[Slowguy]

I was looking forward to this race for a long time. I knew that there would be a lot of good talent and I wanted to see how I could do against some good racers from around the country. We raced the WERA/MOM the week before to try and get some testing out of it and didn't have the best of luck because of front chatter. Mark Junge from Vesrah helped us out by sending a set of forks into Traxxion to get a new valving spec and then had them sent to Miller for me (thanks Mark).

We got to Miller Friday afternoon to set up early and install the new forks. Even though we didn't have a lot of testing time, I wanted to make sure to get the most out of the sessions that were available to us.

I went out in my first session and while the front felt better, I still felt front chatter. I was a little disappointed, but not discouraged. I thought that maybe with the new springs and front valving the chatter would be gone and it wasn't, so we started making changes to try and make it go away. All we had left was one 20 minute qualifying sessions on Saturday, one qualifying session on Sunday and one warm up session on Monday. We made a few changes on Saturday and Sunday, and while things felt better, they still were not there. I was having rear grip issue's along with the front chatter. I was running in the 1:56's and was not happy with that. In the second qualifying session we only got about 10 minutes because of an incident in the session before us and I got held up on my hot lap and then the checkered flag came out. I was on the fourth row and lost at least a second by being held up. I was a little upset being dropped a full row, but would later not care much as I will explain next.

After qualifying we decided to make a couple of big changes. I figured that at this point it really wouldn't matter because I could seem to run in the 1:56's no matter what I did to the bike. So we made the changes with the intention of trying them out in warm up on Monday before the race. We went with a heavier rear spring, preload adjustment front and rear, a big change on ride height, different gearing and some compression changes. I went out in practice and OMG, the chatter was gone! I had rear grip and was riding on old tires. I wasn't even pushing and was riding on old tires and was a second faster a lap, we were timing from the other side of the track to try and make as many changes as we could and then come in and make more. I was riding at about 90% and was turning mid 55's on old tires. I would do two laps, come in and make a small adjustment and then go back out, things looked very good.

Now everyone knows that I pretty much always run 1 to 1 1/2 seconds faster in my race than I do in practice. I had very high expectations because of this and with this track being even much bigger than usual, I uncharacteristically thought that I would be in a much better position than even my team thought that I would be in. I kept it to myself, but had high hopes for what I could do. I figured, I was running in the 55's, in the morning (while most everyone else was running slower because of the lack of heat in the track), on old tires while riding easier than I ever had since we got the bike. My rear tire was so torn apart that the indicators were gone and I was still running a second faster than I ever had on that track. I am VERY confident, that I can ride that track in the 53's, and I never do that. I don't say what I "think" I can do, but I knew it this time, I was even hoping, praying that I would surprise myself and even go faster than that, but that's what I was expecting.

Well it was time for the race, everything was spot on, new tires warm, tank full. Went out gridded up, and the lights went off. David Anthony's bike stalled and Chris Peris almost hit him, I almost hit Chris Peris and had to grab the brakes on the start. I got swallowed up but still went into one hard on the brakes, passed a bunch of people on the exit of two and was in about 8th place. Jensen was in front of me and was horribly holding me up, I just got around him when a red flag came out in the tooele turn. there was a crash in turn one on the start, Regrid time!

We took our same grids, and I got a better start this time. I figured that the chaos would settle down after the first lap and just made a couple of passes, went by the start finish in 10th position and wanted to get to work right away. I was in a battle with Chris Siebenhaar for the first two laps, he would get me going down the straight, then I would get him back on the brakes. We passed each other about four times in the first two laps in different parts of the track but I figured I would be able to drop him on the third lap. Then it all happened. Going into turn one on lap three I noticed that the chatter was back. At first, I thought that maybe it was just because I ran into turn one so fast, but that wasn't it. It happened in turn two, three five, eight and the second to last turn. I did my best for the next lap to hold onto it and it was to much. The front would hop and then slide across the track. I would then lose the rear. At this point I didn't want to hold anyone else up that may have a stake in the race and let people by that I had to. I got passed by four riders while trying my best to hold a safe pace but at the same time not get in the way. My finishing position was 12th

So in the end, the same thing happened that happened to me the last two times I raced the bike. I have never experienced anything like this before, but apparently, a new tire is not the best choice for now. The bike works much better with an already scrubbed in tire. For some reason the grip of a new tire makes the bike chatter after it gets some heat into it.

I had an awesome time and actually got so much out of the weekend. I learned more in the small amount of sessions that I got than I probably ever have in the past. I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed but am doing my best to look at the upside of the entire weekend. I wanted to do well for our team and make the people that put so much into this proud but fell short this time.

I want to thank Suzie and my kids for putting up with this madness.

Thank you Jay and Cindy. I really do realize what you two put into this and I would not be out there without the two of you. One way or another your ultimate goal will be reached.

I want to thank Ben for helping with everything that he does, the driving, working on the bike and doing his best to make sure things are taken care of for me.

Thank you Josh Mosely. I appreciate all your help, it was pretty cool to have you around without the worry of your own stuff since you were done for the weekend. It's pretty cool having our races on different days.

Last but not least by any means....Alan Chook, thank you so much for all you did last weekend. You being there made the difference in a way I really can't express to you. If anyone would have asked me ahead of time I never would have guessed that you would have been such a great person to have in my pit, THANK YOU!

Thank you Evolution Racing, Dunlop tires, Jim Cox racing, Komodo leathers, Kurveygirl, Vesrah, Helmet Center,, and anyone else that I am forgetting, there were a lot of people that helped out this weekend and it is sometimes hard to remember all of the nice things that people did for our team.

_________________

[Duchead]

Nice write up Ray - sorry to hear about the cchhhaaatter you keep running into. Way to stay positive and take things you have learned and move forward with them.

[tsmith]

Great play by play Ray, thank you! Since I wasn't able to be there and have to live my life vicariously through my racing friends your report really makes me feel like I was there.

Sounds like you had a good weekend even with the problems and you prevailed.

Thanks again,
Tyler

[H8R]

I lost money I bet on you Ray.


F#CKER!!






Glad you learned a lot.

[Mrs #119]

The weekend definitely seemed hectic most of the time. Try this , try that. Ray did his fastest time in the practice before the race and was looking good.. Seemed like he was going to do really well. Well, i still think he did awesome. 12 is nothing to shake a stick at with those guys, yet it still sucked to watch him struggle just to try to hold a decent place while letting people go by.

I took some pictures but, between Dean and Brian (BWhip) I'm almost embarrassed to post them , well that and i'm lazy.

I too, would like to thank Jay and Cindy, Dennis and Barbra. Not just for Rays racing, but also for taking (pretty much) my whole family up there, allowing us to remain a part of Rays racing and getting to enjoy all the festivities.

Josh loved the go carts, and i don't know how many times Josh and Michelle went in those drifter cars. And it was really cool getting to know Matt Dom a little better. Super nice guy !
Thanks too Matt for taking Michelle to her first drifter car ride


Also want to thank Chris and Tara for looking after Rachel and lugging her to and from work making my heart rest at ease knowing she wouldn't be walking or on her own if she needed someone.

Thanks guys.




oh yeah one more thing... Gianni..... ha ha