FINALLY! Back to racing. This was the big double-header weekend here in the Midwest where I get to visit my home track and new for this year, Blackhawk Farms Raceway in South Beloit, IL. I last raced in February at Roebling Road in Georgia, so this has been a long time coming for me and so many others itching to get back to it.
Blackhawk is about 4 hours away making it an easy half day drive to get set up. I was fortunate to be able to do a track day on Thursday, leading into a full weekend of racing. I had never been at the track before and it was new for AHRMA so most of the organization had never turned a lap there. I figured I would get the leg up on the competition and lay down some laps for the track day, make sure all was well, and steadily pick up the pace and learn the track. I got some great pointers from one of the track day instructors, which had me change a few shift points on the track and think about corner setup differently, and it paid off during Friday practice. I typically get faster throughout my practice sessions and settle into a time that is usually still a few seconds slower than race pace. I was running into the 1:29’s during practice Saturday, ending up in the low 1:26’s for racing on Saturday and low 1:27’s on Sunday. I was thrilled to finish 3rd behind two class champs that have won the title a combined 10 times between them. I ran a strong second for about half the race but was passed and couldn’t make it stick. On Sunday I was never even able to show a wheel and finished behind 2nd by about 0.6 seconds. Overall the bike ran well, with no issues or hiccups that couldn’t be easily addressed and only one small off track excursion during practice to avoid being hit by another rider, but I kept her up so no foul there.
The best-case scenario played out between weekends, where I did not have a single thing to do to the bike, and it just sat, waiting to get back on track. South Haven is just an hour from my house, so another easy drive to and from, making is much less of a “thing” than driving 12 hours across the country. Gingerman is a track that I have known longer then I have been racing, having watched my uncle race here and holds the distinction of the only track I have been to where I have never gotten on the podium, or “got wood” as we say. I missed wood last year by 0.026 seconds on Sunday and after getting the rust off the weekend prior, I was as ready as I could be.
Friday practice was smooth and fast and felt very natural after so many sessions on track the week before. I had swapped to fresh set of race tires from the weekend before, so my confidence and resolve to get on the podium was high. The races both days were some of the best and closest I have ever had. I lined up on the front row with both my uncle (won both races the weekend before) and Mike (finished 2nd ahead of me both races the weekend before) and one other racer for a drag race to turn 1. No one beat my uncle Jeff to turn one but even after my usual slow start, the might of the Honda Four came on strong and I tailed him into turn 1. You could have thrown a blanket over us damn near the whole race. We traded the lead at least 3 or 4 times throughout our 8 lap battle and later found out we left the rest of the field quite far behind. He certainly brought out the best in me. I always joked, Do What Jeff Does (DWJD) and this time, for whatever reason, I was able to follow my own mantra. I did everything he did, trying to be a little bit faster on the throttle and a little lighter or later on the brakes at every turn. His twin can’t be dialed on while leaned over like mine can so I was able to make up my extra weight and relatively lower torque by throttling on sooner coming out of each corner. Then it happened, white flag, don’t f*ck up. Thankfully I ran the lap of my life at the track and finally bested my uncle. I had been the reigning class champion, the guy who usually leaves everyone in the dust. I had not only won my class, but I had won the race overall, taking the checkers for the entire field of bikes. Podium? Check. Win? Check. Beat my uncle in a fair and square race? Check. Win against him at our home track? Double check. So many milestones had been reached all at once and it was such a great feeling to finally prove that I as a rider, and the Honda Four as my mount, were worthy and deserving to be in this class, and that it wasn’t some inside joke I wasn’t part of. Vindication for Honda in a class dominated by Triumphs and Yamahas.
It rained most of the night Saturday and we woke to a very wet track and paddock area. Rider skittishly took to the track for morning practice, but I was having none of that. I was on a purportedly decent rain tire (Conti 3CR) but I figured I would just psyche myself out if I went out and putted around. There were a few crashes in practice and most coming back stated there was nothing to learn going half speed.
We were race 3 again so we were set to hit the track before lunch if races 1 and 2 went off relatively as planned. The track was wet by the time we went out, but with no standing water and conditions improving quickly.
The grid lined up the same as Saturday, set for a drag race into turn 1. It was a near facsimile of the day before, my slow start but then the power of the four came around and I got through T1 right behind my uncle. I settled into a groove of DWJD for the race, trying not to push too hard as I am unfamiliar with riding in the rain and worry about tires being up to temp. I continue to do what he does, trying to stuff my wheel inside of him as often as I can. I had learned a valuable lesson the day before on the one place he was slower than me on the whole track. I followed him for 7.5 laps waiting to come to that turn and make the pass, and I did! I passed to the inside of a left hand turn and as it transitioned to a right hand sweeper, I drifted ever so slightly wide from the inside rumble strip and opened the door for him. He passed me back inside that turn and we drag raced down the back straight to the last corner, a 90 degree right hander. Its so close to the finish after that turn that whoever gets to T11 first, usually wins the race. I tucked in and drafted like my life depended on it but didn’t have enough to close the deal, and he bested me at the line by 0.888 seconds. Splitting the weekend’s wins with my uncle Jeff and having a battle that good is one of my new favorite stories of racing.
The end of a great weekend has me feeling proud and accomplished, but also looking forward. Assuming COVID doesn’t crap on more stuff this year, CMP in Kershaw, SC is 3 weeks away and Barber is less than 2 months away. CMP is freshly paved as of about 3 weeks ago and Barber is still likely quite fresh from a repave last year. I am looking forward to more racing, smooth tracks and lots of fast laps.
Sights from the double header weekend:
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOqsF64hg_98O4oCidvU6R9WCeHnl85UfJjWxW6--dzVsrjV1Tq0Bs-7sYBivWFtw/photo/AF1QipOKkIHZHeD42-urDRw3Ub4FBstrb-ckNnWYRbcE?key=anRYNllNaHZiSWJRczRtSEhLM3dGMGlvOG1MVGF3https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipP_SclWF7l5BfOreLr4EyOAqtaWxp6CZILi6xX9dYsVQOKwaZNfJ7IeQrnoi81FOg/photo/AF1QipM5T1T9LcxhQRMEQwRxSX3E_2o5XfUBcc0tLUxY?key=SmwtVVpwOS1PaDZzWDZhek03N2tRTXJ0TV9CY0lB
