RACE REPORT:

After the highly entertaining race last month at Delta, the (then) owner invited us back for a second official race, this time on a Saturday night. Since there were many classes that night (10!), we were pressed for time and didn’t get to setup the track the way we originally intended. Instead, we went for all out on-road oval. A majority of the 1/8^th’ers couldn’t make it to the event so it was all 1/5^th “superbike” racing. As usual, Kevin and Ian were good to go but Ken, still recovering from an injury, decided to sit this one out. But into the mix were new faces: Mike raced his brushless TT after only owning it a week beforehand, and Chapman from SF brought out his TT to check out the action and swap ideas.

In Qualifying #1, Kevin shot out to an early lead but had to retire after a tough crash sent his whole front end into pieces. Mike drove consistently the whole race but suffered from a recurring crash bar problem which finally made him pull out. Ian, all alone for the last minute, survived. After Ken found Kevin’s missing front springs on the track and Mike swapped out his crash bars, we were ready for the next run. In Qualifying #2, Ian blitzed the field to take the lead, leaving Kevin and Mike to dice it out for second place. After a well fought run Mike settled for third. With two races in our belt to get used to the track and the lighting, we went all out for the Main heat.

The race director decided to start us on a rolling start, allowing Ian to buildup a ½ lap lead. Mike, who decided to run this race without a rider, began to get used to the track with his bike. Before, he had problems finding the exact time to brake, but now he was definitely getting it. Meanwhile, Kevin kept his head down and eventually caught up to Ian on the front straight. Then the fun began. Going into the bank, Ian took the holeshot, braking late and taking the tightest turn possible. Kevin on the otherhand let off the throttle earlier and took the outside route, allowing him to “slingshot” into the next straight. Several turns in a row happened in this manner, with the lead swapping everytime! However in the last minute, Kevin lost consistency and Ian took the win.   

All in all, it was a memorable night. A big welcome to new bike owners Mike and Chapman – hopefully others will join into the fray and we will have a six bike grid!