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Did my usual three races... LWGP on Saturday, LWSB and LWSS on Sunday.
LWGP started off with a geat start but could only get up to 6th entering T1 having started from the 2nd row. From then on out it was pretty much a freight train battle. Outgunned and out powered it was almost impossible to move up through the field. Tons of fun, though. Lap traffic everywhere and the top 6-7 riders were pretty much a train nearly the whole race. Good times.
LWSB was even better. Man was this race a good'un.... Lined up 1D and got a great jump on the rest of the field. I carried the front tire just a hair the ground through 1st gear while staying WFO, banged through the gears up to fourth, got to the cornerworker stand and just barely out muscled Seth Hahn for the holeshot. I put my head down, knocked off a GREAT out lap (1:19.523... haven't done the research yet but I'm pretty sure that's a personal best) and held the lead to T6 on the 2nd lap. At which point I got to my brake marker and grabbed a downshift but I pussy footed it.... False neutral. FAHK! Bike felt pretty unstable w the engine at idle and drivetrain just freewheeling but I muscled it into the corner anyway, frantically trying to get it back into gear w/o getting rearended. I sat up tall in an attempt to alert the riders behind while still squeezing my clutch and it seemed to work since I didn't get my buttocks rearranged around to the front of me. Finally I got the bike back into gear and managed to escape the bowl unscathed, only losing one spot to the #1 plate in the process. Jesse Sandoz later told me it was a whole big mess behind me, but they're big boys, they were able to deal with it.So anyway, I put my head back down & tried keeping Ricky in sight. He faded off into the distance a little bit but by the end of lap 3 I noticed I was keeping Ricky well within site and he seemed to be slowing a little. By the time I was exiting Turn 2 on the 4th lap I knew something was wrong as he pulled to the left and looked over his shoulder as I went whipping by. Obviously he was having bike issues, only quesion was if he would retire the race or limp it home but I had to put that out of my mind and concentrate on the task at hand. I knew the guys were on my heels but this ended up being one of the few races where I didn't take a single look over my shoulder. Glad I didn't because just about everyone I spoke to afterwards who watched the race said it was an absolute nailbiter. I kept putting down solid laps, rode some mildy defensive lines in an attempt to hold the killer sharks at bay and did so, taking my first win of 2013.
New tire? Who cares.... After a race like that ya just gotta smoke it.
LWSS was pretty good, though I didn't quite get the start I was looking for. I got a decent jump but Jesse Sandoz JUUUST edged me out for the holeshot. I was hoping to hold him off as the points chase in this one is AWFULLY tight (I'm sitting in 2nd place ahead of Jesse with just 2 points between us) but he was able to sneak up underneath by the cornerworker stand. Ricky then made his way through and I was fine with that, so long as he could pull off the win. Since the points awarded difference between 2nd and 3rd is less than 1st to 2nd it would work in my favor as long as he could make it to the front. Like clockwork he was able to get by and I pulled back up on Jesse's rear tire. I stuck to his tail and had a few fleeting chances here & there to make a pass but just couldn't get close enough to make a safe pass. Woulda been a total banzai move and I wasn't about to do that. I didn't get much love from the lappers and fatigue set in near the end a little so I backed off & took my 3rd place to finish off another great weekend.
SO glad to finally be where I want to be consistently as far as lap times. It's quite a rush getting both wheels moving around both in and out of almost every corner. Definitely makes you appreciate good suspension and tires. Looking forward to getting back onto a Pirelli V2 rear for next round, though! Had to go back to the V1 rear since Chuck decided to buy the last one! But I proved to myself that I could still turn 16's on the old tire and I was very happy with that. It also helped me get used to sliding it around a bit more, so hopefully I can go that much quicker when I get back on the V2.
Huge thanks to all of our sponsors, my teammates, Jackie and all of those who came up to support us. Couldn't do it without everyone's help and support. See ya in a couple of weeks!
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99 + 02 SV650 ex-race - 91 FJ1200 street - 03 KDX220R woods - 12 WR450F motard/ice
