Sorry for the delay, folks.
I was racing the 749 this weekend, after the 1198 broke the crank in half two weeks back.
I needed to finish 2nd in Open Twins to maintain 3rd for the season. My best at the track on the 749 in 2009, when I was running 16.5" magnesium rims and had a lightweight gas tank, was a 1:54.6. My competition -- Bud Anderson on a 1098 and Nick Hayman on an 848 were both capable of that or better.
Off the line, I got into turn 1 in 4th place behind James Randolph (leader, on his KTM), Bud Anderson, and Nick Hayman. James checked out pretty early, leaving the three of us to scrap it out for 2nd. For the first half a lap, I was stuck. Nick tried to make a move on Bud going into turn 9, but Bud closed the door, killing Nick's drive down to 10. I lined up Nick and passed him on the brakes in turn 10.
I set off after Bud -- 3rd place for the season was on the line. I was on him like white on rice. I was breathing down his neck on every turn. Unfortunately, Bud had a lot of motor on me. He would take defensive lines, get weak drives out, but rely on his motor to keep him in front. He did this for a few laps before I started to figure out ways to get past him.
I first took a stab coming out of 11-12-13. I gave him a little space and took a run at him. I drafted him down the back straight and pulled out and took him on the brakes into 14. Unfortunately, he was able to motor past me before start/finish and he took me back into turn 1. Damn! Back to his defensive lines. The following lap, I took him going into 14, but overcooked it and he passed me back before turn 15. I followed him up the straight and lined him up through turn 1 for a pass going into turn 2. Things were going well and I was side-by-side until I hit my downshift and realized I was a gear too low bouncing off the rev limiter. Damn Damn! He built a gap, but I went back after him.
Finishing up the 5th lap of 6, Bud took a VERY defensive line into 14. Unfortunately, he overcooked it. I knew it would kill his drive onto the front straight. Rather than trying to stick him in 15, I lined him up for a draft up the front straight. I got a tow and was able to stay close up the front straight. Going into turn 1, Bud took a defensive line again. I went around the outside and took a fast line and pulled even with him heading into turn 2. I started around the left-hand turn 2 and tracked through the turn outside of Bud, keeping pace, so that we remained side-by-side when we exited turn 2. Unfortunately for Bud, and fortunately for me, turn 3 was a right-hander. I was in position and was able to block Bud and took over 2nd position.
I immediately checked out. I knew I was faster than Bud through the following couple sectors and built a gap. I was able ot hold the gap down the lonely back and front straights, keeping the position and finishing 3rd for the season.
My last lap was a 1:53.1 on the AMB timing system. I was pretty stoked, especially since I had lost some time in passing Bud through turn 2. I think I had a little more in the bag.
All the other races were relatively uneventful. I raced Open Superbike on Saturday and Sunday, and finished 4th on my 749 against literbikes each time. That put me 5th in Open Superbike for the season, behind Ricky Corey, Dave Stanton, Mat Orange, and Brian Parriott. Not bad company.
Anyway, glad to put this season behind me. Two DNF's in Open Twins hurt pretty badly. ~10+ weekend-ending mechanicals over the course of the year didn't help either. But we learned a lot over the year... We got faster over the year, posting new bests at each track we visited.
We hope to rebuild and be stronger next year.
