SECOND RACE SUNDAY: Formula Forty. I honestly had the first good launch with my race bike. We came off the line without stalling or bogging (this is a Dan Kyle race-built engine). I even had the front end slightly off the ground. Two other bikes stayed with me at the start, then pulled away slowly. I tried to keep up, the air was still cold and windy. This being our first race of the season I made an amateur mistake; happy with my position, I eased out of the throttle thinking that if anyone passed me I would just pass them back and take the checkered. The plan was working well until two laps from the end. I didn't know there were two laps to go; we get no signal for second to last lap. There is for the last lap, it's a white flag. Lazing around the track towards the end of the race, two riders blast past me. Oops, that's one to many for my plan! The bike was running well so I simply pick up the pace a bit and close in on them. Oops, lapped traffic up ahead. They get past without incident, I get held up through the chicane in 11-11a and 12. As we entered the front straight out of 12, the white flag is shown. Oops, the two I'm targeting are now half way down the fastest part or our track and I haven't started my run yet. This plan is now registering as a big mistake. I told myself to make a good run down the straight, out brake them in turn one, get a good drive out of two, out brake them in three, get a good drive up the hill to four, out brake them into the bowl at six and you should be close. This gives me six more corners to get around them and nail it coming out of twelve for the sprint to the finish line. Approaching turn one; last year my braking marker was at the four board. I wait until the four board goes by and grab the front brakes. My bike loads up the front and starts to squirm. She settles just before the one board and that's when I throw her over and dump into the corner. At the apex, leaned over farther than one thinks you should be, I start to think, "crash or stick, crash or stick, crash or stick, come on sweetie, looks like......stick! Woo Hoo! No repair bill! No ambulance ride! More throttle, more throttle, more throttle..." just like last year. Driving hard out of two you can see the white cement wall coming up fast on your right side as the bike drifts under heavy throttle. Then you roll out of the juice slightly to avoid contact with that wall, and straighten out for the chute into three. Turn three, my old friend, worked out well. The drive up to four was great, lofting the front ever so slightly across the hill's crest and absolutely frightening myself entering the bowl very hot. "Crash or stick, crash or stick..." At this point I started to think it's just down right crazy to be wanting to do this. If one does everything perfect, you are rewarded with a 5”x7" placard showing the event's date, venue, and the place you took in the race. We call it a "trophy" or "wood". I'd say, oh, about $23-$43 wrapped up in the trophy all said and done. If one makes a tiny mistake, you get a hefty repair bill and maybe a ride in the "Disco bus". Make a big mistake, and you begin with a $5,000 helicopter ride complete with crying friends and relatives. I've seen the helicopter thing, it's the quietest time of the racing season. As I dive into the apex of six and start the slide, from the corner of my eye, I saw something that completely erased all apprehension and gave me an enormous boost of confidence and adrenalin. I saw the first rear tire of the two I was gunning for. "More throttle, more throttle, more throttle..." Heading up into seven and eight I was gauging my prey. Most riders back out of the throttle in turn nine. Racers at Loudon affectionately refer to turn nine as "The Meat Grinder". My plan was to take them there. They slowed. I was able to sweep along the outside of the downhill reverse-canted curve nine and overtake both into ten. You won't catch me through eleven, eleven A, or twelve. You might on the sprint to the checkered, but you're going to have to earn it. They didn't work hard enough to earn it. I brought home a third place trophy. That morning I saw at least seven people around my race bike performing the water pump/fluids & filters swap: NESR Racing made it possible for me to take home a third place trophy that day. Thanks guys. Summation: Our first race weekend went very well. We earned a third place trophy and 15 points. It's great to be back at the track, back in competition, back to hearing your name over the infield loud speakers followed by a small round of applause. The cost of a trophy may be $20-40, but when you earn one, it’s priceless. See you at the track May 15th-16th, Dan, Barb, and Shane. LRRS #486 AKA criminalspeed/legalspeed LINKS: * www.nestreetrides.com *** Sponsored by: www.lockhartphillipsusa.com ~ Your Sportbike Connection
