After winning at Laguna the last two years, this year doesn't count on my scorecard, and I'm hoping he can win it next year and I'll call it a triple.
I spent two weeks on the road, camping every night or staying with friends. I travelled 2,500 miles and spent less than $1,500 total, including race tickets and a couple of souvenirs. I don't think it's possible to have such a fun vacation for much less money.
The VFR was a great ride, even with about a ton of gear strapped on. I've never been known to travel light. The Honda sport-tourer is consistently rated one of the best bikes in the world and has won many award as Bike of the Year from cycle magazines. After seven years in the saddle, I still love it like it's new out of the box.
The Laguna Seca facility continues to learn and improve after some serious crowd management problems in recent years, compounded by 100-degree temperatures last year. There were lots more shade areas, plenty to be able to find shade between races if I needed a time out. Also, they had giant "fog" machines for cooling off, which proved unnecessary this year as temps only made it to the upper 70s. Perfect! It's important to be able to cool off when I get overheated.
Crowd traffic was also much improved as they opened the track for fan crossovers after races, eliminating the bottlenecks. It was also very cool to stand in turn one, look down at the starting grid and up at the blind hill they hit at close to 200 mph. It barely looks like a turn from off the track, but many riders say it's the most intimidating point in the race, despite the famed corkscrew. And you could see the tracks of the bikes, about a foot wide, every rider hitting the perfect line on every lap. Amazing.
As always, the cheap seats, which is your own folding chair and a pair of binoculars, make for the best seating. Coming prepared is the difference between a spectacular day or a long ordeal. I try to come prepared and learn a little more about track survival each year.
Again this year, squid traffic was bad off track. I was turning into a freeway offramp in light traffic and was bumped from the rear by a guy riding two up. I gave plenty of signal and was to the right in my lane, so have no idea how he made that mistake other than just following too closely. He may have been trying to pass me on the inside, a common riding offense down there. But no harm.
Also, on the way back to my campground at Big Sur, a squid passed a line of bikes plus me and the truck in front of me going into a turn during triple digits and then some. An oncoming car appeared and he had to ride the double yellow between them. One of the dumbest moves I've ever seen on a bike, but not too different from other stunts I've observed. These people are putting MY life at risk. There were other lesser incidents, but again, no harm.
In contrast, everybody I talked to at cafes and gas stations was terrific. The excitement of the races brings out the most knowledgable and dedicated race fans on the coolest bikes. I just love it! My friend Keith, who I meet up with and camp with, brought his 41 year old sister, who is a NASCAR fan but has a crush on Italian Superstar Valentino Rossi. She said she couldn't believe how friendly everybody is compared to NASCAR events. She liked the diversity of the crowd. She tried hard to get a Rossi autograph but couldn't quite hook up. She did get one from some guy named Mick Doohan! Mick was world champion when I was living in Tokyo, and I'd watch the races with Japanese announcers on TV and it would sound something like "haji mashita goojie MICK DOOHAN des kamoto sanoma MICK DOOHAN!!!!"
I'd leave again tomorrow to do it all again, but have to wait another year. Hell, I'm sixty years old and the last time I had so much fun was when I was a kid and the Dodgers moved to L.A., where I grew up, and beat the Yankees in the World Series in four straight games. I had thought life was pretty much down hill from that point on, but Laguna is a close second, and my guy didn't even win.
Quite simply, Laguna Seca is the premier motorcycle event in North America, and the track finally has worked out all the kinks that have existed in the past.
It's like the pilgrammage to Mecca. If you love motorcycles and racing, God wants you to go there at least once.
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