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And the hits just keep on comin'
It was another awesome weekend. I didn't know if I'd top my rookie weekend, but this one was damned close.
I really wasn't feeling it when I got to the track on Saturday morning. I hadn't done any of the Friday practice, so I wondered how I'd perform with only two morning practices, both of which stunk on ice. I couldn't get under 1:30 and went into race 10 (Nv Formula 40 Lites) a little apprehensive. I grid 5-A, 2nd row in our class.
Well, I got a great launch, but unfortunately, goosed the throttle a little too hard and brought the front wheel up 3 feet in the air. Banging the clutch to settle it, I found myself in dead last (9th) in my class into turn 1. I knew I had to boogie to catch Bill Morey (Yknot), since he's the person I usually target and he got the holeshot.
I managed to pick off 7 of the riders in my class by the end of the first lap and set my sights on Bill. He was a good 15 lengths ahead and there he stayed, pulling out a bit more by the end. I ended up 2nd of 9 with a 1:27.986 best lap, .3 off my personal best, with most laps in the 28's.
Sunday I was feeling better after coming off race 11 on Saturday. My first race was the GTL. Laurie Shaw is usually a contender and having just done the Miss Match, Erik Boos and I figured her for being spent. Well, "old" age has its disadvantages, since I have probably 12 years on her.
I grid 7-C in the 2nd row of our wave. The flag drop and I got an awesome launch, moving right between Laurie and Bill Morey and finding myself in 2nd going into T1 behind Erik. Peter Valach on a white Husky motard blows by me in T3 and by Erik in T4. He was GONE. I hung onto Erik's rear wheel for the first lap and got him under braking into T1, where I stayed until a red flag dropped just before the halfway point.
We regrid and it's almost a carbon copy of the first start. Erik, me, Peter into T1. Peter takes me in T4 again and Erik in T6. I take Erik in T1 on lap 2 with Laurie Shaw hot on my heels. I managed to hold Laurie off for 5 laps. I made a mistake in 3, going wide and she showed me a wheel in T4. I got her under power over the hill and held here until the next lap where again, in T3, I went wide. She did the same and I got 2nd back under power over the hill, but she had the better line going into the bowl and got me on the inside. And then she TOOK OFF, posting a 1:24.7 on that lap. I stayed in 3rd for the remainder of the race and posted my first GT podium, 3rd of 10 riders and a new personal best lap of 1:26.803 and staying on the 27's most of the race.
My last race was LWSS, which I thought was going to be my "easy" race. There was only one other in my class, and 5 total on the grid, including Greg Hall (G21forme) on DDK's EX500. I grid 1-C and lagged a little on the start, but got through 4th gear into T1 and was in first. Billy Solmes, (913 on a Ducati 900SS) was the other person in my class and got hung up for a little more than a lap behind one of the other riders. When he finally broke free, he started closing the gap. I was putting down decent times, but every time I got into the bowl, I'd look back to see him getting a little closer. Gino, Bill Morey, Annalisa, and Ethan (my son) were watching from the top of Gino's trailer in T1. Gino told Annalisa that he knew the race would be decided on the last lap. Well, sure enough. Billy got me in the inside as I was tipping into 11. I hung onto his rear wheel and went for broke coming out of 12, twisting the throttle WFO. I got him just before the line for the win with yet another PB of 1:26.760!
So, my second weekend saw 3 races and 3 podiums! Thanks goes primarily to Annalisa and Ethan, my support group! But thanks to everyone who has been critiquing my riding and offering suggestions at what may help to get me a little faster.
Things I know I need to work on (thanks Bill and Gino for recognizing these) both chicanes need a LOT of work. I lose so much time there, mostly because I rock the bike side to side to slowly. It was fine when I was doing 1:35's, but now that I'm 9 seconds faster, lines that were working then, just aren't working now. I also need to find my line through the bowl. I'm coming in way too shallow and going up too high after the apex. I have made some improvement through T3. Dropping my shoulder there helped.
See y'all in October!
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Originally Posted by Pookie
