The CEO Rookie Weekend Report

[ceo012384]

Cliff notes:
Made an ass of myself in the rookie race.
Took two podiums aka two trophies
Took 4 top 5 finishes.
Took 1 DNF on a stupid mistake that would have gotten me another podium.
GT race had epic fun on the way to a 2nd place, clicked off a 1:21.1 and know I can do better.
I have no fucking idea how to race start a motorcycle and will work on that before next race weekend.
Next weekend I want teens and a 1st place.
ROTY 2009 here I come.
HUGE THANK YOU to all my Zip Tie teammates and the whole Boston Moto crew, especially my pseudo crew chief Degsy.


Full report:

Friday went up for open practice to shake the bugs out. Took two sessions to get back up to previous track day pace. Improved a bit from then through the saturday morning practices.

Saturday:

Rookie race: As many of you have seen by now, I made an ass of myself. Stalled on the start, restarted the bike, wheelied the shit out of it and off to the side a bit so my legs flailed. Clicked off a couple easy 27's to go from 15th to 6th and save myself any further embarrassment.

Race #3 MWGP: Big grid in this race, about 26 I think. A piss poor start, went into turn one around 15th place. Spent the whole race battling up through the ranks to finish in 3rd place. My first race, my first podium, my first trophy! Woot! Best time was a 1:23.2.

Race #12 HWSB: Another shitty start, went into T1 around 14th place. Spent the whole race battling upwards again, and took the white flag (last lap) in 2nd place, 1st place had already checked out. Just had to finish. Came into T3 a little too fast... looking up at the cone in 4 across the bumps, knee down... that beach is getting awfully close... don't look at it... then I looked at it. Fucking stupid mistake. Went into the sand, held it up, rode over the curb back out onto the track and the R6 bucked me off like a bronco. Bike and me were both fine, with 150 bucks and some help from Derek it was easily thrown back together and ready to race for Sunday. Clicked off a 1:22.3 before making that stupid error.

Sunday:

Practices saw me pretty much right back up to pace.

Race #1 GTO (20 minute race): This was the single most fun I have had in my entire life. I get a shitty start again (see a trend) but a little better. Go into T1 in 8th, first couple laps are spent picking through the field again, get up to 5th. Red flag, shit. Come into the hot pit and Boston Moto is there with my stands and bottles of water... talk about good friends and good service!

We grid back up and I get another shitty start, worse than the first. Go into T1 in 8th (which is now a worse position due to crashers). Grab a couple positions over the first two laps. I catch up to a guy who gets a great drive out of 2 so I figure he's fast... then he brakes going into 3 like a red group track day and I was stupidly lined up behind him... wail on the brakes, rear wheel up in the air, I hit him and we go wide... he gets it back together and so do I, I just give a little wave backwards up through T4 and leave him behind probably with shit in his pants... sorry pal.

Spend the entire rest of the race battling up again ... I get 100% focused and put my head down and go for it, times are dropping, brake markers moving forwards, rear tire is sliding around driving out. Each lap seeing my friends and teammates on the straight going more and more crazy cheering me on and telling me what position I was in, I felt like it was motoGP. Amazing feeling.

Two laps to go I am in 3rd, chasing a gixxer 1000 who I know I am better than up by the treehouse. I go hard on the gas knee down through all of 8 around the outside of him and we both stand it up next to eachother, I throw it into 9, shutting the door on him. Then he outmotors me on the straight and holds it into T1. Shit. Final lap... Put the same move on him again by the treehouse. Get a great drive out of 10, then come onto the straight in the wrong gear and the 6 bogs... I just tuck in and hold it WFO and he can't make up the gap I put on him, I get 2nd by a tenth of a second. My friends on the hot pit go nuts, I'm exhausted and pouring sweat, but I'm so full of adrenaline I am shaking and couldn't sit down for 30 minutes. Amazing feeling. And among several 22s, I click off a few 21s including my personal best, a 1:21.1. :beerbang:

Race #8 HWSS: The GT endurance race took everything out of me. I get a shitty start and battle up again into 4th. Two guys I have been smoking all day are battling in front of me and I can't seem to force the issue and they don't take each other out. I settle for the 4th. Best time is in the low 23's.

Race #13 MWSS: I'm beat tired and having trouble getting back in the zone for the start. I get a poor start and go into T1 near the back. Battle my way back up to 6th and get my head a little more in the game. Move up to 5th and I am getting quicker but the damage is done. I click off some decent laps including a 1:21.7 but stay in 5th. I am happy with all my finishes and too tired to make a stupid mistake at the end of the day. HUGE props to bergs who was having trouble getting into his groove and absolutely ROCKED this race. He got the eye of the tiger and won this bitch! It's going to be fun as hell racing with him and James this year.



Overall I certainly can't complain, I had an awesome weekend... placed 2 3 4 and 5, got two trophies, times in the very low 21's, bike is fast and set up and feels awesome everywhere on the track. At the same time I know I can do better. I've been trying to get my thesis revisions finished for publishing and am not well rested at all, and have been very stressed. Thesis will be done this week, I will be able to rest up and practice my starts (Jesus Christ do I need to do that, huh?) before the next race weekend and I will be able to do both open practices. I intend to dip into the teens and get myself a 1st place.

HUGE thanks are due to my teammates in Zip-Tie Alley racing for their advice, assistance, friendship, and good times and laughter. HUGE thanks to Boston Moto who provide not only the best rubber, but the best service. Extra thanks to Denno for advice and special thanks to Degs for all his help and giving me confidence in my skills. Thanks to all my sponsors as well (in sig).

Nice meeting lots of folks and others I forgot, and all the nearby friends of the alley (seth and alex and co, jiggaWatt, etc etc)

And holy shit, I thought track days were addictive? Fuck track days! There is nothing I can say to even describe racing. Here's to a great 2009!!!! And a nice pic of the beast before heading up this weekend (both wheels down this time):