0
This was my first race weekend since returning from Antarctica and only my second race weekend this season so I started the week off with a couple of good practice days with BostonMoto. I was planning on doing Thursday practice as well but was too tired after BoMo so I skipped it and instead showed up for Friday afternoon practice. Met Eziah (#669) on Friday doing his rookie weekend on a 125. He was already looking fast that day! By Saturday morning practice, he's already 5 seconds faster than me! Darn lightweight 14 year olds!
Saturday race #3 MWGP
I entered this race to practice my starts and get race practice before the 125 race. Well, I got plenty of starts to practice as the red flag kept on flying. I was always last off the line but would catch up to the pack entering one. I could have gotten into the mix in 1 and again in 3, but chose to wait for the pack to stretch out for a lap before racing for positions. Glad I did because the red flag flew twice on the starting lap, once for an incident in 1 and one for a pile up in 3. The race got postponed after the 3rd red flag. So far, two laps got completed.
Saturday race #8 125GP
I get a good start and I'm first into 1 ahead of Joe (#512) and the new kid, Eziah (#669). I didn't expect to wait long until Eziah passed by me and when I was passing a motard on the inside of 2, I noticed Eziah passing us on the outside. I then noticed him wiggling around after hitting the wall and falling back. He caught up to me again and easily passed me before we got to the bowl. My goal now is to stay ahead of Joe to finish 2nd. Joe gets by me once but I pass him again in the front strait. During the final lap, I start noticing issues with my bike's power, especially at lower RPMs. When I come out of 12 knowing Joe is not far behind me ready to pounce, I get on the throttle and I get NO POWER! By time I take a downshift, which got me in the RPM range where I still had power, Joe got by me with a lead and enough steam that I could not catch up and he finishes ahead of me.
As I suspected, the reeds were the cause of my loss of power. With fellow 125 racer Rene's help, I get them changed in plenty of time to be ready for race 10a (aka postponed race 3).
When I later checked the race results, I found out I came in 2nd out of 3 and Joe won! I later learned that Eziah low sided in 3 and we had managed to get by him before he got going again! So far I have not finished worst than 2nd in 125GP!
Saturday race #10a (postponed race #3 MWGP)
I was last off the start as usual but stayed withing reach of the pack for the first lap. We get 8 laps in without problems and I manage to get by someone in that time. Finished 15th out of 25 who started and 16 who managed to finish.
Saturday race #12 LWGP
This is another race where I don't expect to finish in the front, but use it for practice. I'm gridded on the front row next to a TZ250 and a couple of SV650s and a Hawk occupies the second row. I get a good start but am still last into 1 as usual. For about a lap and a half, I keep the Hawk in sight as he gains ground on me. I get a bunch of clear laps to just work on being consistent. Nearing the end of the race, I do catch up to a slower racer from the previous wave so I got to work on my racing skills as I tried to figure out how to pass him. Finished last as expected, but I got good practice laps.
I didn't sign up for any races on Sunday so headed home after enjoying some burgers with fellow two stroke racers from center garage 10 and the EX mafia.
My next race weekend, my first outside of LRRS, will be at Shubie (http://www.atlanticmotorsportpark.com/) with ARL (http://www.atlanticroadracing.com/) before the next LRRS round.
Reply With Quote
