#508 Race Report Round 1

[tsorfas]

starting to type this made me realize how much I missed this atmosphere over the winter and how huge part of my life this whole thing is!
I legit love that place, I consider it second home and once again it was confirmed by people who know me for years that they have never seen me as much as I do when I go through the tunnel to the infield...

So for those who dont know I was in FL most of the week for a work thing and an award ceremony.
My flight landed at Manchester, NH Friday at 5pm. a great new friend and NESRian picked me up and took me to the track. Once again THANK YOU so much.
Kurtz who helped me every single step of the way last year, not just in racing but in life as well, made sure my bike and gear were all at the track. I will never be able to thank you enough for everything you have done. The saying I posted on IG a couple weeks ago has a lot to do with you: "YOU HAVE NEVER REALLY LIVED, UNTIL YOU HAVE DONE SOMETHING FOR SOMEONE WHO CANNOT PAY YOU BACK" that is YOU my friend.

Anyways so Friday night I was exhausted from the flight and lack of sleep, hung out a bit with everyone and made sure my bike is 100%. We decided to go pass tech in the am because of the weather. I went to the hotel around 1130 and called it a night.

Saturday my best friend was supposed to come up from Worcester and bring my rain tires. Things changed and he told me he cant make it up. Very upset about it but at least it wasnt the end of the world since he let me know at 8am I had plenty of time to find other ways to get them to me.
My SV however had different plans. On the way to tech the bike kept stalling and running like crap until it decided to give up completely. Pushed it back and borrowed another friend's and NESRian's car and took off for Worcester to get my tires. I got texts from my friends and garagemates that the issue is electrical. Front cylinder gets no spark. Very upset I cancelled all my races besides LWGP (race 9/10).

Made up back to the track right on GTL. Mike W had already tried several things to make my bike work but nothing would make the damn thing get spark.
Since the bike was so well taken care by the previous owner we didnt want to believe bad wiring could have been an issue. Long story short Mike tried every single possible scenario and it ended up being a bad wire. Ran a new line and the bike was back at 100%. too late for my race though.
Very upset I missed Saturday races I just stayed quiet for the rest of the day and night and went to bed early.

Sunday... I have a working bike that I have never ridden before and the weather is cloudy and cold. I skip first practice as I always do and go and ride it for the first time ever for 4 laps on the second practice. This bike bites. It is not as forgiving as the hawk but it is greatly set up. Aggressive brake, lots of power and very hard to throw around. Oh well, I know it is right I just have to get used to it!

Race 4 - LWSB. My only dry race of the day. I wheelie the start, bike loses all power and momentum since I shut off the gas completely (luckily wheelies dont scare me at all as Kurtz pointed out) and I go into 1 last (not sure how many bikes in the race). By the end of the lap I am 7th, by the end of the 2nd lap I am 5th. Passing few more people and I end up 3rd behind Mark Fox (413). I put in some work but he is too far ahead to catch. last lap as I am entering the bowl i see him coming out of it. I went so hard in 9 i thought I would lose it but trail braking saved the day and I am fairly close to him. As we come up at 11-12 Mark tries an outside/inside pass on a very slow novice who stood the bike up forcing Mark to brake really hard. at that point not only I am on his rear wheel but I also have kept all my momentum and drive since I was a witness to the whole thing which was easily predictable. We get into the straight 2" away from each other into a drag race which a ducati guy (Rick Kaeser - 444) joined as well. Thanks to the novice who slowed Mark down and allowed me to take 2nd place, Mark 3rd and Rick 4th.
at this point I am just extremely happy I can ride this thing and turn several laps at 1:27 flat.

Race 7 Supertwing. Yes it is raining. It is not springles any more it is actual rain. Once again i waited too long and didnt change my tires in hopes that the weather will change. I go out in pure rain or race DOTs. ME! in the RAIN on DOTs! Might as well call it suicide. I am scared and excited to prove to myself I can do this. I turned 2 minute laps and finished 3rd. YES you read right, I FINISHED! get back to the garage where we all celebrate the results and consider it a win LOL

Race 9 LWSS. I am still on DOTs. 4 laps to go on race 8. Mark comes over checks my bike out sees that we are both in DOTs and we realize we dont have time to change over. I call over the RSP guys and they confirm we can actually do this. I am not sure how many people were on my bike at that point but wheels are off, rains are getting put on, someone is just holding just safety wire, someone is telling me to go away and relax for my race. I dont even know whats happening at this point. My bike is off the stands I am on it and I have rains on. I get stopped, the left brake caliper isnt safety wired. Mike or Bill take care of that in 3 seconds and I am off to pregrid. I will never be able to thank you all for the help and getting me out there! Incredible experience. Brian, Eric, Keith, Mike W, Kurtz, Tony, some people I dont even know thank you sooo much!
I get a 2nd in that and we celebrate finishing another race in the rain. Best lap 1:52.

Race 12 Thunderbike. 4 people in the race. Rick Kaeser 444, Sam Greenwood 228, Ian Vivero 604 and myself. Ian showed me in the previous race that he kicks ass in the rain. Again I win the start by a mile but park it in 1 and Ian goes by. The rest of them passed me at T4. I decided there is no point to test my luck in the semi wet track. Just finish the race, get the points, keepthe bike pretty and go home in one piece. with 2 laps to go as I approach T1 as a rider and a bike down. as I get closer I see yellow plates, oh shit it is Ian. Crashed out in the lead, wait that puts me in 3rd!? WOW. I just keep turning my 1:40s take my 3rd place and 4th podium of the weekend and go back with a huge smile on my face.


Quick story:
So the SV and I entered 7 races this weekend. Ended up dropping all Saturday races and racing 4 in which I podiumed in all four on a bike that I have never ridden before and 3 of them were in the rain.

The RSP garage is hands down the best place in the entire track. we might not be the fastest people there but there is no doubt we are the most fun and disfunctional ones. This is a FAMILY!!

It was great seeing everyone after such a long time. I truly missed you all more than I thought. thank you all for making this part of my life, the best part of my life. The fact that at some point I thought I wasnt going to race this year makes me laugh. This thought might cross my mind again but it wont happen!

Cheers,
Sav

[csmutty]

Way to go. Glad at least some of the prep paid off hahaha. Told you you had this in the rain.

[tsorfas]

Way to go. Glad at least some of the prep paid off hahaha. Told you you had this in the rain.

Thanks for making me believe it too

[carsick]

Great story Sav! I missed seeing you race but Mike filled me in a little bit. That's an incredible start, you'll be unstoppable now.

[DZircher]

I stopped by early in the day Saturday, sorry I didn't see you Sav. Hopefully next round. - diz

[Rambunctous]

Thanks for the posting. First one I read for the 2014 season. And I read them all. A great post. Keep em coming.

[Chippertheripper]

Woot.

[mzdagrl]

Great job Sav!

[Kurlon]

I don't think you were last into 1 for race 4, I believe I had that honor as I chickened right out on the start when I discovered I was on the inside of everyone and didn't trust any of them. I don't recall seeing you go by, thought you were already past by T1.

[tsorfas]

Great job Sav!

Thank you! Keep coming at the track and bringing my baby please

[tsorfas]

Oh ps both these assholes and one more I didn't take a pic were parked like that at red roof Friday might.
Of course mass plates. Well done you idiots. Forced a bunch of us park on the grass or far from the hotel. Fucking people.

[csmutty]

I would have lifted the first guys trailer up and put it on the sidewalk.

[cdovego]

Oh ps both these assholes and one more I didn't take a pic were parked like that at red roof Friday might.
Of course mass plates. Well done you idiots. Forced a bunch of us park on the grass or far from the hotel. Fucking people.

I peed on his back wheel.

[Jim]

Pushed it back and borrowed another friend's and NESRian's car and took off for Worcester to get my tires. I got texts from my friends and garagemates that the issue is electrical. Front cylinder gets no spark.

there you go again, texting and driving. I thought it can wait.

[tsorfas]

there you go again, texting and driving. I thought it can wait.

*I got the texts when I arrived in Worcester

[maxim_X]

Nice job Sav! I should see you at the next round.

PS I park like that sometimes at an open lot for a short time. They could have backed the trailer into one spot and parked in one next to it and taken 2 spots instead of 4 each.

[tsorfas]

Nice job Sav! I should see you at the next round.

PS I park like that sometimes at an open lot for a short time. They could have backed the trailer into one spot and parked in one next to it and taken 2 spots instead of 4 each.

Thanks man.
They were like that at midnight when I got at the RR and they were there like that when I left early in the morning. If you gonna be there for 10 mins then cool but overnight at a no vacancy place..?