August was a busy month for work, I would have like to travel up to CO for their race. However things didn’t work out that way, we lost two people at work, So I had to cover more weekends then I would have liked.
I did fit in some dirt biking the day after coaching an MSF class. Not a bad way to spend a weekend. I managed to recruit two new track day riders. The road rash I got from running that 125 two stroke into a tree was fun as well. Once again, it was driven home that I’m not capable of kick starting a bike. I’m also not very happy on a 125 two stroke. Now, once I broke the clutch lever and had to switch bikes with Dylan. I had a blast on his 510 husky four stroke. He had more fun on the two stroke. It was a perfect trade. WE were able to ride for a few more hours after the swap. I really need to get my own dirt bike!
The Aug. track day was sponsored by PJ’s Motorcycles. It’s my favorite track day, so many Triumphs on the track, it’s great. I spent the day chasing down riders on Triumphs helping them as much as I could. It was the most session I rode all year. I ended up riding for two solid hours without a break. I was wiped out at the end of the day.
The Aug race day that SMRI held two weeks later was once again on the new configuration. That config is exhausting, and it was super hot out that day. Really, if it’s not even 7am and you are sweating while unloading, you just know it’s going to be miserable to ride and it was, esp. with my first two races being back to back…
Supertwins didn’t work out as I had hoped, I was still having suspension issues across the new sections of pavement, with the forks bottoming out, that makes it really hard to go fast. Right off the bat, Kyle got out in front of me and then when I hit those bumps and couldn’t turn, I had three more get in front of me. I was able to get back one of the spots, I was closing in on the next one when the race got red flagged. On the Brightside the rider wasn’t hurt and it gave me time to get water before AmU.
Good thing too, I jumped out into third and stayed there for only about 3 laps. I just started slowing down and it made easy for Matt to get around me. I didn’t even care, I was more concerned with finishing and not wadding up each time my forks bottomed out. I thinking about how much fork oil to add once I got back to the pits.
Next up was the NovU race, I jumped out in front. Imagine that the hole shot. It’s so rare for me, however, it didn’t last long. I had one guy get around me after about 4 laps and then I bottomed out the forks again. Adding the oil helped, it only happened once this time out instead of every lap.
It cost me too much time and I just watched him pull away from me slowly. I had one guy catch up to me on the last 2 laps and he made me really work hard to stay out in front of him. If he’d had gotten a better drive out of the last turn I just might have ended up in 3rd. I was running the most defensive lines I know to make sure that he stayed behind me. I crossed the line .04 seconds in front of him. Not as close as the NovO race last year where I finished in 2nd .004 in front of 3rd place, but still closer then I would have liked.
I was so happy that for my last race, I only had the women to worry about. I knew that I wouldn’t have to push at all and I could just work on the corners that I felt needed improvement. It was my best finish of the day… 1st of course.