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June 08, 2006
MyChron Data Systems Give Pocket Bike Racer Austin DeHaven His Racing Edge
We got a great email from proud dad Eric DeHaven about his son Austin DeHaven. Austin, a 12 year old pocket bike racer from Los Angeles, is off to a great start this year, building on his Junior 2.5 championship last year. He races in the SCminiGP group, riding a BMS 6.2 (going for the 6.2 Semi-Pro Junior championship) a Yamaha YSR50 shifter and a Honda RS125. Austin races with Team Smoking Pocketbikes and SavaWest Tires. He also runs CMRRA 50cc and 125cc national and invitational events.
Eric says, "We are in a big Championship battle this season, as Austin and another kid are very close and have just checked out on the rest of the field. The 2 of them are each others shadows trading wins and the lead almost every corner."
Austin, his brother Anthony, and his dad race at Calspeed Kart Track in Fontana (SCminGP's home track), Grange (their common practice track) Buttonwillow kart track, Streets of Willow, Adams Kart Track, Amago (recently closed), and Stockton raceway park.
Austin uses a MyChron2 on his pocket bike; it's a key part of the race program. Eric explains: "First off, lap times are very important and I work with Austin on being consistent and not to worry about being fast. Speed comes with consistency, so having the lap time right there onboard helps him keep a smooth flow and pace and lets him see how small errors or hitting all his marks will affect his lap times. When he is leading a race by a bit of a margin he can actually tell how much to back off to save tires and the bike."
"We use the RPM record and playback feature most of all. As these pocket bikes have only 1 gear, choosing the right gearing is 90% of making the bike fast. Seeing what RPMs he is pulling (and where) is very important. As opposed to what many may think, it's not always about keeping the bike from overrevving. We've found that a compromise between good corner drive, top end and overrev is a fine line and the RPM playback from the MyChron gives us the information we need to make an informed decision."
Eric continues: "I really feel that the future of racing is all about the engineering and the data, and the kids coming up now, if they can't speak with the engineers and know how to interpret the data, then they are going to get lost, or at least not have that edge, by learning it now, I think its only going to help them in the future as they move up through the ranks."
"For example, we use the the data from the MyChron to talk over the laps with Austin, as he tells me where he is braking and using the throttle. We can look at the playback and discuss if he is letting the revs drop too low or even braking too early for corners. This has helped him learn to carry lots of corner speed as he can actually see his revs replay after a lap."
"I use the EGT (exhaust gas temperature) and CHT (cylinder head temp) for carb tuning as his bike is a 40cc air cooled motor and its VERY sensitive to climate changes. Seeing the temps on playback, I can see not only what the jetting changes are doing while he is riding, but also what effects they have on race distance as the motor heats up. With this information I can plan the jetting for the motor to come in say, earlier or later in the session."
"We now have a Drack system which we are installing on Austin's Honda RS125 (which has 70cc motor). We are really excited about this system as we can create our own track maps. Further, this bike has more complicated suspension and more tuning possibilities, so we have added sensors for suspension travel, throttle and brake so we can really start looking at the effects of his riding on the data and how his comments and changes affect the bike and the readouts."
Austin enjoys working on his bike, working with the MyChron and learning how the data can improve his riding. He says: "the MyChron helped a lot for the race on the 3rd saturday. Without it we would have had a really bad set-up."
This ties in with something that we see often in the pits in all forms of junior racing, whether it's bikes, karts or junior dragsters. Too often, Dad is wrenching on the kart feverishly, while Mom is making food or looking after other kids. If it's not Dad, it's a hired gun tuner. The junior drivers are often bored, playing video games or sitting around, waiting for dad and/or the tuner to finish.
Mike Burrell's "Tuner" editorial in the June 2006 issue of National Kart News addresses this issue: "is the 'Super Tuner' robbing karting's youth of the opportunity to learn racecar dynamics and develop mechanical skills? Possibly."
By not involving junior drivers in the decision making, tuning and prep, you miss a golden opportunity for learning. Involve them as early as possible in what is happening on the vehicle, in the engine, on the track, etc. Working with the data from a data acquisition system is a great start. Ask them to review the data and determine what adjustments should be made. Don't be afraid to let them experiment with some parameters. The DeHavens understand this all too well, and encourage their sons to learn as much as possible.
Eric and Austin also had kind words for Scott Jessup and the AiM Sports support team: "Not only do you have the best products out there but your customer service and support are truely second to none." Check out Austin's progress at www.austindehaven.com.
Photos courtesy of Eric DeHaven.
Posted by aimsports || erik at June 8, 2006 06:14 PM