Race Report

After everything I went through in July, what I really needed was a little 'victory injection' to boost my confidence. I got just what I needed - with a little drama to boot - in Portland.

The morning started out fine, with me qualifying on pole for one of my races and third for the other.

750 Supersport - my first race in the afternoon. I think I filed into the first turn in 3rd and it took me about 3 laps to get into the lead. I thought I'd put on a charge for a few laps to make sure I pulled out a good safe lead, but it didn't really work out that way. I lost the front end very late in the tight right hand turn 4. The crash still sort of perplexes me as I was completely off of the brakes, and had been for a while, and was even holding neutral throttle. It went right as I was about to start rolling it on for the exit. Kind of strange, but I've seen stranger things happen.

At this point in my weekend I was sort of 'numbed' per se as a defence mechanism. I've got this determined mentality that charges me forward seeking out the highest goals possible at all costs with huge expectations. I think that I've realized that even I have a threshold of tolerance that eventually forces myself to stop caring about the outcome, for fear of the worst happening yet again, and the resulting let-down. I found myself fixing crash damage, not even really being worried whether or not I was going to get it completed in time for my next event.

Well, it turns out that I got it completed. Off of the line I got a fairly poor start that left me in 4th going through turn one. John Dugan got the holeshot and immediately began opening up a large lead for the next few laps while I tried to get up into second position. When I finally got open track in front of me there was a 3 to 4 second lead, bordering on insurmountable. I think it might have had something to do with my lack of care, but I slid that thing round and round every lap, determined to whittle the lead away. I turned some really fast laps in the 1:08.2 range that were knocking on the door of my best ever time of 1:08.1. I closed the gap and with a lap and a half to go I took the lead into turn one. I never looked back and won with room to spare. I needed that.

That race made my drive home a whole lot better.

Special thanks goes out to my sticky-stuff providers - Pirelli - and my slippery-stuff providers - Maxima. Tuff Dog Racing keeps me afloat when all else seems to turn on me. I'll forever be thankful for everything they have done for me. To keep it from being too long I'll say special thanks to: Shoei helmets, Leo Vince exhaust, Oxtar boots, Gericke leathers, RPM Motors, SMI case covers/rearsets, Sprocket Specialists, EBC brakes, MotorcycleUSA.com, Nutec race fuels, Helimot gloves, MototuneUSA.com, Factory Pro Tuning, Sharkskinz bodywork, Engineered Racing Products and AFE air filters.