Hello All, This will be my first attempt at a race report so bear with me and understand that I only know about the races I was in. This was my first time at CMP and I have two words to best describe the track-HOT and TIGHT!! There are things that I like that way but not necessarily a racetrack! Actually, I did get to like the track after running completely off in 14 in the first practice and numerous trips down the gators in 14 later. Chris Mann aptly decribed the last three corners as "The Three Bitches". I did eventually find a good line around the track, working frim a video of Aaron Stephenson, Verbal Narrative from the track website , Much good advice from my Teammate, Eric Mercer, who was good enough to loan me his bike and the motor home for the weekend, and my own experiences on the track. I was suprised to see that I ended up w/ the 3rd fastest time in Vintage practice behind Tim Joyce and Buff Harsh. I was gridded on pole in V-5 due to my points and got the standard straight up start I usually get on Eric's SRX- It just wont stay down! To my suprise, once I did get it down, Here came Dick Gruhn, also straight up by me just before turn one. We dipped it in to one and it was ON. I don't know how Dick felt about it but I felt like we had a great race, we stayed tightly together at first, I passed him several times in the tight turns and he would blow back by me in the straights! The power of that TZ500 is unreal! So eventually he stretched it out on me and we had both pulled away from the rest of the pack pretty substantially. I had a little problem w/ fatigue by about lap 5 and just kind of held on till the finish. As a first year novice, I was proud and happy to take a Second behind such a great rider as Dick on a bike like that TZ. Great Race Dick, Great Job. I Love This Shit!!! Derek K.- 954V
I watched the race, it was like you wrote... you missed Dick's "power wheelies" coming down the front straight! You ran a real fine race, put on a good show... Regards, Charles
