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Spent Friday morning trying to get the newly rebuilt calipers to work. Finally by 10:30am I had pressure in the lever and decided to head up to the track. Get up to the track and finish bleeding the brakes, then snap a bolt on the clip-on clamp. So the money I saved for practice was spent on a new clamp set. Good start to the weekend. I headed out to watch practice as the track has an alternate configuration this weekend because of the construction. Looks interesting ...
SATURDAY
Got the bike squared away and went through tech and headed out for practice. First time on the new layout. My biggest concern at first was the start of the races. It is very tight in turn 1 with the first chicane. At the end of the 2nd practice I started to feel like I was finding my rhythm through there. Seems kind of fun actually. The rebuilt calipers feel great and almost all my chatter is gone finally!
MWSB
Got a great start and was 5th on lap 1, but quickly the red flag came out. Restart, and I'm 6th on lap 1. Lap 2, #61 got by me, then lap 3 Zach (#79) got by. I stayed with Zach hoping to make a move on him later in the race. As I came over turn 5 on lap 5 I went to shift into 4th gear and the shifter snapped ... race over for me. I ride around and pit in ... not what I had in mind.
It was the bolt off the quick shifter that snapped. Not pleased at all. Expensive part. I'll be calling power commander monday about this.
MWGP
Get an ok start, but not great. I believe I'm 11th or so. I get into a nice groove and start knocking seconds of my times from earlier today. I catch two people and pass them, feel very good. As I start to make ground on the next group the red flag comes out. I had just seen the halfway flag, so I know we are in for another restart. Sure enough, 7 lap restart. I got an ok launch, but couldn't get through traffic quick enough before the first chicane. I tried to make a move to set myself up for the exit, but it quickly became a parking lot and I got stuck. Two guys quickly went around 3 of us. On the 2nd lap of the restart Ray (#71) tried to come up the inside of me in turn 1 but I was able to hold him off. I spent the last part of this race catching #18. I would make up so much ground in the corners, but his 848 just pulled on me coming out. I finally started to make my way closer to him and found a couple spots where I could make my move. We get to the final lap and I have to get by. I match his drive as best I can out of every corner and stay close. I know my only chance is in 12, to close the door on him and get a good drive. I stay close as we head over 8 into 9 and through 10. As we enter 11 I keep my corner speed up and go to the outside, squirt the throttle and shoot up the inside as we enter 12. I made the pass stick and got on the throttle hard coming out of 12 holding him off to the line by .06 with Ray coming in .31 behind me. Great 3 way battle for 11th, which this week I am happy to have come out on top of.
I really am having fun with this new configuration of the track. Its very different but fun. The starts are still a little hairy, but everyone is keeping their head about them, which is great to see. I started out in practice running in the 26s, and I got down to a high 21 and 22s in the last race today. I think I have found time in other place of the track as well and hope this translates to better times once the normal configuration is back.
SUNDAY
Morning Practice
Practice this morning was great! I made a change to the rear suspension to try and sort out my issues exiting turn 10. What a difference the one change made. Turn 10 not only felt better, but I was able to get a much better drive off all the corners. I'm very pleased with the change and look forward to the races today! I had a couple people come up to me telling me how quick I looked in the 2nd practice. I felt it, so it was good to hear. John Owens, who has seen me turn hundreds of laps on this track even commented that I was looking fast through turn 3 today. That got me motivated for the races!
MWSS
Gridded 3B, not thrilled with the inside with the new setup, but have to make the best of it. I got a bad launch, wheelie the bike. I quickly got it settled though and made a late brake manuver into 1 to take 7th behind #91. I was able to hang right with the group for the first 2 laps. I was thrilled! At the end of lap 2, 141 got by me in turn 11. I followed him closely for the next two laps. We quickly came up on an Amatuer coming out of 7. 141 got around quickly in 9, but I was not so lucky. I got stuck and had to wait for the exit of 10. At that time 61, gained on me, and tried to pass me in 11, but I was able to beat him to turn 12 and hold the position. I made time back up on 141 through the chicanes and didn't loose too much off the corners. Lap 6 I knew I had 61 on my tail along with Jones and Holcomb right there as well. I continued to hold them off but as we came out of 10 I could see another amatuer up the track, going through 11. 141 is close enough to get him on the front straight and I knew I had to try hard to get by before turn 1. I drive hard out of 12 and try to brake very late, but didn't have room to make a clean pass, so I fall in line through the first chicane and set him up to take the inside on the exit. We get side by side into the 2nd chicane, but he didn't give an inch, so I had to fall in behind again. 141 is now gone and I know the 3 guys are on right there with me. I come out of the last chicane and pass the amatuer. I hold the position for the rest of the lap and we come around to take the white flag. I try to put a gap on the group through the chicanes as I have been quick there this weekend. Apparently I didn't do a good enough job as 61 passed me on the inside of turn 3. I squared up the corner and tried to retake the position up 4. We were side by side, but he had a better drive. We get into 6 and I follow him through the back section. I tried to line up a pass in 11, but he was just too quick for me, so I knew that I was going to have to settle for 9th. 61 finished .2 ahead of me, with Holcomb .12 behind me and Jones 1.4 behind him. Great battle! Love racing with these guys!
HWSB
So it rained in race 5, but the track dried for race 9. We went out for the warm up lap to a completely dry track. They called a 15 minute break to see how the weather turned out as it was starting to drizzle. We head back into the pits and I am stuck on what to do. Its not raining yet so I wait a minute. Soon it looks like the sky is going to open up, so we start to scramble to get the rains on. I have to get the front mounted on the rim, so we work quickly get that pulled off so Noel can get it over to Boston Moto to get swapped. As we do that, I hear 2nd call. We tried as best we could but given the amount of time and having to swap a tire, 3rd call came and went. Didn't get to make it out. Its too bad, I do well in the rain and would have loved to get out there. This is my own fault as I snapped a rotor bolt on my rain wheel last weekend and didn't fix it in time. Live and learn. It will be fixed for next weekend. We probably could have at least gotten half the race in before the rain started, but what can you do.
Weekend Overview
Overall this weekend was very successful for me as far as getting the bike sorted out. I feel like I am much closer to getting the bike to where it was last year and I'm hoping for a strong showing at the Loudon Classic in 2 weeks. I really had fun with the alternate configuration this weekend. I was fun to flick the bike through the chicanes dragging knee in and out of them. I have to tip my hat to all the racers for making smart decisions at the start of the races so that we all got through the new section safely. It made for what could have been a tough weekend a very fun weekend. It was frustrating with the mechanical issue Saturday and not being able to make the 2nd race today (Sunday), but I would rather have those happen now then at the Classic.
Thanks to all that came up even if they were not racing to support everyone out there. It is very much appriciated! Thanks to the entire ECK-Racing team for another fun weekend. Thanks to our sponsors TonysTrackDays.com, Pine Motorparts/PBE Specialists, Phoenix Graphics, Woodcraft, Moon Performance, RJ's Motorsport, Motorcycles of Manchester, and BostonMoto-Pirelli.
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