Race Reports

James (576) 1st June Weekend

Loudon, NH

June 4, 2007

Friday:
Normal Loudon weather, rain, sun, rain. Rolled around in session one for 4 laps on DOTs, no fun. Went in. 2nd session was somewhat dry. Got to try out the new exhaust/power commander. What a difference in initial power delivery! I almost scared me each time I would get on the gas because it hit harder, which I didn't get used in the session ... but at least learned from it. Started to rain for 3rd session, no time to put on the rains. Just got the bike ready for tech and picked up my registration.

Saturday:
Woke to cloudy skies ... started raining 15 minutes before practice ... tried to put the rains on, but the rear was giving me a very hard time, so never made it out. Track dried out (for the most part) for my 2nd session. Went out and just got used to the bike and now to handle the new fuel mapping/power along with the new profile of the pirelli supercorsa pro. Much smoother today and really starting to enjoy the feel of the bike now with the new found mods. I love the profile on the corsa pro! Bike turns in quick and is VERY stable! Reminds me of my old Metzler M1s that I use to run on the street.

Race 1 - GTO (3rd/4 - 4th for entire wave):
So my normal launch procedure, which was getting really good is not working now ... uh ... ok ... pin it until turn 1, end up 7th (in wave) into 1. I passed the 6th place (in wave) guy on the brakes into turn 1 and have Jay in front of me. After keeping with him at the last TTD session, I know I can hang with him and maybe give him a run. I'm in the hunt and a red flag flies ... restart.

On the restart I was 4th (in wave) into turn 1, still a crap start and I'm just making up positions by charging through the field into 1. I'm right behind Dan Martin going into 2, game on. I get passed going into 6 by Jay on lap 1 and Dan puts some distance on me. By the time we come around to turn 1 again, Jay and Dan have put a gap on me, but I hold my 5th position and put my head down to catch Jay. I start to close the gap and on the third or forth lap I am able to get by Jay into turn 1. Finally, I'm able to keep up with the faster guys, and even get to play around with position changes! I was now determined to hunt down Dan and 259, who were going at it. I was gaining on them fairly quickly and thought I had a chance to get by ... but then a red flag came out, after the half way point .. race over. I finished 3rd in GTO, but finished 4th in the entire wave, which obviously means nothing ... but I'm pleased that I was able to run at the front for the duration. I saw my first 19 this race too! (which I didn't know about until post race #4)

Race 4 - MWSS (5th/19):
Another eh start ... why can't I launch this bike anymore??!?! 6th going into turn 1. My out lap was a 1:24 ... best yet! On lap 2 I saw a 19 flash on my laptimer!!! I smiled as I went down the front straight! This was the first 19 that I had seen (not knowing yet that I ran one in the GT) ... I was so excited. I just wanted to replicate, which I did on lap 3!  There was a guy on my tail for the first 3 laps, and finally got by me in 11a with a close pass near the apex which made me check up, and he took off down the straight. At some point I gained a position two positions before then, because I was now in 5th place. I know arcy pitted in early because of his bike over heating, so that was one position, but don't know where I gained the other. Last couple laps I ran alone, hitting 2 more 19s and an 18!!! I got a top 5 spot in Middleweight Supersport! This was almost my first 8 lap race ... I did not get passed by an expert!  My best finish to date and a great way to end the day! You could not wipe the smile off my face, ran in the 19s and saw an 18, plus a top 5 finish! I just wanted to tell everyone, which I think I did.

As everyone knows, I am pretty hard on myself. I wanted to get to this point for so long, and have been working very hard at learning how to ride, learning the track, etc;. Saturday was a milestone in my riding/racing career that I will remember forever. I was able to be consistent and it felt very comfortable, which is great. I know I have more in me, but will continue my same approach to lowering my times. It might take me longer to make the drops, but when I make then, I usually stay there.

Sunday:
8am practice ... I'm the first one on track and just go to work. Its cold, and it rained last night, but the track was dry. I just started clicking off laps, and working on the areas where I still think I need the most help. Traction felt pretty good, had some movement in spots, but nothing major. I quickly got to the 24s, then 22s, 21s, then 20s. I clicked off my last 4 laps in the low 20s, which I was pleased with for 8am practice. It is one thing I like about the longer practice on Sunday, I have time to put together a good session. It felt like I was coming up on everyone out there that morning and passing them, so that was alot of fun. When I checked the time for practice I was 2nd fastest ... so that was cool. Erin got some video from turn 6 and I was pleased with what I saw. I am still letting off early and braking too hard, but its getting better. Erin hasn't been up to the bowl in a while and she said that there is definitely an improvement in speed since the last time she was up there.

Race 2 - HWSS (11th/20):
STALLED THE BIKE ON THE START! Put my hand up and everyone went by, clicked the bike into N, started it and started going. When I started going everyone was in turn 1 ... great. I must have had fire in my eyes as I came charging into turn 1, by turn 3 I had already passed two bikes on the brakes and had my sight set on the next group. I ended up passing 8 people total, to claim my 11th place. I caught up to and passed a couple people who I never used to see before because they were faster than me. So this was a personal accomplishment, and a bright spot in the race for me. I was so upset though, because if I had a good start I felt like I could have had a good finish as well. I did a bunch of passing into turn 1, turn 3, and turn 6. It was fun to work traffic like that, but I just was not happy. Its becoming very apparent that with running closer times with the front, the start is becoming so much more important.

Race 6 - MWSB (7th/17):
I'm just glad I got through this race in one piece. I felt like I was in the Novice class again. 225, Christian Cronin is a reckless racer, who almost took 3 of us out multiple times, on separate occasions during this race. Jamie Roberts, Jeffrey Gonsalves and I are not happy about how he rode this race. It was VERY dicey, and just not comfortable at all. He almost took Jamie out in 1a, almost took Jeffery out in 3 and 11a, and almost took me out in 2 twice and in 9 once. If he stuck to clean passes, it would have been a very fun race, but at point it just was "ok, let me just finish the race on two wheels".

I was 10th going into turn 3, right behind Dan Martin. I closed the gap going up turn 4 (might be a first), and stayed right with him. Lap 2 I reeled him in in 4 and passed him going into 6 on the inside. 225 (Christian) was in front of me, then Arcy. We came around on lap 4 and both passed Arcy on the brakes into 3. I chased Christian up the hill and passed him on the brakes going into 6, showing him a whole bike before tip in. He passed me cleanly on the brakes into 3, I follow him around and pass him on the outside of 1a, where I am a half a bike in front of him at tip in and he cuts right across my front wheel making me check up, allowing Jeffrey by me, and also by Christian. They go into turn 3, Jeffrey in front, who tips in and Christian just went it torpedo style almost taking both of them out ... they went wide ... I get by Jeffrey and chase Christian up the hill, we split an expert over the hill and I take the inside line and pass him through 6. I pass another expert in 7, hoping that it would put him between us. He gets me in 9, so I chase him down in 1, last lap and pass in 1a again, just to have him almost remove my front end at the apex of 2 having to check up. I follow him through 6, and pass him on the outside of 8, get by him, tip in for 9 and there he is again, cutting right across my front wheel, but this time SO dangerously close I had to slam on the binders to avoid him hitting me, I go wide and Jeffrey goes by. I follow behind Jeffrey through 10, he gets by Christian in 10 and tips in for 11, when Christian again just goes torpedo style into the corner almost taking the two of them out again. I follow Jeffrey through 12 and we drag race to start finish with him beating me .04. Just a dicey race over all and not too much fun to be apart of. Jamie Roberts went over to say something to Christian, but he is a 16-17 year old with his posse, and just blew him off. I guess its the lack of self preservation ... but I really hope that he doesn't take anyone out the way he is riding. He is one to watch out for in the races this year for sure.


Overview:
Great weekend for me. The weather on Sunday was eh, but got through it. Saturday was a milestone day for me, and just very please with my progress. Erin took a ton of video again this weekend and my turn 2 corner speed and exit is like night and day from last weekend. I feel like I have finally fixed that corner. I'm getting more consistent in turns 3 and 4, so now I have to start attacking my entrance into turn 6, and see if I can make improvements there.

I want to thank Erin for her continued support and her encouragement as I go through the ups and downs of racing. So glad she was there for this highlight weekend for me. It was great to have Geno, Erica and Cole at the track this weekend supporting Mark and I. Looking forward to getting the DNF crew back together racing over the next couple weekends.

Next stop .. the classic! I can't wait!!