papa911
New member
Vision, 13, raced at Portland International Raceway for the second time this past weekend, attending OMRRAs' penultimate round of the 2012 season. We drove up after he and his sister finished school on Friday, arriving at the locked front gate by 4:00am, the kids asleep in the truck, me wired on energy drinks. A small catnap on the tailgate , then the day began at 7:00am, Saturday.
Vision got two 15 minute practices, and then he raced two six lap heats in the Ninja 250 Cup against 15 or so other Ninjas. He won the first heat, closely followed by Andrew Rogers, breaking Andrews' draft on the race to the finish line on the last lap.
He had to check up slightly on the replay in the second heat, and Andrew drafted past to take the second heats' win, and the overall first place, with Vision coming in at Second place for both the heat and the overall placement.
It was a very exciting set of races in which Vision broke the lap record for the class, setting a 1:25.1 on his second time ever seeing the track.
Sundays' racing for him started with a twelve lapper, the Ultralightweight Superbike class consisting exclusively of Ninja 250s, about 11 total, with Washington native Adam Faussett showing up and replacing Andrew Rogers as Visions' main competition.
Adam and Vision got out front immediately, Vision leading, and it was apparent that Adam didn't want to lead as he had drafted past Vision to the line at Visions' first races here this past July. Vision was prepared for this and was a second or two off the fast pace leading until the third or fourth lap, when he missed a shift into sixth gear, handing Adam the lead while at the same time falling back into fourth position in the middle of a seven way battle of little Ninjas who were hot on the leaders' trail.
This was entertaining to watch as the drafting back and forth down the front straight made the pack go into the first turn four or five wide, with Vision going deeper on the brakes to try to stay with Adam out at the front.
Vision made his way around the pack in the middle stages , and came up on Adam on the last lap, where the cat and mouse game began anew. Vision knew he didn't want Adam on his rear out of the last turn, so as he went past him in the turns 6,7,8 kinks and Adam was preparing to chase, Vision tipped it in while next to Adam, checked up slightly, and tipped it in again just slightly throwing off Adams' plan to duck right in behind, and that's all it took for Vision to gain the extra couple of bike lengths for the race to the line, breaking his draft as well for good measure, taking his first and only win of the weekend.
His last race, Lightweight Superbike which was another twelve laps saw him gridded up against the other little Ninjas with a 560cc motard and one or two 500cc Ninjas as well.
He got off the line behind the bigger bikes, passing the motard in T1 and chasing a Ninja 500 through the infield, gaining there, with the bigger Ninja stretching out slightly down the straight, pulling Vision along for the ride, which had the effect of those two breaking away from everyone else, Adam Faussett staying in third position ahead of another battle royal for fourth position.
That was about how the race played out, Vision gaining in the infield, showing a wheel to the 500, then being left on the straight. These two were moving faster than everyone else, and by lap 8 or 9, Vision knew the score and settled in to just chase the bigger bike taking second place at the checkers, with a comfortable lead over Adam, who was also way in front of his closest competetors.
During this race, Vision went faster than any other production Ninja 250 has ever gone at PIR setting a track record for the bike at 1:24.6.
We stayed for Sundays' trophy ceremony which is always fun up there, said our goodbyes and I drove the kids home, making it for the start of their school week with a couple hours to spare.
Vision would like to thank Stockton Moto for setting up his bike, Pacific Track Time for giving him a place to hone his skills, Brian Bartlow and Feel like a Pro for giving him invaluable advice and help with all aspects of his racing, and CT Racing / Pirelli tires for setting him up on the best rubber that can be put on a motorcycle.
We'd also like to thank the Oregon Motorcyle Road Racing Association for their hospitality and for putting on another awesome event.
Vision got two 15 minute practices, and then he raced two six lap heats in the Ninja 250 Cup against 15 or so other Ninjas. He won the first heat, closely followed by Andrew Rogers, breaking Andrews' draft on the race to the finish line on the last lap.
He had to check up slightly on the replay in the second heat, and Andrew drafted past to take the second heats' win, and the overall first place, with Vision coming in at Second place for both the heat and the overall placement.
It was a very exciting set of races in which Vision broke the lap record for the class, setting a 1:25.1 on his second time ever seeing the track.
Sundays' racing for him started with a twelve lapper, the Ultralightweight Superbike class consisting exclusively of Ninja 250s, about 11 total, with Washington native Adam Faussett showing up and replacing Andrew Rogers as Visions' main competition.
Adam and Vision got out front immediately, Vision leading, and it was apparent that Adam didn't want to lead as he had drafted past Vision to the line at Visions' first races here this past July. Vision was prepared for this and was a second or two off the fast pace leading until the third or fourth lap, when he missed a shift into sixth gear, handing Adam the lead while at the same time falling back into fourth position in the middle of a seven way battle of little Ninjas who were hot on the leaders' trail.
This was entertaining to watch as the drafting back and forth down the front straight made the pack go into the first turn four or five wide, with Vision going deeper on the brakes to try to stay with Adam out at the front.
Vision made his way around the pack in the middle stages , and came up on Adam on the last lap, where the cat and mouse game began anew. Vision knew he didn't want Adam on his rear out of the last turn, so as he went past him in the turns 6,7,8 kinks and Adam was preparing to chase, Vision tipped it in while next to Adam, checked up slightly, and tipped it in again just slightly throwing off Adams' plan to duck right in behind, and that's all it took for Vision to gain the extra couple of bike lengths for the race to the line, breaking his draft as well for good measure, taking his first and only win of the weekend.
His last race, Lightweight Superbike which was another twelve laps saw him gridded up against the other little Ninjas with a 560cc motard and one or two 500cc Ninjas as well.
He got off the line behind the bigger bikes, passing the motard in T1 and chasing a Ninja 500 through the infield, gaining there, with the bigger Ninja stretching out slightly down the straight, pulling Vision along for the ride, which had the effect of those two breaking away from everyone else, Adam Faussett staying in third position ahead of another battle royal for fourth position.
That was about how the race played out, Vision gaining in the infield, showing a wheel to the 500, then being left on the straight. These two were moving faster than everyone else, and by lap 8 or 9, Vision knew the score and settled in to just chase the bigger bike taking second place at the checkers, with a comfortable lead over Adam, who was also way in front of his closest competetors.
During this race, Vision went faster than any other production Ninja 250 has ever gone at PIR setting a track record for the bike at 1:24.6.
We stayed for Sundays' trophy ceremony which is always fun up there, said our goodbyes and I drove the kids home, making it for the start of their school week with a couple hours to spare.
Vision would like to thank Stockton Moto for setting up his bike, Pacific Track Time for giving him a place to hone his skills, Brian Bartlow and Feel like a Pro for giving him invaluable advice and help with all aspects of his racing, and CT Racing / Pirelli tires for setting him up on the best rubber that can be put on a motorcycle.
We'd also like to thank the Oregon Motorcyle Road Racing Association for their hospitality and for putting on another awesome event.
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on your effort to get it done!
