Smooth Curves Racing~

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January 2005 Race Report - Race #1 - Getting Back in the Saddle

January 16, 2005 - WSMC Novice Middleweight

Well, I'm back in Novice. I had contacted Larry Cochran (the new WSMC Race Director) and explained to him my circumstances and asked if I could go back into Novice, and he agreed. I never wanted to be out of Novice in the first place and I wanted to ease my way back into the whole race scene. So I'm back in Novice Middleweight. Good thing I did too - I was running 1:48's all weekend.

I never got my times in the race - my XT lap timer had been flaky all weekend, and it just crapped out in my race...but I was doing better in the race.

Basically - there were 31 racers in Novice Middleweight. A huge group of people passed me by T3. By T5, another huge group of people passed me. Then something happened. Something finally Clicked. I had been running the track in reverse and all of a sudden...I started going the right direction. I was in 20th or 25th position when this happened and eye witnesses claim that they could see a light switch turn on in me. All of a sudden no one passed me anymore and I started passing everyone else. I never felt like I was pushing it or anything - something had just "clicked" - it was the weirdest thing. I started going faster and faster, the whole time, entirely comfortable and taking it easy. It wasn't like I was seeing red or anything - things just finally started feeling like it should. I ended up 9th place out of 31.

Definitely a disappointing finish and I'm still a lot slower than I was before my crash. But this was my first time out on the track since my crash in October. The 12 bones I broke are still not completely healed. I guess I should be happy that I finished, I didn't crash, and finally...I found that "something" that I had lost in my crash. That "something" that gets me back in the game. Now to get myself back in shape so I can really start playing again!

HUGE thanks to my marketing partners - Dyno-Dudes Performance. Michael and Chris did so much to help me get my race bike put back together. Chris is absolutely amazing, fixing the tank, painting the bike, and a whole bunch of absolutely neat little things on my bike...I couldn't have done this without their support.

HUGE thanks to the cornerworkers and all my friends who've stood by me and supported me throughout all this. Thanks for believing in me even when I don't believe in myself!