Tigre goes to AMA: Volunteer info and race progress here!

[duckwrench13]

It's been a long few days to get to this point....feel like I've got a throat full of sand, sinuses full of concrete, and a dump truck on my back. But it's all been worth it!

One of the track machinists, who have all been a godsend to us, came through the paddock yesterday...said he'd never seen a more relaxed, yet professional and synchronized team ever before. Said he couldn't believe we were privateers.

It's been a fight all the way, and we've still got more to go.

Well, time to crawl into the cage and head to the track. See y'all there!

[somegirl]

Congrats!!!

[smducman]

While I am still in the office , look like some of you  are there and ready for FX race , good luck to tigre Speed .......I can see all FX bike set ready in start line.

Cheers

[desmoquattro]

Brilliant day! I'll let Tigre post the results in his race report, but we had a good time and everyone stayed safe 

Many thanks to everyone who showed up! Watching the race from the front straight wall was unreal!

[mostrobelle]

Not only was it a "cracking good race" but it was so much fun watching and knowing someone out there...knowing all the work, time, money, and energy that went into it.  This experience is one that will stay with me for a very long time.   


...and be sure to catch the race on Tuesday!  I'm serious when I say that it was a fantastic race.  I can't wait to watch it again.  Our boy got a lot of air time too.   

 

[bigiain]

...and be sure to catch the race on Tuesday!  I'm serious when I say that it was a fantastic race.  I can't wait to watch it again.  Our boy got a lot of air time too.   

If anyone sees (or posts) any youtube clips or torrents for those of us who can't get it on Tuesday...

big

[ROBsS4R]

Speed channel has some AMA races on tomorrow and also on Tuesday with no other description.

I am a noob race viewer here. I am not sure which ones to watch  unless its a re-run later in the week.

[mostrobelle]

If anyone sees (or posts) any youtube clips or torrents for those of us who can't get it on Tuesday...

big

I'm sure one of the more tech-savvy peeps on here can do that, but if they don't I'll try to figure it out.

Speed channel has some AMA races on tomorrow and also on Tuesday with no other description.

I am a noob race viewer here. I am not sure which ones to watch  unless its a re-run later in the week.

Tigre was in the Formula Extreme race.  I am pretty sure it airs on Tuesday. 

[duckwrench13]

According to the AMA's info, Tuesday @ 1pmEST... 10 am for us MOBsters...Speed will be showing the Formula Extreme coverage from today.

 I'm so glad I had the opportunity to work with such a great crew! For the wacky band of misfits we are, there was an amazing level of synchronicty and cohesion amongst us. We had a few bugs...nothing major... but for a first time major effort, we did a damn fine job!

 We overcame a huge adversity in a short amount of time. We worked with very limited resources, and never enough time, and never faltered. We got our boy out there, got him dialed in, qualified, and on the grid!

 Winning would've been the cat's meow...pun intended... but in all reality, we accomplished exactly what we set out to do... get Tigre to an AMA National event. We qual'd, gridded, started and finished, with only the slightest of hiccups along the way!

 An amazing job by all!! And an overwhelming amount of support from everyone!! Congrats Steve!!! This has most definitely been one of the best, most easy going, and outstanding teams I have had the pleasure of working with!! 

 Sit down, relax, and soak it all in. You all deserve it!!!

 And I think I speak for all of us, when I say, "Steve, we are ready whenever you are!!"

[tigre]

Hey gang!

I'll try to summarize what the last couple weeks were like for me after I finish unpacking and some strength returns to my forearms.  In the meantime, just a few things I want to get out there:

THANK YOU to everyone who was a part of this effort.  That's the people helping out on my bike in my garage, at the shop, at the track, working on my leathers, working in the machine shops at the track, fedex'ing parts to me priority overnight, painting my bodywork, touch-up painting my bodywork, making decals, re-making decals, working the hot pits, working the starting grid, cheering from the stands, cheering from the Internet, and cheering from half-way 'round the world.  I'm overwhelmed to have been a part of such an effort -- I was certainly only one part of the equation and I could NOT have gotten on the grid without the help I received from everyone.

While I would have loved to have been ahead of a few finishers, I'll walk away with a finish (over Chaz Davies, no less) and smile.  My goal coming into the weekend was to get on the grid.  I knew there would be a chance I'd be tuckered out for Saturday if I rode Wed/Thurs/Fri, but I felt that was what I needed to ensure that I made it into the race and it was a gamble I consciously made (Datv can confirm we had this specific conversation).  The crash and subsequent scrambling from a few weeks ago just didn't leave me with enough time to train as rigorously over the last couple weeks and the lack of fitness definitely hurt in the big race (I was very tired out there).

I want to throw an extra-special thanks to the DTM and Father FTM for providing the air-conditioned RV, the Ruckus, the food, and the bed.  With the 100+ degree conditions this weekend, I would have melted without the extra creature comforts they provided.

[moto]
Tigre

[duckwrench13]

Like I said before....

 "And I think I speak for all of us, when I say, "Steve, we are ready whenever you are!!" "

You set realistic goals, and surpassed them in every way. Now put yer feet up and have a cold one!

Cheers Brother!!

[desmoquattro]

Tigre -

Take a moment to reflect on what you've accomplished here:

• After many years of racing, you scored enough points to get your AMA license.
• You got your lap times down consistently enough to enter the FX series.
• You recovered (both bike and rider) from not one, but two crashes in the weeks prior to your first pro race...one of them just two days before practice. Your lap times didn't suffer (they improved), and you retained your poise and confidence.
• You did several laps that were (or were close to) your personal best.
• In a field filled with factory-supported bikes with 150+hp, traction control, front ends that cost more than your bike, qualifying tires, and seasoned pro racers, you used race tires and a previous-generation superbike to qualify...even when others didn't.
• Not only did you start your first pro road race...you also finished. Two others did not.
• Oh, and officially you finished ahead of Chaz Davies!

In short, you got there. You have every right to be proud of what you've done. And you gave us all a great experience 

[tigre]

Thanks, guys.

FWIW, here were my lap times:

Lap #     Seg. 1     Seg. 2     Seg. 3     Lap time     Speed
2   40.414   37.668   31.264   109.345   73.090
3   40.473   36.023   30.515   107.011   74.684
4   40.466   36.079   32.263   108.807   73.451
5   40.695   36.269   30.541   107.505   74.341
6   40.256   35.888   30.506   106.650   74.937
7   40.009   35.961   30.802   106.771   74.852
8   40.092   35.921   30.413   106.427   75.094
9   40.189   36.192   30.692   107.074   74.640
10   40.081   36.266   30.617   106.963   74.717
11   40.189   36.317   30.837   107.342   74.453
12   39.850   35.946   30.715   106.511   75.034
13   40.401   35.910   30.051   106.362   75.139
14   39.723   36.486   30.425   106.633   74.949
16   40.171   35.929   30.541   106.641   74.943

The 49 on my second lap was the back-breaker.  I made one other big mistake in lap 4, and then gradually recovered from there.  I didn't run as slow as I thought I was at the end of the race -- still rattled off 4 laps in a row in the mid-46's.  I'm pretty happy with that, especially given the conditions (ultra-windy).

Cheers,
Tiggy

[duckwrench13]

I went back up today just to wander around and be a spectator. I had a lot of folks coming up and congratulating us on our efforts. Even got a lot of "Good job," and "You guys did good," from some of the factory guys too! Guess the little team that could, is now the not so little team that can, and did!

"We can easily become as much slaves to precaution as we can to fear. Although we can never rivet our fortune so tight as to make it impregnable, we may by our excessive prudence squeeze out of the life we are guarding so anxiously all the adventurous quality that makes it worth living."  -Randolph Bourne, Youth and Life.

 Luckily, we are only slaves to the machines and the thrills. Our precautions manage our fears, and allow us to excel up to and beyond our goals! Ours is definitely a life worth living!

Once again, thank you to everyone who had a hand in, provided support and encouragement, and most importantly never gave up on us. It was a great effort by all!!

And most importantly, THANK YOU STEVE!!! If you weren't as determined, and slightly wacky, as you are, this never would've happened.  

[desmoquattro]

^^^^^ 

Many thanks, Steve. Thanks to your efforts, we got to experience something amazing. It's been incredible to watch a dream become a goal, then a goal become an accomplishment. And we had a great time doing it.