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Great weekend. This is going to be long, as always, so if you want to skip it feel free.
Friday practice I was off my game. Not sure why, but it didn't click until the last session. Breaking in a brandy new rear tire (B-stone) wasn't helping my confidence, but my old ones were done, there was no choice. I was feeling good when it clicked though. Saturday practice was also uneventful, but I was running good times with no effort so I can't complain. My first practice was a wash, I was breaking in the brandy new front tire. I later learned I can go out hot on a new tire, or at most it's a lap or 2 to scrub it in. Live and learn.
Sat Ptwins: Preteen got me on the start, but I caught got him back into 1 and stayed in the lead. Turns out I was increasing my gap every lap, but I didn't know that. At some point (not sure which lap) I caught the wave in front of us. I saw my friend Kid coming into 3, and figured if I could pass her there preteen would have to wait until 6 (her bike is fast as hell, he wasn't getting her on motor). Figuring she's new and I'm a lot faster through 3, I tried to get in front of her before I checked up, instead of just getting the inside line like I should have and going into 3 beside her but inside her. She went into 3 hotter than I expected (I should have figured, I saw here crash there in practice) and all of a sudden I was out of room. I jacked the brakes, expecting a stoppie, and instead locked it. I let off and hot on it again, going for smoother, but now the turn is done and I'm just trying not to hit the tires. I guess I hit the brakes too hard again, because it locked again. I was going into the tires, no 2 ways about it. I went in sideways with both tires locked, hoping for the 3/10 split but not quite making it. I though I was about stopped by the time I hit them, but I thought wrong - I flipped over the tires and landed on my shoulder. Ouch, but I'm OK. I was going to go back out, but the brake lever was broken. DAMNIT! Christian took the win, and I just relaxed (while being pissed at myself for blowing a given win doing something stupid). Lesson learned: Don't EVER use a moving object as a brake marker. Whoops.
Sunday practice, I woke up with group 1 already on track, and found out my front tire warmer is junk. Damn yet again. 3 laps easy warming them up, then I decided to go. I caught Coleman (535) coming out of the bowl, and figured I'd pass him by the treehouse, where he usually checks up a lot earlier than me. Well he either saw me there or got a lot better into 9, because he didn't let off. I stayed on the gas too long, since I was going faster and was sure he'd let off and I could sneak in. Nope. Jacked the brakes, couldn't check it up and ended up jumping the curb at the 9 apex. You think EX's are flexy when you ride them, just try jumping one... Anyway, I shot across the track and ended up off-roading on the other side of 9 down the hill. I managed to keep it up, got it turned around, rode back up to the track where I waited for the marshalls to let me back out. By the time I got the go-ahead, I saw the checkered on the last lap. Oh well... Remember that lesson learned from Saturday about not using other bikes as brake markers? I guess I'm a slow learner...
Sat GTL: I don't usually do this race, and it quickly became apparent why. The bikes are fast, and there are a lot of them. My EX & I just didn't fit in. Kitt was cool enough to offer to run a scoreboard for me after hearing about my blowing the win Saturday not realizing the gap I had, which was awesome of him. The race was red-flagged almost instantly, and he went back to the garage. It was stupid hot, I had no chance anyway, no point in him burning himself out in the sun before his race to tell me the distance between me being in 5th and 6th. The race was kind of a wash, Lori & I spent 18 minutes of a 20 minute race running Eric's pace. He pulled her on the straight, she pulled me on the straight, and neither of us got around. At the end of the race I passed both of them, Lori into 6 & Eric into 1. Once I got in front of Eric there was nobody in sight so I just ran an easy lap to hold him & Lori off, that easy lap ended up being a 27.5, damn near a PB. Sweet. And my shoulder was KILLING me by the end of it.
Sat LWSM: I went into this one with a very clear goal: Win. I should have won ptwin and screwed myself, so I've gotta make it up in LWSM, even though it should be a tougher race. This seems to be turning into a habit... I'm going to have to work on the ptwin losing part and stick with the LWSM winning part. Kitt was running the board again, since I planned on winning, and that was awesome. Thanks again dude. Christian just plain killed me (and a few of the SV's from the race in front of us, same wave) off the start, and I went to work reeling him in until we were stopped by a red flag. Turns out it was Kid, but she is fine, so no worries. Now I only have 6 laps to beat Christian. Another start, and he crushes it again. I guess there's something to be said for gearing, and being 75lbs lighter. I went to work again, but this time someone on a yellow SV crashed out, and it was another red flag. Now I really didn't have much time left to catch Christian, so I tried to squeeze a little extra out of the start. It didn't work, and he still got a couple SVs between us by T1. I worked my way through them and got him back in my sights, only for him to put Kurtz between us. I don't even remember how I got around Kurtz, but fortunately the move didn't hold me up much and I was able to keep chasing Christian. We swapped places quite a few times, but I couldn't even tell you where until the last lap. I believe I passed him into 1 on the last lap, and he got me back between 3/4. I got him back again in the bowl, and managed to hold it off for another LWSM win and a new PB of 27.2. I really wanted 26s, but I guess I'll have to get them at the classic. I have no complaints.
Sidenote, I found out my garage mate Coleman (535) crashed into 6, from what I hear he highsided the EX. He took a bus ride to Concord, as I learned while I was helping his family load his bike and hook up the trailer. That was the ambulance on track flag in 6, there was no red flag so I didn't think much of it at the time. It's not my place to get into details on his injuries, but suffice to say from what I understand it's nothing that won't heal and he's overall OK - heal up quick buddy! He was really getting a lot faster this weekend, I expect to see him doing the times I'm doing now this season.
Sidenote #2: I should have gotten new tires long ago. The bike no longer feels like a dirt bike sliding all over sub-29, and it generally feels awesome. And Bridgestone gave me $100 for winning LWSM, a couple more wins and they're free anyway. Miles got them to the track for me even though I waited until the last minute to remember ordering them, and changed them out for me between practice sessions Friday. Overall good stuff.
It was an absolutely awesome weekend, and LWSM was the most fun I've had to date racing. Christian dropped a second plus off his PB to bring me a solid battle, and it was a damn good battle that gave us both PB's and left the people in the bleachers wondering who would win down to the last second. I had an absolute blast. I also hurt - the T3 tire barrier has not gotten any softer since I hit it last year. Neither has the track surface. It was all worth it, and I bought myself a new camper as a consolation prize. Weekend=win.
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Originally Posted by Pookie
NP helping your fam load up, btw. That's what we do, right?
