donate for a chance to receive a free rev'IT! victory one-piece race suit
Thanks to everyone who donated to my effort for the TT this year! The outpouring of support has been more than expected and for that I am grateful! Please visit the DONATE section of my website for to find out who the lucky donor is that will receive the free REV'IT! leather suit. Donations are still welcome and accepted toward my 2011 TT effort but unfortunately the suit is already gone!
Also, 10% of the proceeds from this fundraiser will be donated to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Effort in Japan!
DONATE
Also, 10% of the proceeds from this fundraiser will be donated to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Effort in Japan!
DONATE
2011 Isle of man TT race report
2011 Isle of Man TT - Race Recap
Brandon Cretu - Supersport #40
Well, the 2011 Isle of Man TT races are now over and reality has set in! I got home from the Isle of Man on Sunday this past week and unfortunately headed straight back to work on Monday. My thoughts still filled with everything that happened at the TT this year and just how absolutely great this year went, even with some challenges during the fortnight the entire team pulled through and made it a success. This is a brief recap of my fortnight at the TT this year and a thank you to all my sponsors who made this year such a breakthrough for me and the team because without you it wouldn’t have been possible.
I arrived on the Isle of Man at least 8 hours later than I was supposed to on Saturday May 28th after flight delays, rerouting, and other traveling nightmares. After arriving I found my baggage had not followed me, very important because all of my riding gear and components for the bike (i.e. suspension!) were in that very luggage! The girls at the race office for the TT were very diligent and worked tirelessly to make sure I got my bags before first practice on Monday evening. After receiving my bags I proceeded to spend the better half of Sunday evening applying all the decals from Drippinwet.com to the 2007 Yamaha R6 I would be riding this year provided by Irish Bike Magazine’s Mark Hamilton. The bike turned out to look simply mega after applying all of the decals, the HEL Performance and BikeBitsNI decals standing out the most as they were my title sponsors for this year’s event. The bike now looked the part and I finally had my gear so I looked the part as well! The REV’IT! Victory suit was fully customized by Alexa at Spyder Leatherworks and it looked fantastic. My new Alpinestar boots and Arai helmet from RidersDiscount.com were just the icing on the cake and they fit the colour scheme perfectly. To top it all off all of these brands are the best in the industry when it comes to safety, comfort, and performance so I felt confident that I could concentrate on my racing and not worry about my gear! I also knew I was physically and mentally prepared thanks to Dynamic Athletic Conditioning’s, Matt McCutcheon, and his personalized athletic training program geared directly towards racing. Not to mention I was also fresh out of one of Jason Pridmore’s STAR Schools and had received expert riding advice before making my return trip this year!
My crew chief, Huey (owner of Marietta Motorsports in GA), and I would have our first talk together on Monday to discuss the plan of attack for practice week. This was the first time I had ever had an experienced and highly skilled crew chief so it was an honor and privilege to work with Huey. With limited time to prepare the bike on Monday we threw on the GB Racing covers and ARM Lithium Battery supplied by ANT-Racing, brand new brake pads direct from EBC, steering stabilizer from GPR, as well as the new Corsa style windscreens supplied by Zero Gravity to get the bike ready for evening practice. Luckily the bike already had industry leading brake lines on it from HEL Performance so we didn’t have to worry about that! We opted to leave on the Ohlins suspension that came on the R6 for the first night of practice due to time constraints. I would have to say that is the bumpiest the TT course has ever felt! I was able to get 2 laps in during Monday practice since it was red flagged due to hail on the mountain section, yes, I said hail! The Isle of Man seems to have its very own climate unlike any other, one minute it can be warm and sunny, the next minute it is cold and hailing! I still managed a 100mph lap on my very first lap and was happy enough since I was still getting reacquainted with the course.
I knew after the first night of practice I needed to put the Race Tech suspension on that they built specifically for the TT course and myself. After practice, Huey and mechanic, Chris Sarbora (and aspiring TT racer), seamlessly swapped over the Ohlins for the purpose built Race Tech suspension. The forks I used were from a 2008 Yamaha R6 graciously loaned to me by my local shop, Action Motorsports. Race Tech’s, Lenny Albin, built them with the G2-R Cartridge kit and provided me with a custom built GS-3 rear shock. Installing the Race Tech suspension is by far one of the key factors that contributed to my success at the 2011 TT. It was a night and day difference in how the Race Tech suspension absorbed the bumps and how easily the bike turned with Lenny and Huey’s suspension settings. I instantly went as fast during Tuesday evenings practice as I had during the entire TT fortnight during 2010. It was easy to say that this was a huge confidence booster! I trusted all my riding gear, I trusted my crew chief and mechanic, and I now trusted my bike. Everything was in place for me to start really tackling the course and challenging myself!
The rest of practice week consisted of me getting faster on literally every lap I rode around the 37 mile TT circuit. I finished Wednesday night practice with a fastest lap of 112mph, Thursday night practice was then cancelled due to an oil spill but I didn’t let a day off affect me. Huey made some minor ride height changes to get the bike to turn better and I came back on Friday and put down consistent 114mph laps. I knew I had more in me though and talked through the course quite a bit before final qualifying on Saturday evening. Milky Quayle, Ben Wylie, and Bill Callister all helped me figure out what I was missing to help me get to the next step. Saturday practice was the biggest confidence booster yet, I did two laps and managed a 115mph on the first and a 116mph on the second! The organizers saw I was moving a bit faster than expected and moved my start number from #62 to #40! I was pumped and ready to race!
Monday was the first Supersport race and I was ready to rock. The bike had fresh oil in it from Motul so I knew it was good for the length of the race. I started off and had a mega first lap. I was catching both riders who started at 10 second intervals in front of me and really making good time, my first lap from a standing start was a 116.1mph! The second lap came around and was unfortunately red flagged due to a crash at Gorse Lea. Tragically, racer Derek Brian did not make it after the crash due to injuries. I rode past the incident during the red flag so it took a bit of the wind out of my sails for the restart of the race. I knew I had to keep my head in the game though to be not only fast but safe. I put in strong laps during the whole race, 115’s and 116’s but never managed to catch up to the riders in front of me and didn’t manage to get that elusive 118mph lap goal that I had for the race. I knew there was still a second race though! My finishing position was 33rd but that wasn’t a big concern for me because I found out that I had gone fast enough to qualify for a Bronze Replica after the race which was a bit of a surreal experience. After coming to work for a team in 2008 at the TT receiving a Bronze Replica was only a dream of mine and now I had accomplished that very dream I had set out on over three years ago!
The second Supersport race started on Wednesday in less than ideal conditions. It had rained off and on all day so there were damp patches everywhere. I still managed a 113mph lap on my first lap in those conditions but thankfully the race was red flagged due to more rain so the organizers decided to restart the race on Thursday. The race was restarted but it seemed luck would not be on my side for Thursday either. I started the race feeling very good and confident, carrying more speed than usual and really wanting to put in some good laps. After getting to a very bumpy section of the course after Ginger Hall I got what amounted to be one of the worst tank-slappers ever on a motorbike, nearly causing me to run off the road and into the hedges! I knew something was wrong because I hadn’t done anything differently through that section than before. My bike got out of sorts again coming out of Ramsey up towards May Hill so I decided to pull off. After careful inspection of the bike I found the culprit, the bolt holding part of the steering stabilizer had come out which pretty much rendered it useless. Unfortunately, I made the decision to retire from the race. After getting the bike back to the paddock Huey and Chris determined that the bolt came out due to the steering head bearings being completely worn out. This allowed the front end to move and subsequently rip the bolt and a few threads out of the frame! I small oversight, but one that we will all not make again!
I came away from the second race disappointed due to the retirement but overall, my effort at the 2011 Isle of Man TT was a huge success! I had gone faster than I ever have before. I finally stacked up against other fast TT newcomers and experienced veterans compared to my performance in 2010. I also earned the acclaimed Bronze Replica for my performance in Supersport race 1. On top of all of this I was on ITV4 not once but twice during the TT coverage with my sponsors logos front and center, especially the HEL Performance logo! Neil Hodgson interviewed me as well for the TT coverage in the USA! This year was truly a breakout year for me and my team at the TT and we couldn’t have done it without all of the sponsors that have supported me this year and in years past. I believe sponsors are just as important to a team as the rider and mechanics so I cannot thank you all enough for your support. I am planning a return to the TT in 2012 and this time hope to race a 600cc as well 1000cc motorbike in all the classes. Building relationships is something I believe in with my personal life as well as racing and I know this is the key to success. My team and I have unfinished business on the prestigious TT mountain course and know we can go back and do better than ever! With that said I hope to have you all onboard again next year for another successful year at the Isle of Man TT!
Brandon Cretu - Supersport #40
Well, the 2011 Isle of Man TT races are now over and reality has set in! I got home from the Isle of Man on Sunday this past week and unfortunately headed straight back to work on Monday. My thoughts still filled with everything that happened at the TT this year and just how absolutely great this year went, even with some challenges during the fortnight the entire team pulled through and made it a success. This is a brief recap of my fortnight at the TT this year and a thank you to all my sponsors who made this year such a breakthrough for me and the team because without you it wouldn’t have been possible.
I arrived on the Isle of Man at least 8 hours later than I was supposed to on Saturday May 28th after flight delays, rerouting, and other traveling nightmares. After arriving I found my baggage had not followed me, very important because all of my riding gear and components for the bike (i.e. suspension!) were in that very luggage! The girls at the race office for the TT were very diligent and worked tirelessly to make sure I got my bags before first practice on Monday evening. After receiving my bags I proceeded to spend the better half of Sunday evening applying all the decals from Drippinwet.com to the 2007 Yamaha R6 I would be riding this year provided by Irish Bike Magazine’s Mark Hamilton. The bike turned out to look simply mega after applying all of the decals, the HEL Performance and BikeBitsNI decals standing out the most as they were my title sponsors for this year’s event. The bike now looked the part and I finally had my gear so I looked the part as well! The REV’IT! Victory suit was fully customized by Alexa at Spyder Leatherworks and it looked fantastic. My new Alpinestar boots and Arai helmet from RidersDiscount.com were just the icing on the cake and they fit the colour scheme perfectly. To top it all off all of these brands are the best in the industry when it comes to safety, comfort, and performance so I felt confident that I could concentrate on my racing and not worry about my gear! I also knew I was physically and mentally prepared thanks to Dynamic Athletic Conditioning’s, Matt McCutcheon, and his personalized athletic training program geared directly towards racing. Not to mention I was also fresh out of one of Jason Pridmore’s STAR Schools and had received expert riding advice before making my return trip this year!
My crew chief, Huey (owner of Marietta Motorsports in GA), and I would have our first talk together on Monday to discuss the plan of attack for practice week. This was the first time I had ever had an experienced and highly skilled crew chief so it was an honor and privilege to work with Huey. With limited time to prepare the bike on Monday we threw on the GB Racing covers and ARM Lithium Battery supplied by ANT-Racing, brand new brake pads direct from EBC, steering stabilizer from GPR, as well as the new Corsa style windscreens supplied by Zero Gravity to get the bike ready for evening practice. Luckily the bike already had industry leading brake lines on it from HEL Performance so we didn’t have to worry about that! We opted to leave on the Ohlins suspension that came on the R6 for the first night of practice due to time constraints. I would have to say that is the bumpiest the TT course has ever felt! I was able to get 2 laps in during Monday practice since it was red flagged due to hail on the mountain section, yes, I said hail! The Isle of Man seems to have its very own climate unlike any other, one minute it can be warm and sunny, the next minute it is cold and hailing! I still managed a 100mph lap on my very first lap and was happy enough since I was still getting reacquainted with the course.
I knew after the first night of practice I needed to put the Race Tech suspension on that they built specifically for the TT course and myself. After practice, Huey and mechanic, Chris Sarbora (and aspiring TT racer), seamlessly swapped over the Ohlins for the purpose built Race Tech suspension. The forks I used were from a 2008 Yamaha R6 graciously loaned to me by my local shop, Action Motorsports. Race Tech’s, Lenny Albin, built them with the G2-R Cartridge kit and provided me with a custom built GS-3 rear shock. Installing the Race Tech suspension is by far one of the key factors that contributed to my success at the 2011 TT. It was a night and day difference in how the Race Tech suspension absorbed the bumps and how easily the bike turned with Lenny and Huey’s suspension settings. I instantly went as fast during Tuesday evenings practice as I had during the entire TT fortnight during 2010. It was easy to say that this was a huge confidence booster! I trusted all my riding gear, I trusted my crew chief and mechanic, and I now trusted my bike. Everything was in place for me to start really tackling the course and challenging myself!
The rest of practice week consisted of me getting faster on literally every lap I rode around the 37 mile TT circuit. I finished Wednesday night practice with a fastest lap of 112mph, Thursday night practice was then cancelled due to an oil spill but I didn’t let a day off affect me. Huey made some minor ride height changes to get the bike to turn better and I came back on Friday and put down consistent 114mph laps. I knew I had more in me though and talked through the course quite a bit before final qualifying on Saturday evening. Milky Quayle, Ben Wylie, and Bill Callister all helped me figure out what I was missing to help me get to the next step. Saturday practice was the biggest confidence booster yet, I did two laps and managed a 115mph on the first and a 116mph on the second! The organizers saw I was moving a bit faster than expected and moved my start number from #62 to #40! I was pumped and ready to race!
Monday was the first Supersport race and I was ready to rock. The bike had fresh oil in it from Motul so I knew it was good for the length of the race. I started off and had a mega first lap. I was catching both riders who started at 10 second intervals in front of me and really making good time, my first lap from a standing start was a 116.1mph! The second lap came around and was unfortunately red flagged due to a crash at Gorse Lea. Tragically, racer Derek Brian did not make it after the crash due to injuries. I rode past the incident during the red flag so it took a bit of the wind out of my sails for the restart of the race. I knew I had to keep my head in the game though to be not only fast but safe. I put in strong laps during the whole race, 115’s and 116’s but never managed to catch up to the riders in front of me and didn’t manage to get that elusive 118mph lap goal that I had for the race. I knew there was still a second race though! My finishing position was 33rd but that wasn’t a big concern for me because I found out that I had gone fast enough to qualify for a Bronze Replica after the race which was a bit of a surreal experience. After coming to work for a team in 2008 at the TT receiving a Bronze Replica was only a dream of mine and now I had accomplished that very dream I had set out on over three years ago!
The second Supersport race started on Wednesday in less than ideal conditions. It had rained off and on all day so there were damp patches everywhere. I still managed a 113mph lap on my first lap in those conditions but thankfully the race was red flagged due to more rain so the organizers decided to restart the race on Thursday. The race was restarted but it seemed luck would not be on my side for Thursday either. I started the race feeling very good and confident, carrying more speed than usual and really wanting to put in some good laps. After getting to a very bumpy section of the course after Ginger Hall I got what amounted to be one of the worst tank-slappers ever on a motorbike, nearly causing me to run off the road and into the hedges! I knew something was wrong because I hadn’t done anything differently through that section than before. My bike got out of sorts again coming out of Ramsey up towards May Hill so I decided to pull off. After careful inspection of the bike I found the culprit, the bolt holding part of the steering stabilizer had come out which pretty much rendered it useless. Unfortunately, I made the decision to retire from the race. After getting the bike back to the paddock Huey and Chris determined that the bolt came out due to the steering head bearings being completely worn out. This allowed the front end to move and subsequently rip the bolt and a few threads out of the frame! I small oversight, but one that we will all not make again!
I came away from the second race disappointed due to the retirement but overall, my effort at the 2011 Isle of Man TT was a huge success! I had gone faster than I ever have before. I finally stacked up against other fast TT newcomers and experienced veterans compared to my performance in 2010. I also earned the acclaimed Bronze Replica for my performance in Supersport race 1. On top of all of this I was on ITV4 not once but twice during the TT coverage with my sponsors logos front and center, especially the HEL Performance logo! Neil Hodgson interviewed me as well for the TT coverage in the USA! This year was truly a breakout year for me and my team at the TT and we couldn’t have done it without all of the sponsors that have supported me this year and in years past. I believe sponsors are just as important to a team as the rider and mechanics so I cannot thank you all enough for your support. I am planning a return to the TT in 2012 and this time hope to race a 600cc as well 1000cc motorbike in all the classes. Building relationships is something I believe in with my personal life as well as racing and I know this is the key to success. My team and I have unfinished business on the prestigious TT mountain course and know we can go back and do better than ever! With that said I hope to have you all onboard again next year for another successful year at the Isle of Man TT!
Plans confirmed to return to isle of man tt for 2011!
My plans to return to the Isle of Man TT for 2011 have finally been confirmed! I will once again be racing for HEL Performance and welcome co-title sponsor BikeBitsNI!
Check out the full press release below!
http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=43677
Check out the full press release below!
http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=43677
Brandon signs with Old Glory Speed shop for asra team challenge
I have signed on with the Old Glory Speed Shop team with fellow racer Dennie Huff to contest the 2011 ASRA Team Challenge Series in an effort to take the Lightweight Championship aboard a 2009 Buell XB12R. Continental Tires has signed on to help us acheive our goal of winning the championship. This will be my first time riding a Buell but I know with a good team like Old Glory behind us and leading tire manufacturer, Continental, the season will be a successful one!
Check out the full press release here, http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=43324
Check out the full press release here, http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=43324
