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Man... what a great weekend of racing. T3 and T10 were silky smooth, but there were still some bumps in the road.
Saturday kicked off with the Motard practice.... yeah, you read that rightChristian was kind enough to let me ride his spare tard, so I signed up for the Motard race, slapped some numbers on it & headed on out for practice.
Took a few laps to start getting up to speed but in the few laps I got in I was able to clock off a 23.8. Not too shabby!
I came in from the Tard practice, immediately switched back to the SV and went out. I swear to God I musta been doin 1:40's at firstTalk about two different animals!!!
Anyway, on to the races:
The "Spoilers":
LWSB - 2nd
LWGP - 2nd
GTL - 3rd
LWSS - 2nd
The Details:
Saturday
Race 2, LWSB.
Superbike was a good race... Got a good start, but Scott Mullin got a better one and took the holeshot. Ricky got underneath me exiting T2 and attempted a pass but I held him off in the braking zone for 3. He slipped underneath me at the now silky smooth transitions and pulled ahead, putting me back to third. Ricky took the lead from Scotty a lap later, but a PLUME of smoke came bellowing out of his belly pan as he exited T2, handing the lead (and the win) back to Scotty with me behind him in 2nd. I backed off a little bit turning mid-high 17's and even a couple of 18's, but Chris Cucinotta, who had just switched to Pirelli tires, made a late run and started chipping away at the gap. It was definitely close enough to make me nervous but I kept my composure, turned a low 17 and held onto 2nd.
Race 6, LWGP.
The green waved and Ricky, riding another one of his 500 bikes, took the holeshot after getting a great jump. I followed in 2nd place until we came back around to the start/finish where Scotty would blow my doors off riding Brett Guyer's old Sport Classic 1000. That's pretty much where things would stay for the remainder of the race. Chris tried making another late run but I stayed just out of reach again and held onto 3rd.
Sunday:
Race 2, GTL.
THREE STARTS this one took...
First start I was 2nd into T1 behind Scott Mullin and Ricky passed me into T3... then a red flag sent us back to pre-grid.
Second start was a mirror image, but I held Ricky off until T6?... I watched Scott & Ricky sllooowwwwly work away, but another red flag brought us back.
Third start I was determined to stay ahead of Ricky for the first lap. Which I did.... and the second... and the third and the fourth and the fifth. Ricky did everything he could to get by but with nothing at stake but a race finish, he eventually gave up and backed off. I wasn't taking any chances though and kept on turning hot laps, praying for another red flag which would end the race. Well, I got my wish when Chuck's bike decided to take a fukkin nap in T4. I came into T3, saw the red and there was Chuck, lying in the track like a fool.
GET UP, CHUCK!!!
Glad you're alright bro... and thanks for the red flag, I needed that
Race 8, LWSS.
This.... was the best race of my weekend. Green waved and I took the holeshot with Ricky right on my rear tire. He came up underneath me exiting turn 2 and almost made the pass, but I was determined to hold onto the lead into T3. We came into the braking zone side by side but I had the inside line. We tipped in, crossed the transitions and there he was again, trying to stuff it up the inside before T4. We rode up T4 side by side, my elbow inches from his fairing to the top of the hill where I motored back past him into the bowl. Exiting the bowl, there he was AGAIN trying to sneak up the inside, but I shut the door entering T7. Around and around we went, each lap just as intense as the first... he'd stuff his nose in, trying to make the pass and I'd hold on by the skin of my teeth and close the door again.
With ONE LAP LEFT, I took the white flag, STILL in the lead with Ricky right on my rear tire and thought to myself "You NEED THE POINTS! DON'T crash out of a good position. HIT your marks."
I exited T2 and saw RSP Racing's Keith Draghi up ahead heading into T3. He carried enough speed into T3 that I expected him not be much of a factor but I knew I had to get by cleanly. As I got on the brakes I saw him run wide and thought "Okay... he'll be off the racing line, just hit your marks". As I tipped in I saw him out of the corner of my eye heading for "the beach" and thought to myself "I sure hope he doesn't cross back over the racing line... LOOK UP T4!"... I tried focusing back on the T4 apex cone as I approached the T3 transition, but then I saw him go flipping up and over the handlebars, ass over tea kettle. I lost focus for just a split second and BAM, there was Ricky, stuffing his nose up the inside again... only this time he was able to get fully past and I had to tuck in behind him. As we crested over T5 I made a run up his right side and pulled a 1/2 a bike lead as we headed into the bowl, but I knew he had the line and, unless he made a mistake, the win. He rode cleanly for the next 8 turns and took the checkered, handing me my SIXTH 2nd place LWSS finish this year.
Yup... you read that right... 2nd place in every LWSS race thus far.
Anyway, it was a phenomenal race and from the responses I got from the people at the track, it was just as exciting to watch as it was to participate in. Ricky's a HELLUVA rider and an absolute pleasure to do battle with. I hope he sticks around for a few more years!
Huge thanks to Tony's Track Days, MTAG Pirelli & RSP Racing for all their help & support, to Woodcraft, Street & Comp, Pine Motorparts/PBE Specialists & Jette Painting, AestheticRAIN & OnTrackMedia for the awesome pics! (which I'll post up later)
And of course to all of the cornerworks whom I rarely get to see out on the track and to all of our fellow racers, friends & family that show up to support the local racing organization & cheer us on.
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you need a second bike with a superbike motor so you can put up a little more of a fight in the races where he's on the Superbike. I think you'd be right there in those races as I think its just motor you're missing to hang for the top spot.
