, VERY close to the racing action... here is Ben Bostrom pulling into the pits for the last time prior to the actual race:

The final event... the start of World Superbike Race 2! Here we are in our favorite seat, the final corner before the Start/Finish Line (named "The Release"). As they pass us on the first lap, Carlos Checa has already built a sizable lead over Aprilia's Leon Camier and Yamaha's Eugene Laverty:

Poor Noriyuki Haga... after struggling for a 9th Place finish in Race One, here in Race 2, Haga throws his Aprilia down the racetrack IMMEDIATELY in front of us on the third lap! Here is poor Haga walking back to the paddock... a bummer weekend for him!

World Superbike racing, down the final straightaway to the Finish Line.... AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!

unk:

At the end of the race, 2nd Place finisher Leon Camier lights up his Aprilia's rear tire in front of us as the crowds cheers him on!

Now for the long 700-mile ride home the day after the races.... in some brutal, unseasonably cold temps. We kept our WarmNSafe liners lit up 100% almost the entire ride home the next day. Here Lauryn and I take a break at the top of Cabbage Hill, before we drop down into the Columbia Basin below in the background:

By far, the single most difficult part of this 5-day adventure was saying good-by to my gorgeous daughter and watch her ride away on that Ninja for the final 300-mile push across the Cascades to her mother's house. This is very rough business for the father. Very rough business, indeed.

OTOH... we now have another Daddy/Daughter Adventure to reflect upon as the years go by....

 

[FJRay]

Good job Dale. I miss riding with my daughter and envy you. Looks like the racing wasn't bad either.

 

[beemerdons]

Great Ride Report Dale, Thank You!

 

[Warchild]

Good job Dale. I miss riding with my daughter and envy you. Looks like the racing wasn't bad either.

The racing was awesome... only Day 2 was really all that bad. Rain makes everything bad when the temps are also low.

Truthfully, however... seeing the snow levels that low to the racetrack was pretty neat, and it made for some dramatic photo shoots, that's for sure.....

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

By far, the single most difficult part of this 5-day adventure was saying good-by to my gorgeous daughter and watch her ride away on that Ninja for the final 300-mile push across the Cascades to her mother's house. This is very rough business for the father. Very rough business, indeed.
OTOH... we now have another Daddy/Daughter Adventure to reflect upon as the years go by.... unk:

Good job Dale. I miss riding with my daughter and envy you. Looks like the racing wasn't bad either.

Thanks for the ride.

Good on'ya for passing it on...

My son and I travelled alot in his formative years both 2-up and on our own bikes.

(he told me this story A while back he took his daughter as a passenger on a m/c ride in the mountains on his sport-tourer and, as they were standing at an overlook admiring the view, she said: "Thanks dad."

He said: "The next time you see your grandfather -- thank him."

 

[Warchild]

A while back he took his daughter as a passenger on a m/c ride in the mountains on his sport-tourer and, as they were standing at an overlook admiring the view, she said: "Thanks dad."

He said: "The next time you see your grandfather -- thank him."

:thumbsupsmiley:

 

[Panman]

Good job Dale. I miss riding with my daughter and envy you. Looks like the racing wasn't bad either.

The racing was awesome... only Day 2 was really all that bad. Rain makes everything bad when the temps are also low.

Truthfully, however... seeing the snow levels that low to the racetrack was pretty neat, and it made for some dramatic photo shoots, that's for sure.....

Awesome shot, cool outing for the two of you.

 

[FJR-RemingtonRider]

Cool reading,

Wauza!

Impressive, she rode the Ninja 300 miles solo?

Awesome indeed. Glad you guys are sharing these times.

 

[beerme]

Don't unnerstand how someone that beautiful sprung from your loins, but outstanding report! My boy just bought his first bike & i'm looking forward to similar adventures down the road.

 

[russperry]

Over near the display for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, a familiar tall blond dude was seen talking to race fans: former AMA and World Superbike Champion, SPEEDTV commentator and 5-time Daytona winner, Scott Russell!!

That looks like an FZ1 on the side there. Someone on the FZ1 forum has copied the color scheme and it came out looking pretty sharp. Nice to see the inspiration in a real photo :clapping:

 

[Warchild]

That looks like an FZ1 on the side there.

Exactly so... the Yamaha Champions Riding School uses the FZ1's for the 2-Up "Hot Lap" Rides.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Nice report Dale! :clapping:

My 16 yo wants a ride out in the country to see horses...she's horse crazy.

She's not been on the bike with me for a real ride yet. Hope she likes it...would be a good connection with her.

 

[Warchild]

Impressive, she rode the Ninja 300 miles solo?

Twice.... 300 miles Wednesday afternoon (May 25th) just to get to my house for the start of the trip, and of course, a second 300 solo miles from the Tri-Cities back to her mother's place on Whidbey Island.

Make no mistake, I do agonize when she does these solo stretches, and I *thought* it would help to sneak my SPOT tracker in her tailbag so I can keep an eye on her while she is underway.

This initially proved to be a bit of a duel-edged sword...

Because if her SPOT breadcrumbs stop appearing on a regular basis, you start to sweat the situation. Prime example: on her way over from Whidbey Island to West Richland last Wednesday evening, we see a ONE HOUR gap in her breadcrumbs (circled in red below) between the Seattle metro area, and Snoqualmie Pass. This loooooooong gap had Lauryn's mother and I wringing our hands in agony until a subsequent breadcrumb showed up at the summit of Snoqualmie Pass:

However, as it turns out... it's more of a SPOT orientation thingy. I just need to accept the fact that unless the bike has a clear, unobstructed view of the southern sky, then the SPOT breadcrumbs (which are supposed to occur every 10-minutes) are not going to happen as advertised. When Lauryn passes through the more curvy, steep mountainous area between Cle Elum and Seattle, the SPOT satellites aren't going to be able to ping the SPOT transceiver with regularity.

Here is the Spotwalla page for Lauryn's return trip home on Wednesday, and as you can see circled in yellow, there was once again a lengthy 40-minute gap between the Pass summit and the Seattle metro area:

 

[puppychow]

Great report Warchild! I am starting to see more and more of you in your progeny there. Although, your spawn is oodles more better looking than you are!

1 hour gap in SPOT reporting on the trip to you and only a 40 minute gap on the trip back. Seems like someone is getting faster!

 

[Tyler]

Great report, Dale... nice legs too!

 

[Warchild]

Great report, Dale... nice legs too!

<groan>

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Tyler]

Great report, Dale... nice legs too!

<groan>

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Hey, just appreciating the scenery...