Race Report

After Pikes Peak I spent about the longest day in the airport that I can imagine. I dropped off Andy Nelson, my mechanic, at the Denver airport at 4:00 am and didn't hook up with my ride in Milwaukee until 1:00 am. I was about ready to pop I was so sick of the airport. After that, we had a couple days to mostly hang out though, before action started at the super cool Road America track. I put in a new engine Wednesday and was ready to ride for Thursday practice.

I didn't have any decent take-off tires left over from Pikes Peak so I ran around for a day and a half on some shagged out rubber that was hardly worth practising on. I also had a bad tear happening on my rear tires that took a little while before I figured it out with some changes to the hydraulics on the rear suspension.

My times steadily came down throughout the weekend, but I made a huge jump right around Superstock qualifying. I cranked off a 2:16.89 to blast my last year's best time by around 3 seconds!! I was pumped, and starting on the 4th row.

I don't really get too excited about the Superbike races, cause I'm just in them to pay the bills - but it's a good way to practise going into the first turn, and gives a good chance to size up the Superstock competition. Me and Rich Conicelli got in to a stanky battle that lasted the entire race. I was getting him on the straight and brakes leading to turn 5 and he was getting me down into Canada Corner. We went back and forth until near the end I edged ahead and held it for a couple laps. Well, two laps from the end he ran it in there so hard I thought there was no way he was going anywhere but in the gravel. He ended up keeping it inside the curb but gave up two positions. I ended up 14th.

Superstock was restarted after about a lap and a half cause Conicelli tossed it away in the Kink. This turn is scary fast without any runoff, but he was OK - thankfully. I got a ripper of a start on the re-start with a fresh tire. Vince Haskovec wheelied and missed a shift or something and left a huge hole for me to run up into off the line. I was so freakin' excited about the launch I just got that I missed the starting zone for the brakes!! It turned out to be good though cause I blasted past everyone on the inside (even though I thought I was going to send the entire lead group into the gravel in turn 1). I barely got the thing stopped and got through turn one in about 8th. I turned into an animal and sent it down the hill into turn 5 faster than ever before and way up the inside on the brakes. I blew past Chris Ulrich and Tommy Hayden and still got it stopped!! Now I'm in 6th and putting a dent in the tank with the big chubby I've got!!

I ran with the lead group for about 2/3rds of the race right behind Adam Fergusson. I didn't have anything as far as a pass goes for them but was hanging on anyway. I was on the ragged edge, my eyes were full of blood, and I don't think both my wheels were pointed the same direction for about 10 minutes. Finally Haskovec moved up the inside and forced me to lift in a slow turn. After that a faded a bit until I ended up tussling with Brian Parriot and Tommy Hayden. We bar bashed for about 3 laps but in the end they both worked me. I ended up 9th - and absolutely delighted.

After the race my bike was impounded because Brian Parriot, Ty Howard, and Shane Clarke filed an official protest - claiming illegal engine modifications. The AMA sealed my motor that night and it had to come apart after Sunday's Superbike race to see if I was cheating.

I just yawned around in the Sunday Superbike race to collect a paycheque and ended up 15th. And then the work got started ....

We pulled the motor, took the head off, pulled four valves, took the oil pan off, took the bottom half of the motor off down to the output shaft and put it all back together that night. They measured the cam and lobes, bore and stroke, cylinder head deck height, valves, inspected the pistons, crank and rods and a pile of other crap. It costs $400 to get someone's stuff pulled apart. If they're illegal you get your money back. If they're legal they get your money. I got their money - I swiftly waved it in their faces that night in the bar whilst buying all my friends drinks with it.

The motor was a ripper without a doubt. I posted either the fastest or nearly the fastest trap speeds all weekend in Superstock with it. I only weigh 140lbs on top of that so I guess the combo was more than they believed. I think their asses were mostly a bit chapped because all of a sudden this punk kid is showing them what's what. I'm cool with it all, and especially glad for the recognition it gives Ron Hopkins of Ron's Performance Motors for the engine, but anyone that knows me knows that I won't forget they put me through that. Sometimes my enemies never find out they actually are being venged upon. hehe.

Thanks of monstrous proportions go out to Ron Hopkins for the rocket I strapped to my ass last weekend. My mechanic Chuck Burns put up with more shite in a weekend without much in return other than a stack of Jaeger and a hangover - you rule Chuck. I also want to thank Sprocket Specialists for their continued support in letting me get my bike geared perfect everywhere I go. I'm looking forward to pulling the trigger on the new motor again at the super long Brainerd straightaway. Check back soon .....