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Well, the racetrack hangover is in full effect this morning after the 92nd running of the Loudon Classic this weekend. Another overall good weekend for me in some challenging and changing track conditions and continuing to feel out the new bike without much non-race seat time or practice of any sort.
Couldn't get up to race Friday since I had to work.
Saturday LWSS got a great start and the holeshot! Kris Hopkins got by me in 3, then Brian Faucher a lap later... hung with the front pack for a bit which felt good. Was holding third and then got passed by Matt Blake around 6th lap and brought it home in 4th out of 16 with laps in the 23s. Still holding 2nd in the championship for this one!
Sunday morning it was raining quite a bit, so I got the rains on and practiced slowly in the rain. Then it stops and starts drying late morning! Ugh! Had to scramble to get the dry tires back on for the races but got it done in time.
Sunday LWSB got my first bad start of the year... got a good launch but Faucher drifted over right in front of me and I had to back off the gas. Lost some spots. Passed a few back and was going OK, albeit slowly and hesitating due to the wet spots on the track. Mo and JC got by me and battled a bit... I hung with them but didn't gain on them... finished 6th out of 18.
Sunday LWGP was a ton of fun! I missed this race in round two so I had a bad grid spot, back on row 5 or something. Got a MONSTER launch, passed about 12 people, and went into T1 in 2nd or so. A couple guys got me on lap 2 and I'm sitting in 5th which I held for a lot of the race. At some point Mo and Rick Kaeser sneak by in T3 where I suck and also ran wide/slow due to some business going on in front of me. I chase them and keep with them into 11, but Mo blows the 11a or whatever it's called and he and Rick both go in the grass. Mo keeps it up and Rick crashes. Well, I won't have to worry about Mo now. On lap 5 or 6, Kyle Reese gets me in T11... need to enter there faster. I hang with him throughout the back section and get a good drive out of 12 and get inside him for braking in T1. I try to brake late and trailbrake pretty far... and he comes around the outside in T1... damn, guess it wasn't late enough. I hang with him a bit but he pulls away. Fun stuff! Got into mid 24s, so considering there are still a couple spots on the track that are a little wet and some mud, getting within 0.8 of my best time is probably about even for going that pace or maybe even a slight improvement. Bring it home in 6th out of 18.
Overall another fun weekend, and I just want to be back already, trying to get better and faster on this thing. I need more seat time. Considering some NJ racing, NY track days, or something to try to get better. Time off is an issue for me, so it's not going to be easy.
Thanks to Plaistow PowerSports and the whole gang of Rick, Rick, Jonathan, Ted, Kathie, Eric, Chris, Dave, Cathy, and the rest for the support and good times. To all my garage 11 and 12 buddies for hanging and to Scottie for the sweet digs and travel company and drinking and bench racing. Thanks to RSP Racing for holding one hell of a party and raising a ton of money for the charity fund. What a blast! Every time I go to the track it reminds me how awesome the community is... it's one thing to do something fun, it's another to do it with a couple hundred other crazy people who are just as passionate about it as you are.
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99 + 02 SV650 ex-race - 91 FJ1200 street - 03 KDX220R woods - 12 WR450F motard/ice
Originally Posted by OreoGaborio
That's the one!
