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There seems to have been a misunderstanding among many regarding the honor of my intentions during my year away. I was always resolute and firm with my statement, even from the commencement of my rookie year in 2013. I was giving it my all for one season, then taking the next year off. I qualified that with "this may be my only chance." I never said I was done. That year off was time to do three things. Spend more time with my family, recover my finances, and decide whether this racing addiction was a passing fancy. Twenty one days at the track, forty two races, and five rounds as an Amateur left me with one win, twelve podiums, 696 points, tenth overall AM, third overall in Supertwins, third overall in Thunderbike, many incredible memories, a few new friends, and a $15 coupon for Vortex stuff. I tried my damnedest for ROTY, but like they say, coffee is only for closers.
I went cold turkey on NHMS, filling in with a few trackdays elsewhere. The TDs left me feeling out of sorts without a win to chase. I slowed way down. Finished off my year in October with a crash at Thompson in the wet. I was too cheap to buy proper rain tires, and rode shredded freebies. It was a slow easy lowside, but the bike hopped a curb using the pipe as a skidplate and then hit barriers, trashing the bodywork. I put it in the trailer soaking wet and muddy, and left it until last Thursday. It started fine with last year's gas and never touching the battery. First gen SV- harder to kill than bedbugs.
I knew all winter I would race in 2015. I just didn't do anything about it. I bought a dirt bike and fiddled with several sets of ice tires. It was a lot of work, but I was happy to have something to look forward to on miserably cold weekends. Heavy snow meant I needed to travel quite a bit to find plowed ice. I met some interesting folks in the secret world of ice riding. I was absolutely humbled by skilled riders on lesser equipment than mine.
So, Thursday 4/23 I started on the bike about 7PM. I had already signed up for Friday practice. Removed the fairings, glassed the tail, bent and welded the exhaust, fixed the bar and rearset, changed off the tires to takeoffs from '13, tried to fab a plate mount from a broken fairing stay, put on a new chain (I stole the old one for my dirt bike) and wired up what was necessary. Painted the tail blue over the existing yellow chipped to orange. It all melted together and crackled. Threw whatever I could think of in the trailer and truck. Dropped new helmet on the ground. Went to bed at 5:30AM. Up at 7 to find some food and clothes for the three day weekend. I think I got to the track at 11, where I was charged the $25 gratuity for signing up just past 5 on Monday. Pulled my truck and trailer into some horrible narrow bent spot over by the medical center, because I had no parking pass yet, and the spots in front of the center garage were full. Looked like I'd be there until everyone left Sunday. Signed in to Penguin. Started to see some familiar faces, all of whom seemed delighted and surprised to see me. I felt a little better, despite having missed half of practice, still needing to assemble a front plate, and being fried from a week of all nighters. I was accosted by nhbubba and jasnmar by the men's bathrooms, whereupon they pressured me into coming back to their lair to look at some etchings. (I may have hallucinated this part?) Somehow the bike got to center 8, leaving all my stuff way behind. I went through tech, with a reminder that I would be needing a bellypan, numbers, helmet eject, safety wire, and countless other shit. "Yeah, yeah, yeah" I nodded. I'll get it done for tomorrow, promise!
At some point the fools let me out on hot pit. I was absolutely delirious with the feeling of being back on the track and snapping my visor down for a practice start! Going up 4 I laughed and said "Oooh Yeahhh!" It was hard to believe it had been 18 months since I'd done that. I almost lost the front in 10 because I was on cold tires chasing everybody else with warmers. Laid down some sultry 1:30 laps. Bike was great. My brain and body were a shambles. My suit fit so tight I could barely move and breathe. I'm not sure what else I did, except lots of shaking babies and kissing hands. Tremendous thanks to Colin, Jason, and Pete for making me feel welcome back at the track. Finally got my vehicle closer to my current borrowed garage, whereupon Kurlon suggested I move my bike further away to it's new stable snuggled up next to a Ninja in C15. I spent most of the night with a blinding headache and nausea, laying on the cold floor trying to fashion a bellypan. I was sure I'd contracted the plague my family had all week, until someone mentioned that it might be that kerosene heater that had been aimed at me for hours from a few garages down. Oh, right. Flailed away at the bike until 1AM. Pit boss promised to get me up bright and early for tech. Was awakened by the 1250cc alarm clock of Legends. Missed first practice. I may not be good, but I'm goddamned consistent...
99 + 02 SV650 ex-race - 91 FJ1200 street - 03 KDX220R woods - 12 WR450F motard/ice
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Originally Posted by nhbubba
