It’s an old saying and I have heard this from many a fast guy over the years. However, it wasn’t until I had completed my qualifying session at Infineon this past weekend that it really sunk in.
I had gone faster in practice than I had ever gone before at this track and the motivation to take it to the next level in qualifying for my second AMA race weekend sharpened my senses and crystallized my determination. I had a fresh tire that was good for 4 to 5 laps and was intent on using it to set a quick time for Saturday’s race grid. My out lap was quick but methodical and as I got a good drive out of turn 11 to begin my first flying lap, I was all business. All was good until Turn 9 as I rushed the first apex which screwed me up on my exit and my drive to turn 10 suffered. This would not be a fast lap.

I collected myself for my drive out of the final turn and as I began my second flying lap, all was well until the exit of the carousel where I ran wide at the curbing up to turn 7, again, screwing up my lap time. “Shit man, get your F’g head out and execute!!”, I told myself. But it went on like that for the next couple of laps! So, I came in to the hot pits, got off , sat down under the canopy, got some water, a cold towel for my face (it was over 100 degrees air temp making the track over 120!) and waited while Scott put on my harder compound race tire. I could only manage mid 1:44’s in that session and although it was good enough to qualify by over 2 seconds, I knew I could go faster and with 15 minutes left in qualifying, I was hell bent to get into the :43”s.

Scott had the bike ready so I jumped on and headed out. Coming round for my first flying lap I felt like I was ready but I was not. I continued to make mistakes. I knew I was trying too hard and I told myself to relax and ride, you know, “slow down and you will go faster”. But I didn’t, I tried, but I just couldn't let myself relax. I kept pushing and I struggled. I came in with about 5 minutes left in qualifying and I was still in the mid :44’s. I was not happy. I took a deep breath and went back out but, again, on my first flying lap I made a mistake entering turn 1 and I thought “okay, asshole, you just blew qualifying. Sure, you qualified, but you blew it, you tried too hard and you made mistakes, idiot!” I then proceeded to just take the remaining couple of laps slow and work on my apex’s, braking markers and riding. My plan was to just ride, not push it, and go back to the pits and call it a day.

Back to our pit, I waited for my stand, sat on my bike and just shook my head. Ken appeared, with my stand, and as he hoisted my bike up, with me still on it, he came around and said; “you did a 1:43.4 on your last lap”. I couldn’t F’g believe it. I did my fastest lap, ever, on my last lap which I had resigned to just riding around!? I honestly didn’t believe him until I saw the timing results. It was a legitimate epiphany. Once I slowed down, I went faster. Once I stopped trying so hard, I went faster. The time put me 17th out of the 29 who qualified for the grid, and I would start on the inside of the 5th row. Tom would start two spots over in 19th.

Saturday….Race day! After feeling about 60% over the past two days ( I had some bug), I was relieved to wake up and feel a lot better! Race time was 4:40pm so we had a long wait but eventually show time had arrived and we suited up and headed down to the hot pits where Scott, Ken and Lucy had the bikes ready. Parade lap done, sitting on the grid with my lovely umbrella girl fighting the 30 plus mph winds that decided to join the heat wave, I once again found that surprising “calm” I felt at Fontana. The 3 minute air horn blew, clearing the grids, kiss on the helmet from Val, slap on the back from Scott, eyes that said “just go ride” from ken, and I was ready to roll.

As red lights turned green, I was off, no creeping (!), and a good start! Turn 2 was a bit tight but no real drama and by the time we exited the carousel things were settled and we were racing! I saw Liko Miles up ahead and I set out after him which took 8 or so laps to real him in. Once I got by him, Tom got me going into turn 4 and I set out to stay with him (which I did) for the next few laps finally getting by him going into turn 9. He got me back a couple laps later and we went like that until we got caught by the leaders,(Zemke and Hayes who were F'g flying!!), with one lap to go. They caught us coming out of Turn 7 going into the esses and as we pulled up to let them by, Liko and Gitierre got by me which totally sucked! I got them back in time (after bumping elbows with Liko to get by in turn 1 and out braking Gitierre into turn 7) to save my position and finishing .5 seconds behind Tom for (another!) 17th place.

Hot, tired, relieved and satisfied, I circulated the track on the cool down lap, pleased with how the weekend went overall and reflected on completing the one race that motivated me to get my AMA license in the first place. Back in the pits, Ken came by and told me my last lap was my fastest lap of the race and of the entire weekend! The lesson continued; I was tired, riding on instinct, and the message was clear. It was also clear that we are a real team. We work well together, enjoy one another and like to be at the track. All was good. And the Corona’s tasted better than ever!

Back to Infineon this weekend for AFM #3, then we are on the road Monday for Miller Motorsports Park in Utah for the next AMA race which will be combined with the boys from World Superbike! Should be a blast...

I’ll let you know how it goes in a couple weeks!!