10-27-2009

Daytona.. I don't know why I haven't been back there for such a long time.. I love that track!

It took around 25 hours to drive there, and one lap to remember why I love it.. the high banks of Daytona are the funniest place to ride.. I love it. After the long drive it was nice to get a real good nights sleep before hitting the track. I entered the Team Hammer track day the day before the races for a little extra practice and to make sure my bike was sorted since I was now riding a GSXR750 for the first time this year. The day went great, it was beautiful out, and the bike ran pretty good, but not perfect.

My Daytona Crew Chief KURTIS

Friday morning came and it was time to get back to work. I made some more changes to the fuel map to try and get rid of a stumble that plegged me all day in thursday practice, but it just did not want to go away. So it was time to ride and ride around any problems I may have. Solo GTO was my first race of the weekend. I knew I didn't have much of a chance of winning the race since it was basically a 1000cc race and all I've got is a 750cc. I took the hole shot and lead all the way to the first horseshoe where I backed it in a little too much and let a few get by. It was great to be back racing at Daytona though and I rode hard to finish 6th place, the first bike less than 1000cc. woot!

That was it for me on Friday, just the one race. On Saturday it would be another one race day, but it was the race I came for and really wanted to win, Formula 40. I got a great start once again, and was in good position to do battle race long. But then my new bike gremlins came back to haunt me. So I was settling for third when they got even worse. I basically gave away third place when I got a false neutral in the middle of the first horseshoe, so I coasted through the turn finally found a gear (the wrong one by the way) and took off. That little miscue allowed fourth place to catch, pass, and leave me lost in fourth as I rode to a lonely finish. Hey, at least I finished, and I know I can run at the front, and I'll be ready and in better position for next year!

Daytona!

Sundays races were more of the same finishes as Friday and Saturday. First was Heavyweight Supersport where I finished fourth once again. Then came the Heavyweight Superbike race which the Championship Cup Series had the grids all screwed up. I complained, and all they did was make a bad situation worse. Starting us five wide on the front row.. yea not good, I got the shaft from the grid marshal moving me all around at the start and then took the worst Daytona start ever. I ended up in sixth place, not happy, and ready to go home.

We loaded up the trailer after that last race, jumped in , and headed straight for Nebraska. All in all I think the weekend went well. I had a bike that was not performing well which will be sorted in time for next year, that is for sure. I believe that having to roll the throttle slowly out of every turn lost me at least two seconds a lap. Along with that I will get that tranny repaired as well and am planning on winning Formula 40 next year!

I would also like to thank Team Hammer for supplying me with some front brake pad pins which I had lost on the banking and made it back to the pits somehow. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

And one more Thanks to everyone who helped and supported me throughout 2009!

Look for more updates in the off season for what will be happening in 2010. --->jimmy


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09-30-2009

It was a quick trip down and back to Heartland Park Topeka on September 13. I had to work second shift on Saturday, and be back to work 1st shift on Monday.. lets just say not much sleep occurred during those 30 or so hours.

2009 Great Plains Formula 40 Champion

Tired, late and hungry, I barely made the last practice session. Everything was working and that's all that mattered. I just needed to finish the Formula 40 race to secure the championship I basically had already won the month before in St.Louis. The other two races I was racing to just get points for a good grid position for Daytona (now, if I had only thought of racing those classes consistently the whole year I could have won them as well).

First up was Heavyweight Supersport, I got a good start and hung in there for third place. Next up was the Formula 40 race. Again a good start but Ron Mears put up a really good fight. A couple of laps in I passed him on the exit of turn 10 and thought I was done with him since I was able to get a good pass on a lapper as well. Nope, he wanted it worse than I did that day and I ended up in second place. That was a fun race! Directly following the F40 race was Heavyweight Superbike. Yep, no rest for the tired.. I ended up an ugly second place with a ride I would rather forget.. at least I finished.

See you all at Daytona! ---> jimmy

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08-17-2009

The road to Gateway was a new experience this time. I just purchased a new trailer that makes things much more comfortable at the track . And along with it, came the entertaining Kurtis Stunt Show.

The new trailer and the Kurtis Stunt Show

Saturday was all day practice and I was able to get right up to speed and back to where I left off two months earlier. Gateway is a fun track to ride, it's just too bad it is an eight hour drive to get there. During practice I was able to use data from my last visit along the days laps in my Athon GPS Lap timer and find a couple spots on track where I could make up some time. It worked out good for me as I was able to drop another second off my lap times.

My first race on Sunday was Solo GTO, I used this for a little more track time and finished off the set of tires I had used on Saturday. I got a good start, ran a consistent race and ended up in third place against the bigger bikes. Next up was the Heavyweight Supersport race before lunch, then the Formula 40 race after lunch. For these races I mounted a new set of Michelin Power One Race Tires from Mason Racin Tires, these were going to be hard races to win.

Heavyweight Supersport was a great race. The start was good, it was neck and neck to turn two where local rider Quilman took to the lead. I was able to put on a good chase and keep up with him for the entire race. He showed me some good lines and I was able to catch him in a few spots too. Holding on, I finished in second place, and very happy with this result as I dropped my times some more, and found a place I could work on to gain some more speed.

The last race of the day for me was Formula 40. With a good start, I pushed to turn one and lead every lap to the finish. Second place Mears didn't just give it to me either. I had to take a couple of looks back as it started to sprinkle on the last two laps. A couple of lappers helped me cruise to the first place finish. Overall, not a bad race day, a 3rd, 2nd, and 1st, got all the positions covered! ---->jimmy

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07-18-2009

If you don't crash every once in a while you're not trying hard enough. At least I'm trying hard.

The July 10-12 race weekend at Heartland Park was a double points weekend for the Championship Cup Series. The weather outlook was not good, but turned out to be better than it could have been. Saturday was dry, and Sunday was a combination of wet dry the whole day.

My first race of the weekend was Formula 40. I was ready to go out and dominate. a little too ready. I got the hole shot and lead to turn four where I tucked the front and slid off the track. I ended up ok, just a face full of dir t.. that'll make you mad, believe me! I tried to lift the bike but I couldn't, so a corner worker came over and helped me get it up and pushed out of the way. I looked the bike over, pulled the mud divit out of the exhaust pipe and decided that I could gain some valuable points if I could get a few laps in. The only real damage was the right handlebar was bent up and the break lever was real close to the front fairing. The bike started so I gave it a go. Well, I got about six feet before I was on the ground again. I tried to turn but when I did the front brake lever pushed against the fairing locking the front brakes. The friendly corner worker helped me up once again, but this time the bike wouldn't start. I kept trying though, and it finally fired. So I made a big wide turn this time to get pointed the right direction and made it to the track. With my right arm up in the air from the bar being bent I took it pretty easy, I got in two laps and finished the race saving a bunch of points and barely holding on to my points lead.

Back in the pits it was a rush to get my bike back in shape. I knew it would not be a big deal cause I always have spares ready to go. With about 20 minutes till my next race the bike was all fixed up. Next race was Heavyweight Superbike. I got a good start, rode hard, and finished a nice 4th place. I was happy everything worked good and the race was uneventful. My last race on Saturday was Heavyweight Supersport. It didn't seem to go so well. I got a bad start, and couldn't pull it together to catch anyone ahead of me, I finished 7th.. at least I finished!

Saturday evening I went searching for a few more seconds off my lap times. I had been noticing some problems with my bike and thought maybe I ought to get a second opinion on my shock. So I took it off the bike and over to my good buddies over at Trackside Suspension Engineering. Turns out I wasn't so far off about my shock having a problem. They rebuilt it for me, I got it on the bike, made some shots in the dark for setup in the morning and went to bed.

Sunday morning it rained, and once it stopped it wasn't going to get sunny anytime soon. I debated a lot on putting rain tires on and decided against it. With my rebuilt shock I just wanted to make sure it was in the ball park anyway. The first race of the day was Heavyweight Supersport, it turned out to be a wet race so I did 2 laps and came in before I ended up in the dirt again. Kind of a waste. A few hours later was my next race, Formula 40. The track had dried, but there were three spots where water was running across the track, and go figure, not on a straight, but in the middle of turns two, five and 14. I gave it my best and got the lead right away, but I was just too shakey going through the wet turns, I ended up bringing it home in second place.

My final race of the day was Heavyweight Superbike. Once again I got a good start, and stayed with the leaders for a couple laps before they just pulled away. I ended that one in 4th place again. Not too bad considering the wet corners and all. My shock seemed to work good, but I am going to need a good dry practice to get it set up just a little better. In the end Trackside Suspension Engineering did a great job and I will definitely be using them more! See ya next time. ----> Jimmy
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06-11-2009

Ready to Race at Gateway

It has been a real long time since I have been to St.Louis to go racing at Gateway International Raceway. So long, that the track I last rode on has been bull-dozed and made into a NASCAR Speedway. 1990 was the the year, and it didn't end good. My 1987 600 Hurricane back then left with less bodywork, bent forks, and a little part of St.Louis in it.

That was then, and this is now, I love a new challenge , but I was a little skeptical of riding in a NASCAR Bullring of a track.. they are always dangerous and full of walls. We (I brought the family along for this road trip) arrived a little late on Saturday for practice which meant that I would only be able to get in two 20 minute sessions to learn the track before Sundays races. No big deal really, I've been to lots of tracks and a few of these bull-rings as well. The only difference come to find out.. THIS TRACK HAS A NO PASSING ZONE! WHAT?! This is racing, not driving down the highway. I guess that says it all for how dangerous this track can be. Anyway, practice went well, and armed with the data from my Starlane GPS back at the hotel I made a plan to get up to race pace on Sunday.

Sunday morning I decided to enter an extra class for a bit more track time. I entered the Solo GTO race (25 minute timed race). The race went great. I hole shotted the start, let through turn two and got passed by the 1000cc bikes that GTO allows in the class. No big deal, this is practice anyway. I ended up dropping my times another four seconds from Saturday, and with one rider crashing out ahead of me I finished a respectable 2nd Place for my first race at Gateway.

Leading out of Turn 2 at Gateway

Next up was Heavyweight Supersport. I changed my gearing and added some new Michelin Tires from Mason Racin Tires and was set for the race. Once again I got the hole shot and the lead. Short lived it was, but it was an uneventful race and I brought it home once again in 2nd Place.

After lunch was my championship race Formula 40. I'm leading the points in the class and am planning on keeping my lead. The second place points holder was at the event and I was focused on keeping my lead. I started the race with my 3rd hole shot of the day. YES! From there I lead the first two laps and found myself underpowered as a Ducati 1098 passed me down the front straight. The Ducati has long been considered too big of a bike for this class and I know why now. My 600 was no match for the 1098's Horsepower or the local guy who was riding it's track knowledge. At least I now know what I am up for come Daytona in the fall. I finished 2nd, and beat the people I needed to to hold on to my number position in points.

My last race of the day was Middleweight GP. Just before the start of the race the sky opened up with a little sprinkling of rain. Gateway is too dangerous of a track for me to race without rain tires, and I had no time to get them put on. I sat out the race, loaded up early, and hit the road happy with my 2nd place day full of great starts. Next up is back to Heartland Park July 10-12th. ----> jimmy

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05-29-2009

Turn 12 at Heartland Park

Back at Heartland Park once again, but this time the rain stayed away. May 23-24 was a beautiful weekend at HPT. Saturday was all day practice and Sunday all day racing. What more could you ask for? How about my mojo back please...

Sunday morning started out with the Heavyweight Supersport race. I had a great start, ran at the front for a couple of laps, and slowly went backwards. I don't know why, but I just was not comfortable. I brought it home in 8th place.. ouch, that hurts. Not where I like to finish.

Next up was Middleweight Supersport. Once again, I've got my starts back where they need to be. I can launch just like I used to on the drag strip. But after a couple of laps I found myself grasping for some sort of comfort level to be able to continue the pace that the leaders were putting down.. I just didn't have it for some reason.. I know my bike is stock, and others obviously are not, but I've got more game than this. I came home in 7th place.

So I sat down and thought about changing a whole bunch of stuff on the bike, rear shock clicks here and there, gearing changes.. nope, I just decided that it's not the bike, it's the rider. Focus.. that's what I needed, and the next race was my championship hope, Formula 40, and I focused and won. And, I did faster laps than I had in the previous two races.. go figure.

The last race of the day was Middleweight GP. Again, I got a great start, kept the leaders in sight, and finished in 5th place. I feel like I could have rode harder, but it just was not my weekend outside of the Formula 40 class. I need to work on getting back into a better frame of mind, cause my bike is running as good as it is going to. Focus, hit the bicycle a little more, and head to the next race weekend.. June 6-7 at Gateway in St. Louis. See ya there ---> jimmy


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05-14-2009

2009 Union Pacific Motorcycle Safety Day

On May 9th, 2009 the MilroyRacing.com bike was on display at Union Pacific's Harriman dispatching center. It was their motorcycle safety awarness day.

One of more than 20 bikes on hand, the #61 Milroy Racing machine stood out like a sore thumb in a crowd of street cruising machines.

----> jimmy







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04-28-2009

It's racing season and with one race weekend under my belt for 2009 I would like to take a moment and thank the company's who are making it possible for me to continue to make podium finishes:

Clifford Cycles, Michelin - Mason Racin Tires, DP Brakes, Woodcraft, Triangle Body Shop, Sidi Boots, Pilot Leathers, Penski Shocks, Visionsports Riding Schools

Turn 8 in the lead at HPT

Heartland Park, Topeka, Ks was the first stop for the 2009 Championship Cup Series Great Plains Region. My plan, dominate the Formula 40 class and back that up racing in the Heavyweight Supersport and Superbike classes as well.

Everything was going to plan except for the weather outlook for the weekend. Friday practice was good, I worked out the winter bugs and got right up to speed by the end of the day. The only weather issue on friday was the big headwind down the front straight.

Saturday morning I mounted up the new Michelin Power One Race Tires and instantly dropped my times. I couldn't be happier as I had already bested my fastest lap time ever at HPT in two laps on the new Michelins!

My first race of the day on Saturday was Formula 40. I got a good start, and so did Ron Mears, except by the end of the first lap he had to exit the track with bike issues. So I put my head down and lead the race for the next few laps until it started to rain. I backed it off a little, but that was not enough.. as I started to power out of turn 8 I lost both the front and rear and almost hit the ground. I don't know how I saved it, but it came back and that was it for my mixed weather race. I backed it off more and unfortunately gifted my huge lead to the 2nd and 3rd place riders. I finished 3rd, not happy, but glad I didn't crash out. Dueser got the gift from me, Merry Christmas John. Next was Heavyweight Superbike, an uneventful race I finished 4th. Then the rain really hit, without time to change wheels with my rain tires mounted on them, I went out on dot race tires.. it was slippery, we'll say I rode very safe, and brought the bike home in 5th place in Heavyweight Supersport.

Sunday, it was the same story.. weather.. off and on rain, the worst conditions to race in. This time my first race was Heavyweight Supersport, I got a miserable start, and really didn't feel like pushing it in the wet/dry conditions, I brought it home safely in 11th place. Next up was Formula 40 again, and it was dry. Same deal as Saturday, I got a good start, chased Mears down by the end of lap one, he pulled off once again, and I ran away with my First Win of the Year! That felt great! I had back to back races so I didn't even get a chance to relax,I stayed out on hot pit and went right into the next race, Heavyweight Superbike. I got a decent start, got stuck behind a couple slower riders, and by the time I got past them and started charging to the front the race was over, I ended up in 6th place.

Not too bad of a start to the season. I got my first win this year already, and will kick myself all season long for giving away the other one. See you all next time! ---> jimmy

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01-04-2009

It's 2009 and time to work on a new championship!

My plan for 2009 is to become the Formula 40 National Champion. Along with that I will pick up the regional title as well. Also, I'm working on trying to find a Lightwieght Formula 40 racebike so that I may attain that title too! I'm as excited for a new season of racing as I ever have been, so look out!

-->Jimmy


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MilroyRacing.com 2009 Tentative Schedule

*Along with the above schedule I will be racing BMX every Friday night schedule permitting along with my boy at Omaha BMX April - November.

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10-06-2008

The last race weekend of the Great Plains region was up at Mid America Motorplex and I got to attend and race. WHEW-HOO!

The MilroyRacing.com Pits

Being the last race weekend of the season in the area and my lack of actual racing these past two years I figured I had better make sure I can attend and make a good showing, If my plans for next season are going to come to fruitation.

Saturday mornings practice was an eye opener.. MAM is even bumpier than before! I can not believe it, but it is. My bike was set up for how smooth HPT is and that just didn't work at MAM. So I had to go back to the beginning with my suspension and figure something new out. It took four sessions, but I got it in the ball park just in time in the last session before the races.

First up, visit my favorite Michelin Tire man, Tom Mason. Once everything was mounted I was ready to race. My first race of the weekend was Heavyweight Supersport and held second place till the last lap, I ended up third.
Next was Middleweight Superbike and I guess I jumped the start or something since my number was on the board with the meatball flag a waving. I figured I'd serve my penalty right away so I would have time to make up some positions.. and that worked great. I ended up in fifth place after a stop and go penalty (not too bad I must say).
This racing thing is coming back my way this weekend and I had a ball. Middleweight Grandprix was up next and I got to use my elder age and treachery to conspire and bring it home in third place once again for the weekend.
Finally the superbike shootout was up and everyone was talking about not running it and all since it's basically burning up a set of tires with no contingency and just a trophy for the winner. I had qualified third for the race and decided not to just hand it over to the rest of the racers. I started the race. Ran second to Matt Hall for a few laps and decided that was all I was going to do. I pulled in. I just wasn't up to the pace and did not have the endurance yet to go that distance with that track beating the hell out of me on my bike. I chose to bring it home in one piece. I guess I'm getting a little older now..LOL .

On a side note, I have started my training program for next season. Been hitting the trail on my mountain bike for starters and making sure I'm on it at least every other day.
More to come regarding next season! -->JIMMY

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08-20-2008

HPT Superbike Weekend. - Ok, so all the hardware I brought home was my bike in one piece, and a bunch of burnt up race tires... and I had a ton of fun! No crashes. Bike ran great besides a small electrical gremlin which was quickly repaired, and I am ready for the stock forks to get revalved, I need a little more adjustment. That's ok, they'll finish the season and that will be a winter project. I am really pleased to be riding as well as I am on stock forks.

Fridays promoter practice was really good for me. I chased my tail all day long making adjustments to the bike and learning a few things in the process. I still had some spots on the track that were upsetting the bike under power, but I could deal with those. Saturday came around and it was time for qualifying. I put a new set of Michelin Pilot Powers on and headed out. The tires worked great and inspired me to run faster times than I did the entire previous day .

The Grand Prix 10 lap race I qualified on the third row. I got one of the worst starts I have ever had.. straight to the back I went. I battled race long with my friend Meghan Stiles, she stalked me the whole race and beat me the last tow laps.. good fun had by all. I ended up finishing 8th. For the big Superbike 20 lapper I qualified on the 6th row. At the start of the race I got an even worse start! I think it was actually the worst one of my 20 years in racing. That's ok, so did Meghan.. did I say I used to race her dad when I started racing and she was a toddler.. man that makes me feel old. ha ha. Anyway, I got stuck at the back behind some guys parkin it everywhere, but their bikes were fast! That made for some hard riding to get around them and start pickin off some of the faster riders. Then, there in the distance I could see my buddy Scott Ackerman.. He ended up with the biggest target on his back and my bike was the bullet! So I put my head down and did a strong string of laps a second better than my qualifying time. Those were laps in the range of 10-15 out of 20. I caught him, passed him, and ran out of steam. 20 laps of hard riding drains you, and I haven't been on the bike or anything for that much lately. I was in 10th place and it was either finish or risk crashing.. I finished in 13th, and am happy I did.

I vow to get back into racing shape and that starts now!
--->JIMMY

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08-07-2008

Photo By www.vivamotorsiklo.com

It's August and fall is coming fast.. what more can I say, the past three months have gone by fast, and I haven't been at the racetrack as much as I would have liked to. I've at least been to Heartland Park in Topeka, Kansas once a month teaching with Visionsports Riding Schools and I was able to make it to Mid America Motorplex this past Sunday during a NESBA event.

Some of the most fun with a school I have had this past summer was the Visionsports Riding Schools Racer University. Helping current racers to go faster and helping them set up their equipment. It's a different kind of enjoyment passing along some of those specialized skills. Although, don't get me wrong, every school is fun! The smiles we get from those who have never been to the track before are never ending. I look forward to the rider schools each month for that reason.. helping others enjoy the fun of the racetrack and seeing those never ending smiles.

Finally, I've made my way back to MAM for the first time in almost two years. It was the hottest day of the year though.. nearly 101 degrees.. but well worth it. It seemed like everyone there had been through one of my past schools, it was like a big unplanned class reunion. Nice to see everyone is still enjoying the track and riding their hearts out. People were coming out on to the asphalt to say hi, and it was great to get a group of riders from the Midwestmotorcycles.com forum together at the racetrack for once.

Next up for Milroy Racing is August 15 -16th at HPT for some racing action, I can't wait! And everyone head to www.vivamotorsiklo.com and order some photos from them, they've got some great shots!
-->JimmY


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05-06-2008

"Racing is living, everything else is just waiting." Oh for the love of racing... Heartland Park was my first race in a year and a half, and I remember why I love to race more than ever now. It was a great weekend April 25-27.

Sure I've been teaching a few classes hear and there, but it's just not the same as going head to head pushing the limits. Friday was practice only for me and all went well except for a fogging face shield. The new Penski shock was working well and I was getting comfortable with the bike in race mode. Saturday I signed up for the middleweight grand prix and heavyweight superbike. The gp race was going extremely well for my first race back in the saddle except for the fact that now I had new Michelin tires on and they were working excellent. My problem is that I had been practicing on old tires and they must have been sliding a bit because now they were hooking up and that brought on some suspension problems. Did I say I was doing back to back races for my first time back?! So I rode conservatively to finish the race and make a quick adjustment before the next race started asap (thanks for the help Mike Casey and Meghan Stiles) MWGP 9th. Well, to make a long story short, the next race went pretty much the same as the first one especially since I went the wrong way with my shock adjustment and made my problem more profound. I rode a little harder anyway since I knew I would be done for the day. HWSB 4th.

Sundays races were big ones for me, unfortunately they were over quickly for MilroyRacing.com. Middleweight Supersport and Heavyweight Supersport were both Suzuki Cup Races and I wanted to win! Hopefully with the rear end finally adjusted in the right direction everything would be working smoothly. Starting from the back of the grid is always a challenge, and I got a great start passing several bikes heading into turn one. From there I passed one more rider entering turn three. Exiting three entering four I was making loads of time on the three bikes grouped ahead of me. As I entered turn four I was already planning on passing all three on the brakes going into turn five when the the front tucked (turn four). I held onto the right bar so the bike would pull me off the track and as I slide around I looked up and saw four white number plates taking evasive action as to not run me over (thanks guys!!!). My self and my bike came out ok, except we were both a ball of mud. You see, it pored rain the night before. The track was green again from the rain, and the inside of some of the turns were still a bit damp. Hey, that's racing, and not my first dance with the track.. and probably not the last. Either way I missed out on the days Suzuki Money and I'll say it was down to rider error, trying to hard to soon --> Jimmy

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03-27-2008

It is that time of year again, time to start thinking RIDE! The weather here in Nebraska is finally breaking into the 50's regularly now and that means to me it's time to ride. When I say ride the first thing that comes to my mind is racing.. and with gas prices these days it also means dust off the 400 Bandit and start riding to work and saving gas money.

The 2008 Milroy Racing Machine

Raymond Roche's Ducati
1989 BIR WSB

The BIG10 Covered Wagon