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Got up to the track Firday morning. Debated whether or not to do the practice because of the rain. There was a half hour delay and sunny skies so I signed up. Got a good session in, was windy and ended up pushing the front in 6 about a good 8-10 inches. I got light on the bars and let it settle out and it came right out. After the first session it started to down pour with mixed thunder and lightning so I sat the rest of it out. I was feeling pretty tired and dehydrated after just the first session anyways so it wasn't so bad. The first session was abnormally long anyways, so it came out out to 22 min of track time for $100. Although that sucks, that session really helped out getting the hang of the bike again.
Saturday I mounted rains and did a little 10 minutes of open practice between the red flags in the rain. First time on rain tires and compared to the races where I have been on DOTs during hard rain, they stuck like you wouldn't believe. I was getting knees down and was almost at normal pace. I was dissapointed because I must have pitted out at the wrong time because I didn't get my number plated ripped off by any experts passing. Only person I saw out there was a novice motard behind me when I was pitting out. The second practice was pretty much dry. I went out with Tom (#703) who was able to show me an awesome line into T1 and gave me some nice feed back (big thanks). Only did 4 laps before I cooked the rains.
Race 8: Nov Ptwins.
I got an awesome launch off the line. I am usually the first TO 1 but also first to break and have 4 bikes blow past me. This time I brake a little later (still far too early) and Alex comes around on the outside. He some how gets about a 10 second gap in first and me in second. I start reeling him in. Don is behind me and I am holding him up badly. He tries several moves to get around me but I try and keep the door shut. Banging elbows into 11 as he comes around on the outside- I shut the door going into the chicane. Comes around for a move up the inside on 1a but was far too late doing it. Right as I get a knee down on the 1a curb, I see his front wheel! He hits the right side number plate while I am WOT trying to stuff it in on the inside. I don't know how he kept his bike up but it didn't really upset mine. I damn near handed him second when I forwhatever reason broke for 3 about 20 feet too early. At this point it is lap 4 and we have caught up to Alex. Don gets right around him as well and we are both trying to keep up with him into 6. Alex washes the front right infront of my a few feet after the apex of 6. He does a feet first super man into the dirt. I missed his hand with my front wheel by a few inches since I was setting him up for 8. Don takes off and I relax to about 80% and cruise around for an easy second.
Sunday Alex takes my EX out for first practice because his was out of commission while I take Pete's SV.You have no idea the difference an EX and an SV until you've riden both. You may think you know, but you really have no idea.
It is like day and night. Took 2 laps or so to get used to GP shift. It became scarily natural after that. It was harder going back to standard shift then it was to get used to GP. It was so much fun to rip past EX down the front straight. I took it real easy but I could tell the SV has so much more in it and could easily go so much faster. It wanted to flick of between 1 and 1a compared to the EX where I have to bear hangle the thing over. Again Pete, big thanks for letting me do a session on it.
Second practice Alex took my ex out again while I took Brendan's EX out (thanks for letting me give it a try). A well maintained expert's EX is far better than mine but is still no SV. I was able to learn a few things from riding his EX. It felt similar to my ex so I was more comfortable going faster than on the SV, although an EX doesn't want to go that fast, ever.
Anyways, this is my last noive report. The bump to AMATURE was aproved.
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Originally Posted by Pookie
