RSP Racing AM#447 - LRRS Round 6 - Mustang
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Saturday
Practices were “meh.” 23s, 24s, 25s.
Race 8 – AM LWGP
I’m leading in points for this race by 20 over #276 Shane Lewis. I’m gridded in 9A (there are eight rows of EX LWGP!?!), with Shane to my right, 449 Kevin Fogg to his right, and RSP Racing teammate 816 Mike Kurtz on the outside. Flag drops and I aaaalmost get the holeshot, but once again 816 comes around the outside before the apex. I’m hot on his tail till Lap 3, when 276 passes me on the brakes into T3??? Unacceptable! It takes me 3 laps, but I finally pass Shane back near the apex of T3, both of us on 816’s rear tire. Mike and I run into two EX bikes, and all four bikes look like roaches scattering when the lights are turned on as we passed them in the chute. One of the experts stays on my tail, and we come upon AM traffic entering the bowl. 816 has already passed this guy, but I go under the AM and the expert goes outside as we apex the bowl. I meet the expert in T7, but mistakenly back off the throttle and give him the corner…and he proceeds to crawl through the next three turns. I can’t remember where I passed him, but I started gaining again on Kurtz, who at this time had developed quite a lead…but I was still about 1/4 of the straight away from him when he took the checkered.
25 outlap, followed by two 22s, a 21, TWO TWENTIES!!, a 24 (traffic), and 21. New PB 1:20.817, and 2nd place. If there was anyone I had to lose this race to, Kurtz would be #1 on my list…so I’m happy with my second since I got into the 20sI’m now leading Shane by only 24, so unfortunately he’ll take the championship if he keeps sandbagging and doesn’t bump.
Sunday
Practices felt good, but still 23s and 24s. 2nd practice was largely just passing practice, which didn’t prove all that beneficial early in the afternoon.
Race 4 – AM LWSB
This is the first time I’ve run LWSB since last year. I’m gridded in 4B – 14th position – and figure I’ll tag onto Kurtz on the start since he’s gridded right in front of me. Green flag flies, and T1 becomes a huge cluster. Kurtz and I pass 2 or 3 bikes on the outside, but T1A and T2 are just as crazy. The entire race was me passing tons of people, and getting passed back on motor half of the time. VERY FRUSTRATING knowing you’re a better rider than some people but they’re pulling more HP… It’ll make me a better rider overall, but geez… Due to traffic and having to check up behind unpredictable riders, my best lap was only 1:21.669, with a 5th place finish. Not bad for not having run this race all year, starting on the 4th row, and having a stock motor…but still frustrating.
Race 8 – AM LWSS
First overall in points here too, but with only a five point gap on 276 Shane Lewis (stop sandbagging and bump with Kurtz and I Shane! Lou already made the jump). The front row is me, Shane, and again teammate 816 Mike Kurtz who’s riding STRONG this weekend! Not much to report here except a killer start and a flag-to-flag win!! As well as another new PB of 1:20.659.
Summary
A HUGE thank you to my RSP Racing teammates, who as always were a huge help in every way this weekend – warmers, wrenching, psychologically, strategy, food. Another thank you to all my sponsors for making this whole racing thing a whole lot more affordable – Tony’s Track Days, Sportbike Track Gear, Knox,MTAG-Pirelli, Dyno Solutions, Brunetto T-Shirts, 434 Racer Performance Parts, Mad Monkey Motorsports/qstarz, and MOTUL. Thank you to Eric (ct1200) and Virginia (ginnyleigh) and Brendan (BMMCBR) for being RSP groupies, pit bitches, and umbrella girls again this weekend…your help and camaraderie is always noticed and appreciated! Thank you to the ECK boys and Garage 2/Group W boys (and YOUR crew!) for the BSing, strategizing, lending of bicycle pumps, introductions to hot wives’ hot sisters, grilling, and of course laughs. As frustrating and expensive as it can be at times, this racing thing is really freaking awesome.
Hopefully the last time you’ll see these numbers on a yellow background…and if so, certainly the last time you’ll see them with any hardware.
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Originally Posted by Rada
I forgot - apparently during LWSS Bruce said something like "Well, the Amateur race has been over for a long time..." sometime around the 5th or 6th lap while announcing 
or stop by the RSP garage!
