Rain at the CEV, what do we change at Racing Spirit?

Over the past weekend, we experienced the penultimate round of the Spanish Speed Championship (CEV). Both on Friday and Saturday, the rain threatened but never actually appeared, and after checking the weather institute’s forecasts several times, it seemed the rain would not arrive until after the races had been run.

But as we all know, the weather is unpredictable, and so on Sunday, race day, we woke up to a light drizzle. This upset all the weekend’s plans, and all the information we had gathered was no longer just outdated, it had to be adapted.

The Warm Up was approaching and the track was wet. It wasn’t raining, but a layer of water had settled on the asphalt. We had to make the appropriate adjustments quickly to head out onto the track with two clear objectives: first, safety, and second, competitiveness.

The first and most obvious change involves the choice of tires. Either slicks or rain tires are needed, and every team is required to keep a set of each always available. Racing Spirit was in this situation, but we had to head quickly to the Dunlop stand so they could mount the tires on the rims. It’s worth noting that the rims must be clean, otherwise they won’t do the job. The brand’s technicians then fitted the tires, balanced them, and they were ready.

Back in the pit box, Roberto, the team’s mechanic, hurried to remove the rear shock absorber. With the track wet, a softer setting is needed to release excessive pressure on the casing, and for that a spring change is necessary. The front suspension will also need adjusting, in the same direction as the rear, to make it softer. This last part, the fork, is where the setting has to be most precise, since the front end handles most of the riding.

As for the motorcycle, a couple of finishing touches remained: a different engine map and, of course, a change of brake pads. In dry conditions, ceramic-compound pads are fitted, or more colloquially, carbon ones. These compounds only work when hot, and humid, cold conditions don’t promise good performance, so sintered steel pads were chosen.

All that remained was to adapt the rider’s helmet. Due to the recent weather, a dark visor had been chosen, but it was not valid for Sunday’s low light. We went with Alfonso, the team boss, to the Arai truck, which was still there because of the coincidence with the final round of the world championship at the Ricardo Tormo circuit. In that truck, the technician from the famous helmet brand changed the visor for us and prepared the new one for rain by coating it with wax.

Now all that remained was to warm up the motorcycle and head for the track.

Photos | David Gómez (Plusmoto)