No, it is not the start of a bad joke involving male genitalia, it is the small piece of real estate which altered my fate for the race weekend at Sonoma and ultimately the 2012 championship.
Going into this weekend I was 2nd in two championships and 3rd in two others, with a close points battle to my nearest nemeses in each class. Sonoma is by far my best opportunity to win races and score points. Being that we only visit Sonoma twice this year, it is critical I maximize points in all races to keep in the points chase. Our last visit to Sonoma resulted in some fun battles and significant points for me, meaning all I had to do was do it all over again.
I spent the week prior to the race analyzing all the mathematical statistics to the possible outcomes based on many variables. However, I failed to calculate for a few factors; personal deviations, other racers being faster than the last visit, and the three inches of space just outside the curbing on the exit of turn four.
Saturday
Saturday practice went well, I was running 1:48s without really trying. I went out to each session working on specific goals and managed to run laps within a second of my best time while just having fun and feeling like I was at a trackday rather than a race weekend. After looking at the times of my opponents on the time sheets, I felt pretty f'in good going into the middleweight race.
Middleweight (No on-board video, forgot to turn on camera)
Starting 2nd on the grid, I got an average start off the line. Stephen Rue, #889, got his typical awesome start and passed by me before even getting to the first turn. Going into turn one I saw the front wheel of Ramsey Junaid, #861, poke into the apex at the wall. I didn't want to try and squeeze down on Ramsey, but I certainly didn't want him to make a run up the hill and get in front of me. I made a quick decision to keep the throttle open and take the wide line through the turn.
I carry a lot of speed from this line and try to get beside Rue before getting to turn two so I can have a control position through the turn and being able to carry that inside advantage all the way to turn four, if needed, to secure second place. At the last possible minute I back off and fall in behind Rue, he simply wasn't entering wide enough for me to go safely underneath. I presume he was trying to do the same maneuver to Kyle Schirrmacher, #780, which is why he kept his line tight and deep on the brakes.
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Going into the carousel, I see Rue make a move around Kyle and smile a little because of the thought that I can use these two battling to my advantage within the next few laps. I kept swinging at Kyle like Rocky taking on Apollo Creed in the 15th. Moves inside and out, every opportunity ended sharply with me having to close the throttle, making a mistake, or being out ran leaving the turn. The next few laps the three of us are flying around the track at record speed, dragging me into a race where I was running 1:46s and only in third. Kyle got back around Rue and I was now trying to get around someone I hadn't spent a lot of time chasing around Sonoma. Then it happened...
By the sixth lap of running faster than normal times, I was chewing up my rear tire due to my suspension being set for my normal fast times of a second slower. I decided after nearly high-siding twice in the sixth lap to back it down a little and take third place. I was far enough ahead of Rue in the championship points to be able to afford taking third to his second (Rue actually went on to win the race). I was also far enough ahead of forth place so I could back it down for two laps and take a podium finish.
Typically, I wheelie out of the exit of turn three about 30 degrees, but this lap wasn't typical. I was traveling slightly slower through the turns while accepting third place. The slower speed translates to more thrust when opening the throttle coming over the crest exiting turn thee and my bike went up MUCH higher than normal. The extra couple tenths of a second my bike was in the air caused me to miss my turn in point at the speed I desired. Once I got on the brakes I knew I wasn't going to be able to hit my apex and my focus went to simply making the turn using the wide line. I continue to brake very deep into the turn and do everything I can to get the bike turned. I begins to turn and I run all the way out to the exit curbing. Leaned all the way over, nearly parallel to the track direction, I just barely touch the dirt on the outside of the exit curbing about half-way down the exit section - slamming me to the ground, filling my helmet with sand, and ending my race; if I only had another three inches of track.
Because I forgot to turn on my camera, Kyle gave me his rear view footage to post some of the race. I was directly behind him for a fair amount of the race and you can get a new perspective of my races. If you look in the background right before the end of the video, you can see me run off in turn four.
Enjoy:
Sunday
I woke up very sore. Most muscles on my body were stiff and ached; it felt like I played a game of football the day before. But it wasn't the soreness which was the problem. The wreck on Saturday managed to screw up my right knee and ankle so that I couldn't properly walk, let alone move around on the bike. I couldn't press with my right foot because my ankle was essentially locked in place from swelling. After going out for a practice session, I was barely able to get off the bike and racing in an hour was becoming seriously doubted.
750 Superbike
My goals for the 750 race were simple: stay upright and score some points. I was third in the championship and had quite the gap on fourth. I knew my 1:46s from the day before were a fair amount faster than my two main competitors in the class (who also race in the Middleweight class): Travis Trevethick #644 and Ramsey Junaid #861.
Starting third on the grid, the green flag drops and Jeff Keohen #607 makes one of his famous starts from the second row and blew by me before the first turn, not much later I fell victim to Travis getting to turn seven before me. I found myself in fourth trying to hold-off new fast kid, Jordan Edginton #743. But the fight didn't last long as he went by me on the second lap, diving under me at the apex on turn eleven. I watched Travis, Ramsey, Jeff, and Jordan all begin to pull away from me little by little. I couldn't muster the strength to pull my 1:46s from the day before and instead meandered my way around the track at 1:49s and 1:48s. But that didn't stop everyone in front of me from running 47s and 46s.
Not only was I fighting a physical battle with myself but also a mental one; turn four never seemed so difficult and slow until that day. Eventually the torture of the race ended and I took forth place; only because Ramsey's chain broke while he was coming out of the carousel. I kept it up and scored some points, but I learned that the rest of the day would not be easy.
600 Superbike
After throwing away my championship in Middleweight, 600 Superbike was the only other class that I was not 3rd in the championship. Unfortunately, I have to face off with Kyle and Rue again. Knowing that I was riding much slower, I decided my best chance is to try and get ahead early and use as much positioning strategy as possible to stay in the fight.
But reality kicked in as soon as the race began. I was quickly shuffled back and found myself in 5th place behind #914, Ricardo Villegas. I didn't want to sit behind him for long, knowing I must just up towards the front right away, so I tuck to the inside of the exit for turn three and wheelie by Ricardo, stick the landing and wrangle in the bike to make turn four. The next step is finding a way by Digby Norris, #872. I don't find myself battling with Norris, so I had no idea of his tendencies nor where is the safest/smartest place to pass him. I certainly didn't want to try a risky maneuver with my physical state and take out the both of us, so I hung back for a lap. When coming across the start/finish line, I decided the best place to take him would be the entrance to the carousel. I was slightly hesitant because of my crash the day prior, but felt this would be safer than trying a few of the other passing areas, considering our speed differential. When we get to turn six, I go gentle on the front brakes and get to the right side of the track. the bike begins to fight me to turn as we enter the drop, but I was able shut the door and get in Digby's way enough to hold him off on the run to turn seven,
I begin to reel-in Kyle as I watch Rue take off into the sunset. The next four laps I keep a fairly even pace with Kyle as we come through traffic. On the 7th lap, Kyle over shoots the entry to turn seven and I am back in the hunt, right on his tail. It is too bad I wasn't a hair closer, because Kyle's error occurred in the best zone for passing him from an unforced error. I begin looking for areas to get by Kyle and then I see a sign from my girlfriend that someone is on my ass and looking to pass. On the final lap I start seeing the front wheel of Andy Marinshaw #818 poking his nose underneath me in almost every turn.
Kyle, Andy, and I coming railing out of turn seven and see a slew of slower riders just in the distance. Based on our speed differential in relation to these slower riders, I put a plan together to get in the inside of Kyle going into turn eleven. I won't actually pass him, but rather sit in a spot tight on the entry and apex which will force him back because of the fast line being plugged by the slower riders. We line up coming out of ten, I wait until Kyle hits the brakes and I commit to the move. Just as I make the inside move I see a yellow flag out of the corner of my eye. SHIT!!! I just passed under yellow and will be disqualified if I don't let Kyle back by. I realize I just need to take third because the accident in turn one ahead prevents any passing. I run out wide to let Kyle back underneath, the last thing I wanted was having him caught behind traffic and coming across the line after me. Just as Kyle comes back underneath me, Andy comes with him and i cross the line in forth.
Unfortunately for Andy, he did not see the yellow flag in turn eleven and was subsequently disqualified for his pass. It was sad to see because of his great run he made at the end of the race. Andy's DQ placed me in third with a best time of 1:48.6. I am in second place in the 600 championship by only seven points because of Rue's win. This means for the final race of the season if Rue wins and I take second (unlikely because Kyle is much faster than me at Thunderhill) we will be tied for second, and I believe Rue's number of wins will give him the championship position. However, if he comes in second and I come in third, I will be second in the 2012 championship by a point. If he beats me by any more than one position, I will be third in the championship. Very interesting.
Formula 1 ( No video - dead battery after leaving camera running after 600 Superbike )
By the time the third race of the day came around, the swelling in my knee and ankle rendered them fairly useless. The endorphins from the 600 race helped numb the pain, but I still couldn't exert the force needed to run as well as I did the day before. The formula 1 championship had me in third place with only 9 points to Trevethick in second and 12 to Ramsey in first. This Championship had not yet been determined, so if I can get my act together and maximize my last chance to move up the ladder, I could feasibly be first in the championship.
The race starts and I get a great launch, moving around Ramsey and into second place behind Travis. On the second lap Ramsey worked his way around me, relegating me to third place. On the following lap, Andy Marinshaw flew by me like he had something to prove. Apparently he did because he went on to win the race with a dominate performance while running 1:46 lap times.
By this point, all I could do was hang onto the bike and hope something happens in front of me. I was making errors everywhere and praying for the chequered flag. Never before have I wanted a race to be shortened, never before had I hated being in a race. My muscles were screaming, my bones ached, and everything told me to just stop. Even if I pull in and quit this race I will still be third in the championship, forth is not even close. But I couldn't give up, I just couldn't; it isn't in my nature. If the race lasted fifty laps and I was in last place by a mile, I still never would have been able to quit. I finished forth with a 1:48.0 and finally was able to call it a day.
Round 6 Conclusion:
Crashing sucks.
