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First off, huge thanks to all my teammates, sponsors and friends who came up, helped me out and cheered me on. I'll never be able to thank you guys enough. It's always great to see so many familiar faces up at the track to share the experience with and get that little boost I need to ride well.
Now with just one more race weekend left, the season's coming down to the wire... and I'm in a good points race in all four classes that I'm running.
Saturday
LWSB:
This weekend saw the return of two fast guys... Bill Tansey and Todd Babcock. Neither one has been in the game for much of the year but I definitely wasn't about to count out either one. Sure enough, despite getting the holeshot, they both made their way past me, along with Rick Doucette, putting me back to 4th place by the 1/2 way point of the race. Bill led the race for a bit but Rick and Todd eventually found their way through, leaving me to have a go at Bill and his superbike SV. Although he had a lot of motor on me I had a few very fleeting opportunities in 3, 6, 9 and 11 but I was on a harder compound front tire this weekend and I just couldn't get the front end grip enough to pull it off. Things got VERY interesting on the last lap when I attempted a last ditch effort to get on the podium by attempting an outside pass in turn 11. I got a great run on him on corner entry but he hung out to the right JUST long enough that it hurt my momentum just enough to delay my move. I got back on the gas mid-corner and still made a run at him around the outside but my front tire pushed a little too wide. I still had a chance and ALMOST stuck it up the inside for 11a but it would have been way too tight of a pass and I wouldn't have felt good about it. Bill's a good guy & I didn't want to put either of our health in jeopardy so I got back on the binders and let him take the line & claim the final podium spot.
Finish: 4th
Best lap: 01:17.709
Sunday
Pirelli Challenge
Once again the Pirelli Diablo 600 Challenge only had a few entries so I threw my hat in for a chance at some of that Pirelli money. I made some adjustments with my front tire pressure and it seemed to work a little better in this race. I found myself gridded on the inside next to fast Amateur Dave Kagan and Expert Wojciech Kasperuk. I got a great launch but Dave was able to power past me for the holeshot. Dave and I spent a good portion of the race nose to tail as we gradually pulled away from Kasperuk. Dave would obviously out motor me on the straights but I would reel him in through the tighter sections. He rode a very tough race with some defensive lines and solid exits making it very tough for me to pass. Finally on lap 6 I pulled along side him going up turn 4 after he ran a touch wide and we went side by side over the hill into the bowl with him on the left. I let him take the line as we tipped in, then I pulled a great little slingshot move and got underneath him as we passed the bleachers and took the line for turn 7. From then on it was a hard push to gap out as much as I could so that I could relax and conserve my energy for LWSS, the very next race.
Finish: 1st
Best lap: 01:17.865
LWSS
Back-to-backs are always tough, but with the help of Stu and his daughters, I got the bike and myself refueled for the next race.
For this race, I NEEDED to beat Mark Dages... that was my main goal. With just a 7 point spread between us going into this round in a run for 3rd place overall in the championship standing, I needed to chip away at that gap in order to have a good shot at taking some LWSS wood home with me at this winter's banquet... But no such luck. I got a great start and led for the first lap but Mark quickly snatched the lead away from me on lap 2 and I was left with trying to chase down one of the fastest guys to ride a production legal SV at Loudon. My efforts were futile though and he slowly slipped away from me, leaving me to hold on for as many points as I could. On lap 6, SOME salvation came in the way of Rick Doucette. He passed both me and Dages before they reached the checkered, a VERY tight finish might I add, but one that worked in my favor because that meant that Mark only gained 4 points on me in the standings instead of 5 (or 11, had Mark been able to fend Rick off to the line)
Finish: 3rd
Best lap: 01:17.651
LWGP
With a little bit of a gap between me and third place rider & young gun Alex Guilbeault I could relax just a touch in this race, but I still had to hold him off to ensure a good end-of-year result. I made some further adjustments with the front tire, dropping the pressure a bit more and it seemed to work a little better. I got another great start and took the holeshot but it wasn't long until Rick and Todd both claimed their rightful spots at the front of the pack. I kept them both in sight out front for most of the race, and with the help of RSP Racing's Big Sexy Jay McCarthy (aka marshdrummer) behind the wall on the front straight, I kept Alex at a (barely) safe distance behind me to take home 3rd place in the race and solidify my 2nd place overall standings.
Finish: 3rd
Best lap: 01:17.378, finally back within a tenth of my personal best.
Overall points:
LWSB: 3rd, just 9 points ahead of Todd Babcock
Pirelli Challenge: Solid 2nd
LWSS: 4th, 11 points behind Mark Dages
LWGP: Solid 2nd