Path Valley

The weekend after Trailways we raced at a frequently ran local race track in Spring Run called Path Valley. The day started off good, but like always I started to fight for traction halfway through the heat races. So, once again we decided just to wing it and try some new changes to the bike that we have never done before.  I went out for the first main and I felt like we went the wrong way. I was going backwards quicker then I could even try to go forward in positions. I came back in and my Dad decided to try going the opposite direction, but this time make more of a drastic change then just a minor change. I started off the main with an awesome start coming off of turn two next to Cory, Brandon Robinson, and Kevin Varnes. I went into turn three trying to make a move past Kevin and he lost traction and clipped my front wheel sending me flying in the air to hit the ground hard. I was pretty bummed because the bike was working amazing and I was gaining ground real quick. I restarted from the third row passing about 5 riders with only the lead pack finishing a few bike lengths ahead. I left Path Valley for once feeling pretty good about my accomplishments for the evening not because of my finishes, but of the improvements that we made in the bike to help me get to the front.

Pagoda TT

The following weekend was also a local race, but this time it was in Birdsboro, PA at a motocross track called Pagoda. There at Pagoda it was only our second time racing a TT there as we normally ran short tracks there in the years past. The track was really dry and it started to get rough everywhere.  After running practice my Dad and I made the call to stop and let everyone else race because my hand was still irritating me from the week before from my crash at Path Valley and the track was not worth getting hurt at and messing up my hot shoe series.  

Asheboro, North Carolina

The next two weekends in a row my Dad was busy with the Harley shop so I went racing with the Robinsons. The first stop was at Poochie Cox’s race in North Carolina.  Friday night was time trials and Saturday night was the heats, semis, and the finals.  In time trials I finished 16th out of 34 people, which was not bad considering most of the best pros in the nation were in attendance.  I was disappointed though in myself because I felt like I could have went faster because the track changed and you could run it in harder, but not ever doing time trials at a big money race I was a little nervous.  The following day I got off the line in about 5th and was trying to make an outside move around a rider, but couldn’t get the run I needed and just started to go backwards as people were just pushing me higher and higher to get by.. I lined up in the semi third with Ricky Marshall on the pole and Raun Wood in second. I got off the line with a decent start, but I ran over someone’s leg going into one causing me to tuck the front. I actually saved it and didn’t crash, but I lost a lot of ground. I was in about 6th when I got going again. I rode smart and worked my way up to third with Raun Wood being right in front of me at the finish.  I was upset because I didn’t make it, but glad with the performance I had with all the bad luck I was having throughout the day.

Square Deal

This past weekend on Saturday I raced up in New York at Square Deal Raceway. During practice I felt really good, just struggled a little bit with the front end wanting to tuck coming into the turns.  We made a quick wheel base adjustment to the bike to try that in the first heat as we only had one round of practice.. The first heat I was struggling really bad with getting the bike turned when I needed to. The bike just wanted to go straight and not turn. I ended the heat race in 5th. I came in off the track and we changed some more things to the bike. I got myself in a pretty confident mood and went out and finished second behind Brandon Robinson, which made me feel good after the race because he is always a good rider on cushion tracks.  My final heat race of the night was the sportsman, which Jimmy Wells got the holeshot, but I made a quick move coming off of two to finish first in the heat race. I had a pretty bad stumble coming off of four that really hurt my time because I basically had to stop in order for myself to get the necessary balance back to continue on again, but I knew that I would either be starting on the pole or second on the line for the main so I was alright with that. Finally the main events were starting and we lined up for the first main. I got off the line with a decent start from the second row I think I was about 5th coming off of two. I started to spin and lose traction more and more as the race went on. I started to go backwards and I believe I ended up 7th or 8th. Unfortunately the rain came  though so the changes we made after the first main event we were not going to be able to try out in the second main to see if we made any head way. The track paid off by heats for the other two so, I ended up 7th, 2nd, and 3rd.  

Piston Poppers

The next day was Piston Poppers TT. I never really like this track because I had a bad accident here a couple years ago and never felt comfortable again on the track since, but this time the track was different as my Dad and a bunch of volunteers redesigned the track trying to make it safer. In practice, I was going really good keeping up with some of the good TT riders, but once the track dried out and got rough I just seemed to go backwards and struggle. I made both main events, but the dust was so bad I dropped back to the back in both. I finished the first one in 12th and the second main I had just started to go forward again making the pass for 11th when I tucked the front in a pile of dust and crashed out. I was a little disappointed, but glad that I survived another day at Piston Poppers. This coming weekend is Path Valley again, which I am really excited about because I want to try out the setup again from the last time that I was there.