OMRRA – May 22nd & 23rd 2010 - Portland International Raceway
Front Straight PIR May 23rd 2010
Race Report
Going into this first race of the year with OMRRA, the weather report was calling for rain, but I didn’t know how bad the weather was going to be.
The entire weekend was mix of heavy rain, overcast and sun repeating about every 5 minutes. Some races were on a dry track, other races were in a torrential down pour with standing water covering the entire track. There were 38 crashes that weekend partly because racers had to gamble on which tires to put on, rains or dry tires. Pick wrong and you could be helplessly sliding off the track.
Middleweight Superbike – 1st Place
The weather was playing tricks on everyone. It had rained most of the morning and everyone was still on rain tires. About 5 minutes before my race started and with rain tires on the bike, I made the decision that the track was drying out. You could see a dry line on the track and it looked like the rain clouds were going to stay away for 15 minutes
With help from several people, we changed to racing slicks. The plan was to just sit in 3rd place for the first 3 – 4 laps and let my tires get hot, while everyone else rain tires would be getting greasy. The race started and I slotted into 3rd place by turn 1. A few turns later, and I was getting rain drops on my lens. Crap! If it started to rain, I would have to pull into the pits. Racing in the rain with slicks on is a disaster waiting to happen.
I decided I couldn’t wait and had to check out and build a big gap. I needed to finish this race and fast. I made the pass for 2nd place on the front straight and closed up on 1st place. Then in turn 3 he made it easy for me by getting caught by a crasher and ran off the track, gifting my 1st place. I said thank you and took off. After a few more laps, I couldn’t see anyone behind me. The rain held off and the track stayed dried for my second win of the weekend.
650 GP Twins – 2nd Place
On Saturday, my races were back to back. As I finished the first race, I had to about 1 minute before my next race start. The first race was the 650 GP Twins. It had been raining all day off and on and everyone was still on rain tires. But the weekend wasn’t going to be easy on any of us, and for both of my races the track dried out and rain tires were horrible. On the back straight the bike would buck and wobble. You had to use the entire track drifting out as far as possible because the bike didn’t want to make the bend around the back straight
I got a good start and lead the first 5 laps before getting passed. I tried to stay with him but by this time my tires were really greasy from over heating. I let him go and finished in 2nd place.
600 Superbike Senior – 1st Place
Next up was 600 Superbike Senior. I again got a good start. I didn’t have the motor to stay in front before turn 1 but I since I had just finished a race, I knew the track conditions better then everyone else. I broke later then everyone else and took turn 1 in first place. I put my head down and was a little surprise to be challenged. I lead every lap and won the race.
