AMA GNC Singles Championship Round 1 * Daytona Short Track * 03/04/09
The first laps we took in qualifying/practice the track was really dry and dusty, my bike was working fairly well and my times were competitive I was just searching to find that perfect set-up and get my comfort level where it needs to be to slide around the slick Daytona surface with my feet on the pegs, on my stock framed YZ 450F. I ended up qualifying 14th with my fastest lap time time a 20.798
My brother Jethro qualified 3rd so I knew he would be competitive.
This year the program is a little different with 18 riders in 3 qualifying heats, top four transfer to the main event, and the top two transfer to the points paying Dash for Cash and the front row of the final.
I was in the second heat race starting in about the fifth position out and I just pulled a monster hole-shot and The track had some deep ruts in it and I wasn’t exactly riding the same line every lap, you could say I was all over the place. Just as I started to calm down and get some breathing room the red flag came out.
Time for a single file re-start, Jared Mees and I believe it was Jake Johnson were all over me I was able to hold off Jake but Mees snuck under me and pulled a few bike lengths on me then I found a good line to deal with all the ruts and closed in. I would finish a close second and I was excited to be on the front row of the national and be in the $1,000.00 to win Dash for Cash.
In the Dash I started 6th out next to my brother. Going into the first turn Brandon Bergen fell and I slowed up, squirted under that mess and passed Mees going down the backstretch and into turn three for third. I held my own but I think my tire pressure was too low for the fresh cushion at Daytona, and I just didn’t have the speed to fight for the win so I just watched as Jethro held off Henry Wiles for the win.
In the main event I had last pick and I got a pretty good one, I was like third off the bottom. I was excited and nervous for the start, my heart was beating fast I had the rpm’s up I was ready to drop the clutch and then my clutch kind of grabbed right before the start and it threw me off just enough so that I was a little behind and was just about sandwiched between Wiles and Schnabel, as they were banging off each other. Before long the red flag came out for fallen riders.
It would be a complete restart, I got my clutch adjusted and I was ready this time I just about had the holeshot but Wiles took over he was on the gas hard and got a little slapped out but he pulled it off, I believe I was on the outside of Mees in third place, I found some nasty bumps out there and almost got bucked off once so I made sure not to hit that hole any more, before long I was feeling the pressure from Schnabel, he was pushing really hard and was able to get by me and then I watched him have his way with Mees. I was wishing I could do the same but felt like I was barely hanging on so I just stayed right with Mees, the next to pass us was Coolbeth and then Kopp. I was really having a rough time, I could barely hang on and was wondering how am I getting such bad arm pump after all the training I did, my fingers were almost slipping off the bars and it was hard for me not to slide off the back of the bike when I pinned it off the corners. I was still able close right onto Jareds back wheel at the finish but we were both riding the same line and I didn’t want to try anything as I was making sure Brandon Bergen couldn’t pass me, so we all finished really close with me in sixth.
As soon as I pulled off the track I realized it wasn’t any lack of preparation holding me back it was the protection jacket I wore under my jersey which was too tight and my fore arms were just all pumped up.
So a stupid mistake on my part, I will fix it for tomorrow.
