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This round wasnt supposed to be this way, life sometimes isnt supposed to be this way.
I was going to leave for the track early Thursday afternoon, but I got a phone call that my second Mom (Tammy Wiliams-Dart) was not doing so well in her fight against cancer. I met Tammy through her awesome son, and one of my best friends, Ed and Tammy immediately took me and our entire squad under her mom-wings. Countless holidays and random events her door was always open to me when I was a kid from Greece with no family over here. She had been in the fight for a little over a year now. I went to see her with the rest of the brothers. You know someone is a great human when there are too many people in their hospital room, to the point that we literally cannot fit any more. Told her a few things I wanted to and with a heavy heart I headed to the track.
I arrived late and just couldnt shake it off. I unpacked with the help of my teammate Steph and I went to bed early.
Friday was a day with lots of riding and very good weather. I was working in the Advanced Class with Eric Wood and it sure was busy. What I am finding out while instructing with Penguin is that helping others is making me a better rider because it is forcing me to go back and focus on the basics time and time again. Met some great people and by the time the last session came around I was completely exhausted. a simple quiet night with some good friends ended with an early bed to visit and much needed rest for the races.
Saturday:
Race day was finally here! weather was excellent. Went to rider's meeting, helped some friends through the GT races and go ready for my own ones. I felt much comfortable on the R6 after doing so many laps on it on Friday so it was time to see how I would do under race conditions.
Race #5 - HeavyWeight SuperSport I was gridded in second row all the way to the right, which is an ideal starting position. I had a terrible start and went into T1 last or something like that. I was feeling very stiff on the bike but after two bad laps I finally found a rhythm and started picking a few spots. I was finally able to get up to the 10th position and had Justin Torres #23 in sight and I decided to see if I can catch him. I made a few mistakes in the process and with a lap to go I allowed (I didnt really have much of a choice) Ryan Stockman #236 to get on the inside of me and pass me. I didnt have much to go after him and finished there. the good news were that my lap times were finally dropping and that is a great step in the right direction.
Finished 11th with a best lap of 1:18.744
Race # 8 Unlimited Grand Prix I was gridded 16th. I got another terrible start and thats really where I ended up. I wasnt focusing on nothing more than learning my brake and shift markers on this race. I wasnt chasing anything but myself and trying to be relaxed and smooth and it certainly worked. Once I got some clear track I clicked 3 low 18s all in a row. I was very happy to see that.
i finished 16th with a best lap of 1:18.2 (which is faster than i ever went on the Kawasaki).
Panos arrived shortly after my race and we enjoyed the Dash from T6, had a great dinner and a nice fire with some cool peeps.
Sunday:
Woke up early with Cole running in the camper and yelling then disappearing like the jerk he is. LOL. Watched the MotoGP race with Panos and had a good breakfast. and of course something had to change. at 10:18am Sunday 5/22/2016 heaven got an extra angel who left too soon. Tammy was no longer with us, but she was in a much better place, in one where pain is not existent.
Some of you may remember that on my last round as an Amateur in 2014 I lost another close friend to cancer, Atha. at the time I made a shirt with his name, some words related to cancer fights and FUCK CANCER on the back. I was hoping that would be the first and last time I ever use that shirt, with heavy heart it came out again to honor Mom#2. Tammy was an angel on this earth, one of these people who doesnt have a single bad bone in them, a woman incredibly strong, who won several fights in her life but remained positive, sweet and full of love. there is not disease I hate the most and it has claimed way too many lives, its time something gets done about it. Im going to end this here.
Race #2 HeavyWeight SuperBike I was gridded in second row, all the way to the left. Not exactly ideal but I had spoken with Cole Hall #213 the night before and he shared some secrets about how to ride the R6 and I was ready to test them since he is an animal on these bikes. I launched very well but for some reason second gear just wouldnt get in, as a result i went into T1 behind a train of few riders that all had different lines and I couldnt get by. I didnt get any chance to make a safe pass until the 4th lap. Once I got some clear track I put my head down and tried what Cole suggested. Needless to say it worked as a charm.
I managed to finish 10th with a best lap of 1:17.9 (back into the 17s and the 3rd consecutive personal best on the R6).
Race #7 - Unlimited SuperSport. I like doing the races with the bigger bikes because it seriously forces me to brake late and carry more corner speed. I was gridded in first row all the way to the right, this time my start was phenomenal but I got a little shaking into T1 by being heavy on the bars and lost a few spots. I focused on staying consistent and relaxed. Made my way to 3rd place and did all I could to stay there. Unfortunately a mishift coming into the long straight and early braking allowed Chris Woodman #897 to go right under me in T1 and push me to 4th place. I turned it up and immediately went after Woody. I was making tons of ground in T1, T3 and T6 on him and I was setting up for a pass on the brakes in T3 with one lap to go and the red flag came up. It would have been my greatest battle on the R6 to the checkered but Woody got a very well deserved 3rd place. I was awarded though with consistent 17s and my best lap time of the weekend!!
Finished 4th with a Personal Best of 1:17.4!!! (4 full seconds faster on the R6 comparing to round 1 and all the laps below 19s)
Race #9 - MiddleWeight SuperSport I was gridded on the same spot (first row all the way to the right). I was exhausted with only a 10 minute break from my previous race and i was pretty exhausted. Got a decent start and got behind a train of 3 great riders, Alex Guilbeault #32, Michael Weyant #29 and Tim Barber #46. I stuck with the trio for as long as I could but the last two laps I had nothing left in me and fell a little behind. Managed to finished the race in 8th place with a best lap of 1:17.7!
Overall I am very happy with my performance and improvements on the R6 given this was my second weekend on it. Tammy would be proud. I wasnt going to attend the Classic due to some efforts I am making to get the word out there for the Isle of Man mission. However I now am now 3rd in points in Unlimtied SuperSport and luckily for me the schedule came out early and the race is at noon on Sunday, so I will be there just for that race!
Some special thank yous to the Irish crew for being awesome and especially Rich O'Connor!
the incredible track staff and EMTs we have who kept us safe and unfortunately we kept very busy. These guys are the absolute best in the business! never go a cool down lap without giving them a wave or something! They deserve way more than that of course but they appreciate it more than you know.
I couldnt do any of these without the help of my brother Panos who dedicated so much of his time towards our program. My amazing family, friends and great girlfriend Anna who for the first time in a long time wasnt able to be at the track. my amazing sponsors and all their support: Souhegan Valley Motorsports, Alexander Academy, Alessandro's Ristorante, Computrack Boston, Vesrah Brakes, Chain Wheel Moto, Central Mass Powersports, Ace Cafe, Woodcraft, Armour Bodies, Penguin, Spears Racing, Bell Helmets.
once again I must give it up to all of you who follow and support my madness. I hope my actions make you all proud and you are still enjoying these reports. Thank you for being part of this one way or another. Stick around, there is more coming!!
Stay healthy, share the love and do something good for someone today
Thank you,
Sav
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Originally Posted by tsorfas
