Back in the saddle again
Roebling Road Raceway (RRR) - Bloomingdale, GA
June 10-11, 2006

Well, after missing two race weekends due to my crash at Jennings, I'm ready to get back racing. I check the weather before we leave and the highs say 93 & 97* for the weekend.. ughh. Not looking forward to that GA heat.

We get a later than planned start Friday due to work schedules and conference calls, but no big deal. Getting a good paddock spot at RRR is usually no problem so we weren't worried. We left town, ~6p and got to our hotel ~11p.

This year it wasn't a twin-sprint weekend. Sat was a 'track day' until 2p, then practice and races start, so we were able to sleep in and get a good breakfast. We headed to the track and got there ~11am, just in time for the rider's meeting. Looks a little more crowded than usual, but we get a good spot next to pit out.

I setup the canopies and get the bike ready for the first practice session. I check the temp... 103*!!! so much for that forecasted high. Damn it's hot, but luckily it's only 15% humidity.

Third call sounds and I head out for practice. This is my first time back on the bike since the crash, so I'm not expecting to be fast the first time around. I make my laps and wow, you'd think it was my first time on the bike. My mind said, "go, go, go faster, lean further", but my body said, "no, but what if we crash again." My times were in the :25's, and I should be running in the :19's at race pace.. not toooo bad, but still shitty.

One hour later, time for the GTL race. I grid up, and try and psych myself up that I can lean further, go faster, that the crash was a result of my clutch plate, not my riding. I get a decent start, but racing against the SVs is tough here b/c the track really flows and the SVs can stretch their legs. The competition helps bring down my lap times but not low enough. I'm only turning :22's, which isn't quite fast enough to keep up with the lead pack. So I've got an SV about 10 bikes ahead of me, and after a couple laps, I catch up to him, meanwhile the lead group has started to run away, out of reach of my pussy-ass riding. I check on a couple laps, to make sure that I can beat him to the line, and I can, so I decide to sit behind him and 'Duhamel' him. As we come around see the white flag, I put my head down and decide to just take off and not chance it. I pass him around T1 never to see him again. I finish 5th.

Dying of the heat, we get back to the hotel and cool off and eat some dinner.

Sunday, we check out and head to the track. First race is LWGP. I get warm up the bike and get ready. Again.. way over the forecasted high for the day, it's 102*. This sux. So I head out for the race, and the bike won't start. I push and push.. no luck, it sounds like it's not getting spark, but the cap is on, gas is on, nothing seems wrong. So I miss the 3 board, and miss the race. Fuck! WTF is wrong with the bike. I get back to the pits, pissed. After cooling off a bit, I check things out again, nothing seems wrong, so I try to start it, and it fires up. Weird. Don't know what the fuck was wrong, but it works now.

So next, and last race is the 125GP, combined with two other classes. The bike starts this time and I head out. I get a good start, and I lead into T1. Halfway through the lap, I start to catch up to the other class ahead of us. a couple laps in I'm in the middle of their pack, but not worried as long as I don't see anyone pass me as I'm currently in 1st in the 125 race. A couple laps later I see the white flag. I turn around and don't see anyone for a while back. I don't back off too much and just ride smart to take a 1st place finish.

Well it was a very hot weekend, I didn't expect to be right back at normal pace this weekend, but did expect to do better than I did. I guess I just need a little more seat time to get the crash out of my head. Next round is VIR, and looking forward to that, as it's my home track.