6
Finally, a smooth weekend and a dream run.
Hey Race Fans: The 102nd Loudon Classic is done and when the dust settled it was an incredible experience.
The 400,000 dollar purse adds just a little pressure to the race as some professional racers are willing to throw pretty significant effort and money at it in order to bring home one of the big checks. For club racer like me this is both exciting and a bit stressful.
We drove down to Loudon from 2 successful track days at Club Motorsports and I signed up for Thursday practice. I just used some old race tires to get up to speed and try some alternate gearing solutions. I really just ended up confirming my current setup is the right one for now.
Friday was a regular club race day and I opened my account with a win in F40MW. I grabbed a holeshot and a couple of strong laps (1:13.4) before hitting the traffic zone. Justin Landry kept me honest til the end so I had to stay aggressive with my passing.
Next up was MWSS. I think Shane was out there practicing on his Hooligans bike and he got the jump on me. I slotted in behind him, expecting him to clear off, but he didn’t and Jacob was on my wheel. Shane pulled into the pits and Jacob Crossman came by and he put in 2 fliers. No excuses, I just didn’t have an answer for him and finished 2nd.
With the weather looking damp for Saturday Qualifying, all signs pointed to Friday night’s pre-qualifiers being the best opportunity to set a time. They broke the Classic riders into 2 groups and I would be out with the fast group. Time to step up!!
My crew chief Charles Keighley, Miguel Bettencourt and Matt Kopp were there to help me get everything ready. We made a plan to use 2 SC0 (soft) compound rear tires and a fresh SC2 (med) front for the two 15 minute sessions.
I went out and quickly got down to my previous PB of 1:13.4. I did 2 in a row, but noticed my fuel light had been on for a while. I wanted a light fuel load for optimal handling and acceleration, but I went too far with it and was running out of gas. I got distracted by this and rolled out of it, but managed to get in Shane’s way in the T3 chute. Bad decision on my part.
I shook off my mistake and focused on the second session. I let Shane and maybe 10 other riders go ahead and rolled out. Shane noticed he was being shadowed and pulled over and the whole group followed him. Oh well, I thought, I’m out first, if I hold anyone up it’s not my fault!
I put my head down and was quick right out of the gate. On lap 4 I saw a new PB of 1:13.1 on my timer and was pretty sure that was all I had in me that day and pulled in satisfied. This put me in 17th place out of 40 or so riders. There were 3 other riders on 13.1 and a few on 12.9, so I was in the mix.
Saturday morning proved Chilly and wet so we just sat in the garage and waited, and waited. The track was cool and dry by race time so no stress there. We mounted 2 fresh tires and lined up on the outside of row 5. When the lights went out I got a killer launch and enjoyed a magic carpet ride around the outside of T1 moving up 8 or 9 positions by T1A and smoothly slotted into what I think was 9th place! I had an easy time staying with the group for the first few laps. When I glanced at my timer and I saw a new PB of 12.9 I started thinking that a top 10 was possible!
On lap 6 or so the chasing pack started to make their way by me 1 by 1. When I finally settled into 15th place I was just physically gassed. I was really struggling to maintain my body position and resist braking forces. My times suffered and I lost the group. I spent the next 12 laps just suffering, trying not to slip so far off that I got caught by the next group. I managed to bring it home in 15th and was thrilled to have played a role early in the race. What a ride!!!
But wait, there’s more…
The event rolled on and I had 2 really tough races on Sunday to finish up before I could head home and get some much needed rest.
HWSS: I put one of my 5 lap qualifying tires on for this race and it bit me hard. On the warm up lap I rolled on the gas in T6 and the bike just went sideways to full lock. I saved it, but instantly knew I was in trouble. I got the holeshot but rode tentatively the whole race, but the tire still wasn’t giving me good feelings. When a hard charging Asher Rubright passed me, I battled back a little, but ultimately had to concede and take 2nd. Congrats Asher!
And the final race of the weekend was the Seacoast Sport Cycle Dash for Cash. I had a front row start and absolutely crushed the launch. I tried like hell to hold the throttle open long enough to hold off Eric Wood into T1, but he had the outside and made the move. I latched on his wheel and did my PB out lap of a 15.7, then a few low 13s to separate myself from the chasing pack. Eris was on a mission and he checked out for the win. I managed my gap despite a BIG moment when I hit 1st gear into T12 almost spitting myself off the bike just before taking the white flag. I finished 2nd overall and 1st in MWGP. I honestly didn’t think I had this in me, but I dug deep and got it done!
This round is dedicated to my beautiful wife, Kerry.
Special thanks go to: Vanson Leathers, DP Brakes, Woodcraft Technologies, Superbike Servicess44, and Cyclesmith Track Days
Also to my Crew: Charles Keighley, Miguel Bettencourt, Matt Kopp and everyone else who pitched in around Center 6. Semir Fazlic and Geoffrey Bonnard.
Photos! https://photos.app.goo.gl/pu1c4wKLYQFPgbdJA
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Paul_E_D
