Private(er) test at VIR ALTON, Va. Ten privateer riders conducted their own test day at Virginia International Raceway on Monday, August 15, turning laps and wrenches in their own version of the factory test session being held over the following few days at Road Atlanta. AMA Superbike regular C.R. “Critter” Gittere organized the test and tune session after polling many of the southeast-based riders who compete in AMA Pro Racing events, as well as some whose focus is on WERA and other club races held at VIR during the year. Enough interest was generated to make it financially feasible and each rider paid an equal share of the track’s special weekday test rate. The ten riders present all got plenty of seat time and open track. “It is just as important for us to do well as it is for the factory guys not only for ourselves but for our sponsors. Rather than complain, we did something about it. It was a good day for all of us,” said Gittere, who was riding his GEICO Insurance Suzuki GSX-R1000. Among the privateers present was Opie Caylor, who brought his Team EMGO Taiwan GSX-R600 to get track time and test setups with Dunlops. His time of 1:29.54 on the Formula Extreme bike was the quickest of the day. Caylor put in approximately 71 laps, a hearty effort considering the ninety-plus degree temperatures and extreme humidity. The same conditions are likely to exist when the AMA series visits VIR from August 26-28. Caylor commented that “except for promoter practice we get 40 or so minutes of official practice before qualifying, usually. Having a day like this with an open track to get a good base setting is huge. We’ll be that much closer to the factory guys who tested here themselves. It helps a bunch.” Also on GSX-R600s but in Supersport trim were HotBodies Racing’s Keith Marshall and Baker Race Gear’s Ryan Elleby. The pair spent 60-65 laps each testing setup and Pirelli tires around the VIR layout. Leo Vince/Team Embry’s Matt Lynn earned an unofficial Ironman award for nearly 90 laps aboard his GSX-R1000 Superstock bike. Consistent times in the 1:30s were good enough to call the experience an unqualified success. “I purposely didn’t change much, just a shock spring at lunchtime” Lynn said. “It was about making laps and feeling like I was riding my own motorcycle, not someone else’s. I’ve only had this ’05 Suzuki since Laguna. I focused on technique and just riding that’s tough to do when the track is full of guys at an AMA weekend. It was like I had the place to myself”. David Weber was also working with a new bike that he and his father Joel picked up en route to VIR. The pair spent the morning preparing the new XT Racing machine before the AMA Horizon Award runner-up got out on the track in the afternoon for 45-50 laps and a best time of 1:30.80 from his lap timer. Weber used one set of scuffed Pirelli tires, but had a tire machine on hand for the other privateers to use. Also on hand were John Marable, Donnie Hendry, Jason Moss and Wayne Watts. Marable and Hendry of Team MedEvac spent 35-40 laps on the track in preparation for an upcoming WERA National Series race at Talladega Gran Prix Raceway. Moss got into the 1:33’s on his M&M Lighting Yamaha R6, reacquainting himself with the bike after a long layoff. He will try to qualify for the AMA Supersport race at VIR. Watts ran his Suzuki GSX-R600 on Dunlop tires, turning over 70 laps.