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(Sorry, no more “Beast Reports”, to over the top, not how I see myself at the track.)

Round #9 was a Big weekend for me with two bikes and 5 races on Sunday. .. As allways I want to thank my sponsors, kurveygirl.com (Got Dzus and Vesrah Brake Pads) and M4 Exhaust (Best SV650 Exhaust on the market).

This months race was held at Firebird Raceway’s Main track.  On saturday I went out on the SV and then my new GSXR1000. The tower turn was slippery in the morning but improved during the day. I noticed that I shift the SV allot going from 3rd to 6th all around the track and I putted around the track on the GSXR in 4th most of the time. By the end of Saturday I had done 11 practice sessions and I was tired. Lap times were not that great, but that is ok.

Sunday morning practice and the track was in ok condition and I tried using 2nd gear in the tower turn. I did not crash so I figured I would use 2nd during the race.

Race #1: Lightweight SuperSport. Just 5 of us racing, and I got a bad start again as I bogged the motor. I spent a lap or so getting around Alan in a clean pass and then noticed I had zero chance to catch the leaders. I put in some laps and finished the race in 4th.

Race #2: Unlimited GP. A bunch of people were racing this race and I was way back on the grid. My first start ever on the 1K was a disaster and even Billy Pedro on an SV got to turn #1 before me. I started passing a few people and was catching up to Chris Taylor when the red flag came out. So I got a mulligan and we started the race all over again. 2nd start was better and I passed a few people going into turn #1. Chris Taylor tagged the inside curb and went wide and I got by him. Did a few laps and then clipped my knee on a cone in turn #5 (right after the bridge after the wheelie bump), it was ok but I nearly ripped my knee slider off my suit. Starting lap #7, I was looking down at my knee puck down the straight and then looked back to see my Low Fuel light flashing. Then I shifted into 5th after the bridge and realized I just missed my braking maker and was at the #2 cones when I got on the brakes hard and saved a crash going into turn #1. The rest of the race I felt I was going slower and slower and then got lapped in the tower turn on lap #11, so my race was then over. Checking lap times later on found my lap #10 and #11 to be my fastest laps, so I guess I am still just getting comfortable on the bike. I end up 14th out of 18 for the race.

Race #3: Lightweight Superbike. I got a good start and passed a few people going into turn #1, this is getting to be a pattern of me being last into turn #1. I get around Kerry #21 in an aggressive pass over the curbing and then latch onto Steven Hymers tail. I spend the rest of the race running on the back of Steven’s tail. I could not out brake him into turn #1 and we ride nearly the same lines in the back section. I am happy to be able to hang with him for once. I end up 7th out of 10 in the race.

Race #4: Thunderbike. I got another slow start and started passing people very very carefully. I am 2nd in points right now and I did not want to screw anything up on that race. The race is only 6 laps and on the last lap I am behind Billy Pedro and I draft him down the front straight going into turn #1. I pull out from behind him at the bridge and wait to see who sees god first. Billy rolls off at the #3 cone and I keep it pinned to the #2 cone and fly by going into turn #1. I hold Billy off and finish 4th out of 10 in the race.

Race #5: Lightweight GP. I have been a big grid filler all season and I try to just focus on doing my best and not worrying about how poorly I finish. The race was only 8 laps and the sun was starting to set as we started the race. Again I got a poor start and got around Alan and was on the tail of Steven Hymer. I spent the race glued to his tail but just could not find a way around him. I tried to get some big drives though the tower turn and did some big slides exiting the tower. But in the end I could not get by Steven and I had an Overall finish of 7 out of 8 in the race but again it’s ok, because I improved on my average lap times during that race.

In reflection, the 1K is going to be something I can improve on. I think 1:10’s are defiantly possible in the near future with some more corner speed and better gearing.

Also the 1K helped my SV times because when I jumped back on the SV everything was so much slower and I felt I could go deeper into turns than before.

My SV lap times improved over my last two times at Main by about 1.5 seconds a lap average. Last May I was running mostly high 17’s and 18’s, by the end of the weekend I was doing low ’17 and some ‘16s. 1.5 seconds improvements may not be much but for many, but for Main that is a big deal. I give up allot down that straightaway and I have to pick up time in the back section. I think if I had the aggression and a clear track a super high ’15 might have been possible… but we all know “would have, should have, could have” type statements.

Most importantly I wanted to thank the following people.
* Julie and her brother Joe for acting as a pit crew. Running two bikes for me is a big job and without their help, I would be in trouble.
* The LW Village crew, Alan, Mark, and all the other little people. It’s nice to hang out in a group and talk about our races. It is nice to be able to race and come back and be friends afterwards.
* Mr #1 for allowing me to put my bikes in his trailer on Friday night when the drag guys started to use the Pro Pits for tech.
* Chris Taylor for agreeing to go race with me. I think Chris has it in him and we should be battling it out next season in a few races.
* The RRSW staff (Jack, John, Randy, and everyone) for putting on the show, you guys make all this fun possible.
* The corner workers and people who do the small jobs that make racing possible. I appreciate the clapping and your unending support for us and our racing. Thank you for your help and efforts.

One more race in 2008 left and then our 2009 season starts. I will be running Unlimited GP and Unlimited Superbike for 2009 and I hope to become more than just a Grid Filler.