PROJECT SUPERTWIN TO THE MANX: Let's go race at Brainerd they said... Part 2

So I got a practice session in before the rain hit and then decided to go play in the rain on DOT's to get a little more used to the track since it is way wider than it used to be when I was here last. The video I posted shows just how damn slippery that front straight away is when it rains, it is like ice and we only have inches to be on where we won't slide out! Any throttle and your on the friggen ground.

Rachel and my bikes tucked away for the evening.

David can't stop playing with himself... Errr, I mean the bike... Leif looks like he may have had a few too... ;)

Evening fell and the guys arrived at the track with the trailer all fixed and got a few laps of practice in before dark. We were lucky to have my buddies Jeff Japs and Brian Okobu gave us their two garage spaces to use so we didn't have to worry about canopies blowing away or anything.

So practice is over and we put the bikes away and do some fine tuning. Then the craziness begins... Our friend Dennis rolls into garage A with the MOK... Words cannot describe said vehicle...

There may have been some adult beverages consumed this evening BUT...

Ummm, yeah...

We wore protection while shenanigans were taking place! ;)

I don't always drink beer at the racetrack... But when I do it's with my buddy Mark Dargis and this other guy...

Saturday morning rolled in WAY TOO EARLY... The riders meeting may have had me causing trouble bright and early and I snuck up on the tower and harassed everyone while they were trying to be serious about something or another...

Morning riders meeting we were a bit groggy...

Then race day began after a few practice sessions and then I started off with the Supertwin race... What an eye opener! Pretty much got the holeshot and then watched about a dozen bikes blast past me going into turn one... One does not just show up to BIR with a stock engine and expect to be competitive... I forgot this! Had some good battles and worked my way up to a 10th place finish out of 22 bikes and was pretty happy with that. I could reel the pack in on the infield and then watch them pull on the straight... Work needed to be done so I could stay in the draft of the lead group...

LWSB was next up a few races later, I lined up with a goal of bettering my time from the Supertwins race of 1:57.7 and to see if I could find some speed somewhere to keep the draft of the lead group. The green flag drops and I launch really well again right up towards the front and then have the dozen or so bikes blow by me... Discouraging... But I keep my head down on that first lap and was able to keep Kyle Dahl in my sights and coming into turn 10 I am on him! He pulled me all the way down the straight and I was able to keep with him for the rest of the race with no real challenges. I found that I could go through turn 8 faster than him so I waited for the last lap and went up the inside going into turn 9 and lofted the rear wheel and went sideways right in front of him but kept it upright and kept it pinned into turn 10. Held a defensive line in 10 and hoped he wouldn't get by me by timing and scoring... He didn't! I beat him by .1 of a second and scored a 7th place finish! I was really happy with that! The best part was I got down to 1:56.2's dropping over a second off my lap time! Good stuff!

Awesome pic of me on Project Supertwin on the front straight by Steve Diamond Elements!

Then the waiting... We had a storm roll in and I had pretty much called it and started packing stuff up. But a few red flags and stopped races made time for the track to start drying out so I suited back up and decided to go give it a go. My buddy Mark Dargis came over and gave me some pointers on where the track was wet and what was and wasn't slippery... I ran down to the start area and found very few of us arrived to race. On the sighting lap I found a river across the track coming into turn 4 and another one coming into turn 8. Made some mental notes to take it easy there and lined up on the front straight. Green flag drops, I drop the hammer, keep grabbing gears and I end up in turn 1 in the lead... Go into turn 2 and am still in the lead... Whoa, what do I do now, turn 3 is soaked! I enter 3 really timidly and Jack Barton on his rain tires rides around the outside of me like I was standing still... Dammit... So the goal is to keep him in sight and since turn 9-10 is dry I want to try outbraking him on the last lap and try to beat him to the line... We get to turn 7 and I see him not slow and he hits the water coming across the track and boom he hits the deck and slides off the track right in front of me... OK, so I put my head down and ran my own race for the rest of the time and all of a sudden they pull the green flag and give me the white! I am like holy shit I am gonna bring this thing home if I stay upright one more lap! No real big issues on the last lap with some sideways antics coming into turn 4 being the only incident and I get around to the front straight and give my buddy Joey Kasper on the sidelines a thumbs up while he is cheering me on and I take the checkered flag for the win! Not the way I wanted my first win since getting back but I will take it.

My brother from another mother Joey Kasper and myself in the PPIHC team gear after my win!

Some Bell Schwag!

Big Shoutout to Mike Adair and Brett Donahue for hooking me up with Bell Helmets being my helmet sponsor, I look forward to promoting the line and it has been good working with you guys this season! Can't wait to have ya out for Pikes Peak next year!!!

With that, we were done racing for the weekend and ready to party the evening away before the run back to Colorado a thousand miles away!

BIG Thanks to everyone that made this return to BIR happen for me, it was bittersweet to get to play on my home track again for the first time in 10 years and the CRA is just as inviting as they always have been! Will see you boys and girls next year!

Cheers!