click images to enlarge

July 22-23 Results:



GTL 10th

LW Grand Prix 13th

UltraLite Superbike DNF

Formula 40 Lite Last! :(

This race weekend started with Thursday's practice which was rain rain rain. I made two laps on the bike immediately following the morning's auto racing car practice. The rain brought out all the oil on the track, which made it feel like an ice rink. Friday's practice was three full sessions which felt pretty bad. I was running 1:29s and 1:30s and just not feeling comfortable on the bike. Ugh.

But on Saturday morning I found my "wheels" and moved up my pace in the mornings 14 lap GT Lights race. The first three laps were an incredible battle with team-mate Ofir. On the start I passed him in turn 2, finally giving him a little competition. On lap 2 we had already exchanged leads as we moved through turn 11 into turn 12. There was traffic ahead as Ofir tried to move through this chicane first. He had to slow for the traffic and I decided to accelerate knowing a hole would open somewhere. I chose the outside and as Ofir moved at a slower pace to the outside of the track we had a fantastic body to body collision. The bikes just barely wobbling as I pulled ahead. With us both accelerating as fast as possible, and shifting through the gears, I turned back to give Ofir the thumbs up sign. Was an amazing feeling to battle shoulder to shoulder and then smile about it.

Ofir came braking very late into turn 3 passing me and 4 other riders before having a collision with the 5th. He rejoined the race but we had no more battle that day, and its a rare day now that I get to beat Ofir. The rest of the race was great for me, moving up into 6th before tiring in the last three laps and losing 3 positions. The best pass of the day for me was a turn 3 move on Stephen Schmidt and his Ducati. Lap after lap his duck pulled away from me on the long straight, only for me to catch up again through the first turns. I managed to out accelerate him from turn 2 down to turn 3. I was on the inside of him in turn 2 which put me on the outside in turn 3. Not a great way to pass. As he braked I was still accelerating. So I feathered my front brake to nip past his rear wheel as I moved to his inside and then tipped in before him into turn 3 apex to pass. 10th place finish with a 1:25:37 fastest lap of the weekend. I would have been disappointed with that last year. But this year it feels good!

In the afternoon's Grand Prix I found myself with the first of my three worst possible starts of the weekends. The bike was simply jetted too rich. Revving to 11,000 rpm and dropping the clutch resulted in absolute bog. As the rest of the starting field was thundering past my front grid position, I could only slip the clutch and continue to bog. Finally, the power and a huge wheelie as I powered down the straight to play catch up and battle with Tony Saucier on his Honda RC and to eventually finish in 13th. Racing towards the back of a pack can be as exciting as at the front.

Sunday's races were very disappointing for me with terrible starts putting me in absolute last position into turn 1. And a last place finish in Formula 40 lights. But the weekend was great fun. No crashes two race weekends in a row. My body feels great. And if I can race like this for years to come, I will take it. Plastic trophies were coming at too painful a cost. My goal however, is to shave two more seconds off my lap time to get back to last year's lap times.

But first, I venture down to Alabama to race in the next leg of the USGPRU. Teammates Ofir and Kevin and I will be racing on the legendary Barber track. The speed doesn't worry me as I've raced the long straight at Jennings. Its just the heat I am sure I will be battling.