FourThreeSix
Tall Guy on a Little Bike
AFM Round 7 - Euphoria
Photo Credit: Oxymoron Photography
As many of you may remember, round 6 at Sonoma made me its b****. There’s really no way to sugarcoat it. Luckily, I had a month and a half to marinate on it. During that time I: Rode my bicycle 4 times, ate my usual amounts of ice cream, enjoyed drinking alcoholic beverages, assisted in some wedding planning, and rode the R6 once at a track day. Outside of that event, I stayed away from motorcycles, which is weird for someone that has their professional and a good portion of their personal life revolving around them. I really didn’t want any part of them… until Monday, October 15th.
When the 15th rolled around, I woke up and was ready to put Sonoma behind me. I made some half-assed repairs to the R6’s bodywork to make it visually appealing to me again from my spill earlier in the year. I resprung the rear shock to cater a bit more to my riding style and height; something I’d been on the fence about for quite some time. And finally, I was in the mindset to go full send. I knew a win would be out of reach, but the elusive 1:54’s were less than a second away, and I didn’t need to crash to reach them. And send I did.
For the first time all year, I broke my PR in practice. I followed it up with another tenth shed in qualifying for F1 at a 1:55.2. And I was by myself. Things looked really freaking good going into the Sunday races.
Sunday morning practice was chilly, but I still started off in the 55’s. This looked promising going into 750SBK an hour later, however I was concerned I may have cooked the tire a bit. With about 4 laps into the race, my concerns were brought to light. My edge grip was lacking quite a bit. This was 100% my fault and is chalked up as a learning experience on being a bit more disciplined with my tire pressures. I adjusted my riding position a bit to mitigate the issue, however I just wasn’t confident enough to really make a push for the leaders. I finished in 4th, but I had finally made it into the 1:54 club even with the challenges I brought on myself.
600SBK was next. Original plan was to use the same tire for this race, but I was in a tough spot. Luckily, Berto came to the rescue and had a lightly abused take-off already mounted to a wheel. We made the swap and this throwaway race was now a bit more serious. I got the best start of my life on the 600, jumping up to the front row and slotting into 4th or 5th by turn 1; new territory. I had never been in this position before in this class, so I figured I’d at least try and keep at it for as long as possible. A few laps into the race, part time AFM-er and full time badass Jayson Uribe got around me, fully pitched sideways with his signature dangle just barely grazing the tarmac. As much as I wanted to keep him honest, he was throwing down. He checked out, but just ahead however was Stephen M Jesus Rue. With Kondo’s encouragement, I started to chop away at the gap and around lap 4 I was within striking distance. I found I could make up a ton of ground on the brakes, but by the time I let go of the lever we were basically equal on exits. I got a great drive heading up the hill into T9 and decided I would make a passing attempt on the inside of 9. I got a wheel in there, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to seal the deal. I checked up a bit and worked on clawing the gap back on the final lap. My last opportunity was down the front straight and I did my best to get a draft, but I just couldn’t reel it in. I ended up finishing in 6th place, about a tenth off of Rue and a new PR of 1:53.854! I would have been perfectly content with leaving the weekend on that note. I was in a constant state of euphoria for the rest of the day.
Formula I was my last race of the day. I was ready to continue riding this wave after putting myself in a great spot in qualifying. I got another great start and was in 4th, trying to reel Rue in again. On the first flyer, I was down to a 1:53.6 and looking to get up there in a podium position. Unfortunately, the red flag came out shortly after due to an incident past T9. We ended up restarting the race, but my start wasn’t nearly as good this go around. I got shuffled a bit, but made a few passes on the opening lap to get me back to 5th. For the remainder of the race, I battled with Robert Brittain. We traded positions once, before Robert struck back. That was all she wrote. I tried to stay with him, but made a few crucial mistakes that killed my efforts. I ended up finishing this one in 5th with a best time of 1:54.8.
This season has had its ups and downs, as I’m sure many of you can relate. I made a team change, a full-time class change, had a crash, my first podium on a big bike, and so much more, but this past weekend really made it all worth it. I didn’t walk away with any hardware, but I didn’t care one bit. I dug deep, was patient, and ended up successfully beating some goals I had set a long time ago. Now, I can head into the off season with a bit of momentum and be vying for the new opportunity to line up with the nation’s best and upcoming talent in motorcycle racing.
Now, if you’re still with me at this point, THANK YOU! This season could not be possible without the help of a few select individuals and companies.
Eric Kondo (Eric Kondo Racing) – EK, you rock. Thank you for providing a home for me this year. Thank you for planting that racing bug a short 5 years ago. Thanks for all the assistance you’ve provided in my program. I look forward to continuing to fly the EKR colors in 2019.
Ashlee Deskin (Boo thang) – Thanks so much for your patience and support this year, even when juggling your program as well. I’m so proud of the racer you’ve become and even prouder to call you my wife very soon. I love you, babe!
Michael S. Castro (Fuzzy) – Your efforts in building me a fantastic motorcycle and having it properly setup to my sometimes unorthodox needs was giant piece of the puzzle this year in tackling racing the 600. I’m happy to have you on my side and even happier to call you a friend. Thanks brother.
Berto Wooldridge (Bear-toe) – Big thanks to you for keeping my head on straight throughout the years not just with racing, but with life too. Looking forward to dicing it up with you soon! Thanks brah!
Max Klein (Maximus) – Office challenge to now, road racing has opened the door to many new opportunities to meet a lot of really cool people. I have you to thank for that. You’re my boy, Blue.
My friends and family back home and all over – Thank you all for your support. I’m sure we don’t get to see each other nearly enough, but I think about you all the time and hope you’re all doing well.
My teammates – Thank you all for welcoming me to the EKR family with open arms. We all elevated each other’s game and I’m honored to be part of such a special program.
Patryk and Valentine (Fam) – It’s been awesome being able to hang and train with you guys off the track. I know I bitch a lot when it comes to our family rides, but thanks for the continued push to get in shape and get better. Tacos.
Cycle Gear – For those that do not know, I’m employed by Cycle Gear and have been for 11 years. CG has been my number one stop for my gear and maintenance needs. Not only that, but my coworkers and bosses have been extremely supportive of my racing and my time off. It’s a huge weight off my shoulder knowing they have my back as I go chasing plastic trophies.
CT Racing – Corey, Chris, Russ, Frank, and Waffles have been a huge help in keeping me safe with the best Pirelli stickies money can buy.
GP Suspension – Corey, Berto, Jake, Fuzzy, and Brisa all played a huge role in getting my bike all sorted this year. I’m a believer and will be looking forward to running their awesome springers next year.
Fuzimoto – Thank you Fuzzy for building me a rock-solid motor capable of much more than I am. It’s been an absolute blast ripping around on this thing. Looking forward to seeing what we can come up with for 2019!
Zemke Riding Development – Thanks JZ for your coaching. It’s been a game changer and the results don’t lie. I wish I would have done it earlier in the year!
Alpinestars – Thank you for providing world-level products that the average Joe can use. I know every time I zip up my suit that I’m wrapped in the very best protective apparel on the market. Additionally, the kit looks absolutely badass.
Bell Powersports - Thanks to the team over at Bell for their support. I absolutely love my Race Star and look forward running one of their new badass graphics for 2019!
MACH 1 MOTORSPORTS – Thanks Lee and Gary for taking care of my maintenance needs with fantastic customer service. I love working with you guys.
Motion Pro, Inc. – I haven’t seen you in a while, Jon, but thanks for continuing to support my program for the 4th year in a row. Looking forward to working with you in 2019.
Oxymoron Photography – Max and James are the real heroes out there. They hoof it for miles on end to make sure we get to look cool to all our friends. Love you guys. Thanks for the terrific product you guys produce.
Attack Performance – Always a pleasure working with you, Jozef. Those rear sets are the best on the market and my lever guard has saved me a time or two this year. Thanks for providing continued excellent service.
02Creation – Thanks to Nick and Michael for coating my wheels in the showstopper purple. I’ve received so many comments on these things it’s ridiculous! Let’s do something again next year!
Z² Track Days – Thanks for being supportive in my program and allowing me to split time between helping customers improve their riding craft and me working on mine. Love the Z2 family!
And finally, the American Federation of Motorcyclists (AFM), its staff, volunteers, and my fellow competitors. Thank you for an amazing season.
Love you all and see you in 2019! – GP
#4MUM
