Lakewood Under the Lights

WOW!! What a week it has been leading up to last nights first Night National and also my first ride under the Factory Big Blue tent. Like many of you know I was able to get a little bit of riding on the bike on Tuesday but after that nothing until Friday nights practice sessions. I cant say enough to all the guys at Yamaha for a great opportunity with my situation. I struggled a bit to find my groove on the bike but everytime I got out on the track things kept getting better and better.

First Moto started off decent with about a 10th place start and looked at getting through to the top guys as quick as I could but made a bit of a mistake trying to get by Jeff Alessi that sent me flying off the track on lap 2, I got back on in around 16th or so and just knew that I needed to keep charging the whole Moto and good things would come of it. After about halfway I was able to get inside the top 10 but still was making up good ground on a few that were in front of me. The whole Moto the only thing I looked at was my times so when I got back to the truck I asked Dyno what I ended up and he says " Dont you read the board?" I said well yeah but all I was focused on my times and to get as far up the ladder as I could by the end of the race. So after all was said and done I ended up coming through to 7th. Not bad but still a little off of where I want to be especially with how well I have been feeling on and off the bike.


Now the time came to race completely under the lights. I ended up going to the same gate as Moto 1 and it cost me quite a bit, I got shut out a bit and shoved back going into turn one and rounded it in like 28th or so. Yet again my head was down to keep pushing to the front. I was able to make my way past quite a few guys on lap one, I still didnt feel that great though in the opening laps and felt that I could have gotten around a few more a bit quicker than I did but those are things that I can work on(or not with a good start). So there I was again by midway back into the top 10 and gaining but just couldnt really see all that well when I was getting roosted and because of such a poor start I was out of tearoffs with 5 laps still remaining and felt that if I would have had a bit better vision then things may have ended a little different but 8th was what we finished and that gave us a 7th overall on the night.


Overall thoughts of the whole weekend I think it was great and can only get better and better. Many were a little skeptical with the lighting and I was one but I think this gave the fans a different perspective and allowed more to come and ejoy the races, not just the average Moto fan either, there was a good variety of spectators out watching the races. Now as for the me and the bike and Team, I think it can only get better from here. I just need to get back on the bike and put more time in on it and plug away with some settings with the handling and just adapt more so that all is where we need it to be. I cant say thanks enough to Andy Stacy and GL for what they have provided me to get to where I am now and if one would have asked if I thought I would be racing a factory bike let alone GL's with his injury I probably would have laughed straight in your face!! Thanks again to all who have been a huge part of my "revival" year and also to Dyno for coming out and spinning the wrenches. Also Keith, Mike and Jimmy at Yamaha, last but not least my Wife and my guy Ryan Fedorow for always keeping possitive things surrounding me and my racing.


SH 105