Race Report from Willow Springs WERA

[Feel Like A Pro]

Bartlow Claims Willow Springs International Raceway as Kingdom Expands.


Building on the overwhelming success from his racing trip to Canada and Washington, Kelseyville’s Brian Bartlow has now placed his name in the record books of famed southern California’s Willow Springs International Raceway. The 2.5 mile nine turn road race course just north of Lancaster, CA was built in 1953 and aside from repaving when necessary the course layout has remained the same. It is a racetrack that is incredibly technical and sees some of the fastest speeds in state and over the weekend of June 15th-17th was the venue for the Feel Like a Pro team owner and race to display his racing prowess.


Arriving to the circuit’s paddock on Thursday Bartlow was focused on racing throughout the set up of what is arguably one of the nicest pit area’s in the paddock. His fleet of eleven Feel Like a Pro rental race motorcycles lined up under Kawasaki canopies, with sponsor banners & flags waving high above the covered hospitality area for friends and family of customers. The Feel Like a Pro pits always brings a wave of professionalism over onlookers and competitors alike and Brian prides himself on maintaining the bikes on a level that rivals many professional teams.


With the pits set up, the bikes prepped, and Bartlow focused on breaking a lap record for the 250 class at yet another racetrack, it was time to get down to business. Last November’s race at this circuit saw mother nature thwart a lap record attempt as rain poured to the point of opting for a jet ski as apposed to a motorcycle may not have been a bad idea. The lap times were fast, conditions considered, but lap record times in the rain are just not possible because of the massive grip allowed by the teams Pirelli race tires in dry conditions. WSIR local Wes Tutsobo holds the current track record for the 250 class with a time of 1 minute 40.057 second lap time around the 2.5 mile racetrack.


Saturday’s practice sessions found Bartlow acclimating to the heat and making suspension and tire pressure changes to lower laptimes and improve “feel.” Racing a motorcycle requires three basic things; a motorcycle, a rider, and a racetrack. Successfully racing a motorcycle is much more complex and there are infinite combinations of suspension adjustments, tire pressures, gearing changes, wheelbase, air/fuel mixtures, all in the name of bettering “feel” what nearly every racer needs to ride a motorcycle on the edge of it’s capabilities. Without a good feeling from the bike it is mentally strenuous to complete a single lap let alone an entire race. It is that harmonious connection of man and machine when the racer can feel the grip of the tires, and the movement of the suspension working in sync with their bodies movements atop the bike that every racer strives for and many times chases throughout a race weekend. Finding a set up that offered the optimum level of aforementioned “feel” Bartlow pushed his Kawasaki Ninja 250 to a laptime of 1:40.1 by the end of the practice day.


The sun rose over the racetracks easternmost Turn 9 on Sunday morning as racers started their mornings and motorcycles engines were warmed in preparation for racing. Bartlow starts the E SuperStock expert race from pole position, the first spot on the grid, and at the drop of the flag retains the lead to the first turn. Making it to the first turn first is great, but it takes eight more laps of precision to bring home a victory. Brian did just that as he pushed himself to put in fast lap after fast lap. Once across the finish line with the checkered flag in the air he was officially the winner notching a best lap time that matched his practice time of a 1:40.1 a mere five hundredths of a second off the lap record with two more race in the afternoon.


After reviewing his performance in the previous race and trying to find places to improve and capture yet another win and possibly lap record in the upcoming race. Brian’s success earlier this year in the Lucas Oil WERA West Series placed him on the pole position yet again for the D SuperStock expert class. Upon the waving of the green flag this race had a bit of De Ja Vu as Bartlow grabbed the holeshot and led the race into turn 1 yet again. By the third lap he had caught the faster 650 motorcycles and used their draft, much like that of a cyclist or NASCAR racer, to reduce aerodynamic drag by following them closely around the racetrack. This benefit coupled with Bartlow’s skillset was able to add a victory to the increasing tally of the weekend. Upon reviewing the laptimes he had completed a lap in 1:39.8 an official lap record and average speed of 90.18 miles per hour around each of the nine corners. Definitely cause for at least momentary celebration before refocusing for the final race of the day.


The Clubman Expert class would be the final and most challenging race of the day for the Kelseyville business owner. This class had a rules structure that allows for a variety of motorcycles some more powerful than Bartlows Kawasaki Ninja 250 racebike and at a racetrack where a racer is rarely off the throttle a horsepower advantage can be very difficult to stay competitive with on a machine that is down on power by racing faster motorcycles. That is where it is up to the rider to apply his or her skills to stay close and make it a race. It is said that fishing isn’t called catching because nothing is guaranteed, the same goes for racing not being referred to as winning. Nearly anything can happen between the green flag and checkered flag. The start of the Clubman race found Bartlow trailing into the turn 1 of the race for the first time this weekend. However his third place arrival made for a first place departure from the first corner as he rode around the outside of the two riders in front of him regaining the lead that he had grown so comfortable with all day. “After the D Superstock race I still felt like Turn 5 was my weak point, I knew I could improve my line and the confidence I gained from the grip of the Pirelli tires was crucial as I had to push so hard to keep the motorcycle where I wanted it on the track and keep me off the ground,” Bartlow said after the race. Focusing on Turn 5 proved to pay off as he stayed ahead of the faster bikes throughout the race and kept his weekend perfect by winning each of the three races he entered. Bartlow bettered his lap record time improving by nearly half a second with a 1:39.4, quite the accomplishment considering that four tenths of a second at 90mph is nearly 53 feet.


With dominance proven and the reign of his 250 racing now spanning two countries with lap records at eight racetracks and the victory tally nearing the uncountable Brian Bartlow sets his sights on the rest of the season. Running the ever expanding Feel Like a Pro rental service at tracks throughout California all the while leading championship points in many different classes and series is no easy task. The next race will be the weekend of June 30th-July 1st in Sonoma, CA at Infineon Raceway. To come see the racing first hand and meet Brian and the Feel Like a Pro team the gates will be open to spectators for a $10 fee. More information on attending a race event or even renting the motorcycles for a trackday or race can be found at www.FeelLikeAPro.com.

[Feel Like A Pro]

Thank you Todd for the great report you give on our TEAM

[cynicalkit]

Congrats on another record! Very cool.

[Rexbo]

Bad ass, definitely wished I could have gone, but I will see you at AFM this weekend sir!