Suckit Point
Summit Point Raceway - Summit Point, WV
May 29-31, 2004

Since we're in the SE region, Summit Point is not on our schedule, so we never go there. We went once, 2 years ago, and it rained, and I didn't like it at all. The only reason we're going is b/c it's a USGPRU round.

We roll up to the paddock Friday nite to drop off the trailer and get our 'spot', but it's already packed. Luckily Reet was able to save us a spot next to him. Unfortunately he had to leave for the weekend due to some personal issues and wasn't able to race. So we just drop off the trailer and head to my parents' house in NoVA to get some good rest.

Saturday morning we get back to the track and get ready for morning practice. The line for registration is huge, and I still need to get new tires put on. It's not looking good for me to make first session practice... 1 hour later I've got new tires and missed the first session. Shit. I really need all the track time I can get as I've never really gotten any good race time on the track and don't 'know' the track.

I go out in session #2, my only session before my first race. I take it easy the first couple laps to scrub in the new tires, then I try to get more up to speed and follow some guys around to learn the track.

First race, GT Lights, supposed to be a timed, 25 min., race, however I've only ever once been in this race where it wasn't red flagged. So the green flag drops, and we're off... I'm getting blown away by SV's and the 'regulars'. I try and hang on and stick behind a fellow 125'er, but just as I'm starting to get up to speed... Red flag, and the race is called after 7 laps.

That's it for today, we head back home and return in the morning.

Sunday, we make it for both practices, and I'm feeling better and faster. First race is the 125GP race. I do a little better than the GTL race, but I still have a way to go as I'm in the bottom 1/4 of the pack.

We hang out all day and wait for USGPRU 125 qualifying at the end of the day. This is it, time to take off the skirt and stop pussy-footing around the track. If they can do it, I can do it. I head out and try to follow some faster riders.. it works.. I qualify with a 1:25.55... that puts me mid-pack - 16 out of 32. I'm pretty happy about that. And head out for the nite.

Mon, we get to the track, and the weather is looking shady. Chance of showers. Not good. Summit is quite the slippery track in the rain from what I hear. It starts to rain 2 races before my race, so it looks like it's time to put on the rain tires. The only reason I'm going out in the LWGP race is to get some practice in the rain for the USGPRU race. So I get set and head out for my race.

We get started and we get 2 laps into it, I make a pass or 2, and then... I lose the front end in T8 and go sliding across the track into the mud. Shit. Mud EVERYWHERE all over me and the bike. The crash truck brings me back to the paddock, and I've got ~1.5 hours to get things cleaned and fixed.

I'm bust ass, and get everything cleaned and fixed. However, it stopped raining and the track may be drying out. Shit. I don't have time to take off the rains and put the slicks back on. My only hope is that the track is still wet, otherwise I'm SOL. I head out on the warmup lap... track has dried out. FUCK. No race for me. I pull in after the warmup lap, and call it a weekend. So the only reason that I went to Summit, the USGPRU 125GP race, is the only race that I didn't get to race in. This sucks. But oh well, that's racing.

We're looking forward to, and can't wait to hit the rest of the season's schedule: VIR, Roebling, Barber, then back to VIR for the finale.