I really enjoy not having to work the registration office on race days. It makes the day feel more relaxed and I am calmer all day. It also gives me time to talk with people about things like racing. 🙂
I offered up the 675 to Kelcey to race in ULGP. He took the bike out in the last practice session for the experts, I went ahead and followed my one new race student around in the novice session, to make sure that he wasn’t going to do anything to get himself or anyone else hurt. No big surprises there, he was just fine, as I expected him to be.
I went out for Thunderbike, I’ve been bouncing around from class to class depending on the day and what I want to ride. If I did them all on the same day I would end up doing something like 7 races a day, instead I try to keep it to 5 races, that way I’m not dying at the end of the day, just really tired. I had a great time in Thunderbike, I got a pretty good start, but Daryl and Pinchard got better starts. I was able to hold up Greg for a bit and than he got around me in the hairpin. I finished 4th which was better than I expected. I’m not a fan of the new config. I either do well or just get by, kind of like my race starts. I was running about 3 seconds slower than I know I can go, but I was happy that my neck wasn’t as sore as it had been. It only bothered me a few times through out the day.
Kelcey took the bike out for Open superbike right after Thunderbike, I was going to head right back out for AmU, but on the last lap I heard over the radio that a bike had gone down. I had a funny feeling…. I was right, poor Kelcey had tucked the front in the hairpin, the only damage to the bike was a broken foot peg. Brian had one that he put on the bike and it was ready to go, but just not in time for AmU. After that Kelc decided that he wasn’t going to do ULGP. I was really hoping he would, but he didn’t feel like his head was in the right place. I can totally respect that call. So I went out and circulated for ULGP for a few laps and came off early. I don’t feel that I’m fast enough at this point to be out there but, the grid numbers needed some help, so I’ll continue to go out for it. I learn new things and my times are dropping. Before the end of the year I should be able to run more on pace with them.
With the exception of MW superbike the rest of the day was uneventful just the way I like the race days to go. However, MW might end up being the highlight of my season! I hope not, but it will be pretty hard to top getting the hole shot and keeping those guys behind me for the better part of the lap. I heard coming into the north hairpin squealing tires, and I braced for an impact that didn’t come. So I decided to try to see if I could stay in front longer. Jesse was the first to get by me, followed by Greg, who made me run wider then I would have liked, it allowed Lance to get by me. Then I held Ken up for a couple of laps, about that time Greg ran off in turn 4 and hit the dirt. Which gave me 4th, I would have liked to place a bit higher, but I’m pretty sure that is going to happen before the year is up.
Now the one really down side to the wknd was getting my new leathers. Yup, it shouldn’t have been a low point but given the really BAD fit. It was a disappointment, that they fit so bad I couldn’t wear them at all. The hump hits my helmet, they are so loose that if I when down in them they would tear me up. I’m currently waiting to hear back from Pilot about what to do with them.