[OreoGitorio]

uh yeah..... I do

GTL - start 3 laps down from pit lane cuz they almost always to a race 3 and a race 3a... AM GTL is typically 3a.... nope... they kept em combined this time I find that out during the last couple laps of race 2 and I'm by the media center... Rush back, throw my shit on, fly down to hot pit.

I start 2-3 laps into the race and I get 5 laps in before it's red flagged... no restart, no chance to pit in and take a DNF to avoid the dreaded .000 index... oh well

It was my first time riding the track in the wet and first time on rain tires... I did a 1:40.1.... coulda done much better but it was still all new to me so I'm not too disappointed w/ that time. I was only slightly off the pace of fellow AM EX'ers Tom Joyce and Brendan Guy, which I'm happy with.


LSPM - start from pit lane AGAIN cuz i get to hot pit and I find out I forgot my transponder & have to go back for it... I come back & started from hot pit... again I get released & bomb down pit lane and go into turn 2 right behind the last guy in the pack...

I start working my way up the field, slowly picking up the pace and checking out the now drying track...

The first lap a motard went down in turn 11 and I see two bikes pitting in so i figured the race was stopped for another reason & the red flag hadn't come out yet... i slow waaayyy down as the motard jumps back onto the track & takes off down the front straight.... damnit, pin the throttle again, many seconds lost there, but no biggie, still early in the race.

I'm feeling VERY good about my tire choice at this point (switched back to DOT's) and catch up to Tom Joyce and Brendan Guy by the 2nd lap. I come outta turn 12 right behind them, get a good drive and pass them both by the apex of turn one. At that point I put my head down and try to pull away... not a single shimmy, shake, slip or slide from my Supercorsas and I'm feeling VERY good...

I've got a damn good lap going as I come outta turn 12. I get a good drive out, about to shift to 4th and the next thing i know it feels like my front slipped out a bit, came back and before I could complete the thought "can I save it?" my rear tire came out, caught, then went WAY out and caught again... my bike sent me skywards. I see the yellow number plates on my bike as I'm up in the air looking down as I fly up & over the LEFT side my bike (threw me towards the inside of the turn instead of towards the wall)

I hit the ground hard, think "I'm about to get run over by my own bike, tom or brendan"... tumble & slide... "wow, my bike didn't hit me & is REALLY far away right now... wow, i'm still tumbling... bike still sliding... i'm still tumbling... ok, so where's tom & brendan?"

I go to stand up to go to my bike but the pain hit me & I went right back down.... nope, no fuckin chance, I'm done. I stay down as Tom and Brendan finally come around 12 and pass on either side of me, I look back towards 12 & see it's clear so I hobble myself off the track, say "hi" to EMT's as they pick me up & carry me to the infirmary... end of racing for the weekend.

yeah, great way to start my Am debut.





The bike's in pretty good shape considering it's long tumble & slide. Nothing that really can't be bent back at least close to where it's supposed to be

My front end was crooked but after loostening everything up it straightened itself out nicely. Next race weekend I may bring my fork tubes over to Curt Lavoie and have him check them for straightness & bend em back if need be.

my bodywork is in pretty good shape... zipties snapped before the fiberglass so it's still 100% intact, just a couple cracks & some rash.

as for MY bodywork, it could be alot worse... my knee, hip & shoulder are all really banged up, but I'll survive. It'll just slow me down when I'm off the bike, that's all.

See you guys out there in October

EDIT: holy shit that's a long report for only having completed 7 friggin laps

[s a x m a n]

sorry about your weekend man

we were standing in turn 3 wondering why you were going back and forth ... heheh

glad that you are alright!

you looked real good out there and are on track to do real well in AM.

[highsider]

Heal up quickly, Pete.

[OreoGitorio]

thanks guys....

I also wanna add a huuuuge THANKS to everyone that helped me out this weekend... there were a few times where i was runnin around the pits like a chicken w/ my head cut off and as always you guys are always willing to help... Clayton, Gino, Johnny Valve, Danny, pretty sure KB jumped in there, Alex, the guys that helped get my bike back from turn 12 and everyone else, thank you all.

[slaps76]

Man, that sucks...heal quick.

[a13x]

No problem getting your bike back from 12, first time I've ridden a EX, oh boy!

Pete, I know you know, but take the time during a race weekend to make sure YOUR shit is squared away. That's almost the problem with pitting with 1000 other people, lots of distractions..

I'm glad you are okay.

[hessogood]

[zx1012r]

So you were the red flag! And I was running 5th with a HUGE lead over 6th, too!!! What the H!

Just kidding! Saw you getting 'helped' off the track when we came around. That's a scary place to crash, especially with riders right behind you. Glad you will be ok!

And I had a great battle with Bart Chamberlain for 6th and came out on top, so, it was a good race for me after all!

See you in 2

Mark Dages 454

[OreoGitorio]

Originally posted by hessogood

Pretty much... between being wet & cold i just wasn't motivated to do shit that shoulda been done and stuff got left out

Lesson learned: Sometimes in my "Relax, don't rush things or you'll overlook something" approach, I forget shit anyway.

Mark, yeah, I was the red flag. Sorry bout that, I'll try my best to keep that from happening again