I must say I am very happy to write this journal today. I feel like I have had this black cloud over my head for a year or so now and at the end of yesterday it finally moved on. I feel sorry for the next person that gets it. Bad luck after bad luck it seemed. However all is back to normal again with me and the bike. The pit dog, Harley had a bit of a rough week though as he had a cancerous tumor removed from his neck. All is back to normal with him too! Ok lets talk racing.
Saturday Practice:
Jeff (Team Manager) was there with the big black Downtown H-D Buell truck so we had a nice place to pit. Got everything set up and went out for practice. Took it slow for a few laps to get the motor back in shape and came in after 4 laps to check things over. That black cloud hadn't left yet though. We had a leaky gasket. So lowered the motor down a bit in the frame, pulled the head off put a new gasket on and buttoned it back up. My day was over. We stayed and made sure it was all sorted for Sunday and then headed out.
Sunday Races:
Middle Weight GP Twins:
I went out and did 4 laps at a time in practice and kept coming in to verify everything was working ok. All good to go and the weather was beautiful. No sign of a black cloud anywhere.
I was on the 3rd row for the start and I believe there were 5 rows or so. There was some serious butterflies making there way through my body. Light goes out and of course I get the worse start imaginable. The mistake I made was not keeping the RPM's high enough when I let the clutch out and the bike bogged down and everyone went by. I was pretty close to being in last place. I had alot of work to do. I must of been in 14th place or so entering turn 1. I made my way through a couple people on the first lap and just kept plugging away. After the halfway point the rear tire started to slide alot. This slowed me down a bit and my quest to a better finishing position. Last lap and I was starting to catch the guy in front of me who I had been chasing for a few laps. I closed the gap coming into the last corner before start finish but pushed the front tire to much and ended up running over the curb on the exit of the corner and wasn't close enough for a draft pass at the finish line. The bike and I came home in 7th place and although it was a rough start I was happy with that since it was really my first full race since 2006.
Open GP Twins:
I wasn't going to race this class since it is all Ducati 1098's and a few Ducati 999's. However Buell Motorcycles pay's in this class and there were only 7 people entered. I figured I would play the odds that I could atleast come home in 5th place which is the last paying position for racing a Buell. My start was much better and I hung with the leaders for the first part of the lap before we hit the back straight and the Ducati's could stretch there 180 horsepower legs. I did count them up before they left me sniffing there race gas and there were only 3 bikes in front of me. I was sure I had the count right which would have placed me in 4th place. I put my head down and ran some fast and consistant laps and at the halfway point I took a look back behind me to see nobody around. I took my time the rest of the race and conserved the tires for the next race and came home in 4th place.
Formula Thunder:
Jeff Wieand (Team Manager and Downtown H-D/Buell employee) also known as Penguin (Still waiting on the story behind that one) was planning on racing his Buell XB9R. It has been 3 years since he has raced his Buell so it was going to be alot of fun to have him back on the track. We would have 3 Buell's total on the grid, which is the most we have had since we first started racing Buell's with Downtown H-D/Buell in 2004. Pete Ross #32 turned his street bike into a race bike with similar modifications that I have on mine and he a very fast rider. It is kinda ironic looking back at when we started. Jesse Grantham was also there with his daughter who was apart of the race team back in 2004 to cheer us on. Lining up on the grid we had 3 rows of bikes with 3 Buell's, a real cool Moto Guzzi, a couple Ducati's and my good buddy Joshua on his very fast SV650 Superbike. These were the main players I was worried about. This start was good in my book and I was 2nd going into turn 1 but Joshua came by around the outside of turn 2 to take the lead. It took me a couple laps to get around one of the Ducati's and by the time I got around him Joshua had built up a nice 2 second lead. I focused on putting in consistant laps and hoped he would make a small mistake to allow me to get closer. Lap 7 and the gap had come down a little bit and I was able to close in on the brakes going into turn 3. The gap I closed was too much and I ran wide. The draft I got from him kinda pulled deeper into the corner than I thought and that is what caused my small mistake. It took me another lap to get close again. He held the gap for a few laps and then I was able to get real close and as we went by start finish for the white flag lap I could see Jeff on his Buell. I pulled out and went to the inside of turn 2 for the pass as we both flew by Jeff. I was able to hold my tight line in turn 2 but this made my drive out of the corner not that great and Joshua was able to get back by me on the brakes on the outside of turn 3. This was it I only had a few more corners to try and get back by him and most of the corners are tough passing in. The drive out of the last corner was real good and I was able to tuck right in his draft but I made another mistake that cost me the win. Joshua held a perfect line on the outside of the front straight and when going through the chute right before the checkered flag that placed him on the inside of the track. I was on the outside of the straight and when I pulled out of the draft that placed me on the inside and I couldn't get by him in time to make the short chute right before the flag and had to roll off the throttle and get back behind him but ran out of time and missed first place by half a bike length. I was happy to finish in 2nd and have a really fun race with my old sparring partner. Next time hopefully I can get him at the line.
Thanks to everyone that showed up and all the support I have got from family and friends. Brett Newkirk's help at the house with putting the motor back together has been huge in getting me back out there. Downtown Harley Davidson & Buell have been fantastic and now I feel I have the old bike back that took me to several wins in '05 and '06 and will be able to really show them what I can do.
Brad
#428
www.pushrodracing.com
Until next time... 8/10
