AFM at Thunderhill July 19-20, 2003

Satuday was freakin' hot and I was slow, depressingly so. Alot of people seemed 
to be a few seconds off as well so, maybe it was the heat. On Sunday I slapped 
on some fresh tires and go out to scrub 'em in in morning practice. John Anner 
passed me and I started chasing him. That was soooo much freakin' fun!

The Race

My DNF las month knocked me back onto the fourth row but, I managed to get a
good launch and was running about 11th coming out of turn 1. I passed Jayce
Bell on the second lap and avoided Nolan Mac as he crashed exiting the cyclone. 
I spent the next couple of laps trying to reel in John Anner and Tom Hicks.

On the fourth lap Jayce was back and showing me a wheel whenever he could. I 
did my best to block him (he's normally alot faster than me). On the front 
straight I could feel him drafting me and then pull out to my left so, I let 
the bike gently drift in that direction to close the door and took a tight line 
into 1 to block him again but, he faked me out and had swung around the outside 
and passed me on 1. Damn.

Jayce gets by John and Tom smoothly but, that seems to slow all of 'em down 
enough that I begin calculating if I can get a good shot at John before the 
race ends. Meanwhile, Lisa Maz has snuck up behind me and passed me in turn 2 
of the last lap. Doh.

It's cool, I tell myself, and line up to go around her on the outside of 3
but, she's got control of my line and enters wider and much deeper than I
anticipated and I grab too much brake and kill my drive. That's alright,
I've still got motor and I can still get back by. In 6 I turn in a little early 
and don't get the drive I need to motor by her but, there's time. I'm on her 
behind all the way into 10 when I over eagerly brake and downshift waaaaaay too 
early and blow my entry in to 10. This is the second time I've started making 
lots of dumb little mistakes when the pressure is on - I need to work harder to 
keep my focus on my riding and not the person in front of me. 

I run it for all I've got down the back straight and into the front but,
it doesn't happen. I finished just behind Lisa and in 11th place.