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Only Saturday for me this round as our four year old's birthday was Sunday. My preferred races were back to back, the 20 minute GTL followed by F50 Lights. I pondered my survival chances all week, put on my big girl panties and entered both.
Saturday race 3 Am GTL: I was gridded second (1B) after several fast guys bumped to expert, and told myself to save something for race 4. I got a good start, held 2nd into T1 behind Brett Larson but was in 3rd as we finished lap 1.
I felt fast but started getting passed anyway, hate it when that happens . I can usuallly manage a 4th or 5th in the GTL when the young punks start to wheeze, but that wasn't happening this time. Lou Peck went flying by a few laps in, and then things started to feel just a bit off. The front seemed bouncy into T3 and out of T2 and T10 (was I riding stiff, or should I change the year-and-a-half old fork oil?). The rear also started squirming exiting T2, up T4, and exiting T6 even when I wasn't on the apron (WTF, I have to buy more than one set of tires this season?). Fortunately Lou Peck took my mind off these existential questions by scrambling like a squirrel away from T12 while his bike spun like a top right in front of me. I checked up, missed them both, and we were red flagged a few laps later. I didn't mind the break, and a big thanks to team RSP, Pete Gaborio and others who came onto pre-grid with water for anyone who needed it.
We regridded in our original spots, not entirely fair but maybe there's no easy way to regrid by race position. I got another good start, stayed in second into T1 behind Brett Larson, but a lap or two later saw him tumbling outside of T1. Then most of the same buggers that passed me in the first half went by again. I had a rear slide between T1 and 1A, then a big slide out of T12 that popped me out of the seat, and it was time to chill a bit. Jake Vader and Bill Morey got by a few laps from the end (I used to be able to keep them behind me, what's with everyone getting faster? ), and I started to miss downshifts. Last lap I missed one into T11, banged it down late in T12 totally screwing my line and drive out and lost a final spot to #109 John Dorans Jr. Finished 8th of 17 starters, would have been 10th without the crashers. Turns out there were six riders ahead of me all turning 1:22's, but I was the last one in that line with a best lap of 1:22.85, only a tenth off my PB.
Race 4 Am F50 Lights: I rode direct to pregrid after the GTL and Sal's wife Jill saved my butt by bringing me water. I gridded second again next to #938 Mike Wankum on pole, but our wave leaves with the Am HWSS bikes ahead of us which makes the start even more fun . Mike stayed in front on the start but had to check up at T1 as the HW conga line formed. Fortunately I had room to go outside and pick up a few places through T1 and 1A and I thought I was home free. Unfortunately, new Am #130 Ben Travisano on his Monster 696 got by me somewhere in the first lap melee and pulled away for the rest of the race. I held up pretty well, lapped a second slower than the GTL but had a lot of fun dicing with HW traffic. I thought I finished first, was bummed when I saw I was 2nd out of 6 later that night.
It's time to face the facts: new fork oil and tires for next round, and some kind of instruction after that to keep the new Amateurs from leaving me in the dust!