Many things had crossed my mind leading up to round one of the Central Motorcycle Road Racing Association (CMRA) and none of my thoughts were even close to what I should have been thinking. Most years my feelings leading up to the first race of the year are filled with anticipation and a bit of nervousness to get the first green flag underway. This year was different in a strange way. It was as if all the pressure had just been amplified, but at the same time it was like I was going to ride some laps with friends with no worries in the world.
You see, there happened to be quite a change in my program about 3 weeks before race weekend. I was anticipating riding the same bike I rode last year, a 2009 Suzuki GSXR 750. Then, with short notice I was given the opportunity to ride for Team M&M Racing. A new team that was still in the process of putting everything together. Team M&M is fielding the 2009 Honda CBR1000 for the stock classes and a 2008 CBR1000 for the modified classes that I would ride in the Superbike and Formula 1 class at the CMRA. I was somewhat excited to be back on a Honda because my first year of racing I started out with a 2005 CBR600. I won 49 of the 54 races I entered in one season. So the past has proven that Honda seems to work well for me. However, I had never really ridden a newer, race ready 1000cc motorcycle. But I must say that I am very lucky to be associated with the people that I am with this year because everyone knew that I would be showing up to race a bike that I had never ridden before.
It was very welcoming to hear the team owner, Mitch tells me “Just go out and have fun, don’t worry about going fast.” and that’s just what I did! As I took off from our pit area I noticed the bike felt really good. As any seasoned rider will tell you, sometimes when you get on a race bike that feels set up just for you, it doesn’t take a track to know it. It’s like making friends easily, I was comfortable on a new racing platform instantly. It’s sounds odd, I know, but it’s a weird feeling. Without even hitting a bump, you feel like your suspension is already tuned for that track and ready to go.
Needless to say, my first day of practice went on without a hitch, except for one, for just a moment. And I will be the first to admit that I am a very fortunate rider. Due to the people that surround me and support me, I have never had a race bike with stock suspension. One of these CBR1000’s I was riding still have stock fork internals.
And to add to that, it also had a leaking fork seal that we had discovered at the track. There was a point I thought it would be a good idea to pull out the old race bike from last year to ride in the stock class just to get through the weekend. But during Friday practice I decided, what the heck, I’ll just take it out to see how it works.
To my amazement, I went faster on that bike then I did on the other. So, last year’s GSXR 750 race bike went back into the trailer. By the end of Friday practice I felt like I was ready and comfortable with the new Honda racing bikes.
Leading up to the first race was different from years before. Not quite sure why but I had no nervousness at all, no butterflies, nothing. I just went out to ride my own race. I started a bit back on the starting grid because I did not send my pre-race entries in quick enough. (The CMRA determines your starting grid on the first race based on order of entry. After that it goes by overall finish.) As I was pulling up to my 8th or 9th row starting position, I thought to myself…..It would have been a good idea to practice at least one start on this bike before the race. Turned out I did not get a good start. I was about as far back as I had been sitting on the grid. As I entered the first turn that far back I knew I had to make some moves fast because this particular track, about 1/3 of it, is very “one line“, meaning it is really hard to pass in that section. As I exited the first turn to head down the long straight I tried to get a good drive out of the turn despite the slower riders ahead of me and out break them over “the launch” (a name of a section on the track. A small, very fast hill just before a sharp 90 to the right) into the beginning of the one line turns, and I was able to do so. I entered the sharp switch backs in 4th position, not far behind the lead. I speeded down the long, back straight and was able to take over and into 3rd position! Over the course of 6 laps I was able to jockey myself up to 2nd then back to 3rd by the end of the race. It was a good race for me but I lost taking 2nd place from my own mental error. What I mean by mental error is basically being a baby and not making the pass for second soon enough and instead playing ‘follow the leader’ for 3 laps letting some of my competitors catch up to me. But I had leaned from my mistake and was not going to let that happen again.
The second and third race went about the same but there were some highlights in both that made them far more exciting then the first. In the second race, I had worked my way up to third place, just behind the person that took 2nd away from me in the first race. On the last lap I positioned myself just right. A couple turns before the final sweeper to the left, I was able to put a front wheel in on my competitor to let him know I was there. By doing that I spooked him a little and pushed him off the line he was aiming for, causing him to loose a bit of exit speed. This was important for me because my bike would not hang with his (the BMW 1000 race bike) on the long, back straight.
By the end of the next straight and entering into the last long sweeper to the left I was able to make that needed pass on the BMW before the finish. That race was really exciting and I’m sure it was fun to watch for everyone else.
By the third race, I was ready to go. Maybe a bit too ready. I was determined to get a good start, so I just decided to stay on the gas longer then everyone into the first turn. It worked good at first, but then when I had to break, it turns out I came in a little too hard. I blew the first turn, went off the track and was able to get back on just before being in last place. I ended up finishing second in this race. I was really happy though. In that race I was about 10 sec. back from the leader out of the first turn and by the end of the race I had caught up to under a half a second. I feel I should have won that race, but then again, maybe I shouldn’t have run off the track on the first turn!
Overall, I was more then happy with this past weekend at the track. I was able to post the second fastest time all weekend next to Ty Howard. So, that is a big accomplishment for me and to know that I have what it takes to get up front and battle for the lead. The next round will be at Texas World Speedway and I look forward to another fun and challenging race weekend.
To See More Of Danny’s Stories go to Komodo Gear Forum.
