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Saturday Race 3 - Going into this race, I was already stoked to be lined up in row 1 with some very fun and competitive riders, Justin (699), Chris (617) and James (179). Green flag flies and I get a very good launch which puts me in first for about 100' until the 540 bike of Jeff Grivers goes right around me in T1. I pace him until T3 where I try to back it in but fail miserably to which I had to take the turn way wide as soon as the chassis settled. I will end up doing this in T3 for almost every lap in both my races for Saturday. I see 4 bikes go by me as I'm correcting my mistake and at that point in time I figured the race to be done for me seeing how I know that 3 of the riders in that pack are running very similar times to my own.
Seeing how I was not happy with the results of T3, "never say die!" was the tune I was singing as I started to make my way toward the front. I got a "freebie" in T12 when the 699 bike went down 10 feet in front of me. However, I managed to reel in everyone else in except for James.
I merely kept pace with him until he was held up by a lapper who braked way early going into T1. Went for the pass on the inside and stuck it for 1st position. In that time, I turned my personal best of 1:19:4 and I still have no idea where it came from.....but it felt damn good! This was my first race with two subsequent white flags and a fuel test to finish it off.
Turns out, when the checkered is out with the white waving and that meant the race was over for me but one more lap for another bike............but, since I'm a guy who enjoys the thrill of a waving checkered (), I go one more lap until I see, for certain, a waving checkered. I felt like a moron for about 2 seconds but decided I will never slow up until I'm certain I see a waving checkered.
Saturday Race 12 - Again, same exact gridding in the front row as the previous race, and again, I was stoked to be lined up with these guys once again. Green flies and I get an okay launch but carry a wheelie into 2nd gear. I chose not to shut the bike down simply because it would have killed the launch entirely and I was not about to repeat my launch performance of the previous weekend where I was shutting the bike down and getting passed by half the field.
Bike 289 goes by into T1 and I know right off the bat I'm much quicker than he. I lay back and check out his line for about a lap or so and saw a nice opening going into 9. I'm not sure exactly what the thought process was when I set up for the pass, but as I recall I started to get underneath him and was a wheel-length short of completing the pass when he dips harder and slams into me!
My foot was removed from my machine, the bike wobbles but I'm already carrying enough speed (and determination) to make this pass happen no matter what. The instant I knew my bike wasn't going down I continued on with the race without another thought of the incident.
The last couple laps I was getting slowed up by some backmarkers which caused concern for me as I knew 289 was somewhere behind me. Not trusting his ability, I had to make some moves ASAP and finish the race once and for all. Turned a couple more 19's and placed 1st yet again.
What the most interesting thing I found is, as I clicked off my PB, the track started to look completely different to me, as if it had taken on a new life of sorts......almost as if I knew where I could gain even more speed and shave even more time in future races.
As I was recalling my race day to my brother, he somehow likened my experience to the movie "The Matrix" when Neo starts to believe he's "the one" and his vision is now seen in code.......which I thought was a pretty funny comparision.
With this new vision about the track, I know for a fact I will be even faster for this upcoming race weekend.
Kitt - Get my beer ready because I'm going for 18's this weekend!!!!!
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where did that come from?..haha ....i caught up to 289 and jockeyed with him for 2-3 laps but he was all over the place, knew what i was in for being right behind the two of you for 1st couple laps... i think we were dead even going into the bowl on the last lap, i was inside and he cut right down like he had the bowl to himself. i didnt feel like going for a second tumble in the same day....by the way the grass in T12 is properly cared for...
"why tip-toe through life to arrive safely at death?" Tony Campol
Originally Posted by Tricky Mike
Re: Zip-Tie Alley Racing - #794 2009 Weekend 2
as for me its back to shop to work out my bike problems ugh
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