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This weekend was the 85 running of the Louden Classic. On Sunday Race 8 The pits clears with Mat Stone (Hawk #834), Bob Stone (Hawk #672), Scott Ferguson (Hawk #824), Michael Lemire “Doc” (Ducati #116), Brian Jeffery (KTM Motard #881), Ryan Hobbs (Ducati #266), and myself (Hawk #929). Before this I was pretty anxious. Not so much nervous. I had to keep to myself. I went over turns in my head simulating what I would do to possibly get around the competitors in turns. I'm getting that feeling right now....... Out on pre grid I bang fists with the guys around me and give thumbs up to every one I can not touch. They let us out for the warm up lap and I pull over to practice a start. It was not what I wanted but good nun the less. I just got that bad start out of my system. I pit out and I’m getting into the turns pretty good to hopefully get some good track temp into the tires.
On the grid. Flag drops. I get an ok start from the 2nd row and into T1 I am 3rd. Rock and Jurg are just in front of me. I kind of settle in behind them until T11. Jurg has a head of steam and I know what his plan is. He was going to take Rock on the outside of T11. "GO JURG" I think to myself. My plan was to go to the left of them and beat them both to T12. Well Rock floated a little wide to the right when Jurg was making the pass and the 2 were less than 6" apart. This spooked Rock and he turned to the left in a quick panic. Yup right where I was going. Now time to implement plan B. Squirt to the outside and beat Rock to the quick right hand flip into 12. I give the old girl a quick squirt and get the bike in front of Rock before the flip. Me and you Jurg. Me an you. He pulls away due to my tight line bending it around 12 and now I have to play catch up. As I come around T9, I’m throttling up on him. NO NOW, SET HIM UP COMING OUT OF 12. I hold off on the T11 pass and set myself up for the drive out of T12. PERFECT. I'm 2 bike lengths behind Jurg on the longest straight to catch his draft. I close a little as he has the motor on the Ducati 800. We approach the break markers. I know where he brakes and where I brake. He hits hs mak and i soot on by. As I hit my deeper mark I squeeze the breaks and heavily counter steer the left bar. Bam. Right on the apex and hit the whole T1-T1a-T2 perfect. There was no way he was going to motor on me out of T2. I never looked back for there for the win.
Last lap I notice Doc in front of me. I figured I would come on him coming out of T12. As we go into T11-T12 I end up thinking I'VE GOT TO SAY HI TO DOC. As I come under him (he left it wide open) I stick my leg out and look at him and say HI DOC, I'm coming thru.