Race Report

As much as I hate to say it, I wish I could forget about the on-track activities at Laguna this year. I blew a motor, got a stop and go penalty in one race, and highsided out of another (and I'm only in two races). I fought the set up all weekend without ever really finding the solution. I've never rode anywhere near as hard as I did last weekend for such poor results. It all just makes me want to shake my head.

I dropped a valve in Saturday morning practice and spent the whole rest of the day up until the race feaverishly preparing the other bike for use. I had never ridden this bike before, and the motor had never even been started.

I narrowly escaped two bad wrecks in the initial start of the AMA Superbike race. John Dugan highsided right in front of me in the very first turn of the race - his bike actually hit me but I kept it on the track. About 3 laps later Brian Livengood blew his brake marker so bad that he shot past me and straight into his teamate Rich Conicelli. Two restarts later I must have been all frazzled from the wrenching and restarts and lack of food that when the "2" board went to "1" I touched the clutch plates together like it had just gone to "0". It was unintential, and I didn't actually take off, but it was a mistake - and fits their definition of a jump-start. I was assessed a stop and go penalty. I worked past a few of the slowest guys praying for one more red flag to bunch me back up with the pack, but it didn't happen. I was scored with 25th.

I've heard conflicting reports on exactly what my bike did when I crashed out of the Superstock race on Sunday. The part I'm sure of is me twisting on the gas more than the tire wanted me to coming out of the right hand turn three. I remember getting to my hands and knees trying to get off of the racing line but I kept stumbling every time I tried to stand. A corner worker came to help and I promptly put them on their ass too as I fell once more on top of them. Finally another worker came and they hauled me off at the command that they "have to lift me right up ...!" I guess I was a little punch-drunk. I think I've figured out that it was one of those highside/lowsides where it hooks and grabs at a high lean angle but actually tosses you off the inside. I just augered my bean into the ground. Thank the Lord I'm hooked up with the best helmet guys in the business (Shoei). The lid is just wasted, but aside from a little ringer I'm just fine (Although my friends are still trying to convince me I'm dumber than before. But I wouldn't have to land on my head for them to do that). In fact all of my gear performed extremely well. I've got a few small bruises but the armour in my Gericke suit did the trick. After reports from my friends, the only thing I'll do different for my gear next time is not wear black/silver. I guess it was just like tarmac camo in the dust cloud and more than a few of them said they got their bikes all out of shape just trying to tighten their line up to miss me once they saw me. Maybe I'll just wear one of those reflective orange crosses or something whenever I know my bike's not set up that well .....

Muchos Kudos to the best safety gear in the business ... Shoei, Gericke, Oxtar and Helimot for keeping me rolling with the punches - even the Tyson uppercuts.