Seven months of competition will culminate in two final races at Barber Motorsports Park, Leeds, Alabama this Friday, October 23. There will be a day of practice prior to sort the bikes and then the final V5 and V6LW races of the year. That's it. For all the marbles. Not finishing is not an option if I want either championship. Winning the races is optional, at least as far as the overall titles go.
This puts a rider in an interesting conundrum. There would be nothing quite as satisfying, putting the final stamp on a championship season by winning the last race, even though you did not have to. Or do you play it safe and do just what needs to be done to walk away with the No. 1 plate? There are arguments to be made for both. If a guy falls down while fighting for a win and it costs him the championship, he looks like a chump. If you purposely back off and skate around in 5th place you run the risk of making mistakes because of being off your usual pace, or possibly being taken out by a slower rider with nothing to lose.
I suppose I will go into this thing like I do with any other race, to ride it as well as possible and be ready to capitalize on any opportunities fate may provide. Fresh in my mind is last year's failure, crashing out while leading the V5 race (read about it here). In many ways, I do have something to prove. The only thing I want more than to redeem myself by winning the V5 race at the GNF and beating Joe Ball is to hold the 2015 championship plates in my hands. As much as it might pain me, I may have to let Joe go to avoid doing my impersonation of Icarus. Again.
Racing can be the most rewarding, enjoyable activity, but for now the fun must be put aside. There is a goal to be met, a mark to be made. It's time to get serious.
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| The dogs of war gather at my gate to howl, but I am ready. |
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