Back from Little Tally, the second to last race of the 2019 season, with only the big show at Barber to go. I am solidly in 2nd place in points so feeling pretty damn good any way the next month goes.
Tally was the bro trip my brother and I had been planning all season. Burning fuel at an alarming rate (about 9.5mpg towing the trailer) we stopped a total of 14 times for gas in a 1550 mile journey. But we still had time to hit a favorite brewery of ours in Nashville on Thursday night. Arriving a little before dark, we got all set up and headed to bed.
Friday came nice an early and we were up and through tech in no time (1 tech all weekend now instead of 1 each day). He was practice group 2 and I was 3. He has been fighting ignition issues all year related to the battery and is now on a self-generating PVL system, which ran flawlessly all weekend.
I was hopeful of the new clutch fixing my woes but as the weekend wore on, the clutch loosening continued, though I never did miss a shift because of it. I have a Pro Taper Profile clutch perch on the way to try, so I can adjust on the fly via a large thumb wheel. I found that getting the bike hot in a scrub lap right before the race allowed me to pull a bit more free play out and I was good through the race. That is a bandaid and not something I wan to continue, but I only need to make it through Barber before the engine comes down to every nut and bolt for a look over.
Practice sessions on Friday delivered lap times below my race times of last year, which makes me quite happy, and of course there is always more to be had during the race.
My first race on Saturday was my bump class into Formula Vintage. Bike classes include Sportsman 750, Formula 500, Formula 750, Vintage Superbike Heavyweight, and some fast 2 stroke machines. I was running with a more modern RZ350 and a guy on a CB900F, both of which are AHRMA champions multiple times over. I thought I pulled out a 3rd on Saturday but the guy in 1st was so far ahead we never saw him. Apparently an ex-pro and a Schwantz racing school instructor. Go figure.
My class, sadly, only included me both days, so all I had to do was not f*ck up and I would get my 1000 points per win. And I did just that, working more on technique than all out racing and feeling good about it. That fact was the biggest reason I bumped classes, so I didnt drive 1500 miles with no one to race.
The awards ceremony on Saturday was my brother's first wood and was pretty pumped. It was awesome to be there to share that moment with him.
Sunday came and it was a near facsimile of the Saturday session, though slightly more bearable heat wise, but still running right around 95 all day long. I placed 4th in Formula Vintage again, 1st in S750 (duh) and my brother grabbed another 3rd.
Beer + bikes = happiness:
Your boy in his new Honda hat:
Nice right side shot of my at speed, which I have so few of:
Its the wood that makes it good:
A laundry list of items to take care of before Barber sits in front of me, including going back to my Conti 3CR tires, engine maintenance and a few other items.
22 days...