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Novice 240 2014 LRRS round 3 race report,
Intro: So where do I start this one. I know where this weekend rocked that’s where. This for me, was the very first race weekend that all I had to do was race and have fun! No working on bike no issues other than getting on my bike and rocking out and it felt so damn good! Good Weather Good times Good racing and a ton of laughs.
Getting ready: I headed to the track on the night of the 18th. I had my family with me and wanted to get everyone settled in time for me to practice Thursday night without worry. I picked up Eric Reiter around 9 stopped in Mass around 10:30 to pick up his bike and got to the track around midnight. Dropped of Eric and headed to a friend’s house to settle in the family and get a good night’s rest before the big weekend.
Thursday: Woke up and got to the track around 7am. Took my time relaxed practice wasn’t until 1pm. Got unloaded, and unwound. Sat in the bowl and smoked a cigar watching the classes go through thinking about the mistakes I’ve made in there. After a min I looked at it and said to myself this is the same bowl you fell in love with your first track day in 2012 it’s a big pussy cat no danger at all just a can of fun waiting for your bitch ass to man back up. After all after all the times you have went down here you have never gotten hurt so “F” it rock out and stop being a punk in here! You broke your ankle good in turn 1 yet you have no fear of turn 1 you broke you ankle and damaged your shoulder good in turn 3 yet have no fear at all of turn 3 why the F do you worry about turn 6 and 7? Cause unlike turn 1 and 3 you don’t know why you kept falling here. You know what lets blame it on the bike and call it a day I said to myself let’s take the easy way out and see what happens.
First practice comes along and I ask a bud Mark Fox to tour me around the track a lap or two and he does. He tells me I’m riding like I’m on a 600cc inline. Tells me to be a lot more aggressive on the throttle when exiting and I could brake a little less. I take his advice in the next practice round I didn’t feel any of the slipping I was expecting when opening the throttle so early but I didn’t want to push it to hard after all it was just practice and I wanted to make it through the whole weekend no need to push too much now and end the weekend early. When I came in this time from practice one of the experts come over and told me to watch my line threw 8 to 9 I was going to wide and it was killing my time and set up for 10-11-12. That was #29. I thanked him for that and listened. Threw out the day that was my spot to work on and although I’m getting it, it is still something I have to work on. The way I did it before felt natural I would tip in center track off apex of 9 and hold line till flip for 10. Now the way he has shown me is to shoot straight line for apex of 9 after hitting 8 and then drop her right down on a knee. Now it feels faster but I have to re adjust my lean angle every time now because I simply haven’t found the right way for me to accomplish this without tipping in over steering adjusting and then tipping in again. Once I get it right I know I will pick up a ton of time there. Penguin did me a favor letting me practice with the am/ex so I didn’t want to ruin their session so I only did a few laps each practice session tried to learn something from them each time and then got out there way and pitted in early to not be a moving obstacle.
Friday: I get to the track around 7 am turn warmers on and wait for practice to start. I was in group 7 think practice was at 11 can’t remember just know it was latter than normal. Everything started to feel better and better kept working on 9 and got the best lap time of the group.
Race 6 novice starter 3: I took the lead in this race off the gate. Got to the front by turn 2 and never looked back. This was my first win ever but my best lap was a 1:30.066 not something to brag about but hey I’ll take a first place trophy any way I can get it.
Race 8 novice formula 3: Again once the flag dropped I was gone never looked back took home my second first place ever. I’m loving the new bike at this point. Had a little time to really feel her out now and I like how she is feeling. Again not great times top of 1:29:538
Race 10 novice formula 2: DNS when I booked my races I thought I did it so that I had two a day I didn’t notice that this was a Friday race so when I came in from race 8 I never put on my warmers. I said I would rather loose the 60$ than race on cold tires and loose more money repairing bike. So I sat this one out.
Saturday: Pulled off best practice time of group 1:29’s. Only one race today and that was race 3 rookie 2. I will be out gunned but hey it’ll be fun. If I beat one of those 600’s I’ll be stoked.
Race 3 Rookie 3: The flag drops im off in 6th by turn 1 using the outside as my go to move, I try desperately to keep up with the 600s leaders but every time I try to carry enough corner speed to keep up someone gets in front of me and I have to brake and lose momentum. I keep getting out gunned in the straights and then blocked in the turn so o get pushed back to 12th out of a field of 27. Not bad but again nothing to brag about. Best time of a 1:28:964
Sunday: practice went good got the best practice time of the group again. 1:29’s knew I had a lot more in me but didn’t want to push it and throw away bike so I chilled and just kept focusing on fixing my T9 approach
Novice starter 2: now this race was one of the funest! Mo had gotten a 650 to ride and was giving me a run for my money all around the track me and him was mixing it up something good. He took me I took him we had a blast. Details are fuzzy but I will up load the footage soon as I get it sorted out. Fun, fun, fun! I finished in 9th with a best time of 1:28.7
Novice rookie 3: This was my by far most favorite race of the weekend! Mo #521 and I were battling it out like we was a couple of pros out there! it was the funniest time I’ve had racing yet. Off the line im in second by t1 come t3 I see my opportunity going up the hill into the bowl I take him, I hear another motor with me but can’t see who. I hold the lead for two laps until mo takes me on the inside going into one on lap 3 shit!!! Where did he come from bike is so dame quite. I chase him down for 3 laps I almost have him in the bowl but then an amateur on a 300 ran some interference for him. I couldn’t get by that am for a good half lap I was like fuck get past this 300 already. I break loose and go tight in 10 got it, back to chasing down Mo. All that work on turn 9 paid off he is about a foot off of the apex of t8 and I see that straight line I’ve been working on I take it I’m in the lead. I put my head down and told myself if he wants it he’s going to have to take it and got into the zone. I’m coming into the bowl slow guy in front of me I want to pass clean I have plenty of speed and can hold it high so I go for the outside. He moves out as I do so I brake thinking I might hit him if he goes out any farther just then I see Mo slide by the inside shit I forgot you was back there waiting on me to mess up! I try chasing him down but I get caught up with an am on 300 that is really not trying to let me by I believe that was Clearance. Im watching my win slip away as I struggle to get by a this am. I go deep on the brakes in t11 get past him but had to park the bike at apex of 11a so I had no drive to catch Mo before the line. He got me! Good race! best time of 1:27:1 It all came down to him taking the right line and me the wrong one around an lapped racer that is what racing is about I loved every second of it. No crashes No injury No wrenching on bike. Best race weekend ever! Thanks Mo for the challenge! I hope we can do it again when I catch up to you in the AM ranks!
Thank you to the Smoke Shack southern BBQ for sponsoring me! Without them i would never see the track!
Thank you also to Street and Competition, Woodcraft and AXO!
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99 + 02 SV650 ex-race - 91 FJ1200 street - 03 KDX220R woods - 12 WR450F motard/ice
