Calistoga, Ca
Battled with Sammy Halbert for first in the heat race, I finished a close 2nd and was in the dash and on the front row for the main. I tried a gearing change for the dash and it didn't work, so I went back to what I had. I actually led my first official lap of a GNC race and went into turn one high and hot. I fell back to 4th but tried some different lines and was all over Coolbeth, when the red flag came out. My bike was not running well after the restart and I fell back to 10th place. I ended up passing Lewis for 8th place, and after Mees was dq'd, I got 7th. My dad found a problem with my stators, so I won't have a back up for Pomona, but I am riding my old girl, which handles great.
|
Matt Weidman Race Report Brainerd,Minnesota
I wasn’t sure what this track was going to be like, but I was looking forward to it. I met up with my sponsors: John and Mike Fiorio, who own Fiorio Investments. They first saw me race last year at the Minnesota mile and have been helping me out this year.
The first qualifying round I felt great and was third fastest. I always do well when the track is tacky. I’ve never been afraid to twist the throttle and the more traction, the faster I can go. However, my worst track is a slippery groove and by the qualifier that counted, I was going backwards quickly. We changed some things on the bike for the last round and I ended up 17th overall, which put me on the front row for my heat race.
I got off the line okay and passed up to second behind Smith. I was all over his rear tire, but just couldn’t get by without stuffing him-I chose second place. I set the fastest lap of the day in my heat race and knew I was going good enough to podium this one. The track was watered for the heats and I was running a very high line and carried great corner speed. The Dash was the most exciting race of the night and I was swapping the lead with Mees for the first couple laps, when Smith fell and brought out the red. I didn’t get a holeshot on the restart, but quickly passed into the lead and battled for three laps with Coolbeth. He passed me off two and I snuck back by and we drag raced to the checkers, he got me by .012 seconds at the line! I decided not to change my gearing for the main, I felt that with the cold weather the moisture would stay in the track. I was wrong. I lined up for the main and on the site lap knew I was in trouble. My line was gone; it was a groove almost to the top and the very top was dried out. I got a great start and was third by lap two. I stayed with the leaders, Mees, Johnson and Coolbeth for several laps, but got worse as the laps went on. I fell back to 5th and then 6th on the last lap. Honestly, I hate to go backwards; I am always the guy clawing my way from the back to the front, but I had such a hard time in qualifying when the track was a slick groove, that I was happy to salvage 6th place. I could hear my bike bog off the turns, especially when I was alongside Kenny and without the ability to stay high and carry my corner speed, I just couldn’t pull the gearing we had on.
I am on my way to California for the last two rounds. I really would like to win one of these for my dad who deserves a victory lap. This will be my last year riding with dad as mechanic, I am looking for a new team/ride for 2012. Mom and Dad want to retire from racing; after 15 years of it, they are ready to be spectators for a while!
|
9/3/11 Springfield Short Track- The short track at springfield is usually one of my favorite small bike
races of the year, and has been where I usually do well at. This year i started off by struggling a little
in qualifying, but coming out around 12th. I had a fairly tough heat race, but knew that if I got a good
start I could stay up front. Well, after lap 1 I was in either 7th or 8th place, and actually stayed there
for another 3 laps. I found a pretty good line down low and started making some passes and worked
my way past Lewis, Halbert, and Burton to end up third. I just missed passing Cose on the last lap,
which would have put me in the dash. I was frustrated that I missed the dash, but felt that my line
would work well in the main. In the main we had a bunch of restarts, and I varied on all of them from
5th to 9th. On the last start of course I had my worse one of them all, and I ended up around
12th-13th coming across the line. I worked my way up to 9th by halfway, and saw a pack of 3 or 4
riders right in front of me. However, by then the track had pretty much polished off, and I couldn’t get
close enough to that pack to make any passes. I ended up in 9th, which was a little frustrating
because I know I was a bit better than that.
9/4/11 Springfield Mile- Now we headed off from the short track and slept a few hours before the
mile. The mile is usually my least favorite race of the year, because Ive always seemed to struggle
at it. This year, I had a stout motor ready to go thanks to Carl Patrick. However, during the free
practice the bike lost power and I pulled off. I then got on my old faithful backup, and qualified 11th
overall. In the heat race I got off the line with Lewis and Coolbeth, but I just couldnt keep pace with
them and rode around till about 3 laps to go by myself. Once Carver and Cheza got up there to draft
with me I realized what I would have to do to make the main. Coming off turn 4 on the final lap I set
myself up behind Cheza and never tried to draft her at the line. Carver tried to draft both of us but it
wouldn’t work, which meant I had a spot in the final. I had a pretty interesting final, as I was on the
tail end of the lead pack for a while, then started battling with the back pack. I followed Baker around
for about 15 laps, and then Pearson passed us both and crashed. We had a restart and basically a
5 lap dash, where I got off the line 9th behind Baker and basically just followed him around till the
checkered. I was not too happy with a 9th place finish, but thats usually right about where I finish at
the mile anyway.
9/5/11 Neoga TT- After the mile we got talking with a few people, and I found about this neat tt which
is an oil track. It was the first ever oil track I raced on, and I had a blast. I ended up battling with Brad
Baker most of the day, and could holeshot him every race and he would just sneak by me by the
end of it. When the big race rolled around the power went out, so they resorted to using a flag to
start. I have never actually won a race with a flag start, and have never even been close to
holeshotting one. I got off the line 6th and worked my way through the pack which took a few laps.
With about 4 laps left I put my head down and really started catching Brad, but just ran out of time. I
was frustrated because I found some really good lines and made up a ton of ground, but just came
up a little short. I really wanted the 500 dollar first prize to put in the gas tank, but had to settle for
second. All in all it was a fun day and I got to try a lot of different things on my 2010 honda.
|
| Peoria TT Me and my girlfriend, Kayla headed out all by ourselves to this National. No mechanic dad or mom, we wanted to spend a few days on vacation after the race. My bike was set up perfectly and I didn't change a thing all day. I was feeling good after my heat race, transferring right into the main. My bike was hooked up coming off of turn two and I went from 12th place on the start all the way to 5th place. I stayed there with Pearson and Carr on my butt for almost 1/2 the race, until I made a couple small mistakes and they snuck by. With 3 laps to go, I almost passed both of them back, but couldn't make it happen. I finished 7th and was happy, this was my best Peoria TT finish and I rode consistent all day. We went on to Cedar Point Park and Niagra Falls and had a great trip.
|
Castle Rock TT
I stayed with Mike Martin and his family all week in California and borrowed a Honda450 from Brad Baker for this race. I had brought a tire with me to Sacramento for this race, as I had made arrangements with Brad a few weeks before. I didn't plan on racing Lodi, where I ended up using that tire all night, which left it pretty hard for the TT National. I started out the day with problems and it just seemed to go that way all day long. I decided with two laps to go in the semi, that I was gonna make this main, and I passed JR Schnabel the last turn, last lap to make the show. I knew with the tiny one lane groove that I was in for a tough race, and coming from the third row wasn't going to be easy, but I was happy to have the chance to salvage some points and earn some of my expenses back. I ended up 12th and was happy with my finish, especially after the way my day had been going. I rode back to California with Norm Cose and flew out on Monday.
|
Sacramento Mile July 30th
I was so looking forward to this race, Carl Patrick let me use one of his motors and we had put it into my chassis before
I96. California is about 46 hours from home, only 34 hours from Carl's house! We got there early and I lounged around the pool for a day and played some mini-golf one night with my mom. I had the luncheon on Friday and then went to Lodi. I got to the hotel pretty late and crashed into bed. We were up and going pretty early and headed down to Sacramento to this famous mile track. I could tell right away in qualifying, it was not going to be as good a day as I had hoped. I qualified 16th overall and was in a stacked heat with Mees, Coolbeth, Johnson, Carr, McCoy..... crazy! The past couple races have ended up with some really screwy qualifying sessions, based on how the AMA waters the track. I ended up 6th in my heat and this would be my first time this year having to go through a semi in the twins class. Something didn't quite seem right with the "A" bike, so I went to my old faithful girl for the semi. It isn't that fast on the miles, but handles well and is dependable. I have to say, I honestly rode my heart out for a 12th place finish and it was depressing. I have to thank Carl for all his hard work, he has been great to me and my family and hopefully I can do well on one of the big mile tracks for him. I am staying with the Martins all week in California, while my parents drive my van back home with the XRs. I am racing one of Baker's Hondas at the Castle Rock TT and then flying home. This was the best plan I could work out with limited funds! Thankfully, I have some friends on the West Coast and Brad is letting me borrow his bike.
|
| Lodi Cycle Bowl July 29th
I have never been to this clay short track, but have seen pictures and heard about it.I drove my van out for this trip and with two XR's and all my gear, wheels, fuel, etc.. there was no room for a 450. I got there early and started asking if anyone wanted to loan me a bike for the evening and split my winnings. I finally found a friend in another New York rider, Cory Crawford. He is a Pro, had a spare 04 Honda 450 with him, and said I was welcome to it. I had to throw on my own rear tire and locate some sprockets. All I had was a CD8, so I ran that all night and it seemed to work ok. Thanks to Mikey A. and another rider in the pits who loaned me DTX sprockets. There were 54 Experts and they did one lap individual qualifying, narrowing the field to 36 riders. I qualified 6th place, which put me on the front row of the heat and also in the Dash for Cash. You had to win your heat, which I did, and was all set for the main. I knew the bike was underpowered, it is a stock bike, but it handled alot like my old 05 Honda- that I love. I got a decent start and passed a couple guys and got passed by one rider, leaving me in 6th place. Honestly, I was very excited- it was a relaxing night, no pressure, and I made some extra fuel money. The local riders were fast and I was probably the only rider in the main who had never seen the track before! I have to say that the race was well run and the club did a great job.
|
Friday I attended a luncheon with a group of kids/teenagers at the clubhouse at the Fairgrounds and had a great time. We signed posters and gave T-shirts to them and took pitures with all the riders. We had a great time and the food was awesome. Anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE playing all the games at the fairs, and I usually win too many prizes to carry! I had a chance to get into the State Fair for free after the luncheon, but decided to go to Lodi Cycle Bowl early and see if I could find a ride for the night.
|
I96 Speedway Race Report
I really like this track, it is one of my favorite clay 1/2 miles, even though it is one of the smaller ones. They did an excellent job this year of prepping it all day, and by the feature, it was racey and we could pass.
I qualified 5th in the freebie round, then 7th in the first qualifier. Each time I had to pass Lewis on the Kawasaki, which messed up my lap times a bit. I ended up 10th overall.
Qualifying well here is so important and I was a little disappointed, but knew at least I was on the front line. My heat race was stacked with Mees, Johnson, Carr, and me: the four of us ended up finishing top 6 in the main. I got a great start in my heat and was battling for second with Mees when a red flag came out. They are never good for me, and sure enough I was 4th going into turn one on the restart. I was all over Carr's rear wheel, but just couldn't pass him. I had a second row start again for the main and I was 15th going into turn one! I thought, wow, this is going to be a long race. I was 13th crossing the line on lap two and worked hard to pass all the way up to 6th place. I felt really fast as I blew by Lewis, Baker, Coolbeth, Carver and others. I was the only rider using my line and it was working! I caught Carr and Halbert with about two laps left, but didn’t get close enough to try and pass them. Me and Chris had our fastest laps towards the end of the race, while everyone else was getting slower, so once again, I needed about ten more laps! I actually felt really good about this race. I know I turn laps as fast as the top guys and catch them by the end of the race, so I just need to put my whole day together.
I am looking forward to the famous Sacramento Mile, Carl Patrick built me a good horse and I can’t wait to twist the throttle on it!
|
Square Deal Riders Lee Thomas Memorial Cup
I grew up racing on this track since I was five years old and have always loved this cushion short track. I have won the Aaron Creamer memorial here, but not the Lee Thomas Cup. I have finished 2nd a couple times and missed it the past couple years due to Grand National Races. Lee was a long time member of the club, which is one of the oldest in the USA. I begged dad to get the Rotax out and dust her off, and he did. This track for some reason is so much more fun to ride on a framer, especially a Rotax. I got off third in my heat race, which was the first of four, and passed Conklin and Estelle to win it. 18 riders lined up three rows for the main and I got a great start, alongside Estelle, who has raced his Rotax here for many years. I led the whole race, start to finish and lapped up to 9th place. Estelle finished 2nd and Raun Wood rounded out the top three. My Rotax handled better than any bike there and just glided over the breaking bumps, I had so much fun, I forgot how much I love riding it. Metro racing and a few other people donated to the purse, $700. dollars so I won a total of $1300. for the Cup race, which will just about cover my trip to I96 and Sacramento. I am headed out to Ohio on Wednesday and then on to I96 for the 1/2 mile National. My parents and I are taking the van from there to Sacramento for the Mile and then I am going with Bakers onto Castle Rock for the TT, while my parents drive my van back home. I will be on the road about three weeks total. It was great to have this local race with a good purse to help me out with my expenses. Thanks to all the Square Deal crew who made it happen and the others who donated the money.
|
July 9th Hagerstown Race Report
This is the closest National to my home; 6 1/2 hours away. My Harley sponsors: Joe and Donna White, their two daughters, my grandpa, uncle and a few close friends always make the drive to see me race this one. I won this race as a basic expert in 2007 and my best finish as a GNC Expert here was a 4th place finish. I like this race track, especially when it rains and is super tacky. I didn't get the rain that I wanted, but the track was still racey all night with a few different lines to choose from and pass on. I didn't qualify well; 18th overall, but I knew the line I was running was the "race line" and sure enough, Coolbeth, Smith and I , all ran the same line during the heat races, and it was fast. I got a poor start in my heat and passed up to 3rd, just coming alongside Carr- who was in 2nd - at the checkers. I started on the 2nd row for the feature and really got a pretty good start until I got into turn one and almost tangled with another rider, which put me in the back of the pack, coming off of turn two. I knew I had my work cut out for me and with 8 laps left, I was working on passing Smith for 6th place. I pulled up alongside him coming off of turn four and the red lights came on. Both restarts, I spun badly and ended up having to work my way back to 7th place, which is right where I was before the red flag. I was not able to catch Smith and finished a lonely 7th. I really hoped to top 5 this race, but was happy to have worked my way forward. I seem to always need ten more laps- I might have to talk to someone in charge about giving me a 50 lapper! Thanks to Poppy Dave and Uncle Steve who helped drive and played pit crew with me for the night, and to the Mann's and the White's for coming down and wearing my Matt Weidman T-shirts and showing their support!
|
June 25th Lima, Ohio
I grew up racing on Canada limestone half miles with Steve Beattie, Dominic Beaulac, and Chris Evans- who were all great cushion riders. I learned to love the wide open, bale tapping, pea stone experience and every year I look forward to Lima; it’s my favorite track and the only real “cushion” that we race on.
Earlier in the week my parents went out to Carl Patrick’s and finished building one of my XR motors and I was ready to go. I qualified 3rd overall and even though I was slightly off Sammy’s times, I felt I could win this one. I went out on the sight lap for my heat race and felt something wrong with the bike as I lined up. My swingarm bolt broke off and dad quickly grabbed my back up bike. I had trouble shifting off the start and ended up dead last into the turn. I knew I had my work cut out for me and I began to ride high and wide open, passing up to fourth place. I caught second and third, but needed a lap or two more. I was happy to have made the feature, but disappointed that I wasn’t in the dash. Carl, Eric, and dad raced to get the swingarm bolt fixed on my “A” bike and it was ready to go just in time for the main event. I was on the second row and got a decent start. I had just passed two riders when the red flag came out and was lined up about 9th on the staggered re-start. I battled my way up through to second place and saw the 5- to- go board. I put my head down and started catching Sammy, but with about 3 laps left I dropped down in turn 3 and almost crashed. Sammy gapped me again, just enough that I knew I couldn’t make up that much distance in a couple laps and I took the checkers in second. This is my best GNC Twins finish and I was happy to be on the podium again at Lima. I want to thank Carl Patrick for all his help: not only did he quickly get my XR motor built, but went to the track and helped tune and then fix the bike when it broke. Also, big thanks to Ted McDermott and the Zanotti racing team for giving me the parts and tools to fix my swingarm
|
June 17th Peoria Speedway
This was my first time here and I really enjoyed the racing. I went out in practice and was definitely the fastest, passing several riders in only a few laps. I had a pretty tough heat race and was leading until Carr passed me on the high line, all the way around the top! I lined up for the main and got a great holeshot and led for a couple laps, while battling closely with Mees. I had gearing on my bike to run the middle of the track. Mees and Baker made the low line work and snuck by. I tried to go low, but my bike wouldn't pull off the turns. Carr also got by on the high line and I was now in 4th. I passed Carr back and on the last lap, he got by again. I was disappointed that I was stuck with running the middle, as it got slippery for the main and I just couldn't seem to make the bike work like it did in practice or my heat.
| June 18th Pekin Short Track
There were 4 heats of both 450 pro and Open pro at this cool little short track and I was limited in my gearing, as me and mom only brought a few sprockets. Dad stayed home for the weekend to try and get my Harleys ready for Lima, so mom played tuner for the weekend. I went out in practice, (there was only ONE) and my gearing was totally off. I tried another gear that I had with me, but in the first heat race I got the holeshot and Sammy passed me, as I struggled shifting my bike. My buddy Brock lent me a sprocket and I was better prepared for my second heat. I got a bad start and passed two riders around the outside to take the lead. As I went into the turn around Hittle, he dove across the inside and I almost hit him, as he took the lead again. I finished 2nd and knew this wasn't good- it put me on the 2nd row for the main. My first main event, I was also on the 2nd row and got a terrible start. I was riding towards the back when Mataya got sideways in turn 3 and I swerved so I wouldn't T-bone him and went flying off the track down the 20 foot embankment. I jumped it and when I landed, I bounced and flew even faster into the dark woods, missing trees, logs and finally stopping by hitting a stump. I ended up about 50 feet in the dark woods and never crashed! l got back out on the track and the referees called the race complete. I went out in the next race and again we had a couple restarts due to crashes. I got a decent start from the 2nd row and finished 7th. Certainly not the night I planned on having, but thankful that I was okay.
| June 19th Peoria TT
I have always liked this track and enjoy racing here. Mom and I were a little tired as it was a triple header weekend and we got done very late at Pekin on Saturday night. The track was great all day and I was feeling pretty fast. Unfortunately we had a stacked heat with 5 or 6 riders in it that made the National last year. You had to win to be on the front row and get 3rd to make the main. I got off the line and passed Carr to get into second place behind Sammy. I was faster than Sam and tried to make a pass. I ran it hard into turn one and got alongside Sam, but we both got sideways in the dry dirt and Chris went right around both of us, putting me now in 3rd. I just couldn't make a pass and finished there. I knew as the day went on and the track had a very narrow one line groove that I was in trouble for the main. They didn't prep or water the track all through the 5 main events and we were stuck with a freight train race in the main. I got off the line and went into turn one around the outside and passed 4 or 5 riders, but as we went over the jump in a pack, I got pushed wide and almost in the grass when I landed. I lost those spots, was in 11th place and basically rode around in line and finished there. I was very disappointed as I knew I was faster, but just couldn't pass. Mom and I headed home- we got home on Monday and she had to leave with Dad on Tuesday for Carl's house. I was working the rest of the week and was driving the car out to Lima to meet them later in the week.
|
Hartford, Michigan
My first impression as I walked up to the fence of this new track on the schedule was that it looked like a horsepower track and could end up being a very “racey” track. Qualifying went well and I ended up in 6th overall. The track was progressively getting faster as it took more and more rubber, but the groove remained very narrow and starts were going to be critical. I got a great start in my heat with Smith leading me, Halbert, and Robinson into turn one. I was all over Brian’s tire for the entire race and I felt faster going into the turns, but it was already a follow-the-leader track and you couldn’t afford to leave the narrow groove. I had to settle for 2nd and was happy to be in the dash and on the front row for the main. I was on the bottom of the track in the dry dirt for the start of the dash and was dead last entering turn one. I passed Murray on the last lap to take 5th and was already thinking about the main event starting line up. I decided to drop back to the second row and take the far outside- right along the groove, hoping for a better start. I ended up with a decent start, coming off turn two in 6th place. It was a freight train race, which is extremely frustrating for all the riders, and there were only a few passes during the main event. I passed Carr when he stepped off the groove in turn one and was stuck behind Lewis on the Kawi for several laps. I was so much faster in the center of the turns, but didn’t have the power to pull him off the turns or to pass down the straights. Lewis then got a little sideways in turn one and I hit his back tire, blowing the groove. Carr snuck back by, putting me back into 6th place. We pretty much stayed in line after that and with two laps left, Slammin Sam got by me. I finished in 7th and was happy we got the chassis working well, but still felt a little disappointed with my finish. I felt I was faster than this all day and the bike was working so good, I just wanted more! I think it was a great first race at this track and look forward to going back there next year.
|
Matt’s Racing Report
Springfield TT and Mile
I was so looking forward to this weekend after doing a lot of local Motocross and Flattrack racing since Daytona. I have been training hard, riding almost 5 days a week. The Saturday TT was rained out and we loaded up in a downpour, followed by golf-ball size hail. The mile was suppose to start early, but due to the rain, got going late in the day. There are no lights, so we went to a “short program’- where 6 riders from 3 heats qualify- no semis. This is usually “easier”, but if something happens in your heat, you pack up with no second chance. I qualified pretty well, even though I was not comfortable with the chassis and almost went over the bars during practice. I usually like this mile when it is tacky, but it was very inconsistent, rough, and actually had dry, slick spots in the turns. We spent the whole day chasing bike set-up and finally got the bike to handle in the turns during the main, but it shook violently down the straights. I ended up 5th in my heat race and got a decent start in the feature. I battled with Lewis and we worked our way up to 8th and 9th place, with about 5 laps to go. We had put a good distance on the pack of 3 riders behind us and suddenly the red lights went on going into turn three. We both slowed up, put our hand up and expected a red flag. All of a sudden the pack of riders went by and there was no red flag, the lights had gone out, and we took off racing again. We were all drafting each other- 8th thru 12th place, and on the last lap, I spun in turn three and found myself facing the guardrail. I literally hit the rail with my front tire and it straightened the bike back out and somehow I saved it and finished 11th at the line.
This was not the mile finish I was hoping for, but we did figure out a lot of issues with the new chassis and hopefully will have a better showing at the next mile. The AMA apologized for the red light mishap and said they were returning the defective system.
The Springfield TT- what can I say- I had never qualified for this race- I have been in a qualifying spot two years in a row and had a restart which caused me to miss the main by one or two spots! Last year I rode the Memphis Shades Team Yamaha and it took me all day to get used to the bike and I missed the main by two spots again!
I qualified 18th overall, good enough to get me a front row start in my heat race, which is critical here. I got a great start and was running 3rd, when Carr fell and put me into second place. I was actually catching JR Schnabel and felt awesome. Third was a safe distance behind and once again, I thought I was all set- and was even going to make the dash and front row. At the half way mark, Lewis and Pearson crashed and the red came out. I was trying to think positive. I got the holeshot and went into turn one trying to protect myself, and ended up 5th over the jump. It took me a few laps to pass into 4th place - I had made my first Springfield TT! I lined up for the feature and was ready to race. I got a horrible start and lucky for me, there was a restart. My second start was much better, I think about 10-12th and I started working my way through the pack. With about 8 laps to go, my shock let go again and I had to quickly adjust my riding style. I still managed to move forward and caught Coolbeth, finishing 7th right on his rear wheel. I was excited to have my best TT finish to date, I felt that all my motocross training helped.
A big thanks to Toby Stay who rode out with us and helped my mechanic dad for two days and drove quite a bit of the 17 hours each way. My sponsors are all great people and thanks again to all of them: White’s HD, SNIP, Shoei, Silkolene, Tsubaki, K&N, Motion Pro, Boughner Suspension, Wiseco Pistons, Weiss Racing, Moose Racing, EBC, Tuff Plates, R&D Spring, Fiorio Investments, Webcam, Millenium Technologies, Mikuni, Saddlemen, CP Pistons, Works Connection, Cometic, Mr Sign, SuperTrapp, Hot shoes by George, and Larry Wormuth
|
Salinas, California Short Track and TT
After driving almost 50 hours from home to get to Salinas, I was ready to get down to business. I qualified well all day at the TT and felt cofident going into the heat race. I got a great start and was second into turn one when I got slammed and sent totally off the track, almost going down. I managed to save it and got back into 6th place, but just couldn't move any farther forward. I was semi bound and again got a good start, first going into the turn. The track hadn't been prepped for the semis, like the heats and I hit a dry spot in turn one and almost went down again! Sammy slipped under me and I was in second place for half the semi. On lap 6, I apparently hit a dry patch of dirt going into the back section of the TT and face planted hard. I had no idea what happened and hit my head pretty hard. I was so upset to travel all that distance and not make the main event, I wasn't sure about racing the next day either.
The following morning, I felt okay and decided to race the short track. I qualified 3rd the first two rounds and 4th overall. I felt fast, but honestly had trouble with stamina. I got the holeshot in my heat and started to put distance on second when all of a sudden about half way, I started going backwards. I went back to 4th and then passed back into third place and finished there. I was happy to be in the main, but knew I was in trouble as I felt terrible after only ten laps. I finished last in the main, I kept racing, but just had trouble hanging on the bike. It was a long ride back home and I hadn't earned the paycheck that I hoped for.
Duquoin National
I just didn't feel confident going into this race and I ended up qualifying poorly. This put me behind right from the heat race and I was on the second row for both the heat and the semi. It was difficult to sit and watch the main event, not qualifying for it. I left Duquoin all packed and ready to drive my van and trailer to California for the following weekend.
|
March 20th Duquoin Indoor
I was looking forward to attending the Matt Smoak Memorial race at Neeses after Daytona, but decided I should head to Duquoin to try my 2010 Honda and see if I could learn a little something before the National in April. As it turned out the memorial race got rained out and called after the heats, so I felt a little better. I don't particularly like indoor races, it's very tight with alot of banging and it just isn't my style. I was happy to qualify for all three main events; there were 30 Pros trying for 12 spots and some fast guys didn't make mains. When the track was prepped and more cushion, I was fast. When it got slippery, I had trouble getting hooked up. We did get to try some different set ups and I got a 3rd, 8th and 10th. It was a long haul there and back, but I felt it was important to go.
|
March 10th and 11th Daytona Report
Day one
After practicing at Neeses last week, I felt more comfortable with the handling of my 08 over my new 2010 Honda, so I decided to ride the 08 on the first day. I went out for practice and was 2nd behind Wiles. We had no times for the two qualifying rounds due to a computer glitch, but I still felt fast and ended up 9th overall. I had a stacked heat with Johnson, Wiles, and R.Wood and knew I had to put in good laps to position myself on the front row. I got a good start but on the first lap got pushed high and dropped back to 5th or 6th. I worked hard to get back into fourth, but was having a hard time getting the bike to handle. I hit some bumps and almost went over the bars a couple times. When I pulled into the pits, we found that my shock had broke and immediately got the 2010 ready for the main. I hadn’t turned a lap on the back up bike and the track was getting more and more slippery as the moisture came up late in the evening. I was on the second row, got a decent start and battled my way up through the pack to finish 6th. I was very pleased with my finish and the bike worked well. We packed up and headed back to my cousins house for a few hours sleep.
Day two
Mechanic Dad got my 08 shock fixed and ready to go again. The track was getting faster as it got a black groove on it throughout qualifying. I did well all three rounds and ended up in 7th overall. I had another stacked heat with Wiles, Schnabel, Carr, Halbert, and knew I was in for a tough race. I was first on the outside of Carr and Halbert coming off turn two and got pushed almost completely off the back straight and again ended up 5th place going into turn three. I battled with Wiles the whole race and ended up 4th with a direct transfer to the main. As the night went on and the track was getting slippery again, I decided to race my 2010 in the feature. I lined up on the second row and got another good start and was top 7 or 8, heading down the back straight. I saw the red lights come on going into turn three and suddenly Schnabel checked up hard right in front of me and I went down. I quickly jumped up and the bike was still running. The red flag was already out for two riders who had crashed in turn one so I lined back up on the 2nd row in my spot. The officials then sent me to the fourth row and I knew I was in for a long race. We nailed the bike set up and I was able to run perfect, consistent laps and passed all the way up to 6th place. Not only did I end up with a decent finish, but by the white flag lap, I had caught up to Johnson and Coolbeth who were a whole straight ahead of me after I passed Mees on lap 20-21. I was happy that I was fast enough to catch the front pack, but very disappointed that I didn’t get the chance to start the race towards the front. I think I could have had my first singles podium, but as they say, “that’s racing.”
I came away from Daytona with a 2nd and a 3rd on the Harley and two 6th place finishes on the 450s at the short track and am happy with that. My dad did a great job with all my bikes and my buddy Toby was a great helper all week long.
|
March 4th Savannah Allstar Race
I was anxious to get back on my Harley and had good luck in the past at the Savannah ½ mile, so was happy to start out the season there. I felt fast in practice and was able to catch and pass some fast riders, so I was feeling confident going into my heat race. Unfortunately, I did not get a great start and it took me several laps to pass Pearson, while Mees was pulling away. I knew I had to win to make the front row and was disappointed that I finished 2nd, but happy that I caught right up to Mees at the checkers.
The groove was more narrow than usual and there wasn’t much passing in the main events. I started on the back row and knew I had my work cut out for me. I was 8th going into turn one and lap after lap, I passed Cheza, Halbert, Carr, Coolbeth and caught Mees and Johnson to finish a close third. I was so excited to make a podium my first race of the year and felt awesome that my old faithful back up bike was working so well for me.
March 6th Volusia Allstar Race
The Volusia half mile is usually very slippery when it is a day race, but I had learned a lot here last year when I came from the back row to finish third. I really wanted a win on the 750 and was excited to go. I went out in practice and was riding the high line when all of a sudden the bike caught and sent me over the bars. I thought I had it saved, but was heading towards the bales at warp speed. I turned into the bales, laid it down, and hoped for the best. Luckily, the bike was not hurt badly and neither was I. My dad and Toby scrambled to fix a few broken things, straightened the front end, and got me going again. I won my heat race by a comfortable margin over Coolbeth who got 2nd and was feeling good for the main event. The groove was only wide enough for one bike and if you left it, you went backwards quickly. I got a great start and followed Carr into turn one. Mees and Pearson were right on my wheel as I followed Carr for several laps. All of a sudden I got a drive off turn four and passed Carr on the outside going into turn one. I led for a couple laps and was pulling away when Carr’s bike broke letting Mees move into 2nd. With two laps to go, I tucked the front end in turn one and Mees quickly caught me. Coming for the white flag, I tightened up in turn one and two and Mees got a drive off turn two and passed me. I knew I should be happy with 2nd, but felt disappointed I gave up the win with a slight mistake. It was good to see my main sponsors, Joe and Donna White from White’s Harley Davidson at Volusia and was happy they got to see my first two podiums of the year! Special thanks to my mechanic dad who had my XR working well and my friend Toby for helping in the pits.
|
|
