[TheIglu]

Got up there Friday night. Unpacked, got some food with Brent, Liz, Joel and Darrell. Got back, went to bed.

Saturday morning got up, got the bike ready and headed out for practice. Very nervous since I haven't been on the track since October and I felt uneasy about my abilities. After 2 laps I was right where I was last season comfort wise. The times weren't there (couple 1:28's were my best) but I felt good and had good feedback from my freshly rebuilt front brakes.

No races on Saturday since I figured it was gunna rain and I also am on a VERY tight budget this year. Buying a house (hopefully) will do that to ya.

No practice Sunday since the track was wet, but not wet enough for rains. Went out for Prod Twins fully expecting to be way in back the whole race. Got a decent start two motards behind Pete. Couple laps in Pete got around the motard that was holding him up and starting putting some distance between me, the motards in front of me and him. Coming into 3, I found myself ahead of the two motards with 4 laps left with nothing but space between me and Pete who was leading at the time. Each lap went by had me gaining significant distance on him until the 6th lap when I found myself nearly having to put the brakes on coming up outta the bowl. I downshifted into 9 and ran 10 tight to get a good line. Pete went a little wider than normal and I saw his suspension go crazy. I dove to the inside and gave it all the throttle it could handle. I went by him on the inside of 10 which very shortly became the outside of 11. I have never passed that way before and probably for good reason, I usually pass on the outside of 10, inside of 11. I straighten up and aim deep into the braking zone of 11 and feel a THWACK on the back of my bike. I figure Pete saw me, gave me a little tap and now I'm gunna have to run wide into 11. Then another WAP and the bike feels like it's got a flat in back, it's goin fishy on me. I look behind me for a split second to see Pete's bike hanging on to my bike half sideways with me dragging it and Pete 15 years back in the ground. "Oh shit" i thought and I aimed straight through 11 towards the grass and Nascar oval. BahBUMP and I go airborn into the grass, land in mush/grass/mud and it feels like I am carrying the Cling-On no more. I was fully expecting to go down but by the time it was all over I was on my bike and riding around the oval. Stopped at a corner worker to see what happened. He ran over, yelled "I can't believe you kept that up! That was amazing!", looked at my bike and yelled "GO GO GO GO GO!!!!!!". I ripped back onto the track with grass, mud and foam flying off my bike down the straight. One more hot lap and I found myself coming up on the rest of the EX field FAST. Go through the bowl shaking my head "no" to Rob and Kiera since I knew things were not good. Was about to do some passing in 3 when I saw Conner go wide right in front of me and a 125, do a superman jump off the curb and land hard. I knew it was a red at that point, race was done. Came around with my hand waving, saw Pete walking to the ambulance and felt a little relieved.

Ended up taking 4th some how. I have no idea how.

Pete deserved the win, I got greedy and should have just kept 2nd. It would of been a much better season opener than how it turned out. I would of tried to go wide on 10 like I usually do but I am wary since Pete was taken out there from a lowside by another rider and ridden through a couple lowsides there myself narrowly avoiding the downed riders. Perhaps 10-11 just isn't a good place to do passing....

Pete, I hope everything heals up quick, next time just hop on the back of my bike so we can both get the win.

[a13x]

One of the craziest stories I've heard.. jeepers.

[SVRACER01]

dont beat yourself up clay. pete opened the door when he went wide and you were there to walk through it. its tough to tell if anyone is to blame but thats racing. if you were ahead of him then he should of given way to you. he messed up and you benefited from it. it sucks that it turned out the way it did but your OK and pete will heal. that story is 2nd only to the fire

[Kitt]

what practice # were you saturday? I was 8... track was hardly damp.

[a13x]

That is a wacky spot thou. I had a very similar thing happen to me in Novice Practice in 2005. I was passing a way slower EX guy and he went wide in 10, I went tight, he didn't see me, and we broadsided each other at the 'climax' point. Our bars got attached, my foot was under his footpeg (ripping off my toeslider) and we both saved it somehow. I *though* he saw me and knew I was there but apparently not.

Shitty situation and lesson learned...

The High / Low T10 line works better when there is a huge speed difference between you and the other guy (lappers?) but once the pace is similar.. not so much. I used T11 to my advantage much more this weekend and utilized T10 as part of the setup proceedure.

[TheIglu]

Originally Posted by SVRACER01

dont beat yourself up clay. pete opened the door when he went wide and you were there to walk through it. its tough to tell if anyone is to blame but thats racing. if you were ahead of him then he should of given way to you. he messed up and you benefited from it. it sucks that it turned out the way it did but your OK and pete will heal. that story is 2nd only to the fire

Yeah, I know, but still, Pete is and will be the closest rider skill and time wise to me. Going out there with him is like trying to race against myself. Once he bumped to AM when I was still NV last season things weren't as fun, even if I was winning all the time in Prod Twins. It's not so much that I did something horribly stupid or anything, it's that I took out a team mate and friend who I'd rather lose to than cause to crash.

[TheIglu]

Originally Posted by a13x

I used T11 to my advantage much more this weekend and utilized T10 as part of the setup proceedure.

That's how I typically do it, running wide in 10 and tight into 11 late on the brakes. Had a pass by jumping the curb on the inside of 11 once for 2nd place in LWSB, but I've done it so many times without issue. I thought I had the drive to finish the pass, I didn't think about him swinging back across my "big-bike" line.

[SVRACER01]

i had a moment or 2 over there this weekend too during lwsb. guy ran wide and i went tight(er) i had to jam on the binders to keep from colliding.

[TheIglu]

Originally Posted by Kitt

what practice # were you saturday? I was 8... track was hardly damp.

I was practice 5 on saturday and sunday. Sunday i didn't go out since it was wet, but not wet enough.

[a13x]

Originally Posted by TheIglu

That's how I typically do it, running wide in 10 and tight into 11 late on the brakes. Had a pass by jumping the curb on the inside of 11 once for 2nd place in LWSB, but I've done it so many times without issue. I thought I had the drive to finish the pass, I didn't think about him swinging back across my "big-bike" line.

Yea you are a pretty slick cat rider and rather quick on the uptake so figured you were already savvy on that one

I did the O-SO FUN 'kerb jump' on the outside of T11 for the pass into 2nd in Race 8 yesterday. Homeboy went wide last second, little easier on the 12" travel bike but still hairy since outside line was wet wet.

[Paul_E_D]

As I posted elsewhere, I think the tight line outta 10 is the dangerous one. It does not flow, and there are too many variables in how you approach T11. The guy on the outside is looking deep into 11, not over his shoulder and his bike will swing out as he tips it left for the entrance of 11.

One nice smooth S from 10 to 11 is safest for everyone.

[OreoGitorio]

yeah, i turn in a touch earlier than most in 10, drive way out to the grass, then at the first cone on the left bring it back to the middle juuussst a touch to get a better angle as i flip over to the left for 11. just as i was flipping left is when clay came along side me hard on the gas, where I had already rolled off. I was still leaning to the right & couldn't flip left & away from him fast enough.

I rolled off early before contact because i was getting a little tired & thought the motards had held clayton up more than they did.

s-all good bro, i shoulda kept it pinned, now i gotta GET pinned

[SVRACER01]

Originally Posted by Paul_E_D

As I posted elsewhere, I think the tight line outta 10 is the dangerous one. It does not flow, and there are too many variables in how you approach T11. The guy on the outside is looking deep into 11, not over his shoulder and his bike will swing out as he tips it left for the entrance of 11.

One nice smooth S from 10 to 11 is safest for everyone.

you want safe? race somewhere else.

[TheIglu]

Originally Posted by OreoGitorio

yeah, i turn in a touch earlier than most in 10, drive way out to the grass, then at the first cone on the left bring it back to the middle juuussst a touch to get a better angle as i flip over to the left for 11. just as i was flipping left is when clay came along side me hard on the gas, where I had already rolled off. I was still leaning to the right & couldn't flip left & away from him fast enough.

I rolled off early before contact because i was getting a little tired & thought the motards had held clayton up more than they did.

s-all good bro, i shoulda kept it pinned, now i gotta GET pinned

Thats'ah lotta typin with one hand!