Race Report

Just when you think things are at an all time low, they get even worse. Very first practice of the weekend on Friday morning the motor is puking oil out of the valve cover so bad that they black flag me because of the James Bond style smoke screen I'm laying down. I miss the rest of the morning track time pulling the bike apart, cleaning, drying, and re-sealing the gasket. First thing that afternoon it's dumping oil out again only this time it's from this weird bolt on the side of the cylinder head. I deal with the oilsoaked bike/foot/footpeg/rear tire for the rest of the day and have to lower the motor out of the frame that night to reseal the bolt. Up to this point I haven't had a lot of fun, or track time, especially of the quality kind (like with no oil on the tire) yet.

It pours rain like nobodies business Saturday before the Superbike race. It was insane. The 600 guys were out trying to qualify when the skies just freaked out. Water was bouncing off of the ground like over a foot! It mostly dried up by time the Superbike race was supposed to start except for a couple of patches. Well, as to be expected, I overcook a section and my line takes me across one of them. I thought I was going to save it there for a second as it came back under me, but when my legs were straight up in the air I decided to let go of the bars. I came down hard and knocked myself around pretty good. I rode the bike back to the pits and began trying to get the bars and front wheel pointing the same direction for the Superstock race that's starting in about an hour.

I make the start and the bike actually works quite well. Of course I'm a little frazzled from all the business and my performance suffers. I finish 15, am a little disappointed, but glad to see the chequered flag finally.

Finances have become more and more of an issue as my string of bad luck continues in the Superbike races. Superstock has always been my focus - and how I do in that class normally determines how I feel about the weekend, up until a point. I'm in desperate need of finishing a Superbike race at this point to pay the bills and the plan is just to play it Coolio on Sunday, not get pissed off if anyone passes me, and take it to the line.

An electrical connection got unplugged in the highside crash that wouldn't let the battery charge. The bike basically ran a total loss ignition system for the Superstock race without me knowing it. I didn't know until Sunday morning warm-up when it wouldn't start that anything was wrong. We bump-started it and I headed out in practice thinking that the battery would charge while I ran it. I was looking forward to the Sunday practice to work out all the bugs in my riding that I never got a chance to because of all the other problems. About 4 laps in the bike won't run because there's not enough power to operate the injectors. I make it in to the pits, figure out the problem and I'm set for the Superbike race (even if I didn't get a chance to practice).

I take the start, and I'm floating around in around 20th position or so doing everything according to plan, when everything goes wrong. There's a short chute near the end of the lap that you start at the bottom of 2nd, then run 4th out. The bike was noticeably slow through that section on the 7th lap. When I braked and downshifted for the 3rd gear left hander at the end of the chute the back end came around really big. I rolled on the gas just past the apex and just got a bunch of clackity knocky stuff from the motor instead of power. I through my hand up and took the pit exit right then and there. That was the end of it for me - something in the bottom end probably.

At this point it's doubtful that I'll even be able to get myself out to the last round in Virginia. I've been riding my heart out but in the last three weekends I've destroyed one bike entirely, blown up two motors, had nasty highsides twice, one stop and go penalty, and one 130mph ride through the grass. All without properly finishing a single Superbike (read: money..) race. I'm at the plastic card's, and my own end. I apologize for the dismal read this must be. If you're a regular reader I'm sure you know this neggy stuff isn't much like me, but I'm at a loss.

I'm hoping to have something positive to write at some time (hopefully sooner than later). Till then .....