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So I finally got to race. After 3 years of watching my buddy Matt race.. and 2 years of not being on a motorcycle, I was reaching my wits end. In 2004 I borrowed my old Superhawk from my Dad (who bought it off me in 2003) for a few days of riding in July. Well I got hit by a drunkdriver my 2nd night with the bike and almost died. So much for getting to ride again... grrr. Upon getting out of the hospital I took up my friend Matt's offer to borrow his racebike and do Penguin. Call it a present to myself for not being dead. Besides the fact my arm still didn't work that well (due to injuries) and I was on a borrowed bike.. I had a friggin BLAST just putt-putting around. That winter I said Screw getting another streetbike for 2005 with my settlement.. I'm finally going to get on the track.
So this was to be my first official race weekend and I was completely off the wall excited. I'd only ridden my 'new' bike once before, during the April Friday Practice session and those are untimed.
I headed up again on Friday and met up with my teammate Bob Stone. We unfortunately had some mechanical gremins during the first 2 sessions so we really only got to ride the 3rd. The weather was awesome and we both came off the track salivating for more as we both had a solid 3rd practice. I signed up for the Rookie Race and Lightweight Supersport that night saying 'eff it' and hoping it wouldn't rain.
7am came real quick and it was damn chilly. I signed up for Ultralight Superbike as well before heading out for my VERY FIRST timed practice at 8am. It was so cold I was wearing a hooded sweatshirt. After warming the tires (and myself) up for a few laps I was able to dip into the low 30's with my best being a 1:32.3 That's cool since my goal for my first THREE race weekends was to eventually do a sub 1:30. The second practice session was a bit warmer and I laid down a pair of :29's. Word.
So the Rookie Race was at noon, and I'd be dying to get this out of the way since I did Penguin last August. I was gridded on the pole in the 3rd wave, the Lightweight's. I got the holeshot and never was challenged. Cruised to a easy win and managed to pick off a few of the 600's from the 2nd wave. Pulled some 1:32's.
Race 8 brought the Lightweight Supersport race and my first OFFICAL real race. I was lined up with my teammate Bob Stone on the grid and pretty excited to get out there. I will say, I was a bit nervous about the start and just being around that many bikes. Luckily I got a solid start and didn't really have anything crazy happen. Some dude on a RS250 (#245) crashed in front of me in Turn 1a, that was a eye opener and I managed to hold Bob off for half the race. Very surprising!! Bob has enough points to move up to Am, but decided to stay in Novice a bit longer to ride with me and show me some lines. He's the father of my good friend and teammate Matt Stone (a Expert #834) and I've grown up riding with them. Anyhow I ended up finishing 10th and had a best lap of 1:27.0. WOOO. My goal for the ENTIRE SEASON was to do a 1:26 so I was pretty excited to be so close.
Stay smooth. Stay in control. Don't worry about going fast and get back out there for race #13.
13 was the race of the day. I got a great start and was in 5th on the opening laps. I passed Eugene Berrio 2 laps in going around 11 (another Hawk racer and REAL FAST) and I knew it wouldn't last too long so I enjoyed it while I could. I got past that dude on the RS250 (the one who crashed) and was in 3rd! Eugene got by with Bob right behind him, and for 2 laps it was a 3 Hawk parade all within a few lengths of each other. I had a great view I ended up spending the last half of the race trying to get around Bob but to no avail. We kept running into backmarkers and Bob's experience really paid off as he snuck by them perfectly everytime. I would lose major ground, pass the lapper, then go charging after Bob again only to have it happen all over again! haha. doh. Anyhow we finished 4th and 5th with .15 seconds seperating us (I flew thru the last infield, went low in 12 and almost beat him to the line). Great race and all our friends and family (my dad and Bob's son) were freaking. Cool. I also laid down a 1:26.0 on lap 3! w00t.
Matt also had a good race in the GTL race. Going from DEAD LAST on the grid (32 entries) to 10th place. He also set a new personal best of 1:20.9 on the last lap.
Our other teammate, and complete ROOKIE like myself, Erasmo, did well also. He finished 18th in his first race (1:29's) and 12th in his second race (1:27's). He races a R6, the only non-Hawk on the team, and hasn't ridden a motorcycle in over 5 years...!
Cya in June.
A big thanks to Evil Bikes (.com) and Hcor.net for the support thus far!!
A scorpion was hiding in my toolbox and bit me.
Matt Stone passing a motard
Race #13, battle for 3rd place.
Chasing Bob and passing another lapper.
Turn 6 "the bowl". and YES I'm buying this photo from Owen.
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Originally Posted by 5TOEZ
If i end up gettin to NHIS to watch during the next race weekend i'll make sure to track ya down & say hi.
have fun in NJ.
j/k
