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Being the first year I'm not being sent out to the end of the world on a ship, I get to finally enjoy a full season of racing. To make up for the rounds I missed these past seasons, I decided to race the full LRRS and USCRA schedule.
With USCRA, I only get to race the RS125 in one class, Modern 125. Wishing I could get more than 2 practice sessions and 1 race out of the day, I checked the race schedule to see if the EX500's raced at the same time as the Modern 125's (Race 11). I found out that the EX500 qualifies for Formula Middleweight, which is race 2. Great! But I don't have an EX500, I only have half of one, an EX250. I emailed the USCRA folks asking about running the EX250 in race two, and they said that of course I can, it's not like I have some sort of advantage on the 250.
Awesome! Now I just need to race prep the Ninja. Luckily I had already raced it a couple of years ago in Shubenacadie so it was already safety wired. The major piece I needed was a belly pan. I didn't want to waist time or money so I looked around and found some empty cans of C12. Problem solved!
Race 2: Formula Middleweight
I'm gridded with 3 EX500's, but I think I saw two of them complete their rookie race, I might not be last after all! Anticipating a quick 1-board, green flag combo from Johnny B., I jump the start! Unlike LRRS where I would have been penalized a lap, at USCRA my punishment was to endure some ball busting. Despite my premature start, a bunch of bikes go by me before T1. Many are clearly not EX500's but I not sure if that's the case for all of them. I was too busy trying to make a slow bike go fast to analyze all of them.
After completing a lap, one of the bikes ahead of me has a mishap in 1A and with his bike sitting on the line, the red flag flies.
Well, I get to restart and make up for my earlier mistake. Green flag flies with 7 to go, and this time I pay attention to the 4 bikes that go by me before T1 and none are an EX500! I battle with some of those lead bikes, hoping to keep a buffer between me and the 500 that is surely catching up to me. More big bikes get by, but not without a fight. White flag, checkered flag, and the only EX500 I saw was the one I lapped! First win since August 2009!
Race 11: Modern 125
I'm gridded in the second row on my RS125 with 3 other 125's behind a row of bigger bikes. My start is not that great so a few 125's end up ahead of me going into 1, but we come out with only one of them, Henry Syphers on the #43 machine, ahead of me. Henry has already won 3 races out of 3 that day, so I'm up for a challenge. I stick to Henry's tail as we deal with the bigger bikes. Before long, Henry manages to leave a Ducati between us, and I start working on him right away. The race has been shortened to 6 laps, so I must act quickly. Passing a bigger bike is quite easy, leaving a big bike behind is a bit trickier. I pass on the inside of 3, just to have that Ducati power by me up the hill. I get around in 11, put you can guess how that goes once we turn it into a drag race down the front stretch. This battle continues for for a few laps, but I still have hope as Henry is not far ahead. White flag flies, it's do or die! As I loose yet another drag race with the Ducati, I spot an opportunity in the form of a lap bike approaching T1. I can only hope the Ducati goes high, and he does! I go low and deep into 1, getting by both of them in a section where the Ducati can't easily power back by me! Head down, I try to catch up to Henry. I stay on the gas longer and brake later than the #43 going into T3. We come around nose to tail, and as he swings around for fast sweeping arc around the bowl, I dive in the inside to steal his line, and don't look back. I blast by a lap bike by the tree house, hoping he or she will interfere with Henry in T9. I hit my marks in 10, 11, 12 and take my second checkered of the day!
The USCRA is a fun and relaxed group of racers. I saw some fascinating and interesting machines in the garages and on the track, and I also met some equally fascinating and interesting people. Oh, and I also got to hang out with JerseyGirl!
I'm really excited to be racing again at the next USCRA event in June, which happens to be when the Big Fish Small Pond endurance race will happen. If you are looking to satisfy your racing fix between LRRS rounds, or looking into racing and might not be ready to try LRRS, check out USCRA!
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99 + 02 SV650 ex-race - 91 FJ1200 street - 03 KDX220R woods - 12 WR450F motard/ice
Originally Posted by carsick
