First race report for the 2008 race season

Hello all and welcome to my first race report for the 2008 race season. 
 
I have been working hard getting my bikes ready to compete at the top level and was really looking forward to racing at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield. Todays race was on the TT, qualifying started off really well.  I was in the top three until the last session when I didn’t improve my time so I dropped down to 11th quick.

I got a good start in my heat race and was running second until we came to the tight left hander and I basically got bumped right out of the way.  On the next lap same thing, people were just running straight into me.  I fell all the way back to fifth before it was my turn to return the favor, so I put on a charge and pretty soon I was up to third and chasing down second place.  On the last lap I was right on his wheel but couldn’t make the pass so I had to settle for third place. I knew I would have to protect the inside more in the tight left so people wouldn’t just bash me out of the way again.
I had a second row start for the final, I made it thru the first lap safely and was running in eighth place, by lap two I was up to seventh place behind Robbie Pearson.  I kind of had to stay in line or else the rider behind me would stick a wheel in on me.  Finally on lap 15 I made a pass and was soon chasing down JR Schnabell for fourth place. My bike was running so good I was able to pull right up to his back wheel but passing him would prove to be another challenge.  It took me all the way until the final turn of the 25 lap national to get past him and take fourth place. That was such a fun race, I just kept pushing harder and harder, every lap at the end of the straightaway I would get on the front brakes so hard it would pick the rear wheel off of the ground a little, and there wasn’t much of a landing after the jump so eventually I would hit so hard my legs would give and my helmet would smack the bar pad but that is just what it took to get the job done. 
 

May 25, 2008
AMA GNC Twins
Springfield, IL Mile
Unfortunately mother nature forced the cancellelation of today’s race.  They tried to run it on Monday but the rain didn’t go away. This race is now re-scheduled for Labor Day weekend.  We are headed to Ohio to work on our bikes, then off to New York for the next national. I would like to give a big thank you too all of my supporters without you I wouldn’t be able to be out here racing the AMA Grand National Championship.