Day 1 – Leaving on a Jet Plane – Saturday 22^nd August 2009

It’s that time of the year again and I’m off to ‘Kevin Schwantz School’.  The third year in a row.  This year being slightly different though as I am going to the “Indy GP Experience School”.  2 days riding with Kevin and the team at the track in Birmingham Alabama, then we all move on to Indianapolis for the Indy MotoGP round. 

 

I am flying from Heathrow in to Washington Dulles to meet up with Kieron for our mega road trip.  A nice flight time means that I don’t have to get up too early.  Jo & I head for the airport at around 7.30am.  We arrive at Heathrow in good time, get all checked in, have a coffee and the first of my massive cakes, I don’t diet when on holiday!  I say my goodbyes to Jo and head for departures.

 

There’s the usual Heathrow madness, but once I get to the gate I get bumped to Upper Class for the flight to Washington.  Virgin Atlantic VS021 here I come.  Aboard I have a few glasses of Champagne, some amazing freshly cooked food before going horizontal for a few hours kips before arrival, it really is the only way to travel and a fantastic start to the trip.

 

I arrive at Dulles late.  Hurricane Bill was off the east coast creating some serious head winds slowing us down.  I experience the usual fun and games I usually have with arrivals.  It just seems to take forever and arriving with five or six other international flights never helps.

 

Eventually I am through and I meet up with my road trip buddy and two time KSS riding partner Kieron and head off for his home in Gaithersburg to prep for the trip.  It’s raining but still real warm.  First night tradition means a feast somewhere.  Kieron doesn’t let us down, we dine at Fingers & Claws.  Seafood like I have never seen.

 

Back at Kieron’s I stick visor stickers on all Kieron’s crash helmet collection, which along with a few beers finishes me off, it’s been a long day, time for bed.
 

Click on pictures to enlarge

 

Day 2 – Prep Day - Sunday 23^rd August 2009

 

I awake totally refreshed after a good nights sleep.  The weather today is blue skies and sunshine.  It’s the day before we leave, time to get everything ready for the road trip.  New stickers a plenty for the BlarneyQuick GSXR750, once all cleaned and prepped we load Kieron’s new trailer with the BQ750 and his road going Yamaha.  Once the bikes are on board we load all the kit and supplies and we are locked and ready to go in record time.  The new purpose built trailer making it far easier than the U-Haul from the previous year. 

 

With the gear all sorted we take a walk down to the lake front for some lunch.  A mega sandwich at Potbelly’s sandwich shop (you spotting the pattern) gets the energy levels back up.  An afternoon of chores and final prep, camera’s, documents, trip to Best Buy etc follow before we head out for dinner at Houston’s for some baby back ribs.  We drop by the classic car shop on the way home to check out some old school cars.  An early night is in order as we leave at 4am tomorrow, night night all.

 

Day 3 – It’s a long way to Alabama - Monday 24^th August 2009

 

4am alarm goes off, quick shower, load the suitcases and we are off.  First leg Gaithersburg Maryland to Birmingham Alabama, 741 miles – 11 hours 34 mins.  We hit the freeway and it’s still quite busy but we need to be out of DC before the rush hour kicks in.  We soon make the outskirts with Kieron at the wheel for the first stint.  It’s dark, I know that sounds weird, but it really is pitch black.  No freeway lights, road works and thin lanes make it an interesting first few hours. 

 

We’re making good time as the sun comes up and plough through the miles before our first of many fuel stops.  Kieron’s Jeep being a diesel makes stopping not as easy as in the UK where every garage has diesel, here in the US it’s not as common.  We find a stop that has a McDonalds for breakfast, that’s pretty much the pattern for the day, swapping the driving each time.  We leave Maryland (state #1) and enter Virginia (state #2) before hitting Tennessee (state #3).  A few hours later and a time zone change and we’re in Georgia (state #4) before hitting Alabama (state #5).  The time zone change, which we didn’t know about, meant we got to the hotel in plenty of time for check-in before we had to head out to the evening reception at Kevin Schwantz School (KSS).

 

KSS has moved since my last visit.  The new school now resides out of Barber Motorsports Park facility in Birmingham Alabama.  As we drive in to the entrance you can tell this place is going to be a treat.  The grass perfectly cut (by a remote control lawn mower in places!) the signs, the whole facility is just picture perfect.  Barber is the home of arguably the best motorcycle museum in the world.  We are to have our reception here before we ride tomorrow.  We have some fun and games with security trying to get Kieron’s bikes down to the pit area, but eventually get in.  We unload the BQ750 and go meet Marnie and the guys.  Kevin and the instructors are bringing the bikes down from the shop.  A quick ‘how you doing?’ and hand shakes, it was nice to see everyone again.  A little help to Mom & Dad Schwantz with banners and it’s time to leave for the reception in the museum.

 

Now if you like bikes Barber Motorsports Park Museum is out of this world.  100’s of bikes, a few cars and other bits n bobs too.  The owner buys, restores and displays every kind of bike you can imagine.  They have some rare, some classics and some new, but the place is awesome.  This is the venue for the reception for the following day’s school.  We meet up with Kevin & the team and some other familiar faces from last year.  It was good to see Dave again, the official photographer who is responsible for many photos in this and the previous books. 

 

Once name badges are stuck on, introductions and hello’s out of the way, we all jump in a trailer for a lap of track with Kevin explaining the way around.  I had only previously seen the track on the internet, to ride round it albeit in a trailer you got to see what a great couple of days riding we were in for. 

 

Once back at the museum students and instructors were given a tour of the museum.   We see all the bikes and repair areas.  We also get to see some places not usually open to the public.  It was great to listen to how the museum amasses such a great collection. A fantastic start to the school.   

 

One by one students begin to leave, I am sure I took 100+ photos in the museum and probably missed 100’s more bikes.  It’s now dark outside and we say our goodbyes until tomorrow and head back to the hotel.  A meal in the local Mexican restaurant is in order where the waiter makes some weird bird noises every time he passes the female staff, maybe this is a courting ritual in Alabama?  Food done, off to sleep as the fun starts tomorrow.

 

Day 4 – First Day of School - Tuesday 25^th August 2009

 

So today is Day 1 of Kevin Schwantz Motorcycle Riding School.  Due for an 8am start, but we roll out of the hotel at 7am.  Get there early, get registered, get in your leathers etc.  Check out the awesome surroundings.  The air conditioned class room is on the third floor on the pit complex.  Two rows of desks, with all your class information and goodie bags.  Loads of refreshments, Red Bull, fruit and snacks to get you through the day at the back.  It is a great environment to take class in.  Down stairs (or in the lift) are numerous immaculately prepared Suzuki GSXR600s and Honda CBR600s all line up.  Schwantz School is now partnered by Suzuki & Honda so you can chose which bike you wish to ride on or indeed both.  The instructor bikes and the camera bikes are also on show.  The instructors all riding GSXR750s and CBR1000s along with the camera bikes too.  There are two camera bikes, one ridden by John Jacobi (nose camera) and the second by Reuben Frankenfield (over helmet camera).  These guys were to follow us around for two days so we can see how we ride back in the classroom on the massive screen.  There are also a few what I would call ‘play bikes’ hanging around for the instructors and Kevin along with three student bikes, Kieron’s BQ750 being one of them.

 

Back up in the classroom, registration out of the way, official introductions commence.  Due a recent mishap with Taylor Knapp at VIR Lee Acree is to be classroom instructor for the two days.  All the instructors raced, most are currently still racing.  Our track guides for the two days were to be Tray Batey, Ted Cobb, Brad Coleman and Harry Vanderlinden.  John & Reuben on camera bikes, Marnie running the show and then there is Mom & Dad Schwantz on hand along with the reason we were all there Kevin Schwantz.

 

There were about 15 students and we split in to 2 groups, A and B.  Group A being those that had raced, been on track days etc Group B being those whom just did street.  This is not a race school in anyway and is just the initial easy way of splitting the class in two.  If you feel or are deemed to be in the wrong group you can skip between until you find your comfort zone.

 

After the basic instructions of be careful and keep smiling are put over group A hit the track.  It follows a basic 20 minute rotation cycle where group A are on track whilst group B have classroom tuition.  Someone has to go out first and it was lucky us. 

 

Now the weather was great, sunny and warm with a dry track.  3 lanes are available on exit of the pit garages, 1, 2 & 3.  Lane 1 being the fastest, 3 the slowest.  You are encouraged to try and find a rider of similar standard in the first few sessions by choosing a lane and maybe switching until you find someone you can ride with.  Lucky for me I have ridden the last two schools with Kieron so I know we are nearly identical in terms of speed and riding.  We must have ridden a fair few hundred miles together now so also have that trust and understanding.  We pair up in lane 1 on GSXR600s.  Now lane 1 is advertised as the fastest, however each lane only ever goes as fast as the instructor will let you go.  The instructors lead you out and gradually build up speed by watching your every move in their mirrors.  How they ride as fast as they do looking backwards most of the time is unbelievable.  We follow Ted out on that first session, he led us round at a great pace just so we got used to which way the track went.  No point going fast, learn slowly and build your speed, you get to learn the track much better at slower speed, once you know it increase the speed.  Twenty minutes later and not sure how many laps we head back for our first debrief.  After every session the instructor will talk you through what you did right and anything you could improve on.  Nothing much to report, we were riding well.  It was all about learning the track for now.  The track was awesome, up and downs, left and rights, fast corners along with my not so favourite slow ones.  There was plenty of grip out there too and the ever so helpful cones on entry, exit and apex.  All in all it was great to get out there and get the nervousness and cobwebs out of the way.

We all pile back in the lift up to the classroom and swap with group B for their track session.  Everyone is buzzing now, already swapping stories about what the track was like, what they liked, what they didn’t.  Lee calls us to order and the classroom instruction begins.  The class is all about improving your riding skills.  Now everyone has different levels of experience, but get the basics right and you will end up a safer and better rider.  The basics apply to all whether you ride fast or slow.  We were to learn numerous things including visual awareness and concentration, body position and steering technique, cornering lines and reference points, gear selection and shifting technique, braking technique and staying smooth and controlling panic.  In addition to on-bike video instruction and classroom review to enhance our learning experience.  I can’t think of anything that is not covered.  Lee started the sessions with the help of the presentation material and Kevin was also on hand to answer any questions we may have had.  Before you knew it grinning group B were back and it was time for the track again.

 

Out we went again on GSXR600s.  Lane 2 this time but faster than the previous session as the track was coming to us, we now knew if the next corner was a left or right.  Brad led us out.  Brad had ridden with us previously at Road Atlanta so knew us fairly well from the off.  We had increased our speed a lot since that first session, the smiles were getting bigger.  Debrief done, back to class.  Chance to get your fluids and energy back up with the provided drinks and snacks whilst Lee covers move class material.

 

Time for our third session out on track, the last before lunch.  Keiron and I both decide to give the Honda a go and we split up too.  I go out with a fellow brit Nick and Jay whilst Kieron goes out with Sean C whom we have ridden with at the previous two schools.  Nothing major to report, I didn’t get on with the Honda, hit a few false neutrals’ and the throttle was too touchy for me too, back to the Suzuki for the next session.  A few other students made the switch back also, Kieron being one of them.  It’s just what you are used to I guess.  Nice to have experienced the Honda though.

 

Along with Dave out of track taking numerous photographs of us at various corners there was a film crew in tow.  They were over from Suzuki Japan making a video for the 25^th Anniversary of the GSXR next year so we would be filmed entering and leaving the pits as well as out on track.  They even threw a microphone under you nose every now and then – I am so camera shy, err, no, yes, errr.

 

Time for lunch, great local cooked food whilst swapping stories before we get wind of something very special.  Kevin is to perform some demo laps on his 1993 Championship Winning RGV500 at Indy MotoGP next weekend.  Old Suzuki spanner man Hamish all the way from The Gambia via Scotland (as there was no connection to the US from Gambia!) has been over getting it ready and Kevin is just about to ride it around Barber to check all is okay.  Everyone and I mean everyone is out on the balcony watching the Lucky Strike Suzuki fly around the track with Jacobi in tow on the camera bike. It was just like the good old days, 2 stroke noise and smell, can’t beat it.  I think the only person not to enjoy it was the flag man waiting with the chequered flag, but Kevin took an emergency exit slip road back to the garage rather than take the flag.  Waving the chequered to Kevin on his RGV, that would have been a story.

 

Lunch done, classroom and track sessions recommence.  Kevin makes it back from his test laps to a 100 questions.  We go back out on track; I am back on the GSXR600s and Kieron now riding his BQ750.  Two track and classroom sessions follow in the afternoon.  We ride with Ted and Tray that afternoon.  Improving our riding gradually over the afternoon with advice from them both.  The last session with Tray had us going the fastest we had been all day.  The track now fully learnt meant we could concentrate on hitting our marks, being smooth and always in control.  We were waved in front by Ted to lead the group in the afternoon, which only happens once the instructor is confident you are in control and safe.  What a thrill riding a great track like Barber with no one out front.  Free to ride but knowing they were behind you and would shoot back in front if you started getting out of control.  It had been day two at Atlanta before I was put out front, so was a great early surprise.

 

To end the day we have a track walk with Kevin.  Unlike the tour we had on arrival we now had experience of the track.  We all jump in the back of the trailer and get driven to various corners where Kevin explains the best way to get through it, where to break, reference points, apex etc.  At each corner we get out of the truck and get a real close up look, this will help tomorrow for sure.  Then after a quick call on the radio three instructors come through the corner at different speeds so we can see the lines etc.  Ted first (rapid), Brad second (fast) and Harry third (steady).  All three often using different lines gives the students a great idea on how best they should take the bend.  We cover just about all the major corners in the next few hours.  It’s incredible to see the instructors come through the corners so close at speed.  It is also amazing how undulating the track is with some serious hills and cambered corners.  The track walk is a fantastic learning aid.

 

The day was over, way to soon as ever.  Tonight we were to eat in the shop where the bikes are housed when school is out.  We also had a very special guest, an RGV500 parked up in the corner.  Stories swapped and pictures taken whilst eating Rusty’s BBQ food, spot on.  Tired limbs and minds meant everyone soon left for a good nights sleep to make the most of Day 2.

 

Day 5 – Second Day of School - Wednesday 26th August 2009

 

Another 8am start after breakfast at the hotel with Sean C, Nick, Kieron, Jay and Jason.  Everyone still buzzing from the day before.  Group and individual pictures taken with Kevin and the we do the clutchless up-shift and throttle blip exercise.  With that out of the way we are straight back in to track and class split.  Group A straight out on track.  Slowly up to speed which was a nice way to start the day, remembering everything we had learnt from the day before.  We rode with Harry too today, so I have now been out with all the instructors.  Each instructor has their own style and ideas, so it is good to hear them all and see what suits you best.  Kevin also ventured out on track on a GSXR1000 today.  Burger’s for lunch before the afternoon sessions.

 

Kevin takes the RGV out again over lunch and this time flag man gets to wave the chequered flag, he was a happy man today!

 

Camera bike got me a lot on day two, so was cool to watch yourself back on the big screen throughout those classroom sessions.  Lee pointing out what we did right and what we could improve on.  Looked a bit slow, but hey I can always X2 on the DVD player when I get my copy, you get a DVD on your lap along with a CD of all your pictures from Dave a few weeks after school finishes.

 

Was out front in nearly all of the sessions today for at least a few laps.  The speed was increasing too.

I beat the flag at one point to get a complete lap on my own, not that I knew that until I got back to the pit to find Ted & Kieron already there.  Then the last session Tray just let Sean C and I go.  Had a great final session enjoying everything that we had learnt and put it all together.  Awesome time, just awesome.

 

So a final review while group B were out playing, final questions and answers and it was time for graduation.  Everyone that successfully completes the course graduates, anyone that falls has there track time stopped immediately and doesn’t.  100% success, group A & B all came home safe and sound.  One by one, Kevin presents us all with a certificate to acknowledge our success.  Everyone applauds waiting for their turn.  Special prizes for Most Improved rider and Safest rider and then some lucky dip prizes too, everyone goes home happy.

 

Well not exactly, happy yes, home no, we are all to meet up again at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for part two of this fantastic trip.  As I mentioned earlier this KSS includes hospitality with Kevin at the Indy MotoGP.  We say our Au Revoir’s and head back to the hotel.  Sean C, Nick, Keiron, Jason and I go out for a celebrating meal at a local restaurant.   Now that was an experience too.  14 meals for less than $15  in one place and a menu containing World Famous Meatloaf, which had herbs and a warning “cell phones interfere with the preparation of meatloaf”, enough said.

 

Day 6 – Indianapolis here we come -Thursday 27^th August 2009

 

Today is travel to Indy day.  A few of us had decided to drive in convoy up to Indianapolis.  Chris & Jay had left early as they were local(ish) and would see us there.  Keiron, I & the truck would go up with Nick & Sean C who were staying in Nashville over night.  We all left about 10am for the 500 mile, 8 hour drive.  Jason overtook us on the way to pick up Gary driving like a grandma albeit at warp speed.  The rest of us stayed together until we hit Nashville where we all took a break for lunch.  Tom Tom had guided us in to the main part of Nashville.  We did the tourist bit, photos with all the landmarks and Elvis’s before finding a local joint to eat where we had the best pork sarnies.  A few more tourist pictures and we left Sean C & Nick to continue our drive to Indy passing back into Tennessee before hitting Indiana (state #6).

 

We got to Indy around 8pm; the traffic had been bad, a bit of rain and a few accidents.  On the way up we were planning what to put on our special Thank You banner for Kevin to be unveiled at the GP.  We eventually decided on the wording and Jason had found somewhere downtown that stayed open late and could make it up.  We checked in and then headed downtown to meet Jason.  Jason had picked up Gary who was unable to make school but would be attending the GP with us.  We all headed to the banner shop and spent 2+ hours doing final designs on a 12’ x 3’ monster banner.  We got there in the end and were happy with how it was to turn out.  We found what turned out to be our local “Scotty’s Brewhouse” and had some late night food and some beers before hitting home as tomorrow was first day on the Indianapolis MotoGP round.

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A BIG thank you to Kevin Schwantz and his father Jim from all of us at McIntosh Racing, for being the perfect guests during their visit to New Zealand.

Kevin came to New Zealand not really knowing what he was in for, but he immediately impressed everybody with his enthusiasm for racing motorcycles, and his good natured humor.

His attitude to racing a Featherbed Manx Norton which was originally designed nearly 60 years ago was incredible, and with only one days practice the pressure was on to adapt.

To complicate matters, the major competition came from the multi Australian and NZ Classic Champion, Dave Cole, who had raced against fellow GP Champion Wayne Gardner at Phillip Island in 2008 and won. This seemed to spur Kevin on even more!

Kevin had to adapt to racing with drum brakes and on tires he had never used before although he soon gained enough confidence to win all his races and get the lap record.

With the temperature being hotter than normal for February in NZ (over 30 degrees Celsius) the fork damping was too light and some overnight modification to the internals bought a useful improvement and an immediate drop in lap times. Kevin’s friend Darryl Beatie was on hand to offer advice along with Jim Schwantz and after watching at different point on the circuit came up with suggestions that all helped get the set-up better and better for Pukekohe fast and bumpy corners.

I wrongly expected Kevin to find it hard to adapt to a bike so different to anything he had raced before, but I guess it helped that Manx Norton’s were ridden at the top level by previous World Champions like Geoff Duke, Ray Amm, John Surtees, Jim Redman and Mike Hailwood, the top riders of the time who were all involved in its evolution.

When we first talked I said the purpose of the visit to NZ was to have fun and he could go as fast (or slow) as he liked. Kevin explained to one of the interviewers that for him the fun is proportional to the finishing result! Kevin finished the weekend with the promise of “there’s more to come yet!” Over a couple of beers asked him what was the worst thing about the bike and he showed me a blister on his gear changing toe. I told him he has got to “harden-up, mate”

The New Zealand crowds were totally blown away by just how fast Kevin actually was and how good he looked on a classic race bike. Unusually for a Pukekohe Classic Festival when Kevin was racing everybody in the large crowd stopped what they were doing to watch and Kevin got a huge cheer with each win.

It was also a pleasure to meet Jim Schwantz who rode my 1951 Featherbed Manx “Long-stroke” in the “Regularity Parades” and he said he enjoyed every minute of it. Jim has owned a Manx since Kevin bought it for him after winning the World Championship, but he has yet to ride it himself.

We would all love to have Kevin come back again next year for more racing and also to bring his World Championship winning Suzuki 500 GP bike to demonstrate.

Ken McIntosh

 

More of Ken's pictures can be found here

New Zealand was awesome. I have not raced a bike and had that much fun in quite a few years!

Ken McIntosh built a 1962 Manx Norton, for me to ride in the Classic Motorcycle Festival at Pukekohe, and it was an absolute rocket and faster than anything in its class. I was able to break the lap record for the class by 8/10ths of a second. We had to adjust on it just a bit but that is to be expected when we were going faster than the bike had ever been before around that circuit!

It was interesting for me to ride a bike that is older than me and see how well it handled. I thought it could have had better brakes and the forks were a little vague but not bad considering the age of the bike...and rider! Ha ha! I really enjoyed my time down in New Zealand, the country is beautiful. I was able to spend a bit of time with the Suzuki New Zealand dealers and presented them the new GSX-R 1000 K9, what a machine! We went dirt bike riding and trout fishing, both were amazing.

I also had the chance to catch up with Fred Merkel. We sat around and told stories and laughed, it was awesome. He seems to be doing well and does not look any different than he did when we raced against each other in 1986-1987! He and his wife live just south of Auckland with his 17 year old son Travis. He has an engineering company and he and his wife are expecting a son in June.

Thanks again to Ken McIintosh and Suzuki New Zealand for all the hospitality.

I look forward to visiting again soon!

See picture from Bryan Mawhinney here