Short Ver:
Sat. Practice was so-so. 650TW placed 10th and did better than expected. FIV, had a really GOOD break but didn't capitalize and went backwards to place 13th.
Long Ver:
Saturday practice:
Drove down the morning of and pitted w/ my old pitmates Mike Wong (#103), Mike Thompson (#77), Chris Weiss (#666), and Greg Becker (#869) since my team were not attending. Missed the first practice session while going through tech but just as well since I've always been a bit of a late starter and mornings don't agree with me or the bike. I change to a brand new set of michelin donuts while i waited for my next session. Finally got out to practice and start to figure out the track again at pace. Nothing to really report other than feeling pretty slow.
Teched for sunday, got some BBQ, showered and slept like a baby
Sunday:
I warm up my bike and the Leo Vince Ti exhaust can snaps in half at the sleeve. I spend most of the morning safety wiring what's left of it to keep it from falling off. Mental note, don't crash on anything Ti as it will not really bend but snap.
Practice:
It was somewhat frustrating, again w/ the same molasses feeling but otherwise fairly uneventful except a faster bike (hp) clipped my front tire while passing me into the final turn on the in-lap.
650TW:
Gridded 3rd row in the middle, get a pretty poor start (at least i didn't wheelie!) as i see bikes passing me left and right but having a few races under my belt, i drift outside while everyone's going for the apex and grab back a few spots. Going into T2, everyone's trying to be polite but that's more spots for me and I take the inside for a couple more spots. At this point I'm right behind Mike Metcalf (#176) on a kawi 650R and on his ass like a bad rash. Everett "Ducky" Dittman (#175) gets by me going into T3 and by Metcalf at some point and the race was pretty uneventful for me after the first lap. I could make up some time on Mike in a few spots but he would gap me in others. Ducky was in front of Mike a couple bike lengths ahead and never pulled away. Had a couple mistakes which costed me a few more lengths but at least I was still in touch. Final lap and a few backmarkers are coming out and slowing both of them down, almost enough for Mike to get by Ducky but I was a touch too far to capitalize. Finished 10th and that should get me decent gridding for Sears which was my main goal to attend the opener anyway. At least I know I can hang w/ some of the faster guys now. Just have to work on consistency and the racecraft
600SB:
I signed up but some of the wiring came off the exhaust so i spent the time fixing it. My heart wasn't into it anyway as the last time I was in 600SB, I kept getting passed on the straights just to have to work my way back through the corners.
FIV:
Again, pretty decent gridding on the 3rd row this time on the outside. Another shitty start but not quite as bad as the first time. Same drill, make up a few spots on the outside of T1 then charge to the inside of T2. This time however, 1 of the Twinworks Factory riders lowsides in T2 and gets everyone to check up and drift wide, leaving a HUGE opening at the apex of T2. I gladly take it and by the time i crest T3 I actually counted how many people were in front of me and hot damn, i'm in 5th! "Better make this count" at least I was hoping I would. Mike Lohmeyer (#177), 1 of the fast guys (KFG; frontrunner) gets by me before the bus stop and I tail for a little bit but he loses me. Soon, the usual suspects are passing me, Metcalf, Ducky, and most of the pack who were faster are passing me like I'm a backmarker. For some reason, I didn't have any fight in me it felt like and as the laps progressed, I kept getting passed and it's ALWAYS the same turn, Lost Hills. It felt like I let them get by me and I have no real answer why. The funny thing, they don't gap me too much afterwards and I'm always in touch but progressively moving back. I end up 13th, pretty frustrating considering I should have at least had another top 10 finish.
Thanks to my pitmates, my sponsors and the cornerworkers. Hopefully will have some speed for Sears. I've traditionally gone pretty slow @ Sears and there are some fast up and comers in our grid this season so it should be a barn-burner this coming round. I'd be happy with another top 10 weekend and hope to make that goal a consistent this season.
Start of the FIV race. I'm on the outside far right of the row right in front of the camera bike
Sat. Practice was so-so. 650TW placed 10th and did better than expected. FIV, had a really GOOD break but didn't capitalize and went backwards to place 13th.
Long Ver:
Saturday practice:
Drove down the morning of and pitted w/ my old pitmates Mike Wong (#103), Mike Thompson (#77), Chris Weiss (#666), and Greg Becker (#869) since my team were not attending. Missed the first practice session while going through tech but just as well since I've always been a bit of a late starter and mornings don't agree with me or the bike. I change to a brand new set of michelin donuts while i waited for my next session. Finally got out to practice and start to figure out the track again at pace. Nothing to really report other than feeling pretty slow.
Teched for sunday, got some BBQ, showered and slept like a baby
Sunday:
I warm up my bike and the Leo Vince Ti exhaust can snaps in half at the sleeve. I spend most of the morning safety wiring what's left of it to keep it from falling off. Mental note, don't crash on anything Ti as it will not really bend but snap.
Practice:
It was somewhat frustrating, again w/ the same molasses feeling but otherwise fairly uneventful except a faster bike (hp) clipped my front tire while passing me into the final turn on the in-lap.
650TW:
Gridded 3rd row in the middle, get a pretty poor start (at least i didn't wheelie!) as i see bikes passing me left and right but having a few races under my belt, i drift outside while everyone's going for the apex and grab back a few spots. Going into T2, everyone's trying to be polite but that's more spots for me and I take the inside for a couple more spots. At this point I'm right behind Mike Metcalf (#176) on a kawi 650R and on his ass like a bad rash. Everett "Ducky" Dittman (#175) gets by me going into T3 and by Metcalf at some point and the race was pretty uneventful for me after the first lap. I could make up some time on Mike in a few spots but he would gap me in others. Ducky was in front of Mike a couple bike lengths ahead and never pulled away. Had a couple mistakes which costed me a few more lengths but at least I was still in touch. Final lap and a few backmarkers are coming out and slowing both of them down, almost enough for Mike to get by Ducky but I was a touch too far to capitalize. Finished 10th and that should get me decent gridding for Sears which was my main goal to attend the opener anyway. At least I know I can hang w/ some of the faster guys now. Just have to work on consistency and the racecraft
600SB:
I signed up but some of the wiring came off the exhaust so i spent the time fixing it. My heart wasn't into it anyway as the last time I was in 600SB, I kept getting passed on the straights just to have to work my way back through the corners.
FIV:
Again, pretty decent gridding on the 3rd row this time on the outside. Another shitty start but not quite as bad as the first time. Same drill, make up a few spots on the outside of T1 then charge to the inside of T2. This time however, 1 of the Twinworks Factory riders lowsides in T2 and gets everyone to check up and drift wide, leaving a HUGE opening at the apex of T2. I gladly take it and by the time i crest T3 I actually counted how many people were in front of me and hot damn, i'm in 5th! "Better make this count" at least I was hoping I would. Mike Lohmeyer (#177), 1 of the fast guys (KFG; frontrunner) gets by me before the bus stop and I tail for a little bit but he loses me. Soon, the usual suspects are passing me, Metcalf, Ducky, and most of the pack who were faster are passing me like I'm a backmarker. For some reason, I didn't have any fight in me it felt like and as the laps progressed, I kept getting passed and it's ALWAYS the same turn, Lost Hills. It felt like I let them get by me and I have no real answer why. The funny thing, they don't gap me too much afterwards and I'm always in touch but progressively moving back. I end up 13th, pretty frustrating considering I should have at least had another top 10 finish.
Thanks to my pitmates, my sponsors and the cornerworkers. Hopefully will have some speed for Sears. I've traditionally gone pretty slow @ Sears and there are some fast up and comers in our grid this season so it should be a barn-burner this coming round. I'd be happy with another top 10 weekend and hope to make that goal a consistent this season.
Start of the FIV race. I'm on the outside far right of the row right in front of the camera bike
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