I was looking forward to the 2024 WERA Cycle Jam. I’ve had some success at Road Atlanta, and it’s the closest track to my home – generally about an hour away. This Cycle Jam hit different. But on with the 2024 WERA Cycle Jam Recap.
2024 WERA Cycle Jam Recap – getting there is half the fun
As you might have guessed from the timing of this recap, this year Cycle Jam fell on Memorial Day weekend. No big deal, except since I didn’t leave until Friday afternoon, it took me nearly twice as long to get there. Once I arrived, I took a quick drive through the lower paddock and headed for the upper one where it was less crowded.
I dropped my gear off and headed back to the lower paddock to find Emma Betters and Justin West, since it was Justin’s 30th(!) birthday, and I wanted to wish him a happy birthday and score a slice of cake. I hung out down there a while, and then found out registration and tech for Saturday was already open, so I quickly got registered and got the bike unloaded and inspected, so no need to get up early Saturday morning, since I was practice five of six.
2024 WERA Cycle Jam Recap – the weird begins
I woke up Saturday morning to the sun shining. I did my usual morning track routine – made coffee, had breakfast, got the warmers on and the generator started. First practice came and I went out.
First practice was pretty much a disaster. I couldn’t seem to find a flow at all, and I was getting passed by everything. It also seemed like there were some bikes out in that session that didn’t quite belong, but maybe that was just perception.
On the second or third lap, I got buzzed by someone on the back straight, and noticed something odd. I got in his draft, and saw something hanging from his swingarm. As we entered turn 10, I realized it was an air pressure gauge! I didn’t have time to pit out, so I pulled off the side of the track on the front straight and told an official. Last thing we needed was practice being called for a debris flag – or a crash because someone hit it.
When I got back in, I stopped and regrouped a little. I noticed my legs were a bit shaky, so I made sure I was hydrated and rested before 2nd practice.
Second practice was night and day better. I made sure to just focus on lines and markers, and I was much smoother. I didn’t look at lap times at all, because even if I had been faster in the first practice, it was a fluke. Everything just felt better. I ran until I started making mistakes, and then pulled in. As I was pulling in, I saw the checkered flag, so I only missed one lap of practice.
2024 WERA Cycle Jam Recap – Saturday – the weather is here, I wish you were beautiful
After practice, the sky got dark, and storms started rolling in. Race direction announced a red flag due to lightning. If there’s a lightning strike within 5 miles of Road Atlanta, they shut down the track and the radio signal for the PA. The rain and wind started to get ugly. I lowered the windward side of my canopy and made sure everything was battened down. All seemed pretty good in the FIWOP paddock.
The guys down the other end of that paddock level were not so lucky. It was less than a minute after the wind started blowing that their camping tent collapsed, followed immediately by their paddock canopy. They ran around a bit trying to keep things vertical, but it wasn’t much use. Once an inexpensive canopy starts to collapse, they’re pretty much done for.
Once the lightning stopped, a riders’ meeting was called. All races were going to be shortened to four laps, but as long as their wasn’t lightning, it was on.
This left me with a conundrum. The rain had pretty much stopped, so it was going to start drying out – but how fast?
I’m pretty sure I’ve said this before, but I hate mixed conditions. Give me either steady rain or dry track, but drying track with wet patches sucks. Road Atlanta is one of the worst for mixed conditions, because there are a few corners where water flows across the track. I decided to wait for race 3 and then make a decision whether to run or not.
Last call for race 3 came. The track was still pretty much fully wet with some dry patches in high spots. It was drying, but I didn’t think it was going to be dry in time for race 6, which was my race.
I decided to err on the side of caution. The weather for Sunday was forecast to be beautiful and dry, so I had a pretty good shot at a dry race on Sunday. I unplugged the tire warmers and called it a day. I took a shower, stopped to help Cora Leonhardt swap tires and get launched for her races, and hung out with some friends. After race 6 I got mixed reports that it was either completely dry, or mostly dry with wet patches, so I felt okay about my decision.
2024 WERA Cycle Jam Recap – Sunday – a series of unfortunate events
I woke up Sunday morning to the sound of the PA announcing first call for practice group one. While it was later than I had wanted to sleep, it was no big deal. I was practice group five, the last group.
What I had forgotten was that Sundays at Road Atlanta have a 2-hour quiet time between 10AM and noon, so we only got one round of practice.
I went out for my practice round, and felt pretty good. I ran until my legs were sore, and then pulled in. I spent quiet time packing up some of the paddock, went to the riders’ meeting, and had lunch. My friend Michelle Cleveland showed up during the riders’ meeting, and eventually made her way up to my paddock after seeing a few other folks.
I have a routine of when I get my leathers on and when I leave for the race. I generally start gearing up at last call two races prior to my race, and I leave for my race at 2nd call. That gives me plenty of time to gear up and chill, and ensures I’m generally not sitting at pit out with my tires getting cold. That usually serves me well.
This time it was different.
I was race 5, so when last call went up for race 3, I dressed out.
Race 3 had a red flag.
Race 4 had a red flag.
There were at least two cleanups in those races.
I sat, and sat, and sat. I drank a bunch of water to stay hydrated. I talked to Michelle. I did everything I could do not to go out of my mind waiting. But near the end, I found myself getting antsy. I know it had to do with not having raced Saturday. I just wanted to get a race under my belt this weekend.
Finally, they made second call for race 5. I just about leaped out of my seat. I pulled the front stand, and my helmet, which was on the seat, hit the ground. I went to start the bike, and discovered I had left the bike turned on from practice. The battery was flat.
Michelle pulled the rear warmer and stand, and hoping the battery wasn’t completely flat, I went and bumped started it. Luckily, it fired right up. I took off for pit out.
As we were sitting in pit out waiting to get on the track, Adian Cook pulled up next to me and told me my lid wasn’t strapped. Right then they started letting us out onto pit out. I sat there with bikes going around me strapping up my helmet, then headed to the track entrance.
The whistle blows that we can get on the track for our warm-up lap. I reach up to pull down my helmet visor.
It’s not there.
It fell off when my helmet fell, and apparently I didn’t notice. There was a break in the fence near the officials. I cut through there and raced up to my pit, hoping to get my face shield back on in time to grid up without a warm-up lap. I find the shield, get it back on, and head back down.
Just as I reach pit out, I see my race start. I stop, utterly crestfallen.
A race official sees me, asks if that’s my race. I tell him yes, and he says “Go!” I head for track entry and enter the track behind everyone else. At least I’m going to get to race!
I put my head down and start to push hard! There’s a vintage class in front of me of five bikes. I pass four of them on the first lap, and the fifth on the second lap. I feel like I’m riding as hard as I ever have at this track.
I see the 6th vintage guy ahead of me, and I start to reel him in. I’m still pretty far behind him as we cross the start-finish and see the white flag, but I’m reeling him in. Every corner I’m gaining on him. I make a mistake in turn 10 and he gains a little more ground, but all down the hill and into 12 I’m gaining. We drag race to the line, and I cross about 20 feet behind him.
I end up finishing 2nd in my class, and I confirmed with race direction that my late entry would be counted for points.
2024 WERA Cycle Jam Recap – Sunday – the end
I go back to my paddock, crash out for about a half hour, pack up and head out. I drop down into the lower paddock to say my goodbyes and explain the clusterfuck that had just occurred, and headed home.
I should know better than skip races by now, even if I’m just picking my way around on a drying track. It breaks the routine too much, and messes with my head.
Oh well. I’ll take my second place, like my wounds, and see all y’all at CMP!
