So ends my first year of moto racin'.
Slydrite had vowed, after the last race, never to race the Drizz again - but the CRF250 still isn't ready, and so that vow went down the tubes.
Our usual Stockton race plan of loading up the Drizz and Titter, heading out on Saturday, running the practice, and staying overnight had a hitch. Slydrite had to work, a demanding day of getting paid to drive this around.
(http://i35.tinypic.com/1z91k7.jpg)
Bastid. :flipoff:
So I drove the bikes to Stockton by myself. GetaGripGreg and Slydrite would follow later. In the meantime, I unloaded the Titter.
It was a good practice session. I definitely had found a few things in the last few outings (big-bike track day and more dirt riding) that made me faster, and rebulding the Titter's master cylinder made it actually stop properly, which was another big bonus.
I took the Drizz out for a session, but it's not really my bike, and I wanted to focus on the Titter.
A few guys I knew were out.
(http://www.roadstergal.info/10_18_08/7019.jpg)
A few alumnae of Stockton were there, including a future 125 MotoGP rider (Cameron Beaubier) and this guy, who races AMA competitively.
(http://www.roadstergal.info/10_18_08/7143.jpg)
Riding until the sun went down.
(http://www.roadstergal.info/10_18_08/7177.jpg)
GetaGripGreg and Slydrite showed up in time to get two sessions in.
(http://www.roadstergal.info/10_18_08/7183.jpg)
Before they got there, I broke in my new leathers (uber-comfy, and Slydrite assures me that they do indeed make my butt look fat :2guns: ). I was passing a fellow on the outside on the sweeping left-hander after the straight, and he lost the front and slid into me. I landed on his bike and slid to the dirt.
The worst damage was to the leathers; his brake lever tore a hole in the thigh of my suit. I was very grateful for my O'Neal protector shorts, as I had only a bruise afterwards. I picked up the bike, hit the front wheel against a convenient pole to straighten it out, and kept going. (I did lose the slider off of my boot and cracked my helmet visor from that - both fixed with duct tape. FTW!)
The next day was the races. Greg and Slydrite both entered the Unlimited Supermoto race on very limited street supermotos, and I signed up for Novice, Expert, and Mod Thunder.
The heat races. Slydrite got a good start into second in the heat, but ended fourth.
(http://www.roadstergal.info/10_18_08/7268.jpg)
(http://www.roadstergal.info/10_18_08/7374.jpg)
(http://www.roadstergal.info/10_18_08/7395.jpg)
The kids on the 50ccs are always a race worth watching.
(http://www.roadstergal.info/10_18_08/7478.jpg)
Slydrite got another good start from the outside of the front row in the main. As he tells me, "It's just for fun, honey..."
(http://www.roadstergal.info/10_18_08/7493.jpg)
He slotted into third, and stayed there for most of the race. I thought he was going to finish in third - but he missed his brake point by a foot, and that let Ridley get on the inside, then go around the outside. There went third.
(http://www.roadstergal.info/10_18_08/7529.jpg)
(http://www.roadstergal.info/10_18_08/7568.jpg)
Still, not bad for a Drizzpig.
My races. They were definitely the best I've ridden out there. I came in first in the heat and main for Novice. For Expert, I got a few positions in the heat, but still started the main on the third row. I got a lousy start, and had to work my way up - but I was closing in on the 43 bike, and felt like I would have caught him in another lap or two. But Paul (a local quick guy), got together with Vision (the fast little kid on the Rossi bike), red-flagging the race, and that was that.
For Mod Thunder, I got boxed in at the start of the heat, but still got up to 7th for the main - which nicely put me on the outside of the second row. I got a good start, going around the outside of my row.
After that, someone showed me a wheel as I was rounding the left-hander before the chicane leading on to the straight, and I thought it was one of the guys on the Thumpstars (I shaZam! you not). I thought, man, I must be slowing down! I shut the door and tried to step it up a notch.
When the rider eventually passed me, two laps later, I realized it was actually Paul, and didn't feel so bad. I still tried to keep up with him - which was a good move, because he fell in the last lap, and I got the spot, ending up 6th in my toughest class. :cheers:
All in all, an awesome race to end the season. Thinking about where I ended skill-wise this year versus where I started, I'm very pleased with my progress. I still have a long way to go, but I'm on the move, and that's pleasing to me.
The Stockton folk are really a very fun bunch to race with.
(http://www.roadstergal.info/10_18_08/860.jpg)
(http://www.roadstergal.info/10_18_08/899.jpg)
(http://www.roadstergal.info/10_18_08/901.jpg)
nice both teh car and the bikes am envious :mad: :icon_twisted: :icon_twisted: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:
awesome pics RG
Danke!
Hey, if you like the bikes - Titters aren't expensive... ;)
I do wish there were more minimoto classes. SMUSA has a 150 class, but unless you have a CRF150R, you're not competitive - and that bike is red-sticker, so I can't just throw dirt wheels on it and bop to any OHV park at any time of the year. The Stockton class doesn't allow bigbores or suspension upgrades, which the Titter really needs to be good in the dirt. :( It's too small, even for me; a YZ80 swap would raise it enough and give it enough travel to be a great little light dirtbike.