| Author | Message | ||
     Firebolt428 |
This was one of those weekends where it was good but not real good. Lets say average. I'm always expecting to be on the podium but sometimes you just have to get the points and come back to fight stronger another weekend. Saturday Formula Thunder: 2nd (Superbike #1) Come race time around 3:00 the weather was good. I got a ok start from 2nd on the front row. Darren Murray #4 as usual got the holeshot and another Ducati 748 came by going into turn 1. I got by him on the brakes in turn 2 and set my sights out for Darren. The first 2 laps I was right there and closing in on Darren on the brakes in turn 3 and staying close all the way around the back section of the track. Then when we hit the front straight he would gap me. I knew if I was going to really close the gap up and try for a pass this is where it was going to happen, in turn 3. Considering his bike is at 125 horsepower and I am at 107 horsepower on a good day I had to beat him on the brakes and use the excellent corner speed the Buell has. The next lap I was right on him coming down the hill for turn 3. Go past brake marker 3, 2, ok sit up at brake marker 1 grab the front brake pull in the clutch for my 2 down shifts, tap the rear brake a bit to settle thin gs down. In the process of doing all of this the bike got real upset. I can't quite pin point at what time in the above process but the bike got real out of shape. The back end kept coming around, left, right and it was violant too. This caused the front to do the same but going in the opposite direction of the rear. I knew I wasn't going to make the turn, I was then more worried if I was going to even keep the bike on two wheels. Luckily there is a run off road right there at turn 3 that goes out to the back straight before turn 5. I stood the bike up and took the road. I waited for Darren to go by then got back on the track. After that I put my head down and tried catching back up but my mistake cost me 2 seconds. I again went faster than I ever had at Pacific Raceways. 1:32.6. Sunday Middle Weight GP Twins: 4th (Supersport bike #2) It was raining off and on all morning. The decision on which tires to run was made about 25 minutes before the race after it just rained. I would say 70% of the guys were on rain tires and as we got on track for our warm up lap I realized I made the wrong call. The track is dry everywhere. I couldn't believe it. At that moment I knew I wasn't going to win and just had to get some points. My teammate Joshua Ellingson #169 had other thoughts and basically ran away with the thing even on rain tires. He must of had a good 1 second to 2 second lead after the first lap. I was probably a bit too cautious but I wasn't willing to go all out. I was thinking of the championship and putting it in the gravel wouldn't help me. So as the race went on I was running 2nd and soon started to go backwards. The hotter the tires got the more the rear would spin up coming out of corners. Next thing I knew I was in 5th place with Alan Schwinn #2 and Ian Dreycott #140 in front of me. This was not a good situation, Alan won Middle Weight GP Championship last year and I wanted to make sure I beat him at every race. Ian and Alan got held up at turn 10 by a bunch of back markers and I knew this was my chance to move up. I got by Alan on the straight away for the last lap and had Ian right in front of me for 3rd. I couldn't catch him though and finished in 4th by about 6 inches. 750 Superbike: 8th (Superbike #1) About 15 minutes after Middle Weight GP Twins race the sky opened up and it started raining. Just my luck. So after destroying a set of rains I was headed back over to Pirelli to get another set of rain tires. The team and I decided it would be better to drop the 600 Superbike class and move over to the 750 Superbike class. The results based on lap times should be very similar and I wouldn't be running back to back races. The track was wet and I was lining up at the back of the 30+ rider field. I was all the way back on row 8. I don't know if I got a good start or everyone got a really bad start but I moved up to 15th or so going into turn 2. It was crazy watching everyone in front of me moving around for position banging bars and elbows. I passed quite a few on the brakes in turn 3 and then got one more in turn 9. At the end of the first lap I was in 7th position. Not too bad considering. There was 3 of us battling for 5th position. I would lose them on the straights as there bikes do about 170 mph and the Buell only does about 150 mph. I would catch them on the brakes in turn 3, and then be right behind them coming up the hill for turn 9. We did this for the next 4 laps then the guy in front of me lost the front in turn 6 and crashed. I thought for sure I was going to run him over. All I saw was his head and my front tire. I tapped the front brake a bit and it was just enough as he went sliding by the front tire. After that I kinda slowed it down a bit and was passed on the back straight by Phil Clarke #323. I got him on the brakes in turn 9 but after doing so I knew he was just going to power by me on the straight away, which he did. Then right before the checkered flag my teammate Joshua Ellingson #169 came flying by. The whole race after I passed him I knew it would only be a matter of time before he caught back up to me and I almost made it. haha. 8th place is ok and what the team and I were looking for in this class. 1:39.5 is the fastest I have gone in the rain to date. Open GP Twins: 4th (Superbike #1) The sun came out and we made the decision to go with slicks. The track for the most part was dry. The back side was still damp but there was a dry line through turns 5, 6 and 7. I had another good start from the back of the grid and moved up to 6th by turn 2. I passed a couple more to move up to 4th in turn 3. The next couple of laps I followed Allister Mackinnon #121 on his Aprillia Mille for 3rd and was getting ready to make my move when the turn 3 demons came back. It was the identical situation as it was in Formula Thunder, on to the side road I go. This race was much closer and Rick Rinaldo #123 went by me on his Ducati 749R. I was able to get back around Rick on the brakes for 4th. I tried to catch up to Allister but was unable to and finished in 4th. We know what we have to do now before our next race on May 27th & 28th in Spokane. We need to find a new rear shock and get the suspension done right on the Superbike. We will be taking the bike down to R and R American Cycle this week to work on getting the Superbike tuned better and get some more horsepower out of it. Thanks to everyone that came out over the 2 days of racing. Also thanks to the family for keeping the team fed. Jesse G, Lindsay, Mom and Travis for help getting tires switched. 2006 Sponsors: Phenix Group, Cycle Works of Renton, DP Brakes, Fulmer Helmets, Pirelli, Motul Oil, Gaerne boots, Vortex, R & R American Cycle, Witcheye, racingmotorcycles.com, Fuel clothing, HD Buell of Seattle, and Monster Energy. Brad Haley #428 Rob Haley - Crew Chief Brett Newkirk - Mechanic Jeff Wieand - Team Manager |
