Summit Point: May 8-10, 2015

Summit Point:

May 8-10, 2015, WERA

Getting two events in early in the season was awesome, but with the last one being almost two full months ago, I was really looking forward to the Mid-Atlantic region season opener at Summit Point Motorsports Park in West Virginia. This was the first track I ever rode on back in 2008 with my good friend, Greg Dachner, so it holds a special place in my heart. My weekend at Summit Point in 2014 was especially tough because of bike issues, so I was eager to make a statement that I’m back in the region. Whether or not that’s what I actually did… I’ll let you decide.

Since I had a couple events under my belt already this year, I originally thought I would skip the track day on Friday and just roll in for the races on Saturday. However, after looking at the weather for the weekend, I decided I should take advantage of the awesomeness that was coming and go ahead and do the track day and enjoy the time at the track. I got a lot of good laps on Friday, and was able to make some adjustments to my setup that made the bike feel better under me.

My only race on Saturday was the medium weight expert solo, a 20 lap race. If you have read any of my previous race reports from this year, you know that I’ve been having some issues with my starts, and this start would be no different. I was gridded on pole for the start of the race, and entered turn one in around 5th place. After a few turns, I found myself falling back to 7th and having a hard time loosening up and finding my rhythm. However, instead of treating this like a sprint race, I knew that I would have a long race to catch up to those in front of me, so I didn’t let myself panic. I also knew that I have more laps under my belt this year than most of the racers in front of me, so I knew fitness would become a factor, which would be to my advantage.

Photo Credit: Melissa Emory Photography

After about 7-8 laps, I found that I was starting to settle in and find a good rhythm. I started reeling in a pack of three other riders in front of me, and before I knew it, the four of us would be battling for position. I was able to pass the first without too much trouble, and I tucked in behind the other two just trying to find a way around. At about lap 11, the second rider in the pack tried to pass the lead rider on the inside of T1 on the brakes, but wasn’t able to make it stick. On lap 12, the lead rider took a defensive inside line going into T1 to keep the second rider from making a pass and was successful, although the second rider still tried to line up inside of the lead rider hoping to find a way around. On lap 13, the two riders did the exact same thing, so I decided to take the outside line and try to find a way around them both because I was better on the brakes into T1. I wasn’t able to pass both riders, but I did make it around the second rider, putting me now in 2nd in this group of four (4th overall in the race). I followed the leader of our pack for a lap, looking for a way around him, and decided that my best bet was to repeat my maneuver from the previous lap if he takes the inside line again, which he did. I passed him on the brakes into T1, but as I entered, I realized I was coming in hotter than I wanted and I needed to scrub speed, and fast. I quickly realized that keeping the bike on the track wasn’t an option, so I needed to slow down as much as possible before running off into the grass. As I ran off, I saw that a trip through the gravel trap was inevitable, so I prepared to use my motocross skills as I entered, and after a tough ride, I exited the gravel trap back into the grass. I’ve only ever found myself in a gravel trap once before, and to say they are nearly impossible to ride out of is no exaggeration, they are bike eaters. As I got back into the grass, I couldn’t believe that I made it out upright. I was so excited that my focus immediately turned back to the task at hand, the race. As the 4th rider of our four bike pack came through T1, I just happened to be looking up to see him come through. My immediate thought was “I worked so hard to pass him, I have to get moving and get back through.” This thought would ultimately cause me to end up flying through the air and sliding head first in the grass. You see… grabbing a handful of throttle in the grass to hurry and get back in the race is actually detrimental to your race effort, even though it may seem like a good idea at the time. It’s not… it never is. As you can tell, I high-sided in the grass, just feet from getting back on the pavement. I didn’t even let myself stop before I popped back up on my feet and ran to the bike hoping that it wasn’t damaged too badly. Unfortunately, it was bad enough that I wouldn’t be able to re-enter, so my race would be over at that point. In my racing career, I have made a lot of mistakes, a lot of silly mistakes and some that didn’t make sense until after it was made. This mistake takes the award for dumbest mistake in the history of racing.

After getting back to the pits, I started tearing the bike down and accessing the damage. At first it just looked like a fairing stay and some minor fiberglass damage. However, upon further inspection, I found that the triple clamps had been bent, and the throttle cables had been pinched. I would spend a few hours on Saturday evening rebuilding the bike, but I luckily had all of the parts I needed to get it back together.

Photo Credit: Melissa Emory Photography

Aside from wanting redemption, I was really looking forward to Sunday because it would be the first time I would get to try the new tires that Michelin is selling, the Evo’s. This tire is really cool because there are no compound choices, there is one compound that adapts to the pavement and temperatures it’s in. It was promised to be a fantastic tire by some people that I trust, who also just happen to be insanely fast racers, so I was looking forward to trying them out. They would prove to not disappoint.

My first race of the day was C superstock, and I would find myself gridded on the 3rd row for the start. Again, my start was less than stellar, and I found myself going into T1 in 8th or 9th place. I was already kind of gun-shy because of my crash on Saturday, but the bad start added to my frustration and I found it hard to get into a groove. I would ultimately finish in 10th place, which could be my worst finish in my racing career.

As frustrated as I was during the first race (and trust me, I was really frustrated with myself), I let all of that go as soon as I got back into the pits because I knew that I had three more races in the day to improve. When I gridded up for the second race of the day (B superstock), the first race was the last thing on my mind. I have enough starts on this bike with this oil that I’d like to say that I’m figuring it out. However, this start isn’t the time I get to say that. I was able to go into T1 without losing any spots, which was a minor win, but it wasn’t the awesome start that I’m going for. In the last turn of the first lap, I was glued to a rider’s tail when he nearly tucked his front tire in front of me, causing me to check up hard and lose my drive out of the corner onto the front straight. I lost a couple spots because of this and I was never able to regain those spots. I ultimately finished in 6th, which was pretty disappointing again. However, on the last lap I made a huge push to try and catch the rider in front of me because I could tell he was fading. As hard as I fought, I wasn’t able to catch him, but I was able to dip down into the 1:18’s, so I was happy to finally get to where I felt I should have already been. As far as the rider that caused me to check up, he had actually punctured his radiator and it was spitting water on his front tire. Luckily he was able to keep control and didn’t crash and/or take anyone else out. His day was over, but he’s safe and his bike is in one piece, which is about all you could ask for in that situation.

Photo Credit: Melissa Emory Photography

My third race of the day was C superbike, and again, I would start on the inside of the third row. Remember when I said I have had enough starts on this bike that I should have it figured out? Well this is the race that I can finally say it. I got a great jump on the flag and found myself picking up a number of spots on the start. I went into T1 in 4th place, and would ultimately finish the race there. That sounds like a pretty boring race, and perhaps it was. There weren’t a lot of position changes from my point of view, but I was constantly being challenged for my spot, and by the end of the race, I had caught up to the #3 racer. With another lap I may have challenged for 3rd, or I may have dropped to 5th, who knows? But we were all close enough that anything could have happened, it was a fun race even if I wasn’t swapping places.

The last race of the day was B superbike. Again, I got a pretty good start and found myself going into T1 in 3rd. Again, I would finish right there, but I was constantly challenged for my spot and fought hard to keep it. During the last two races, not only was I able to get into the 1:18’s, but I was consistently in the 1:18’s, with no lap being more than .5 seconds away from my fastest lap. Prior to this weekend, my fastest lap at Summit was a high 1:19, and that happened on one lap last year, every other lap was in the 20’s. There are a lot of factors when it comes to racing, so I can’t say it’s all because of the tires. I will say that the new Evo’s gave me a huge confidence boost when I needed it most. I was doing my best to not let earlier events keep me down, but my weekend seemed to keep running into dumb issues. Because of that last lap in the second race, I knew the speed was there, I knew that I could get there and run with the lead pack. I just had to keep that confidence and put myself in that situation. Once I got my starts figured out a little, that put me in the situation where I could latch on to the lead pack and challenge for good finishes. Having awesome tires weren't the only factor in me finding more than a second a lap, but they did do a fantastic job of gripping and inspiring confidence while I was doing it.

Photo Credit: Melissa Emory Photography

As always, a huge thank you goes out to all of my friends and family for their support, most of all to my wife. Not only does she support me and my silly goals, she does whatever she can to help along the way. I would like to thank Melissa Emory Photography for the awesome pictures from the weekend, Melissa got some great shots from a lot of the races, so be sure to check them out on her Facebook page. Michelin tires and Sportbike Tire Service need no introduction, they are the best in the business in their respective fields. Shoei Helmets gives me the best protection for my head on the market, and their helmets look amazing and keep my head cool in the heat. Sidi boots do the exact same thing for my feet and ankles, my Sidi Mag-1’s look and feel awesome. Moto-D Racing keeps my tires hot throughout the day at whatever temperature I want. I had to adjust the temperature of the warmers to better suit the Michelin Evo’s, and it was super easy with the Moto-D digital warmers. PopShadow Decals keeps me looking good. The bike stands out in a crowd, even at 100+ mph. Spiegler Performance helps me stop fast. There was a reason I was able to out-brake riders into T1, it’s because Spiegler makes sure I have the best pads and brake lines available. Vortex Racing makes sure I have what I need with sprockets and rearsets, and their customer service is second to none. Core Nutritionals continues to help me stay in shape and stay one step ahead of my competition. Last, but certainly not least, the Motorcycle Factory Inc. helps us with race fuel and any other miscellaneous stuff that pops up. They were at the track supporting us on Sunday and it was great to have that support when it’s really needed. Most dealers won’t go that extra mile, so I’m proud to represent one of those rare gems that does.