Re: Wish me luck...
Ok...so I'm back from my first race experience and I'm beat. The weather was supposed to be rainy in the AM with a high of 65-70. Well mother nature decided to be a pain in the ass today and although it didn't rain, it was windy as f#$k. So windy that as soon as you left the ground your bike would drift three feet to the side. :thumbd: I worked hard in practice yesterday to clear the big double that was giving me troubles...not anymore :thumb: figured that out. I did however mangae to wreck hard in the whoops which I have no idea how as I haul ass through them and never had a problem with them. Did a number on my ribs and shoulder and am sore as hell. So as I get to the track my stomach is doing loops and I couldn't seem to sit still. I pulled my bike out and went over every nut and bolt to make sure nothing was gonna fall off. Adjusted and lubed the chain, checked tire pressure and was ready to go. I rode 125 Beg B and was grouped with the 250 beginners. They do a split start and let the 250's go first then the 125's. For some reason i was nervous about the starts as I had never been on the gate with other bikes going into the first corner under race conditions.
Race 1
I line up in staging and the number guy comes around. You draw a number to see which gate you pick. Draw a number one you get first choice...draw a 20 you get last choice. So I draw 3...I'm thinking sweet I'll pick the inside and just stay out of peoples way. My buddy running the gate says to take the outside, so like a dumbass I listened to him and did. So now I'm thinkin great now I'll be in everyone's way. The first wave goes and I all of a sudden forget about everything...just focusing on the gate and the guy with the board. So I'm settin up to start, got the bike in 2nd....build up the revs a bit.....he drops the board......and bam...the gate goes down. I shift throught the gears and holy crap what do ya know I'm in third place through turn one. I stayed in third for a little bit and then fell back in a few laps. It was hard to get any good air cause as soon as you did you were thrown one way or the other. Lots of crashes in the first 8 moto's from people trying to jump and the wind taking them out. I settled into a good pace that was a bit faster then my practice pace and just tried to ride clean for the 5 laps. I lost which place I was in as some of the faster 250 guys passed a lot of people and some of the slower 250 guys were passed by a lot of people. I made a few mental errors and went slower in some places where I know I can go faster. The 5 laps whizzed by and before ya know it it was over. I had no idea what place I finished. I get to the pits and asked my girlfriend what place I got and she had no idea as it's quite confusing with the mixed and split motos. We went over to the results board during the intermission and I finished 5th out of 10 125 Beg B guys. :hyper: Man I was pumped, my first ever race and not only did I finish but I didn't come in last(which is what I thought I would do). I called my mom as she had stayed at the house cause she's sick.
Race 2
So now I know what to expect and have a good idea hwere I need to go a bit faster. The big advantage for me is that the really big jumps can't be jumped and I know I can run the track fast without doing the big jumps. So now it puts me on equal ground with the guys that can do the big ones and can't due to the wind. So I'm ready to rock and get to the gate. No numbers drawing as you pick in the order you finished. So this time I pick the inside. Badda bing...I grabbed the holeshot and am bar to bar with the guy who won moto 1, I couldn't believe it. I held 2nd for quite a bit and the faster guys started to catch me...crap I just couldn't hold a strong pace. I was death gripping the bars and my arms were pumping pretty bad. I kept telling myself to loosen up and for a few seconds it would work, then white knuckles again. A few guys passed me and and I just put my head down and went the best I could for the remaining laps. I saw a guy in front of me about 5 bike lengths away and I tried my hardest to catch him. I got to within about two bikes and was coming around the last turn, checkered flag. Man if I had one more lap I could have caught him. Again I lost which place I was in and my girlfriend didn't catch it either. Since we were the last moto we loaded up the bike and started for the the results board. I couldn't believe it 5th again. What a great way to end the day. Finished 5/5 for a 5th overall in my first race. All in all I had a blast, I just hope it's not that windy the next race...which I WILL be racing cause...I'M HOOKED.
Dano