Solid points in Dairyland

Elkhart Lake, WI – There are few places that evoke the kind of emotions that Road America can. For example; the first time you see a truly dark sky and get dizzy from all the stars, seeing the ocean for the first time, or your first pop on a summers day.. America’s National Park of Speed is awe inspiring and if you’ve never been there, it’s difficult to describe. Just make plans to go there next year, you will not regret it. The atmosphere is already electric, so when the team showed up on Thursday there was buzz all around the team as the few weeks break allowed the team to fully recharge and prepare for the task of tackling this massive 4 mile circuit. Cam was feeling good, the bike ready and the entire Camp45 Crew was feeling positive for some strong results.

Without the usual Thursday scramble, the weekend really kicked off on Friday with Qualifying Practice One. The plan going into the first session was to first stretch the legs on Big Red to gauge basic set-up. Then, through a series of stops, slowly make the adjustments needed to help Cam get the bike around the super-fast track. Corner exit speed is a priority as is initial braking through the bumps. The track plays host to all kinds of racing and the bumps entering some of the corners can be extremely upsetting to machines that aren’t set-up correctly. With that in mind, the main focus of the Friday sessions would be on suspension, getting used to the new Dunlop rear tire and then fine tuning the electronics. After the first qualifying session, Cam was in P11 and when the checkered flag flew on the QP2 he was P12. These positions would place him in Superpole on Saturday morning.

As has been the case the past few seasons at Road America, the weather on Saturday morning was a complete 180 degrees from Friday. With much cooler temps, high winds, and a looming threat of rain, the first session out on Saturday would not see any times faster than that of either Friday’s sessions. The early 25 minute session would be used to make last minute adjustments to the suspension and prep for all important Superpole. This one single 15 minute session is the most critical practice session of the weekend as it determines that starting position for both races and gives the teams a final peek at how the bike / rider combo will perform under extreme pressure.  As is the new norm, Cam was sent out on his first special qualifying tire to see how the bike would react paired with the super sticky Dunlop.  Ripping down the front straight, there was an issue that was audible to those within ear shot.  Coming in to switch to a new “Q” tire, Scotty and the crew worked to diagnose the problem, but with less than 10 minutes to go it was a hope and prayer that all that could really be done.  As Cam came past the pits again, the bike was hitting the rev limiter and cutting out.  Something was clearly amiss.  Cam would hit a false neutral into T5 and end his Superpole on the ground and in P12.

With little to no real damage, the Camp45 Crew was able to quickly make repairs and more importantly, dive into the electronics to see what happened during Superpole.  Scotty was quick to read the squiggly lines of data and find the problem and then fix it before the race that afternoon.  As the sky cleared and the threat of rain lifted, the crowd swelled as Race One approached.  Cam and the entire team knew that he was better than his Superpole result so the anticipation was weighing on everyone.  As the horns sounded and the grid was cleared, it would be all up to Cam to make his Genuine Broaster Chicken Honda fly around the Wisconsin countryside.  Visor locked, first gear engaged, and revs through the roof the lights went off!  The Superbike grid came to life and everyone began to jockey for the their position through Turn One.  Cameron was able to get a decent start and made some good passes in the early stages of the race.  Moving through the field, he was able to clear a good gap between himself and the riders behind him.  However, as can happen at Road America, if you lose contact with the riders in front of you, you lose the tow that is so important.  By the mid-point of the race Cam would find himself in a solitary ninth position.  Unable to make the distance to the group ahead and well clear of the group behind, Cam crossed the line to score 7 valuable points and continue to add to his confidence.

Perhaps that’s the key point to focus on here.  While Sunday’s are typically less active, the riders have more time to prepare mentally and go through a more regimented routine of prep.  Cam is growing in his confidence and every race finish, every point scored adds to his overall confidence that he can push and ride Rig Red for all she’s worth.  Superbikes aren’t easy to ride in ideal circumstances and if your confidence is shaken, then they can be even more difficult.  Cam appears to have built enough confidence to begin to push the bike towards it’s limits.  Development is an incremental process and success is measured in steps not leaps.  Hopefully, these steps would continue through Race Two on Sunday afternoon.  Again, the weather would become a player in the race as this time, it would go from sunny and warm to Hurricane force winds and a 20 degree temperature drop.  Ok, maybe not as extreme as that, but you get the point.

When it came time for the riders to take their positions, the winds were strong enough to blow signage off their mounts along the track.  Umbrellas stayed collapsed and certain photographers / press officers found refuge in the woods until the thundering sound of superbikes could be heard through the hills.  This time, Cameron would get another decent start and within a lap or two find himself tagging alone with a chase pack that covered positions 5-9.  Unfortunately this race would be red flagged due to a incident with Mathew Scholtz.  Upon the restart, it would be very similar to the first.  Road America can lend itself to some remarkable racing.  Incredible passing opportunities exist almost anywhere on the track.  However, as was mentioned earlier, if you lose contact with those in front of you, then it can be a very lonely ride.  As was the case in race one, Cameron would again find himself in a gap between groups.  Another P9 for the young man from South Africa, but more importantly, the first weekend with points finishes.  This moved him up two places in the overall championship.

Now it’s time for another little break before the circus heads to California and the WeatherTech Raceway for the WorldSBK combined weekend.  Hope to see you all there!

Cameron Petersen – 45

Danny Walker – Team Principal

Scott Jensen – Crew Chief