Nate Kern 2023 MotoAmerica Super Hooligans Report
The 2023 Daytona 200/MotoAmerica Super Hooligans National Class season opener at Daytona International Speedway was intense from the GO for Nate Kern. Kern’s BMW RnineT racebike is equipped with lightweight BST Carbon Fiber Wheels and a Sprint Filter Air Filter.
Last year Nate took home four wins! But this year’s path to the podium was a roller coaster! Read the race report in his own words:
Zero concessions/excuses, we knew we were in the 11th hour with an all-new BMW RnineT racebike with everything fresh and new. The first lap in it was practice and man o’ man we were not even in the ballpark on balance, dampening, fork oil height, or spring rates… also trying something new on an R nineT it’s never had tech-wise from the amazing RS2E Engineering.
I want to highlight the puzzle pieces that just came together and fit.
Paul Wilson of Paul’s Garage in Dallas, GA – He just busted his ass to get the parts, clutches, motors, brakes, suspension… new build together and finalized on Monday of race week. Huge thank you! Puzzle piece #1.
Brian Livengood of Livengood Motorsports in Lawrenceville, Ga. on Tuesday (last minute) and Dyno runs/Tunes… he’s the best Tuner around. Period. Puzzle piece #2.
Drove Wednesday to Daytona to get set up.
Thursday it’s game time and Practice 1. I couldn’t ride more than 70% as it was just unrideable. In Qualifying 1 we just had to put a band aide on the wrong rear spring rate (Pre-load) and front springs/fork oil height, as it was just trying to spit me off on entry and exits.
In comes Chuck Blackmon from South Carolina with puzzle piece #3, with his skills and his 3D printer! Our shifter was not built for racing and couldn’t handle the stress, he made two different bushings and in a couple hours, it was fixed and ready to go! (Congrats Jackson Blackmon on your Podiums)
Thursday evening Kent Soignier of GMD Computrack who I was fortunate to secure with our limited budget, he’s again truly one of the best around for chassis/suspension setup. Over the next two days we just spoke the same language and instantly huge changes were made to get us as a Team closer to the front, where many folks said our BMW R nineT couldn’t run…Puzzle piece #4
Friday in Qualifying 2 we instantly went faster and 6th fastest, but still couldn’t ride our new racebike more than 80%… our Boxer Twin engine racebike just laughed at me and said I’m still outta balance. Keep pushing me, you’ll see… We badly needed a rear spring I left at home.
Being stuck with the lighter rear spring until a heavier one showed up, we changed the front multiple times and we went in the right direction. Taking notes along the way, we finished Race 1 in P9.
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Puzzle piece #5 was a long shot, but was so imperative. The muhfuggin correct rear spring rate I walked right past in my storage unit… Sean Kelly Richardson was able to secure it and get it to us the next day! It was hands down our biggest issue in the handling department, that affected everything (entry, mid-corner, and exit).
Saturday after an all-nighter, Paul “Doc” Canale, Paul Wilson, Eric Wilson, and Kent knocked out all the homework we needed to get ready for Saturday’s morning warmup before Race 2.
Instantly we were closer to the handling necessary to fight for better positions. Some finer adjustments made…
Race 2 we started in P7 on Row 3. We had a decent start and by T3 a rider went in way to hot underneath me, got it slowed down barely enough to just turn it into a high side crash as he went back to the throttle, with had nowhere to go but up and over his front wheel and forks.
Ripping off my front fender and mounting tabs. We are very fortunate to couple it up and save it to continue the race. The stock street cams that were starving for more air on the famous Daytona banking were taking their toll. We just make no power up top. Is what it is, we knew it, but we’re there to ride hard and get as much done in the infield and brakes as we could.
I’ll speed up here… I get wordy AF, but in the end, we ride what the setup allows us and left about 15% on the table as I just had to listen to the bike and or lose it all. We got drafted to the line and finished 5th, not a shocker, but that’s Daytona. We were very happy with 5th in a National that many folks don’t give the only BMW shaft-driven Boxer in the field at Top 10 chance. # dontjudgeabookbyitsvalvecover
Once we were in the final tech inspection stages after the race, word was two of the top three were potentially going to be disqualified. I decided to go back to the garage leaving Paul with the race bike. While I’m back in the garage Roland Sands the promoter of the SHNC came to our garage and said “do you want the good news first or the bad news?”
Under the assumption that both riders got disqualified, and in his defense, he may not have known either, but we were bumped up two spots based off of that and onto the podium, excitement spread like wildfire, but to only be told a couple hours later that it was only one rider DQ’d and we were back to P4.
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Nate Kern Gives thanks:
Regardless, we fought hard and we had the right people in place. There’s so much more in setup to get me back to riding the way folks know I have for years and hopefully we can get legitimate race cams for top-end performance.
This old timer said it best to sum it up during our Saturday post-race celebration, he walked up and put his hand on my shoulder and said “you just did the most out there, with the least”. He just turned and walked away after those kind words.
David Vigilante our longtime friend and Sponsor helped get our “Vigilante Racing” even get on the grid last weekend.
Anna Dmowska and her Mother Margaret McLean for feeding the team all weekend!
RS2E Engineering Rainer and Robert who delivered the first and only electronics package from the S 1000 DoubleR onto an R nineT (more about that later!)
Alpinestars USA, HJC Helmets Chris Christopher Kimball, Bren Tuning, Evol Technologies, Magura Brakes, Spiegler Brake Lines, Ohlins, RapidbikeUSA Yaman Turan, Julius Ilmberger Ilmberger Carbon, Wunderlich, BST Wheels and Sprint Filters Brock Davidson Jeff Grieco of Brock’s Performance, Willie Hodgson SJBMW for backup bikes Big Bore kit, Beau of MOTOs Americas BMW MC’s of Daytona technical support Vance Harrison, Analog Motorcycles Tony Prust, Kacey Elkins Krossover Customs paint, Dane of PleaseBeSeated race seat. Alex Spanos pit cart support Rössner & Rose big bore kits, Vance & Hines, Coach Zac Slaton of Orange Theory Fitness #otfsuwanee, Eric Komrowski of MWC Performance.
– Nate Kern
Photos by Brian J. Nelson, Baron Meeks, and Eric Rossmann
See more from Nate Kern by visiting his Facebook page, click here.