Deb, great it sound like you have given it a lot of thought and this is good......like Kent noted, I am sure your next run will be just fine.
Target fixation can certainly get one in a lot of trouble........I know of several land speed racers that have gotten in bad trouble at Bonneville do to target fixation......Glen, can tell us how many times someone has run over the timing lights.......
I have been told the way to "break" the fixation is to momentarily close your eyes.....just for half a second......don't know if that works....have never tried it. Take care....and next time out we all want to see you go 250.......Scott has the equipment that will do it!!!!!!!!!
Yes he does!!
J
Deb,Kent, Bob,Slim and Jack,
Great info. I'm going to appologise again as my past respones were not ment to be Hurtful. I would like to add a little to a HARD LESSON I learned my 1st time RACING @ BONNEVILLE
! I was warming up my Bike and testing the Salt as it was really bad the day before
I was told to go out easy and come back hard by a much more seasoned racer. He was my Guide.Well STUPID '''Me""' missunderstude which direction I was told to go. So off I go!
I had just clicked into 5th and was really starting to fly when I noticed a Very Shiny silverish Mirage in the distance.
I did as stated above and BLINKED MY EYE'S!
When I opened them I realised it was Not a Mirage but a LAKE out in the Middle of No where in the Bonneville Salt Flats!
I knew there WAS NO WAY I could save this one as I was doing about 140mph into a 6-8 inch deep Salt lake!
I just touched my front brake and Lowsided so fast I didn't have time to let go of the handle bars!
I did the Body surf/slip and Slide for at least 200 feet!I jumped up imedieatly only to find my Bike in Pieces strung across this little lake!
I ran to my Bike"I was supposed to be at the starting line racing,and couldn't get my bike restarted
!
THANK GOD someone"I'm so sorry I don't remeber his name',but he had seen me in my GAY GREEN SUIT heading for Trouble!
I was at least 2 or 3 miles from the Pit's and another 2 from the starting line!
All's I could do was start walking back"Thank God I was Not seriouly injured",and THE GENTLEMAN WITH THE PORTABLE DYNO DROVE UP in his dually AND SAVED MY A$$!
He took me back to the Pit's and I really made ANOTHER a$$ of myself Blaming the Racer for what I THOUGHT AT THE TIME was His Fault!
He was Kind enough to have his crew chief drive me back oiut to the lake and pick up what was left of my SURFBOARD/V-ROD ,and load it in the trailer!
I was so upset because my bike was Trashed and the Salt was Awesome!
I started loading up to go home ,and another racer said what are you doing?"SorryI forgot your name",but he then offered to help me put my bike back together!
We Spent about 3 or 4 hour's trying to get it fixed "Broken Turbo Header was the badest part" well try as we did. I got back to the starting line to make another run,and 1 mile into the pass the header welds melted and my race was over
! My 1st race@ B-Ville was over,but I sure did Learn allot that day!
NEVER Try and Test any where you don't know whats out there specially Bonneville as it could have been my Last race ever!
I'm able to look back and realise what an IDIOT I WAS AND HOW BAD I REACTED!
I blamed everyone but myself"at the time",and it cost me about $20,000+ to learn that lesson '' in Prize money and Bike Damage" to learn that Lesson!
Pretty cheap considering what Could have happened
! I rebuilt the bike only to blow it up in the 1st mile at the next race because Salt had gotten into my tank and siezed my fuel Pump"100psi to 40 psi= KABOOM at 180 mph in the 1st mile! Point is 'even The Best Racer's in the World' do Dumb things and I'm guilty as CHARGED!
If you ever go to Bonneville and want to do a Little testing before or after the event make sure you know where your riding,and let someone else know also! There is a Happy ending as the Next year I came Back and Won my Class'Fastest American V-Twin' and Broke 200mph in the process ' a 1st for a V-rod anywhere'! I have a few More HARD LESSON'S Learned,but I think you get my point 'we all make mistakes' thankfully it's Not Our Last and we can Both Race again another day! Never Give Up,and Thank God for Good Friends!
So with that I want to ask you and everyone else I might have offended for FORGIVENESS!
Humbly,
Kaz.........