Race Report

Coming into the last day I had a pretzel in my head. For years you get used to putting your brain into ‘race winning’ mode coming into the day or before you take to the track. And then getting yourself prepped for a race that you need to take it easy and finish safely is a whole different deal. To psyche yourself to follow people around in a safe third place position or so is harder than you think. It’s just far too easy to loose concentration.

The morning started out as a repeat of the day before, with me finishing the 600 and Open qualifiers in third and first respectively, and starting from pole in Superbike due to my large points lead.

The way the schedule and points worked out was actually quite interesting. The four main events in the day run Superbike race #1, Pro 600 Supersport, Pro Open Supersport, then Superbike race #2. Because I’d already won the Pro Open championship, only had to finish in 13th for the 600 race, and with a safe finish in Superbike race #1 I would also have that championship sewn up by the last race, the plan was to cruise around for the first two events to ‘seal the deal’, then throw down for the last two and go out with a bang.

So we leave the line for the first Superbike race and everything’s going to plan. I was second going into the first turn, but allowed my competitor to pass up the inside as my plan was to follow around in third. Everything was going great until on about the 4th lap I guess another couple riders fell down in the left hand turn 3 hairpin behind us. They cleared the riders and bikes off of the track before us leaders came around again so there was only a caution flag for us in the turn. Problem is that they didn’t find a footpeg laying on the track – well I found it for them. I had completed the turn and was wide open throttle beginning my drive down the straight when the front tire hit the peg or peg assembly. I never once saw it, but felt the obvious clank of my front tire connecting with something, the bars turned sideways, and I painted a black line with my front tire for about 30 feet before falling to the ground. Now my bike lay in the centre of the racing line in a spot where it is not safe to recover it. I’m waving frantically at the corner workers to get them to stop the race thinking that any second someone is going to go flying when they hit my bike laying on the track. A single rider would spot it without problem, but riders at the back of a small pack are always the ones to fall victim when the leading riders split out of the way and they don’t have time to react. Luckily they soon waved the red flag, and the race was temporarily stopped.

Then the controversy starts, as a competitor is complaining trying to have it so that I’m not allowed to restart the race. The rule states that a rider causing a red flag (race stoppage) is not allowed to restart the race. However, the rule also states that if a rider falls, and a condition is created that causes other riders to fall, those other riders are allowed to restart the race. I guess it got confusing because the previous crash was believed to have been cleaned up, and didn’t create a red flag on its own – but I found debris from their crash and my bike ended up causing the red flag…….anyway, my bike was not damaged in the least, and I was allowed to restart.

I filed into second off the line on the restart, and safely held that position to the flag, securing the club championship and #1 plate for the season.

The Pro 600 Supersport race went according to plan. I was floating around in third for a safe finish when one of my competitors ahead crashed out of the lead, effectively moving everyone up a position. I finished second in the race, which gave me the overall points championship in that class as well, and rounding out all of the class wins. Everything was going according to plan. With all of the championships out of the way, now it was time to forget this ‘play it safe’ attitude, and remind everyone why it is I’ll be wearing the #1 plate next year.

We got off the line cleanly for the Pro Open Supersport race. I was in second, and looking for a way into the lead in every corner. I got the run on the leader headed down the front straight for the first time and powered by only to lose the position back again on the brakes into turn 1. I dogged him for the next two turns until I wedged past again into the tight turn 3. From there I never looked back, built up a large lead, and won by a mile.

The final Pro Superbike event had all the makings of a barn burner. With the championship out of the way, and only bragging rights on the line, I was prepared to push hard for the win. Being the last race of the year, everyone wants to be the one to take the chequered flag. Both my competitors, Kruger and Jervis, were also hungry for the win, and equally wanted to park the bikes for the season with a big trophy sitting on the seat.

At the drop of the flag I got into the first turn in second behind Jervis on the Kawasaki. I tried a move up the inside of turn 3 on the first lap but he was strong going in there and I couldn’t pull it off. I followed him for the remainder of the lap until I got by on the brakes for turn 1 to start the second lap. I punched off some quick times for the next handful of laps that my competitors couldn’t match and built myself up a strong lead. I put in on cruise control with about 4 to go, and won convincingly … rounding out a perfect day and a perfect season.

I’m really kinda beside myself on the season I’ve had this year. I can safely say that I will never forget the 2007 racing year. To think that I’ve been running in four classes down in Oregon, and three classes in British Columbia and I won all seven out of seven in convincing fashion – and secured the #1 plate for 2008 in both the OMRRA and WMRC series. I really don’t know what to say. I suppose I can start with thanking all the people that have supported me. Not only my sponsors (check the links on the right), but my friends that travel with me or help work on the bikes, and my family for putting up with having a son/brother/uncle that doesn’t have free time like everyone else on the planet. But I’d also like to give props out to my competitors that have made this year both fun and challenging. The results show that I cleaned up, but it was no easy task. And finally, a huge thanks and appreciation goes out to the organizers and volunteers of both the OMRRA and WMRC organizations. Both series are run very solidly and professionally, and with the right balance of the serious/fun ratio. Cheers to you all, and thanks for the excellent season I will never forget.

Now the next challenge is that both the OMRRA and WMRC banquets, as well as my birthday, all fall on the same night……..danger.