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Well, strange weekend for me.
Saturday
Race 5: A few minutes before we head out, Seth looks at my bike and points out I lost the bolt holding on my countershaft sprocket. Fucking wonderful. Get that sorted out but miss the race
Race 9: Get a decent start in the rain, latch on to a pack of 3 other bikes, keeping up with them, getting held up a bit by them. Hit the straight, shift once, go to shift a second time ... no shift lever. Fucking hell, this bike hates me. DNF the race. Fortunatly, during some downtime, walk around on the straight and find the shift lever.
Sunday
Race 2: Get a decent start, diving into turn 1 behind Jeff Wood and a whole shitload of bikes. That tire wall at the end of the hot pit comes close real fast. Its not quite the same as an AM start. Cruise around behind Frank, outbrake him into 3, and get in front of him. Apparently leave him in short order and cruise around by myself, and take 8th place.
Race 5: Get a decent start, maybe 5th or 6th, in the chute into 3, 2 bikes come together and go down. Red flag. On the restart get a good start and go into turn 1 in second place. Holy shit I cant believe it. I was expecting a freight train to go by me. Eventually Jay Root goes around, and after about a lap Donovan gets by us. Travis is hounding me constantly, pulling up beside me, but just never getting around me. Come onto the straight, see Jay throw a handup and pull off, fuck yah, that puts me into 3rd. Travis keeps hounding me, but still cant get around. Come out of 11 and see Eric Blocks bike sliding across turn 12. HOLY FUCK I'm in 2nd place! I've honestly never been as nervous as being in 2nd, knowing someone was right behind me. I just didnt wanna do something stupid and lose it. On the last lap Travis finally gets around me. I peek back NO ONE, all I gotta do is finish the lap. Holy shit, my first expert weekend and I get on the podium. I dont think I've ever been as excited in a race. Ran a personal best 1:22.2 and 6 of the 8 laps in the 22s.
What a fucking way to end the season.
As always, thanks to ZTA and t1a, all the friends and people at the track, easily the best year of motorcycling Ive ever had, despite all the frustration at times.
Special thanks to Eric Connelly and the guys at Plaistow Power Sports. Before I managed to find the shifter, Eric called the shop and they pulled a shifter off a used bike in the shop and left it for me to pick up. Thanks a lot dude for the effort!