Friday practice was an important day. Mel's new motor had to be broken in, we needed to test some changes to our setup, a softer compound rear tire, finalize gearing and make sure the new seat was good. We got the bike better balanced, firmed up the front, and spent the last couple sessions getting up to speed.

In Saturday practice, we got back to our previous fast lap times pretty easily and after a couple more tweaks ended the day lapping close to Parriott and just ahead of Montano. The bike was good and I was confident that with fresh rubber I could pick up the pace which was going to be required if I was going to run at the front!

Sunday...race day. Morning practice got my head right and then we waited for our first race. Because Open Twins was the second to last race of the day, I didn't want to sit around until 4pm without riding so I entered Formula 1 (first time) which was the race before lunch and as it turned out, the lunch time podium celebration race. My practice times were quick enough to move me up to row 4 care of the KFG rule, so I would be starting in P17 well ahead of the 50 guys behind!

Formula 1: My plan was to get away quick, get into the top 5 by lap 2 and be up with class leaders Peter O'Sullivan and Liko Miles before the half way mark to give me a chance at forl unch time podium. I was lined up second from the right on row 4 which is a good line into T1. Green flag, good launch, drifted to the right, pinned and railing up the outside of T1 running hard and tight to the inside of T2 passing several guys on the way, nice getaway. After a pretty aggressive couple of laps I was 3rd with a clear track and Liko a few seconds up. I chased him down and set out after Peter which was a few more seconds up the road. I was stoked to be in the hunt for a podium but at that moment I thought Peter may be too far ahead to catch but I put my head down and went after him.

Exiting T4 on the next lap I was on him. Peter looked back going into T5 to see what was happening behind him. Maybe he was expecting to see Liko or maybe he was hoping to see no one. He saw #315....and I was coming to get him! That little bit you give up when you look back plus a bit quicker entry speed dropping into the Carousel put me in the lead up to T7 and the feeling that I could win this thing as long as I executed and didn't do anything stupid!

Ha, if it were only that easy! At the halfway mark, I must have been so concentrated that I mistook the half way flags for the last lap flag! Crossing the finish line next time around I thought I won and pulled up out of T1, looked back, no Peter, thinking I must of had a good gap on him (little did I know he went down losing the front chasing me into T11). I continued to cruise through T2, waved at the corner workers (who couldn't figure out what I was doing!), and all of a sudden, Liko came screaming by, hanging off the bike, race mode, pinned, wheel spinning, and hauling ass into T3!! I'm thinking, "WTF is he doing?" And, in that same instance it hit me: "He's racin', it ain't over you F'g MORON!!"...

Race face back on, I grabbed a fist full of throttle and took off after Liko FOR THE SECOND TIME!!! I was on him by T7 taking him on the inside and putting me back up front. I put in a few more good laps, built a 12 second lead and took the win! The lunch time podium celebration was very cool. It was nice to see some happy faces, say some "thank you's", do the champagne thing, and pick up a nice AFM trophy mug! We smashed our previous fast lap time set at the FX race in May dropping well over a second to 1:41.7. I felt good about that.

Open Twins: Sitting on pole next to Brian Parriott and his 1200 San Jose BMW and Munroe Motors' 1098 ridden by Tom Montano, I knew I had to get out with these two boys, get on their pace, then figure out how to race them! Failing to execute my first job, the start, I was in 5th before T2! Shit, I had to get back up there quick before Brian and Tom got away. I got by Tom going into T9 then got Blackburn going up the hill into T2 and set out after Brian who already had a 3 second lead. I rode hard, encouraged that Brian wasn't gapping me but it wasn't like he was coming back to me either! I picked up the pace a bit and a few laps later had the gap down to around 2 seconds. But, I couldn't reel him in and could only hope for him to make a mistake...which wasn't likely! I was 2nd at the checkered 1.7 seconds behind Brian, while Tom finished 4th (riding sore from a crash earlier in the day, animal!). It was the first time I could keep Brian in sight and it would have been nice to be closer, Brian hauls ass around Sears and it's fun to watch (and learn)! With 3 races left, one at each track, I am now only 7 points up on Brian while Tom is in 3rd 35 points down. Got my work cut out!

The bike has been great all year but Sunday was one of those times where everything went to a new level; the motor was strong and revved out forever (thanks Mel, awesome job!), the front went where I wanted, the rear had good grip and everything felt balanced (thanks to Hill and Jenkins!)....you guys gave me a weapon! (I remember GoGo said his favorite bike of all time was the '05 749R, especially at Sears. I couldn't agree more).