I meant to get this posted Tuesday but didn't have time to finish it.
Race Report -
Location : Kahoka, Mo
Weather : Partly cloudy and COLD!!
Class Raced : 250 B
Race Weapon : 98 CR 250
Pre Race:
With the temperature at the twenty-seven degree mark and a slight bit of
snow blowing at sign up, I thought about going back home. This was the first race of the season here and it is March, oh well, at least it's not raining. I need to ride and this is my favorite track, I'm going to tough it out. Besides, I probably won't have time to race again until May. I get my gear bag and go to my buddy's trailer to get ready for practice. The clouds are giving way to some sunshine. I hope it warms up a little.
Practice:
I rode the first lap of practice easy, looking over the track. I was glad to
see that the layout had not changed since I last raced here in the early fall. The
track was rough, which means that by the end of the day it will be brutal. I pick up the pace for the next couple of laps, trying to string together a few good lines. I'm really
impressed with the way the new S-12's are hooking up. The suspension seems to be set close and working well. I finish practice and go back to the trailer for some heat to get the feeling back in my fingers.I go to the rider's meeting and find my class. I'm race number twelve of sixteen and they've put us in with the A class.
Moto one:
I go to the line thinking "get a good start and just try to hang on". The gate drops for
the A class and I watch them round the first corner. I shift into second and get ready. The gate drops and I'm off. I get a good jump out of the gate and feed the clutch out smooth. I hit my shifts good and go into the first turn beside two other guys. I settle in for third after the second corner and start concentrating on the track and finding a good line. I made a mistake that cost me a few more positions. Now I'm just trying to keep someone in sight. At the end of the second lap I split between two guys that had gone down in the corner before the finish line. One of them caught and passed me on the third lap. I was also passed by the front runners in the A class. Yes my fitness level is terrible. Running from the couch to the fridge is probably not going to cut it. I cross the finish line and head for the trailer to warm up. I check the score sheet after a while, sixth out of nine. Just one more moto to go.
Moto two:
I get a bad reaction to the gate and get to the corner with the back of the pack. I cut to the inside and make up a few positions but loose one on the next lap. I pass a downed rider on the third lap and it stays this way to the end. The track was really rough this time. I'm happy to keep the rubber side down. I finish the day with a pair of sixes for seventh over all. I'm not going to complain as this is the second time I've been on the bike this year. Today, for me, was about surviving the track and the weather. Hopefully next time I can improve my performance some. We will see.
Thanks for reading this far.
Tim
Race Report -
Location : Kahoka, Mo
Weather : Partly cloudy and COLD!!
Class Raced : 250 B
Race Weapon : 98 CR 250
Pre Race:
With the temperature at the twenty-seven degree mark and a slight bit of
snow blowing at sign up, I thought about going back home. This was the first race of the season here and it is March, oh well, at least it's not raining. I need to ride and this is my favorite track, I'm going to tough it out. Besides, I probably won't have time to race again until May. I get my gear bag and go to my buddy's trailer to get ready for practice. The clouds are giving way to some sunshine. I hope it warms up a little.
Practice:
I rode the first lap of practice easy, looking over the track. I was glad to
see that the layout had not changed since I last raced here in the early fall. The
track was rough, which means that by the end of the day it will be brutal. I pick up the pace for the next couple of laps, trying to string together a few good lines. I'm really
impressed with the way the new S-12's are hooking up. The suspension seems to be set close and working well. I finish practice and go back to the trailer for some heat to get the feeling back in my fingers.I go to the rider's meeting and find my class. I'm race number twelve of sixteen and they've put us in with the A class.
Moto one:
I go to the line thinking "get a good start and just try to hang on". The gate drops for
the A class and I watch them round the first corner. I shift into second and get ready. The gate drops and I'm off. I get a good jump out of the gate and feed the clutch out smooth. I hit my shifts good and go into the first turn beside two other guys. I settle in for third after the second corner and start concentrating on the track and finding a good line. I made a mistake that cost me a few more positions. Now I'm just trying to keep someone in sight. At the end of the second lap I split between two guys that had gone down in the corner before the finish line. One of them caught and passed me on the third lap. I was also passed by the front runners in the A class. Yes my fitness level is terrible. Running from the couch to the fridge is probably not going to cut it. I cross the finish line and head for the trailer to warm up. I check the score sheet after a while, sixth out of nine. Just one more moto to go.
Moto two:
I get a bad reaction to the gate and get to the corner with the back of the pack. I cut to the inside and make up a few positions but loose one on the next lap. I pass a downed rider on the third lap and it stays this way to the end. The track was really rough this time. I'm happy to keep the rubber side down. I finish the day with a pair of sixes for seventh over all. I'm not going to complain as this is the second time I've been on the bike this year. Today, for me, was about surviving the track and the weather. Hopefully next time I can improve my performance some. We will see.
Thanks for reading this far.
Tim
