[TheIglu]

Worked late on Friday, got up there about 11:30 on Saturday. Oh well, practice is over rated!

Unpacked, made some lunch for the quasi-CBR team, watched some races. Rode around on the racebike chattin it up while sippin cold water off the Camelback in the heat. Had some dinner on the fancy-pants new grill the lady friend got me, chatted it up some more and got in a late shower. Slept decent.

Up early this morning, breakfast, got the bike tech'd A OK, went out for my first ever 20 minute practice. Felt iffy, not really into it, brakes sucked BAD. 4 fingers required, felt like wood, no modulation or feel at ALL. If you've ridden with me, you know I'm a braking rider. I pass on the brakes. That's just what I do. This made that impossible.

Shadowed a fellow AM EX'er (John) the entire 20 minutes, never getting far from him. Coulda made a couple passes but just wasn't feeling it. I like my brakes to be nice and it messes with me when they aren't. Was much faster than him in 10 and 3, slower out of 12 and out of 2. TJ ended up right behind me at the end of the practice. Seems like we 3 were some close EX's.

Race 3, Production Twins:

Gridded in the last row on the inside. Good start, first EX coming into 1. Right away Charles goes by on his red EX. Got by him pretty quick right behind TJ and John. I'm in 3rd. Bunch of motarded traffic and 125's. Man, what a clusterfuck with 4 waves of EX's, Motards and 125's out there. TOO MANY BIKES. TOO MANY DIFFERENT LINES. Wasn't feelin it again and just kinda motored along a little distance behind 1st (TJ) and 2nd (John). They started to pull away. Saw the halfway marker and something clicked. I really start opening up. Dragging my knee HARD on turns I never do. Really hangin the bike out there, especially in 10. That trackwalk helped last night. Sooner than later I find myself on the ass of TJ and John. Waving yellow in 5, TJ eases upa tiny bit and John passes him under waving yellow. Not cool...

2 laps left, door opened with John being slow in 10 and holding TJ up. I go wide in 10 (which isn't wide really, just compared to them) and take TJ into 11. Then he comes on the outside of 11 to the inside of 12 and cuts me off into 12. Ok, back to third place. Last lap, white flag. Right on the tail of 1st and 2nd. Pull the same move in 10 and really crank by him. Run a wider line in 11 defensivly, he still comes around but it ruins his drive outta 12. When we both were finally upright goin down the front stretch to the checkered, we were literally 6" apart next ot each other and about as neck and neck as can be. Drag race the whole way, who can shift quicker. I'm looking over yelling NO NO NO NO!!!!!!. We hit the start/finish pretty much completely even. GOOD RACE. Always a good time to battle with TJ.

I managed to take 2nd over 3rd by .006 seconds. That puts me in the lead for points! Wooo hooo!

Best lap out of all PTwins riders was my 4th lap, 1:26.8-something. I hit mostly 1:27's too. Back in the game! Still nearly 3 seconds off my best, but at least I'm consistently doing 1:27's again with more time easily attainable.

Next on the list?

New brake pads and an EBC full floating rotor. Fuck it, I'm willing to spend the money to get my laptimes back down. Brakes are KILLING me. I had at least another second to second and a half just in braking today that I couldn't get to.