Two firsts and one second in Round 7, the MRA's last race weekend! Unfortunately none of them were race finishes, and I will strive to never repeat any of them.
The second first was starting a race from hot pit lane instead of from the the starting grid on the racetrack proper. This 'honor' is reserved for those who are so slow to get ready that the rest of the field has commenced their sighting lap by the time they get to pre-grid. Check!
I was late because when first call was given, I was scrambling to get my bike tech'ed due to damage incurred from my weekend's first first - crashing my bike at the beginning of a race, before crossing the start line!
If those two firsts weren't bad enough, my 'second' certainly was. I am ashamed to report that I managed to be the direct cause (if not a cause-in-fact) of another racer's own crash, after having done the same - to the same other racer, Joe Maher - in the previous round at Pueblo Motorsports Park. This round it was related to my own crash, (my first first), at the start of the Supertwins GTO race.
For context, you need to know that we grid in rows of three bikes, with alternate rows offset so that you are directly in front of (or behind) the racer two rows behind (or in front of) you. You are between the people gridded on the rows directly before or after yours. This gives a reasonably compact starting grid, which can be important for the larger fields, at the cost of limited options with respect to starting line.
For Supertwins GTO I was gridded 6R, in the rightmost position of row 6, 15 feet or so behind Joe in 4R, who was behind Colton Wulf in 2R. My starting technique is keep the starting lights in the corner of my eye as I rev my engine, while focusing the majority of my attention on my anticipated path forward. The lights went out and 20 racers engaged the clutches on their screaming engines, lunging forward for the sprint to the first corner. I felt that I got a pretty good start, and started to move to the outside in order to get around Joe, who appeared to be getting a slower start. What I couldn't see, but Joe could, was that Colton had stalled on his start and was motionless on the track in front of us. Joe braked so violently to miss Colton that he locked his front tire up sending his rear wheel well over a foot into the air! This evasive action also meant that he would be less far down the track than my path had anticipated, and my line would now be much closer to his, in fact intersecting his when he came down just as I was going by. We collided violently enough to put us both on the ground. As luck would have it, a fellow competitor's wife had been filming the start and I was able to review it. All of this happened within the space of about one second.
Last round in Pueblo we were just finishing the first lap of the combined Lightweight / Ultra-lightweight Endurance race when way too many bikes were stacked up behind Joe going into the evil turn ten that exits onto the front straight, right where the drag racers spread all of their traction promoting gunk. There isn't a lot of run-off for us on the outside of the turn, where we have to install sections of air-fencing to protect from a very solid concrete wall. I decided to try and grab several places by running up the inside of Joe on what would definitely be a irregular line. I might have made it but for Cameron Lee trying to do the same thing to me at the same time. I suspect that either one of us could have made the trick work, but there just wasn't enough room for the two of us at the same time, and something had to give. Cameron ran into my right side causing me to stand the bike up and widen my line, which forced me into Joe's right side. Neither one of us saw it coming but I was able to ride it out while Joe went down. Again I was the direct cause of his crash if not a cause-in-fact: if I had just waited - it was an endurance race after all - I would have had my turn to make a more judicious pass. I have apologized to Joe for my involvement in these two crashes, but that still doesn't clear my conscience. Yes, 'that is racing', and an opportunity passed is an opportunity lost, but it still bothers me.
It looks like Joe got off a lot easier with the second crash than the first. He has some slick leathers with an integrated airbag that he is certain saved his collarbone in Pueblo, but every time that they deploy they have to be sent back to the factory to be evaluated and recharged. He also wrecked a helmet and his Ducati took it on chin. This time around the damage was limited to some foot controls. In the Pueblo incident my Woodcraft rearsets were bent into my chain by the impact with Joe, but a long handled wrench was able to bend them back to a semblance of normal. (This is the same rearset that held up better than the bike's sub-frame in my round 4 lowside.) This last crash at High Plains Raceway saw me wrecking my second helmet of the year ($ ouch!), and also destroying a footpeg on the third crash to that rearset. I can't say enough for the durability of the Woodcraft rearsets - they are truely the industry standard. If you are thinking of getting a motorcycle out onto the track get some of these!
If you have been following along, I will report that replacing my radiator fan appears to have resolved the mysterious dying - it didn't happen once in the last two rounds. It is a relief to put that gremlin behind me. The other issue, the shuddering on the brakes is still with me and causing a fair amount of consternation. More to follow on that front to be sure.
This was my first full season of racing in almost 10 years, and while expensive it provided an immense amount of fun and camaraderie. I was able to keep Jason Madsen honest in the 500 Production Cup series, but just didn't have enough to challenge him for the overall win - kudos to Jason. I will be proud of my hard fought 2nd overall. Zip Ties and Duct Tape (Rod Mattison, Stephen Husbands and myself) made a respectable 3rd place showing in the 4 Hr True Endurance class. I have gotten to know my fellow competitors better and have tried to be a big brother to a couple of new racers in the club.
I want to take this opportunity to once again thank my sponsors. Without the support of Rocky Mountain Kawasaki, Woodcraft / Armour Bodies / Hindle Exhaust, Sol Performance / Pirelli Tires, and Spears Racing, I would not have had the results or the fun that I had this year. I hope to continue my relationship with all of them in the future. Please look into all of them if you have any appropriate motorcycling needs, and tell them that I sent you!
Now I need to excuse myself and get out to the shed to winterize my trusty 400 Ninja, and start planning for 2020. It is kind of sad to see the season finally over, but I have already started a list of the things that I want to do for next year.
