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Central Mass Powersports Round 7 #123 ~ take it easy ~
Sunday, race 6 – Unlimited Supersport – GSXR600 (4th) (19.5)
This race was my downfall in round 6. Not one to just throw the towel in and give up, I settled into my assigned grid spot for the final race of 2015 in position 2A. Cold, windy and just overall not ideal for racing – we set off. Leaders ran a couple of seconds off pace and I was able to hang with them for longer. Each race this year has carried the same pattern. Chipping away, chipping away. I’m very pleased with the season. Congrats to Scott Greenwood on the overall championship in Unlimited Supersport!
Final thoughts -
This season of racing has taught me so very much. To speak to it all or share would require a novel and I will do my best to spare you while still giving credit where due. The long and short is this; I’ve grown up playing team sports my entire life. I’ve always longed for the ability to own the entire outcome of the competition and that pushed me to be a pitcher, catcher, striker, scout, etc. Take charge, own it. Now racing - I picked it up later in life and thought, this is it! I can finally do it all on my own!
I was wrong. Racing is not an individual sport. It’s a massive team effort. From the sponsors, to the teammates, to the random guy in the paddock you didn’t know who lent you a part you need to make the race in 10 minutes. Sure, you can do it on your own but you won’t make it very far out of the gates…consistently. To that point, I’d like to put out a special thanks to Tanya Parker who has been there through thick and thin; always supportive and endlessly upbeat.
Gary Pescatore of Central Mass Powersports was been behind our program even before we had a bike to race. Doug of TSS graphics worked many late nights to keep us looking as professional as possible. Jon Dixon of Advanced Traction pushed important priorities out of the way to help CMP racing and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Michael Aron of RaceFuelZ is a new addition and hasn’t disappointed. Overnight packages have made it just in time to keep us going at the last few rounds of 2015. Last but not least – those pesky Chainwheel boys have made CMP racing look like rockstars each round. This all brings me to my point.
Last year was win after win, trophy after trophy. Success piled on top of success. This year netted 1 podium, 1 trophy and tons of learning. That trophy was from the endurance race at the Loudon Classic. The endurance race team consisted of Duncan Wood (#910), Tim Barber (#46), Tony Cerqueira (#540) and myself.
This 1 trophy symbolizes all that CMP racing has slowly become through growth, struggle and perseverance – a team. A team I am so very proud of. From the old school characters; Christian (#316) Duncan (#910), Jimmy (#969), Jack (#495) to the incoming Steph (#824) and Sav (#508) – I’m incredibly thankful for the camaraderie, lessons you’ve helped me learn and the enthusiasm you’ve brought to the CMP north garage #9. What I once thought was a great opportunity to finally do it myself has taught me so much more and I can’t wait to see what we can all do as a team in 2016.
As always, with great support from Central Mass Powersports, TSS Graphics, Advanced Traction, The Beantown Sound, Kixsports, RaceFuelZ and ChainwheelMoto.com!
Signing off for now,
#123