My very long report on my very short GNF

I received invitations for C-Supersport, and C-Superbike (600 classes). Due to the massive number of races that WERA needs to run the racing started on Thursday and ran through Sunday. My races were on Thursday and Friday. I couldn't get enough time off of work so I could only make Friday's race, C-Superbike. My original plan was to go over Tuesday night, practice all day Wednesday, and race Thursday and Friday. As this season seemed to go, I ended up doing more of a 34-hour trip. I headed over Thursday afternoon, raced Friday, and was home by 10 o'clock Friday night.

I got to the track around 5 PM Thursday and found Joe Morris stuffed into a small but effective pit area. He told me that his motor had blown up in Wednesday's practice, and that his weekend was done before he ever got started. It's too bad as he was ready for this weekend's races, and I would have liked to have seen him do well. I unloaded, ripped the wheels off and took them to Stickboy for some new Bridgestones. After I got the wheels back on Lloyd, Joe, and I headed into Atlanta to enjoy the bike night at the Vortex. We saw fellow Floribama members Mark and Kris there, and enjoyed some great conversation while we ate. We headed back to the track, and since it was just an over night trip I decided to just sleep in the back of the Duallie. I put my Aerobed back there and had 2 sleeping bags, and 2 heavy blankets as the temps were supposed to drop into the freezing territory. Drop they did, and I discovered that the camper shell isn't airtight. There was a chilling breeze blowing through the bed, directly across my head. I pulled the sleeping bag over my head, and was out for the night. Once I got warm I slept great.

Friday was not only cold, but there was a constant wind blowing all day. I got up early and headed for registration. My practice group was group 2 so I wanted to make sure that I got everything done in time to make my practice. I cruised through registration, and headed for tech. I prepped my bike a week ahead of time, and somehow still missed safety wiring the oil drain plug. I fixed it and was ready for practice. We only got one long round of practice, but when we were heading out on the track the temperature outside was around 40 degrees. Between the cold track and new tires that needed scrubbed, I never got completely up to speed before the practice was over. Since the sun was just coming up it was right over the tree line as you headed into turn 1. This caused a shadow in turn one, with the sun blinding you as you entered the turn so you really couldn't see it until you got right up to it. When I came in the tires weren't even up to temperature yet. My race was after the 4-hour endurance race, so I had a long time to wait. I hung out and watched some of the endurance race wishing that I had entered it for the extra track time. Lord knows I needed it. Joe cooked up some great chicken for lunch. At about the halfway point of the race, I took a nap to refresh and regroup. I got up around 3:30, with 30 minutes left in the endurance and I put my tire warmers on. Normally the warmers will heat the tires up to 180 degrees, but between the cold temps and the poor power situation, they only got up to 120 degrees. I was gridded on row 4 out of 6. I got a decent start and hung with the group until the back straight. I felt much more confident and was pushing a little more, but still was off the pace. As the race progressed I found things that I could do differently to improve my times but it was too little too late. There were a couple of spots on the track that I should have shifted down one more gear to get a better drive out of the corner. When I tried it towards the end of the race I felt like I went faster. I had a good race going with 2 other guys, but about halfway through the race someone crashed between turn 2 and 3, leaving their face shield and pieces of their bike in the race line. This is sort of a blind turn, so as we came through the apex I realized that I was heading for the face shield. I had to let off to miss the debris, and the 2 in front of me got through there clean and pulled a gap that I was unable to make up. I checked behind me coming out of turn 7 onto the back straight with 2 laps to go and didn't see anyone back there, so I figured that I was in last place. It turns out that there were several people behind me, they were just way back there. I took the checkers really wishing that I had more races, as this one was more like a practice session than a race for me. Before I went out Joe had told me that he was going to be watching in turn 5, and he didn't care how I did in the race, he just wanted me to do a wheelie for him on the cool down lap. I'm not one to disappoint my friends, so although I didn't finish near where I was hoping to, I pulled the front wheel up and carried it as far as I could for him. It wasn't any kind of Starboyz action, but effective still the same. I didn't get any times as the lap timer wasn't working, but I know that I wasn't going fast enough. I felt as though I was faster than last year, and know where I can improve. It was fun but I know that if I had more time there I could have done a lot better. Hopefully next year I can get there early, get up to speed, and finish at least in the top 10. It was still fun and well worth the trip. It was a long strange season that didn't start or finish how I had hoped, but a good season overall. I really appreciate all of the help and support that got from everyone this year. I couldn't have done it without all of your help. Thanks to Joe for helping me this race and all season. A lot of the Floribama Riders that I couldn't even begin to name all of them, but thank you all. Special thanks to my wife Jen for putting up with me doing this, and taking care of the kids while I'm out playing. Thanks to Big Daddy and 29 Dreams Motorcycle Resort for all of the support. I couldn't have gone racing without their help. My season is a success because of him. The new Bridgestone BT-001's are a great tire. Excellent wear, traction, and feedback. Don't knock them if you haven't tried them. Thanks to Derrick "Stickboy" Bennett for the tire support all year. Thanks to LP USA, Ferodo brakes, Arai helmets, Motoace, Pit Bull stands, Mary Lou's Team, and IYF Photography for all of your help and support through out the year.