9
The season ender! Going into this round I had already clinched the P-89 championship and lead Adam Clark by 18 points in ULSB. I had done the math every which way but simplified it down to having to finish no more than 7 positions behind him to win the championship.
It was supposed to be a rainy day and it started that way. The track during practice was damp but not soaked. As the day progressed the mist continued but it wasn't enough to keep the track dry. Adam had a tight championship fight in race four and shagged his rear rain tire pretty badly so I was concerned about mine lasting two races. I was watching the radar closely and it was clear most of the rain was just barely missing us to the west but we were still getting an occasional shower. I was hoping for rain as I think I do better than most of my competition in it.
P-89
Sprinkles started again just before race 9 (P-89) so I left the rains on and went out. Joel Robie put the warmers on my slicks when I was on track in case I decided to swap to them before race 11 (ULSB). The line was dry for the sighting lap and I decided I had to do the right thing for the next race. I putted around for a lap and came in. There was no sense cooking my rain tires or chancing a crash for a championship I'd already had in the bag.
ULSB
Adam and I were bantering back and fourth in the pits about tires. He has both a rain and dry bike so he had both options available to him at a moments notice. Me, not so much. The sprinkles still existed but it wasn't enough to really get the track wet. The radar was still showing rain nearby. I committed to leaving the rains on as that's what I was seeing most of the other racers do and if it started to rain I needed to have the option to safely handle it. If I smoked my rains on this race so be it. I got a decent launch and was maybe 5th going into turn one. Plenty of space. I set a pace for myself that I felt very safe at and could preserve my tires with. Adam and another rider walked away from me but I was fine with that. I had a back and fourth with Bill Morey for a few turns and then I backed off. Not going to risk anything... I passed Eric Block at some point as he was doing the same thing I was, preserving his tires and not crashing. I finished the race easily in fourth place, solidifying the ULSB championship as well. First place ended up getting DQ'd so LDR racers took first, second and third positions for the first time this year!
The pit bike race was a great opportunity for me to blow off all the steam and stress that had been building up in me all day. During the day it was all about control and strategy. I threw all that out the window for the pit bike race and just friggin ripped it! It was a great way to end the season for me! Knees were dragged, tires spun and sparks flew.
It was a interesting season for my first expert race season. A change of job in May left me uncertain if I was going to be able to compete in every round. My previous employer unexpectedly treated me very well when I left there, leaving me with some extra spending money. Those funds made it able for me to justify competing in all the rounds. Adam Clark had a mechanical issue in round 3 that cost him valuable points. Despite never having a first place finish in ULSB I was able to consistently finish high enough to rack up enough points. Bill Morey was supposed to be my fierce competition in P-89 but he had a crash in round 1 that ended up doing significant motor damage to his bike. That, coupled with some other plaguing mechanical issues set him back a couple rounds and allowed me to walk away with a huge points lead.
I've spent the last few weeks really reflecting on what racing this year has meant to me. It's not a level I really thought I'd excel at. Most other sports that I've competed in I've been an intermediate competitor. No one really notable. I've looked up to so many expert racers as I've progressed and it was an honor to be on track with them let alone actually finding myself in a position in front of them. It still hasn't settled in. I look forward to sharing the excitement and skills with upcoming track day riders and budding racers.
So many people to thank. My wife for putting up with all my travel, time in the shop working on bikes and general other crap. Thanks for feigning interest in a sport that's foreign to you. I'll try to feign interest in your gardening too. My Low Down Racing brothers and teammates. Thank you so much for your support both on and off the track as well as the constant source of entertainment. If we can't laugh at each other, who can we laugh at? Tony's Track Days. I've always found teaching skills forces you to hyper-analyze them and being an instructor has increased my skill set immensely. Thank you Tony and Ken for taking a chance on me and allowing me to work as a member of your team. Thanks to all my fellow staff members for being such a close knit family! You are all a pleasure to work with. MTAG/Pirelli. You stick (yes, I spelled that right). Marty Hanlon and Arcy Kusari. Your photos are friggin awesome and help tell the story to non-racers that would never believe what I do without the proof. Souhegan Valley Motorsports. Scott, you've done a wonderful job on my motor twice now. Thank you and I look forward to giving you more of my money in the future! Computrack Boston. PK has done the suspension setups on my bikes and will continue to get my business. His followup and trackside support is amazing. My fellow racers and their significant others. LRRS racing is as much or more about the connections made off track as the actual event of racing. I've met so many wonderful people at the track and they have become part of my life, whether they want to be or not. Thank you all!
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Originally Posted by tsorfas
way to make the commitment! what a season!
99 + 02 SV650 ex-race - 91 FJ1200 street - 03 KDX220R woods - 12 WR450F motard/ice
