I couldn’t be more please with the races… well okay, yeah I could, but it was a good day.
I don’t know about working as Secretary for the club and racing, it would be okay if I had help getting things ready and if I had someone to set things up for me. This having to setup everything and then go work and then go get ready to race, it a pain. I need a pit crew, or maybe just a dedicated boyfriend. It helped that Chaz, let me stay in his spare room the night before down in Abq, it lets me get an extra hour of sleep. He and I changed my tires that night and got the wheels sorted out. I had to pull off that front Mag wheel. It appears to have a small bend in it, there was a few other small things that he fixed for me so I would have to worry about it in the morning. What can I say, he is an awesome friend!!!
In my first practice session, I was trying to get the suspension sorted out still. I had gone back to the original settings, to see if there was chatter, with the stock wheel back on. It was better, but there was still some vibration in the rear wheel. So back in the pits we adjusted the rear rebound. In the next session, it was a little worst, so back in and readjust the rear rebound.
Then time for my first race of the day. Novice GTO, I was starting on the front row. Not that it helps me any… since I still stink at launches, the concensus is that I launch even worst on this bike then the R6. But, I made it up by the end of the first lap, I was in fourth. I just kept hounding Luis and made a few attempts at passes and just couldn’t make them stick. I have got to stop being such a whimp about the passes. I had him and then I rolled off early and gave it right back to him. I had him every time into turn 1 and again into turn 2 or 3. I was starting to get pissed at myself, after I gave up in turn 1. Turns out that on that next lap one of the new guys went down and they red flagged the race. So in addition to it being a fun race, the scoring gets interesting. First, one of the experts, got confused with the schedule changes and went out with us.. the novices… so he finished in 2nd, but is DQ’d. Then that comes to me and Luis, even though he was in front of me for most of the race, I end up getting 2nd and he get 3rd… the last lap before the red flag… I crossed the S/F line before him and then lost it to him in turn 1. It’s just wild, and I still wasn’t liking the suspension set up. So we changed it again.
Bring on race # 2 AmGTU: Not quite as intersting as the first, I got just as bad a start, had to work my way past a few people. I ended up stuck behind another 675 and he was holding me up. Don’t know what was going on with him, normally he is much quicker then that. I dogged him a number of laps and then he ran wide into turn 1 and I went under him to get in front, it was at that point I put down my fastest lap time for the race. I ended up with 6th.
Next up was the Nov GTU race, not a bad race, but not exciting either, I had yet another less then stellar launch. I had a great view of myold R6 with Xen and Brian swapping it up. Almost every turn they were trading spots, it was cool to watch. I should have been a little more foucsed on my riding, but I just coasted around behind them. After Xen finally got by and stuck it, I could should have tried to pass Brian as well, but I just let him go and settled for 4th.
My fourth race was the AM GTO race… or should we call it the beer race. I at least launched in front of Doug, and kept him behind me for a while. Then I blew 3 turns in a row and was just shocked that he hadn’t gotten by me yet. I waited for him to go by and then I came off the track. I figured with that many mistakes, I just wasn’t focusing like I should and it was hazardous to stay out there. So I have to buy Doug beer now.. Drat!!! It’s all good, I’ll get him later in the year once I really have the 675 sorted out and a grip on how to ride it, he won’t stand a chance.
The last was my favorite, Formula Femme. It was a really light grid, the smallest I’ve ever seen for it. I actually had a decent launch, I had the hole shot and that was it…. I lead from start to finish. The thing that made it my fav was I lapped 3rd place twice and I was about 300 feet from lapping 2nd place.