AFM 2016 - Round 2 at Sonoma Raceway

During the very first practice session out on Saturday, I didn't even make one complete lap before I came in. Greg had a puzzled look on his face as I rolled into our pits. I opened my visor and told him that I felt a bit dizzy out on track. Why did I have to drink those two beers last night? Between that and getting only four hours of nights sleep before, I didn't think I was going to do well on my Saturday races. Fortunately, I didn't do as bad as I was expecting

Saturday (4.30.16) - My Race Starts Need Work

I was able to shake off the dizziness and put my head down to focus. The goal for my races is always to get podium positions; however, if that didn't happen, I wanted to at least drop some time. The latter is important because it does show some progress.

 My first race on Saturday was Formula 3, and we had a decent-sized grid. I was determined to stay with the front runners for as long as possible — these guys, in the end, will make me faster. I line up on the grid for my first race of the weekend, and the butterflies were fluttering.

Prior to this race weekend, I was also able to practice my race starts in an empty parking lot near the house. I felt that I had a better grasp of what needed to be done: Make sure I'm getting those revs up to at least the 10K rpm range. Everything sounded good as I revved the engine, and then Phil drops the green flag. Everyone goes, except for me and another racer... what happened? Well, I freaking had the bike in neutral! I also recently started racing with GP shift (reverse shifting order), so I knocked it the wrong way to try to get the bike going, but then immediately realized my error. I eventually got the bike in first and shot off.

Well, shit. At least I got going eventually... 

I knew I wasn't going to catch up with the front runners by this point, but I was going to make damn sure not to be last! I was successful in that feat — I passed two other racers and I finished the race. Time-wise, I did okay... I only shaved off one second from my personal best at Sonoma Raceway.

My next race was Novice Afemme, and by that point, I was incredibly exhausted. It was only a gal on a Ducati and I on the grid, so I ended up getting second place by default. It was still a fun race, and I always welcome more time on the track so I can improve.

This time I had the  bike in first! 

Sunday (5.1.16) - Time Will Tell...

I was determined (as always) to get my times down and to get more plastic that weekend. I had two races that day: Novice Lightweight Twins and 250 Production. Historically, I always show improvement at my Sunday races, so I was feeling confident that I could get a podium spot and throw down good times.

Lightweight Twins was the first up, and as I lined up on the grid, I made sure that the bike was in first gear. I get an okay start and get going. The front runners are pretty quick and I can only stay with them for about a lap until they drifted away. At this point, I knew I wasn't last, but knew I wasn't in podium contention either. I also didn't have anyone to chase other than an expert female racer, so that's what I did. I made sure to keep her within sight, and also concentrated on making sure I was smooth, focused, and relaxed during that race. Fortunately, it paid off because I was able to drop four seconds from my personal best! Right on!

Despite not getting a trophy, I was feeling on cloud nine and knew I had one more chance to get some plastic in the Novice 250 Production race. I lined up on the grid, and again, made sure I was in first. I also made sure my revs were as high as they needed to be. This time, my start was awesome — I was with the front runners! Eventually, first place and second place pulled ahead. I ended up battling with another racer named Troy for third place. At this point, I started closing the gap little by little, lap by lap.

I was getting excited by the time I saw the white flag. Mentally, I was beyond determined to pass him this lap; I was oh-so-close! Unfortunately, I still have a lot of practice to do when it comes to passing. By the time we get to turn 7, we had lap traffic coming through. I got stuck behind a racer on an SV 650 and was behind him going through turn 9, which if I was as good as Greg at passing, I could have totally got by him then.

By the time I got passed the 650 racer, it was too late. I couldn't gain enough ground to get Troy, and he ended up getting third. Gah! I was a bit disappointed, but didn't dwell on the fact that I didn't podium at all. The race was the most fun one I had to date, and I was high on the excitement from it.

Afterwards, I went to look at my times and OH MY GOD! I dropped another two seconds! I finally got down to 2:07s at Sonoma Raceway, which isn't too shabby for a 250. I was beyond stoked, and seeing that time just helped boost my confidence. It sure did seem like it took forever to get to this time, but man was it worth it!

Round 3 at Thunderhill is right around the corner and I seriously cannot wait. I want to always thank my amazing sponsors: Suomy helmets, Spy Optics, RACER gloves, and Moto Guild. I also want to thank the AFM staff and turnworkers for doing such a great job. Additionally, these fantastic pictures would not exist without Max and Koi over at Oxymoron Photography. Finally, I couldn't have dropped as much time as I did without the coaching and cheerleading from my fiance, Greg.

Until next time (which is super soon!)

LL

See y'all soon!