LRRS #784
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Almost a week late, but here's a race report to chronicle my Adventures in Racing this year... I'll try to make these interesting through the season - it's the least I can do since I still don't know most of you in person
EDIT: This is way longer than I anticipated, so Cliff's Notes: 1st place LW/ULW Rookie Race; 3rd place / 1:30.228 LWGP; 2nd place / 1:29.076 LWSB.
Thursday 4/14
After a hectic two weeks of business travel, and two subsequent weeks of 10+ hr work days each followed by getting the race bike prepped, I finally got to NHMS around 10pm. Set up shop in the MTAG/RSP garage, BS'd for a bit, and went to bed by 1130 in anticipation of a long day of Penguin Friday. And then laid WIDE AWAKE in bed until 2 am
Friday 4/15
Despite getting <5 hrs of sleep, I didn't pass out in Penguin school. Penguin was definitely not what I would have expected from a roadracing school, but the experience was on par with word-of-mouth accounts. The first two 15 min on-track sessions were full follow-the-leader (though the first was only 2.5 laps long before someone lowsided entering T4)...but the "open" practice sessions after that were actually fun. I was feeling good by the end of the day, but still had butterflies when gridding up for the Rookie Race.
The illustrious Mr. Kurtz was kind enough to give me some advice on launching a 2nd gen SV right before putting my helmet on. I gridded in 8D - first row of Wave 2. I really didn't know what to expect after the green flag, but I knew I wanted (and got!) the holeshot... After hitting T1, the only other people I saw were some lap traffic from Wave 1. I "won" the Rookie "Race" - for which they no longer give recognition of any kind.
Saturday 4/16
Friday night, I'd stayed up until ~230am helping csmutty get his motard running...so Saturday morning was another rough one. I skipped 1st practice due to the frigid weather, the fact that I'd ridden all day Friday, and just general tiredness. 2nd practice felt really good though...but now I had to wait ~4 hours until my race, ugh...
Fast fwd to Race 9, NV LWGP. I'm gridded in 3A; the only rider in the grid of 11 that carried any LWGP points from last season was 565 Chuck Boucher, so I figured my chances were pretty good. ECK's prodigy Jake Vader #201 had a brief bike malfunction on the grid, resulting in everyone being a bit confused I think... Green flag goes up, I launch, and Chuck stalls!? I sneak past him on the right and go WFO w/only one other rider (I think 445?) towards T1. Pretty much all 8 other riders were baffled by the "odd" start for their first race, and basically all waited until Chuck got restarted and took off (video forthcoming). I took the holeshot again...ffwd to exiting T12 and heading back down the straight, as I start to look for the RSP crew's signals, I hear a buzzing...then 565 goes chugging by my right side at the start/finish line! As I curse myself and Chuck in my helmet, I put my head down and try to catch him...very slowly drifting off his pace... I end up realizing he's definitely got more race laps at Loudon than I do, and later find out his SV isn't stock, so after getting several "huge lead" signs from Jay and Dave, I decide to dial it back a bit - I'd rather finish the race on two wheels in 2nd, than bin it trying to catch Chuck in my first race. So I'm pretty content in 2nd, running just about 110%, but start to get a little slopping around Lap 5, and can almost do no more than a trackday pace by mid-Lap 6. Somewhere on Lap 7, 201 catches back up to me and passes me...again comes the cursing, but I mistakenly assure myself that he's in the ULW wave, so I maintain my reduced pace. ...I forgot until after the race ended that Jake was in front of me on the grid. Result: 3rd place, and an official PB of 1:30.228.
Sunday 4/17
I'd signed up for LWSB, knowing that Sunday was likely to be a washout. Though I seriously dislike track riding in the rain, I figured it'd be easy points and good experience - and I need to get over my dislike of the wet. Sunday morning it was indeed still raining, but the sun eventually came out and began drying the track. Again skipped 1st practice, but did a half dozen laps in 2nd practice that felt good.
Again in Race 9, LWSB this time. I'm gridded in 2A, so I won't have to swerve around any stalled bikes this timeGreen flag, and 565 and I are pretty much neck and neck into T1, but he outbreaks me. Much the same experience as Saturday's race - Chuck checks out, and I don't see anyone else for the rest of the race. I might've lapped a ULWSB rider or two, I can't remember... In any case, 2nd place finish with a new official PB of 1:29.076.
I say "official PB" because last year I'd run a couple 1:28s based off the Graham's timing system - but that wasn't the LRRS system, so I'm not sure the comparability.
Just want to say a HUGE thanks to the RSP Racing boys and Palm Bomb for their immense help this weekend - you guys were uber helpful with riding tips, physical labor, and working to calm my nerves alike. Also thanks to ECK Racing for some tips (though I should unthank you for keeping me up till 230 Friday night, and for supporting Jake knocking me back a spot in LWGP ), and Tony's Track Days for helping in multiple capacities this weekend and over the years.
I'll be back...I already want yellow plates
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Originally Posted by Mustang
