Race Report

So I'm blazing down the straightaway, feeling pretty fast, when a 2000 GSXR 750 rips by me so fast that I can't even use his draft for more than about half a second. There's still another GSXR 750 about 20 bike length ahead, I'm on a 106.1hp Yamaha R6, things look dismal.

That was my scene about 3 or 4 laps into the 750 Superbike race at Portland this weekend. Since the 750 race was held after both of my 600 races I decided to enter it to attempt to gather up a couple of dollars to pay the bills. There's really not too much to report on for my 600 races. I checked out in both my qualifiers to take pole for both of them. In 600 Supersport I rode around at a 95% pace for a couple laps before I took a look behind me. I'd won my qualifiers by so much that I thought I could just rest easy. That wasn't quite so, Mike Sullivan was right behind me. I swear I stretched my throttle cable for the next 3 laps trying my ass off, when I looked back next there was no one and I coasted to a safe win by over 5 seconds. I kind of psyched myself out for the 600 Superbike race, I figured I'd lay it down right out of the gate to try to break anyone's attempts at hanging onto the draft. Before that race the 600 lap record at PIR had been 1:09.80 set by Lee Acree this year at the FUSA race. I did three laps in a row under the record, setting a fastest of 1:09.67!! And I did it twice!! When I looked back there was no one, I won by over 8 seconds.

Back to the exciting part, the 750 Superbike race. I'm getting by my friend (and sponsor), Josh Bryan every lap just before the straight for second place. It's pointless though cause he blasts past on the straight so fast he almost sucks my goggles off. Finally around lap 4 or 5 or so I manage to get underneath him into turn 3, there's two more turns after that before the straight so I was able to get ahead enough that he didn't get me back right away. Within about a lap I was all over the back of the race leader, John Dugan. I followed him for a lap or so and realized a good spot to try a pass was up the inside going into turn 4, a tight right hander that leads onto the back straight. The very next lap I went for it, we went into the turn side by side and bumped at least twice, John had the inside for the next kink onto the straight and got the better of me. Starting the next lap I got the run on him driving out onto the front straight. The lap before I pulled up on him in his draft but when I pulled out trying to use momentum to pass I hit the wall of wind and went backwards. This lap I kept it on his back wheel and rolled out of the gas, staying in his air bubble through the top gears. As we were coming up to the braking zone I pulled out and passed him up the inside going into the first turn. I had a good 4 or 5 turns after this to get a lead on him before the next straight. The whole way down the back straight I was yelling "Don't come by! Don't come by! Don't come by!" inside my helmet, I guess I got ahead of him enough because I never saw him again. I turned around at the flag and it looked like I won by at least a couple seconds.

A perfect way to end off the year. I'm so glad I could end with such an awesome weekend for my sponsors. Tuff Dog Racing Rules!! Thanks a ton to the Tuff Dog crew, NWCycle, Mototuneusa.com, Factory, EBC, eClips web design and of course OMRRA.