5
I can't believe it, but this weekend was already the season opener at LRRS. True to form, Loudon served up the nastiest weather possible. I saw the forecast and yet I still pre-reg'd and went up for Penguin practice on Friday. I've learned over the years that practice is the only way to get good results in bizarre conditions, so buck up.
I was getting comfy on a track with less than no traction in the wet and Saturday morning continued the theme. GTU lines up with only light spitting rain, but a COLD damp track. Full rains. GTO is wave 1 and as they took off, an S1000 hit the start/finish stripe and went full sideways, back and forth like 4 times. I was like, OK, not sure how to launch this, butttttt here goes. I let the clutch out gingerly and made it across the stripe without incident and down into T1 in 3rd. Going off line to pass was sketchy, so I waited a bit for a clean pass. By then Scottie had a big gap and I was all alone. I got a decent pace for the conditions (1:24s/25s) and settled in for the loooong cold race. Finished 2nd without incident. All that solo practice on Friday was rewarded.
Next race was the dash for cash. Last race on saturday and the track was now dry except a stripe of water across the apex of T1. Temps were dropping further and the wind was almost icy. I got a great launch and slotted into the lead group around 4th place. Ricky came by me in T6 and then on lap 2 Adam A. who was in second lost the front in a cold T1a. Ricky and I had to take evasive lines and I lost the train. I was kinda in a lonely 4th place, but I had little feel for the tires and zero confidence. I slowly drifted backwards til Sammy Greenwood and Pete Gaboreault caught me. Sam zapped me int the transition from 7 to 8. It was a tight move in a strange spot, but I was parking it, so it's all good. I heard Pete's SV and I resolved to not letting him by finishing 5th. Meh. Not a satisfying race.
Sunday dawned cold, but sunny! MWF40 is my only race on Sunday. I got a killer launch and slotted in behind Scottie G. I kept him in range for a couple of laps, but I didn't have the pace to go with him. We hit back markers by late in lap2 as it is a huge field. I made a few notable passes. On double pass around the outside of the apex of T1 and another double around the outside of T11. I lost the front slamming the bike into T12, but somehow made the flop left and exited on 2 wheels. I finished a solid 2nd with a halfway decent pace.
If I'm honest, these conditions scare the crap out of me. But practice makes it better. Let's hope for warmer days in May. See you there.