Finally the damn race begins and I get another one of my usual crappy starts. At least I am getting better slicing through traffic than I used to be. I have uploaded a YouTube video (courtesy of RD400 racer Mark Morrow). He and I actually ran together for nearly the entire race (we are not in the same class, but racing at the same time), before I make a pass in an attempt to chase down Dan Fullerton on his Yamaha Seca 600 for second place in the V5 race. I am on the silver bike #374, Kurt on the red Yamaha FZ600 #334.
Moments of interest in the video include:
- The race start to about the 2:00 minute mark where Kurt sets up for a wide entry into turn 6 and nearly pushes me off track, you can see Mark zoom by the both of us.
- At the 4:20 mark I make a pass on Mark, he chases me on the back straight and then totally outbrakes me going into 10A.
- Next lap at 6:15 I make the same pass again and again Mark gets me on the brakes into 10A.
- At 8:35 I decide to take a page from his playbook and make the inside pass into 10A in an effort to gain on Fullerton.
- Mark backs down a bit after I get by and you see my failed charge to catch the Seca. Careful observers can see Fullerton's bike puffing smoke on deceleration each time, and as I went up the hill into Turn 2 I knew he was close, because I could smell it. It is very disconcerting to be chasing a bike that smokes and smells of burnt oil, but they tell me this is the way the race Secas are? Fullerton gets held up by a lapper in the chicane and for a moment I think I can get him, but unfortunately it doesn't happen. I have to settle for third place, netting me four more valuable championship points.
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