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Conquering the demons - NJMP CCS race report

9/9/2017

Way overdue CCS race report from NJMP..
The weekend started out wet and dreary but promised to clear up for Sunday - since I wasn't in the points chase, I sat out the rain races and focused on Sunday.
ASRA Sportbike was first up.. My first race at NJMP since my big crash last year. Off my game by a few seconds, but kept it clean to bring home an 8th.
Middleweight GP was shaping up to be another top 10 until I grabbed 1st gear (instead of 2nd) heading into turn 1. Thank goodness we had dialed out more engine braking because the bike got pretty squirrely going into T1, but I was able to stay on-track. Unfortunately, the pass I was setting up to make was missed, and I lost a spot, ending up 11th, but it felt good to conquer the demons lurking from that turn last year..
Middleweight F40 was a blast. Got a much better start, and has some racing with Joe Ribeiro before he took a well-earned 2nd, but keeping me on the podium for a 3rd place!
I was super happy that Nicole was able to spend her birthday weekend at the track with me, and she's the best crewchief / doggo-mom / cheering section ever!
MDM Metric Devil Moto LLC had just the right Pirelli's for the weather and the suspension was perfect!
I didn't need anything from Trackside Parts Club this weekend, but MANY other racers did, and they're a true asset to the community!
Evolve GT Track Days - Just the best damn track day club around!
Hazardous Racing keeps me protected with the custom-fit leathers
DC Paintworx & Drippinwet.com - Would ya just LOOK at it! - Keeping the GrrR6 looking awesome!
Hang-Dry - How else can you dry a rain-soaked race suit at the track?
Woodcraft Technologies kept the tires HOT even in the chilly weather and the Hindle exhaust is super lightweight.
All the Championship Cup Series, CCS/ASRA staff, corner workers, and safety crew - Without you all, our bunch of adrenaline-fueled egomaniacs couldn't go out and do this incredible sport we love.

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Back in the saddle - June 2017 VIR CCS race report

6/18/2017

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It's been a while since I last raced... 279 days to be exact, but who's counting?

My crash (and subsequent unconsciousness and concussion) over the Labor Day weekend in 2016 brought with it some mental challenges that have been surprisingly tough to overcome in 2017. As such, I didn't want to go back out onto the track to race until I was back to a reasonable pace, and more importantly, felt safe for not only myself, but those around me on track.

This weekend I went light on the races to make sure I didn't overdo it, and was scheduled for Middleweight Superbike, ASRA Sportbike, and Middleweight Formula40. I did manage to set a new personal best time, too!

Middleweight Superbike felt like...well, I hadn't been racing in almost 300 days! I ended up 13th, but needed to work more on my racecraft, passing especially.
ASRA Sportbike was all my fault. A 3rd lap crash caused a red flag and brought us back into the pits. HUGE thanks to Tyler Humpheys and Andre Lea for the pit lane help!! On the restart, the coolant temperature warning light went on (understandable) but I mistook it for the light next to it, the low oil warning light. By the time I realized what had happened, the field was long gone - I didn't see another bike for the entire first lap! I finally got my head down and passed a few, and ended up battling with Carl Soltisz for most of the race.
Middleweight F40 was promising - I was running 3rd until I missed a 2nd downshift into T7 and had to turn around, costing me 2 spots. I was able to catch up to Nic Pisani and pass him for a 4th, but my good buddy Paul Robson was just too far ahead to be caught.

Despite all the setbacks (and the hot temperatures), the Podium Motorsports Pirelli's stuck like glue, Michael Faillace offered me much needed coaching, and the MDM built Ohlins/Penske suspension felt great. Also thanks to Justin Levy of Trackside Parts club for being there with everything a racer needs, and Woodcraft for the controls and warmers! The Maher Motorsports engine was a BEAST on the VP Fuels MR12, Hazardous Racing leathers & Sidi boots kept me safe and as cool as possible, and the DC Paintworx / DrippinWet.com paint and body was shining as always. Coach Teresa's nutrition advice kept us going through the 90+ degree days!

Onwards to NJMP for Labor Day weekend!!

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Kicking off 2017 with Woodcraft Technologies!

1/5/2017

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We're proud to announce that we are continuing our excellent relationship with Woodcraft Technologies for the 2017 season! The GrrR6 has been winning with many Woodcraft products since day 1, including rearsets, clip-ons, engine case covers, lever guards, frame sliders, and tire warmers! Rich's Hazardous Racing leathers are also equipped with Woodcraft's famous "Klucky Pucks" knee sliders. Check them out at www.woodcraft-cfm.com !

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Going out with a bang - 2016 season finale

9/22/2016

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The full title for this should be "Going out with a bang (and a boom and a crunch)". (This is also LONG overdue - my apologies)

Being the last round of the 2016 CCS Atlantic series, it was a "Twin sprints" weekend, meaning all the sprint races were run twice, so I was signed up for 8 races total. Thunderbolt's T2 & T3 area is getting pretty bumpy in spots, and T3b had sent many riders to the ground. Even still, I had 3 goals: set a new personal best (PB) lap time, bring the bike home shiny, and race well. 2 out of 3 ain't bad, right?

Saturday:
Middleweight GP, I instantly met goal #1 with a 1:29.4, with the rest of the laps being a 1:30.x - I was happy with that. There was some very close racing, and thanks to picking up 2 spots on a dive-bomb into T1, I was able to take home a 6th place finish.

Middleweight Formula 40 was a smaller grid than usual, but I still had to do decently. Bob Heinz #57 is back up to pace, and quickly checked out with a :28 on lap 2, so I just ran quick enough to keep my 2015 rival Carlos behind me, and brought home a solid 2nd place. Wood!

Middleweight Superbike was tough.. I got caught behind another racer for almost the whole race, not able to take full advantage of where I was faster. I was finally able to set him up for the last turn of the last lap, and sling-shot past him at the line for 10th, also earning a VP Fuels contingency check. :)

Look, happy racers! (#199A Jake Chieffo AKA Tank Driver, yours truly, #333A John Bonelli Sr., and #188 Joe Pultrone, seated)

Sunday:
GTU was the first race, and I'm man enough to admit I got passed by the top 3 amateurs, all of whom are in the solid :28-:30 range. Still, that was enough to bring home 4th!

Heavyweight Superbike was next - I added this race because there was a long gap between my races, and I wanted to stay "in the zone". The front 5 experts were all in a tight pack and while I was hanging in there, this really wasn't my race, so I pitted in at the end of lap 3 to save tires, having turned a new PB of 1:29.2, backed up by a 1:29.7!

Middleweight Superbike, and another "caught behind someone again" race.. There were a few times I maybe could have stuffed it in there and banged bars, but decided to wait.. Meanwhile, Joe Pultrone was showing me a wheel in the lightbulb every lap, being as polite as a racer can be. On the last lap, I had the guy in front of me right where I wanted him going through the light bulb, and was setting up to pass him in the chicane before T12, when Joe came around me and had to check up just a touch at T10 when Melvin shut the door, killing my drive and hurting Joe's as well. Not only did I not get Melvin, neither did Joe! I still brought home an 8th place so I can't be too disappointed.. that's racing! I gave Joe a smile and a "racer's hello" on the cool down lap.. He's #1 in my book!

Middleweight Formula 40, and again, Bob Heinz was rolling. I wasn't doing too bad in 2nd though, and had a solid 4+ second lead over Carlos in 3rd, at the end of lap 3, but didn't realize it. Things got bad right after lap 3 was complete. I had been working on trail braking deeper into T1 throughout the weekend, and was feeling confident as I tipped the bike in.. This time though, the tail swung WIDE to the left, making the bike continue going straight-ish.. That's not going to work, so I let up off the brake a bit and continued to turn the bike, because that felt like the only good option.. MAKE THE TURN - YOU GOT THIS. Well, maybe I let up too much? Maybe it was just beyond my abilities to 'catch it' by then? At any rate, the back tire came back under the bike.. QUICKLY, sending me out of the saddle and off the pegs, trying to highside me. Oh no you don't! I hung onto the bars, trying to get back into the seat, and felt the bike oscillating underneath me. I wanted so badly to just crack the throttle a touch..that would settle everything down.. but I can't.. crap, here comes the curbing, and I'm still not back on the bike, but I wasn't thinking about that. Right about the time I was deciding whether to 1) try to complete the turn on the curbing or 2) stand it up and ride off, option 3 was decided for me. I felt the bars being wrenched out of my hands as the bike went down on the right, my body going a different trajectory.. I know I was a few feet off the ground, and my arms were to my side. (I imagine it was a "lawn dart" type of posture..head first) Estimated speed at the time is around 70-75mph.

The next thing I remember was seeing the sky, my ears ringing, there's dirt in my eyes and in my mouth, and it's really bright. As more of the world lights up (the darkness faded back like the iris on a camera lens opening), 2 people are standing over me, asking me if I know where I was...can I wiggle my toes...wiggle my fingers. Oh crap, am I messed up? I wiggled them which calmed me down a little, and responded "Turn 1". He asked "Yeah, but where?". I said "the track" because that's all I could muster. Why couldn't I think of the name? He laughed a little and said "OK, but where's the track?" "Jersey" was all I could think of. "Good enough" he responded. At that point, I didn't want to move. I just wanted to sit there and gather myself, but they lifted me to my feet and helped me over to the ambulance, which I couldn't get into without a LOT of assistance (I almost fell on my face trying to get in). I also slurred out "Someone tell my wife (I'm alive/OK, but couldn't get that out)", which must have sounded like "How's the bike" because they pointed over to the R6 being loaded onto the trailer, and said "It's not bad" - because that's what racers always ask..."How's my bike?"

Turns out, I had been unconscious for 1 minute, 38 seconds, and suffered the concussion, and a sprained ankle. Other than that and the expected whiplash, I was uninjured, a testament to modern safety equipment My Scorpion R2000 helmet took a beating but held up, with no cracks. My custom-fit Hazardous Racing suit also performed perfectly with nothing more than scuffs. No rips, tears, or busted seams. The Hit-Air vest? It's ready to go after a re-pack, and based on the marks all over the helmet, I have no doubt AT ALL that it saved me from serious injury.
Nicole took me to the hospital, while Fred, John, Will, and others graciously helped pack up the bike and all our "stuff". John and his wife Renee even took care of Marco while we were gone. Thanks a TON to you all for that! I had a CT scan done, and was released. Having never had a concussion before, wow... The next week was interesting. Multi-tasking & critical thinking were really hard for the first few days. My balance was a little off. Constant, all-over headache that lasted days... Blech. After 2 weeks, all the symptoms appear to be gone, though my ankle still hurts when my foot moves the right way (sprain w/bone contusion). The physical therapist is confident of a full recovery there as well.

Anyway, things were going great before the crash. All top 10's (2nd,4th,6th,8th,10th) with a podium, and by all accounts, well on my way to a 2nd podium... Good finishes to round out my first expert season, even if it didn't end WHEN I wanted.

My sponsors rock-
Metric Devil Moto for suspension and Pirelli's (Michael Failace). This winning combination can't be overstated!
Trackside Parts Club (Justin Levy) for everything from hit-air vests, riding gear, bodywork, even gas cans.
Maher Motorsports for a killer engine build. No one can out drag race the tiger bike!
DC Paintworx & DrippinWet make the GrrR6 look awesome!
Hazardous Racing (RJ Wade), Scorpion USA, and Sidi for the awesome protective gear that helped keep me from serious injury.
Vortex, Woodcraft, Yoshimura, PitPosse, and Leatt for all the great parts.
EvolveGT for being the best trackday org out there!
Teresa Waters ("Get fit with coach Teresa" on FB) for the nutritional and fitness guidance. She can help you too!
I also have to thank Noiseless Productions & The SB Image for the photos and video that make me look fast!
My awesome, beautiful, supportive wife Nicole for everything (and it's a LOT!), my track fam for the love and support, and last but not least.. ALL the CCS staff, cornerworkers & EMS at the tracks we race for keeping us safe and on schedule, allowing us to do what we do, (and taking care of us when we don't do it well)!

Until 2017..

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"Mixed Feelings" - July 16-17 2016 CCS race report

7/25/2016

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It was another hot weekend, but this time in New Jersey, for the July round of CCS racing!

From my perspective, the racing was similar throughout the 5 races I competed in. Myself, Bob Heinz, and Zack Kropp all seemed to be on each others' heels throughout the weekend, pushing each other to improve! I ended up with a 5th, 10th, (2) 11th, and a 13th.
The MetricDevilMoto Pirelli's (including the much-lauded SC0 rear -my first time trying this compound) stuck like glue, which means I "Must poosh haader" to get the most out of them, the Maher Motorsports engine never missed a beat, and my new Hazardous Racing hybrid suit kept me safe and as cool as possible, while looking like a million bucks!
Monday following the weekend was a phenomenal track day with EvolveGT, which not only ran VERY cleanly despite the heat, but also gave me a little time to learn some tips from fellow racer Joe, and give back to the sport I love so much doing some coaching in the Intermediate groups!
Thanks to my nutrition coach, Teresa of Get Fit with Coach Teresa, for the continued advice (Best wishes for a speedy recovery!) which allow me to battle to the end, Nicole (& Katharine with the emergency dinner) for keeping me fed, Andy & Mike F. for coming down to help & support us, and all the CCS staff for putting on such a great weekend!
So why did I title this "Mixed Feelings"? Well, I didn't hit my lap time goal this past weekend like I had expected to. However, I did lower my overall average times, and felt calmer while doing so, and was generally pleased with how I raced, but there's certainly room for improvement next time!
I couldn't do this without the support of all of my sponsors, thank you all for the support!
Justin Levy at Trackside Parts Club
Scorpion USA
DC Paintworx / DrippinWet graphics
Yoshimura USA
Vortex Racing
Woodcraft Racing
Sidi
PitPosse
Leatt

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"They're all dirt bikes" CCS VIR 6/11-12 review

6/15/2016

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To quote Biloxi Blues: “It never got this hot in Brooklyn. It’s like Africa hot. Tarzan couldn’t take this kind of hot.”. The guy pitted next to us got heat stroke (He's OK, thankfully). It was hot! Saturday was over 100 in the shade, 115 "real feel". Sunday was upper 90's, but a breeze and lower humidity brought the real feel down to 105. To further challenge myself, upon the advice of a trusted adviser, I decided to do more races than I normally do, in an effort to "stay in the zone". (it worked!) Working with my nutritionist Teresa Waters REALLY paid off this weekend, to say the least. I was focused, alert, and my times kept dropping right to the end, turning my fastest lap of the weekend on the last lap of the last race!

Did I mention my total track experience at VIR was 1 cold, damp track day, on my Tuono streetbike? The learning curve was going to be steep if I was to get up to speed! Fortunately, TPM hosted a track/practice day on Friday, and I was able to get from a 1:45 down to a 1:38. If only getting another 7 seconds off my times would be that easy!

The always-challenging GTU was around 1:45 in the afternoon, and it was blazing hot. On lap 1, I was in 6th or so after a good start, and under braking for T10, the bumps upset the chassis and I wasn't able to get slowed down enough to make the turn. I turned as far as I could before standing it up, and off into the grass.. At that point, I was glad I bought a dirtbike. I rode the ENTIRE length of the roller coaster, in the grass, and re-entered at 12b! Turns out most people that go off there don't make it the whole way without crashing. They had even sent the ATV out already because they were sure I was going down. The tigerbike just went on safari, that's all! Once back into the race, head down, throttle up, and passed 4 riders to take home a 9th!
VIDEO

Heavyweight Supersport (750's) was one of the last-minute additions, and I started dead last in 15th. The Pirelli DOT's ride basically the same as the slicks, so there was no "learning curve" with them. Got a good start into the top 10 and was up in 7th, but I went off in T10 again, but this time juuuust barely, and was able to get right back on. Lost 2 spots during that, and ended up chasing Glenn Jazikoff around for the remainder of the race, taking 9th.

ASRA qualifying was after that. In an effort to conserve tires, I ran a 1:36 and called that good. It qualified me right in the middle of the field, 11th of 22.

Sunday I had 4 races, and Middleweight Superbike was up first. Korey Hopkins and I will be battling all year, I can already tell. We swapped positions throughout the race, and he's an absolute ANIMAL on the brakes. We even rubbed elbows at 150mph entering the kink! At the end though, I was able to hold him off, and brought home an 8th. This was one of the most 'fun' races I've had thus far, and I look forward to lining up next to him again. (I'll try to keep my elbows to myself next time!)

The ASRA Sportbike race was next. On lap 2 or 3, I was trying to 'refine' how late I could brake into T1 and didn't quite make it.. I ran off into the grass (again), down the hill, and almost to the fence (If you want video, watch the MotoAmerica race from this year.. It felt and looked just like that. In fact, that's exactly what was going through my mind!) before I got turned around and back onto track. Still managed to catch a few and brought home another 9th place. The 250cc guys really carry great corner speed!

Middleweight GP was a smaller field, but still plenty of really fast racers! I kept my nose clean, turned some decent laps, and brought home top my first expert top 5 with a 5th place finish!

Middleweight F40 has been my nemesis this year. 2 DNS's(Did Not Start) with the flat tire at NJMP and the water pump at Summit. Despite the heat, the tigerbike was ready to rip this time, and I had just enough MR12 for the fight... and what a fight. I got a good start, but Mark Dickerson got the inside line through T1. Once behind him, I saw I could hang with him, so I waited to see if he would make a big mistake, figuring I was helping to save my rear tire, which had done the GTU, SBK, and GP races already. He made a few little ones, but so did I, and he was able to put a bit of a gap on me. I put my head down a little more and worked on reeling him in, gaining a tenth with every lap. When the white flag came out, I was rudely reminded the race had been shortened to 5 laps from the original 7. I "pooshed vetty haahd" and was ready to make my move on Mark, but he was really quick in the roller coaster, and I wasn't able to get past him to take the win, but by only 1/10th of a second at the line! Great clean run, Mark, and congrats on your W!

I'm very pleased for what was effectively my first time on VIR North, and the bike is still shiny despite my best efforts - I can't complain. New goal: 34's. Come September... we shall see! Congrats to good friend and pit buddy Paul Robson on his first CCS Expert race weekend.. It certainly was challenging, but you brought home a top5! Thanks also to Katharine, Oscar, Betsy, Drees, Dennis, and Ophelie' for your assistance and smiles in the pits!

Thanks to:
Mike Failace / Metric Devil Moto for the trackside suspension tuning and advice
James Bock for the sticky Pirelli's and the mounting.
Justin Levy / Trackside Parts Club going above and beyond, getting a new air vest shipped to the track, and always having what we need to stay on our game!
Maher Motorsports for the VP Fuels-powered monster of an engine.
Teresa Waters for the nutrition coaching, and Nicole for prepping it all!
DC Paintworx and DrippinWet for making the tigerbike look as good as it performs
Hazardous Racing, Scorpion, and Sidi for the protective gear that kept my hide safe while keeping me as cool as possible.
Vortex Racing, Woodcraft, PitPosse, Yoshimura, Leatt, and EvolveGT for your continued excellent products and support.

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Time to really Get Fit!

6/3/2016

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Top motorcycle racers share several common attributes - Dedication, skill, focus. They also share another - fitness.
Rich has felt (and seen) these benefits during the first part of his own fitness journey, and also noticed the benefits other racers have realized by taking that a step further, with personalized coaching and training.
He took that next step in April when he met Teresa Waters- an AFPA certified advanced personal trainer & NESTA certified yoga and advanced group fitness instructor, based out of Austin, Texas. In addition to being a fitness and nutrition guru, she's an avid motorcycle racing fan, and rides an SV650 of her own!
They've been working together since then, and we're proud to announce that Coach Teresa is now officially on board with the team, providing nutrition & dietary guidance to make sure Rich can perform as his peak! We're excited to have her on board, and he & Nicole have already started to see some of the benefits after just a few short weeks. Rich was quoted as saying "This is one of the most challenging partnerships I've entered into, but I know it will pay dividends both on and off the track.. It's worth it!"
If you're interested in taking your racing & fitness to the next level, you can contact Teresa on Facebook, via her group Get Fit with Coach Teresa.

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CCS Summit Point 5/29-5/30 2016 recap

6/1/2016

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Ahhh, Summit. Of all the tracks we race, I just wasn't a big fan. Maybe it's the bumps mid-corner, maybe it's T4, I'm not sure. The facility is great and the staff friendly, so that's surely not it! Speaking of big fans, they were needed this weekend. Heat index was right around 100°. Despite this, it was a record-setting turnout. The paddock and the grids were packed! We also picked up a new team mascot at a yard sale very close to the track.. It was meant to be! Nicole has named him Tino. He also does a great job of keeping the sun off the seat of the Zuma!

Before I go any further, I want to take a moment and send a shout out to all of the MARRC crew. I don't normally get to spectate much but did this weekend. The way they inspected the track after every incident was really something to see, and gave me confidence that it was a safe surface to race on. Thanks to all! Additionally, CCS took the time to honor the brave servicemembers who made the ultimate sacrifice so we can enjoy this sport we love so much. Thanks to the CCS staff for this.

GTU - The GT classes are a 25 minute race, unlike the sprints which are a set # of laps. I've learned, is thank to the incredible pace put down by the front-runners in CCS expert racing, we end up turning more laps because the leaders run that much faster. I swore the white flag would never come and the CCS officials in the flag tower were just taunting us! A HUGE field of 38 gridded up for this.
At the start I got away well, by lap 3 had bested my previous personal best, and then dropped into the 19's, and made a few passes. Kept pushing hard and was able to take 13th out of that 38 racer field. I was VERY happy about this finish!

Unfortunately, as I got back to the pits, I noticed the toe of my boot is shiny. Uh-oh. Drop the belly pan, and see coolant. Hopefully the puke can is just full because it's HOT, and the coolant temp had hit 100°C by the time I got to my pits.. Yeah, no such luck. It appears to be leaking from the bottom radiator hose. I tracked down a hose we can cut to size (Thanks Justin from Trackside Parts Club!), dump the hot coolant, and replace the hose. Fill it up, start it again, STILL leaking. Turns out it was coming from the weep hole in the pump, clinging to the pump housing, and then running from the top of the hose to the bottom. This is a brand-new OEM pump that was installed during the refresh, too because we didn't want to take chances on a rebuild. Oh well, that's racing! Fortunately, Arthur (Thanks again!!) had a spare I was able to get swapped in, but for the 2nd time in 2 races, I missed the middleweight Formula 40 race. It's my favorite race, and the class I took the championship in last year. Dang!

Monday, I wasn't up until race 11. I stayed busy all day helping others and walking around, maybe I should have slept longer or something. I just felt 'off'.

Middleweight GP - I was about 1 second/lap off my Sunday pace, but held on to take 14th. Middleweight Superbike was close to the end of the day, and I was just gassed. Ended up in 17th but still ran times faster than our last visit to Summit, so that's a definite win!

My new custom-fit cow & roo hybrid suit from Hazardous Racing is great! It totally disappears when I'm on the bike, and allows me to really move around easily. It also looks nothing short of badass. Speaking of bad ass, check out the new photos in the Gallery captured by Vae Vang of Noiseless Productions that let you see the new suit!

Thanks for all the support -
Mike Failace / Metric Devil Moto for the suspension & sticky Pirelli's
Justin @ Trackside Parts Club
Chris Maher / Maher Motorsports
RJ Wade / Hazardous Racing
Bart DeFrancesco / DC Paintworx
Chris Kruzel / DrippinWet
Keystoneriders.com
EvolveGT
Vortex, Scorpion, Woodcraft, Yoshimura, PitPosse, Sidi, VP Fuels
As always, my awesome crew chief/wife/chef/cheerleader Nicole, and the pit posse - John, JohnnyB, Oscar, Betsy, & Jake. Heal up quick Andre, and congrats to Demetrius on your first race!

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Getting dirty so I can go fast!

5/2/2016

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Nope, this isn't a post about re-packing the wheel bearings on the hauler, or replacing the torn engine mount on the truck so that I can make it to the track, this one is about spending time on the new-to-me KTM, learning to ride in the dirt.
In March, after a great opening weekend with EvolveGT at VIR, a handful of us continued further south to do some dirt riding in North Carolina. With the exception of my weekend at CornerSpin in 2014, I've never really had any real time on knobby tires, but KNEW that it was an invaluable skill. Renowned instructor Ike DeJager was on hand for us, and we spent the day getting lesson, doing drills, and having a blast, which helped everyone from rank amateurs like myself and Paul, to very experienced dirt riders like the Bonelli's and Sheldon! We then put all this into practice with some trail riding, an impromptu drag race in the sand, and then capped the day with a little bit of air time on the MX track! (That photo doesn't look impressive, but it felt like I was 20 feet in the air!)

Our EvolveGT dirt crew- Brett Baker, Victoria Vielkind, Sheldon & Donna Gardner, Paul Robson, Rich, instructor Ike DeJager, Paul Bonelli Sr. & Jr.(left). Yours truly catching air for the first time! (right)

Thanks to the inevitable last minute crunches before race season and other commitments, I haven't gotten to get dirty again much since then (with the notable exception of a day in the coal with Pete, Jarrod, Fred, and Andy) but with the insistence of fellow CCS racer and all-around great guy John Bonelli, I headed up his way for a little fun this past weekend. John is not only a great track-riding coach, he's a great dirt bike coach as well! Throughout the day, he constantly took me slightly outside my comfort zone (read as: slow), and while I'm still VERY green, things started to click, and I was really seeing why dirt riding is such a great skill for a road racer to have as we ended up doing 60 miles of trail riding that day! Besides being a heck of a workout, being comfortable with the machine moving around under me will definitely translate to improved confidence on the racetrack!

It's a LOT dirtier than the setting sun shows, believe me!!

We ended up doing 60 miles of trail riding that day, and though I'm sore basically from head to toe, I would have been a LOT worse off after my close to 10 "off's" during the day if not for the body armor, neck brace, and hydration system from Leatt, boots from Sidi, and helmet from Scorpion - I'm putting every piece of this gear through the wringer thanks to my riding 'style', and it's done amazingly well at protecting me from...well, ME!
Until next time - may your Pirelli tires be hot, and your drinks cold!
Summit Point on May 28&29, GET IT!!!

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First race, all over again!

4/20/2016

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April 16-17 at New Jersey Motorsports Park was my first weekend as a CCS expert, and as I donned my Scorpion EXO-R2000 helmet, I felt exactly the same as I did just over a year ago before my first race as an Amateur! Last year, those nerves went away during the warm-up lap, and it did again this year, until we were gridded up. I looked around me, saw all these bikes and racers that I watched last year, trying to glean tips on "how it's done", and now here they are, on the same grid, including one Mr. Mark Heckles, just 2 rows ahead! Fortunately, once the "2" board went up, I was ready to go and forgot about all of that, and focused on the task at hand.

GTU was my first race, and ended with an epic last-lap drag race to the line between Carlos Vasquez and I, (with him taking the spot) and me finishing 12th. It was so close it must have come down to whose transponder was further forward!

Middleweight GP was just up next... wow. The lead pack just seemed to disappear, but those are also all seasoned veterans, and I'll get there! I made a mistake while racing Raymond Bitting and a pack of 3 or 4 bikes all capitalized on it like nothing from last year.. Eye opening! However, I kept pushing, and was able to take 10th in that one.

Middleweight Formula 40, I was very much looking forward to. Still trying to figure out exactly how it happened (I think valve core went bad), but I had checked tire pressures about 2 hours before the race, and everything was good, so I left them on the warmers. However, when I pulled out on track for the warm-up lap, it felt like I had left my rear warmer on the tire! (I actually had to turn and look, it was that bad.) The rear of the bike was all over the place. I limped around the track and pulled back into the pits, finding I had only 5psi of air in the tire! By the time we got it aired up and back out, it was too late and I missed the race. HUGE disappointment, and THAT won't happen again. Thanks again Betsy Rios for jumping right in to try and get me back out there!

Middleweight Superbike was my last race of the weekend. The tire issue was still in my head for the first half of a lap and I paid for it. Put my head down some and put in some decent laps, had another awesome battle with Carlos, and brought home another 10th place finish.

The bike with the Maher Motorsports engine is strong as heck, and Metric Devil Moto's new setup on my suspension is ready to take me to the next level! I need to get myself there, and that WILL happen.

Thanks to everyone for their support this year!
Nicole (my wife) - Lead Sponsor and head tiger stripe-rrr
Michael Faillace - MDM/Pirelli
Chris Maher - Maher Motorsports
Justin Levy - Trackside Parts Club
Arnold Hastings - VP Fuels
Bart DeFrancesco - DC Paintworx
Chris Kruzel - DrippinWet
EvolveGT
KeystoneRiders.com
Vortex
Woodcraft
Scorpion
Sidi
Yoshimura
PitPosse
And of course, ALL of the CCS Staff and corner workers, without whom none of this awesome madness would be possible!

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Conquering the demons - NJMP CCS race report

Back in the saddle - June 2017 VIR CCS race report

Kicking off 2017 with Woodcraft Technologies!

Going out with a bang - 2016 season finale

"Mixed Feelings" - July 16-17 2016 CCS race report

"They're all dirt bikes" CCS VIR 6/11-12 review

Time to really Get Fit!

CCS Summit Point 5/29-5/30 2016 recap

Getting dirty so I can go fast!

First race, all over again!

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