Race Report

Once again I found myself behind the eight ball, struggling through adversity to salvage a decent finish out of a tough weekend. Considering all that I had to work against, I really did miraculously well. Generally, even though the race results don't show it, I left Daytona with a good feeling.

Wednesday: No track time. It all started first thing in the morning on the very first day of riding. The motor ate an intake valve coming out of turn 1, then I spent the rest of the day scrounging up and installing a rental motor.

Thursday: No quality track time. The rental motor was fast, but leaked oil profusely from almost every seal. We chased the leaks around all day without solving it. The oil was so bad that I could barely keep my right foot on the peg. My right leg was literally dripping with oil after each session and the back wheel and tire were in a steady spray of oil all day long (including final qualifying of 750 Superstock). I qualified 34th!!!!!! in Superstock. I can't remember the last time I had to start from row 9!! I barely made the fist wave of riders!! There were over 100 bikes trying for 80 grid spots for the Superstock race with the top 40 in the first wave then the last 40 in the second. BIG race.

Friday: Getting down to business. We got the lion's share of the oil leaks fixed Thursday night, and I could finally start learning the track with a motor and traction for the first time. It's a good thing too, 'cause it's already race day for Superstock. I immediately dropped close to 2 seconds off of my best time, and moved myself into the 19th grid spot for the Daytona 200 (5th row). The Superstock race started out exactly how I would have expected. I took an outside line in the first turn hoping that it would turn into a traffic jam on the inside, which is exactly how it happened. I moved through the pack quite quickly in the first couple of laps, but the guys that I should have been racing with for position charged ahead without being held up. I worked my way up to 14th with a lap to go. On the straightaway just before the finish line (to take the white flag) I noticed a bellypan off to the outside up against the wall. I didn't think much of it because it was so far off of the racing line. During that last lap I tried to take some defensive lines, because there were two guys right behind me, and I went wide in the second horseshoe and let them both up underneath me. I followed them through the chicane and began the draft, confident I could get them both at the line. As we approached the last bit of the straight it was obvious to me that I had enough of a run on them to get them at the line. The guy in second of the three of us started to go around the first guy, I planned to go around the both of them on the right. Just as I was about to pull out to the right they split apart from each other. I went for the middle and soon found out why they split. There's the bellypan, and I'm going to hit it straight on. I completely obliterated it dead centre with my front wheel (I saw the remnants on the cool-down lap). The only part that bugs me now is that I chopped the throttle for a millisecond, enough to not pass them back at the line. I finished 16th.

Saturday: Much needed day off. We spent the day getting the bike back in order, doing some pit-stop drills and just generally keeping busy preparing for the 200.

Sunday: 200 miles is a long ways. My whole plan of attack was to keep my nose clean for 57 laps, ride at a good safe pace, and finish solidly to try to re-coup some of the costs that are going to be involved in getting a new motor. I did pretty much just that. The race had the makings of turning into a classic NorthWest show-down between myself and fellow NW'er John Dugan. We rode together on the track with about 5 laps to go before the last pit-stop. We both came into the pit on the same lap at the same time. John's pit-stop went well and mine went bad. He got out about 10 seconds before me and I knew I was going to have to let him go. I just tooled around for the last leg making sure that I could make it to the end and finished 16th again. It's a pretty solid finish in Superbike, but the only reason why I run the class is to pay the bills. I needed a finish to do that, and I got it. I couldn't have even been close to where I was running if it weren't for the professionalism of my crew. Chuck, Dale, Trish, my Dad, Josh and Jarrett were great all week. When things go wrong you rely on your help that much more, and can give them that much less in return. I want to say a huge thanks to all of the above for keeping me going. You guys rule.

I'm in full-on scrounge mode right now for a 750 motor to get built up for Fontana in a couple of weeks. I'm so far empty handed and time is ticking away. If anyone out there knows of one, I'm interested ......