Hello all,

I elected to forego practice as WSIR is my "home" track and I felt that after a couple of practice sessions race day, it would all come back to me�. Willow Springs is a hot place, this I seemed to have forgotten. I did drink tonnes of fluids in anticipation of this event but apparently neglected my van�. I ran out of gas backing into the parking spot at my hotel in Lancaster on Friday night! DOH!

A gallon of race gas got me to the station Saturday morning so no troubles after a huge breakfast with my pals, Tom, Donny and Dave. We all got to the track in time for first practice, the track seemed so HUGE! I forgot how wide open the place is, the corners are long, the straights are long� Everything is BIG and FAST! After several sessions, everything seemed OK and I started cutting down some reasonable lap times.

Race 1 on Saturday was Supermono 2 as per usual and I guess I was asleep on the grid because I didn�t notice John wave the green flag. He was up in the tower (not his usual place) and well�.. Anyhow, Off everyone went and I followed shortly thereafter. I managed to be first into T1 in my class and ahead of one of the Scorpian Cup guys. I got around the others in Turn 2 where I managed to stay the remainder of the race. First place is KEWL and it is even better to beat guys who started 100+ feet ahead of you and have 200cc�s ad�l motor!

Race 2 on Saturday was Supermono 1 and we all lined up, myself determined to get a great start. I anticipated the starter perfectly and was first into Turn 1. I stayed out front for several laps and I guess the guy in second place figured out where he could get me and he did! I didn�t like that much so I put my head back down and got back around him. I was determined to get at least a second in this race (if not FIRST) and really tried to be smooth and not make any mistakes. On the last lap, I saw the guy off in the weeds in The Omega, apparently he had run out of gas. Not knowing where the next guy was, I still pushed on and took my first win ever in this unlimited 4-stroke singles class!!

Sunday was going to be hotter than Saturday, I could just tell. My friends and I mulled over breakfast longer and got to the track a bit later. I missed the first practice and decided that I would rather spoon on a new set of tyres, check out my bike and fiddle with a few odds and ends than go out on the tack. I did go out for 4 laps to scrub in the tyres on the last practice session though� I went out behind my friends Roger and Kurt then passed them, motioning to follow. I showed them the "fast" line around WSIR and when we came in, they were all happy and said they had taken 2 seconds off their lap times!

Supermono 2 is our first race and off we go. I again get the great start and lead our group into Turn 1 while going around the last place Scorpian Cup guy. I stuck on the wheels of the 2 front runners for a bit but decided that I didn�t need to wear out my motor any faster than I had to so knocked it down a notch. I slowed enough so that Kurt could get around me but Roger wouldn�t come around and play so after a lap, I put my head back down and blasted on to take another clear cut victory in Supermono 2.

Supermono 1 was an interesting race before it even started. I had noticed that my motor hadn�t really cooled down that much and some of the other racers were complaining about the "hot, greasy track". I bumped the air in my tires and went out for the warm up lap. The bike felt great but the motor didn�t seem to pull anywhere. Hmmmm�.. Not exactly a comforting feeling. The green flag drops and we all take off. I go into Turn one first and stay out front for 2 laps then the second place guy comes around. I am on his tail and decide that this is exactly where I want to be for a last lap draft move. We get into Turn 9 and all of a sudden my back end spins and slides out to the left. WHEW! That will wake a guy up! I�m thinking, am I really gong that fast? That has NEVER happened in T9 to me before�. Oh well, I�ll be smoother next lap and then bammmmm out I go again! So I knock it back a notch and watch the leader slowly get away. I figure I will knock it back and let things cool down then get back in touch later but my motor thinks otherwise.  She doesn�t get up and go when I ask her so I hope that I can hold on to my position�.

I stay in 2^nd until the white flag lap and coming out of T6 I glance over my shoulder and there is Roger and Kurt RIGHT on my tail! SHEESH!!!!  I hope they didn�t learn TOO much from me this morning.. I guess Kurt got right up on my outside coming into T9 but couldn�t quite decide what to do. As I take the checkers, I look sideways and Roger is an inch in front of Kurt on the line but I am an inch ahead of both of them. My first 2^nd place in Supermono 1! I can�t believe I held them off.

Interesting weekend for me. I am officially the 2001 AHRMA "Pacific Crown Champion" in Supermono 2 and runner up in Supermono 1 (depending on how they score that DNF by my main competitor).  I will need a new top end before I race again, I found out that a year and a half off the bike doesn�t mean I get slow and WOW, I love to race!!!!

Oh what FUN it is to RIDE�. Until next time, CYA L8R!!!