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SCHEDULES & RESULTS
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2004 Racing Schedule
April 24-25 LRRS @ NHIS
May 15-16 LRRS @ NHIS
June 12-13 LRRS @ NHIS
June 18-20 Loudon Classic-FUSA
July 10-11 LRRS @ NHIS
Aug 7-8 LRRS @ NHIS
Aug 21-22 LRRS @ NHIS
Sept 4-5 LRRS @ NHIS
Sept 18-19 LRRS @ Tamworth (Tentative)
Oct 2-3 LRRS @ NHIS
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Al Pereira photo
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2003 RESULTS
September, 27, 2003..... Saturday started cold and wet. And the forecast looked bleak. Overcast skies threatened rain all morning. But, in the afternoon things brightened a little and the racing was on! In LWSS I got the holeshot and sailed into turn 1 in the lead. I was hoping to finish my career with a win. But, Rick went by on the brakes on lap 2. He's been the class of the class all year and finished with another win. The battle would be waged over 2nd place with Ted Temple. He went by me exiting turn 3 on lap 4. I fought back with a good pass exiting turn 12 on the same lap. Putting my head down and lapping consistantly gave me the 2nd spot at the checkers, with Ted 3rd. Rick wins the LWSS championship and we get the 2nd spot overall. Congrats Rick on a stellar year!
I needed a good finish in Thunderbike to hold onto 2nd place here. A great start from the back and some fast laps gave us a 4th place finish behind Ted, Rick and Vahan. Good enough to nail down the 2nd place trophy at the banquet. To celebrate my retirement I "smily faced" the pavement in front of our spot in the pits that has been our racing "home" for the last few years.
I will always be a racer at heart and will miss being on the track. But, I am comfortable with the timing and decision to stop. I'll be returning as a volunteer next year and look forward to giving back to a sport that I love and that has showed me a lot of love in return.... Peace, John
August 30, 2003..... Beautiful weather was the order of the weekend. It was perfect for racing! We needed a win badly to keep the hopes of a final championship before retirement alive. But, alas it would not come to pass. We struggled with the set up all weekend and just couldn't put together a good enough race to win. Rick Doucette was the winner and Ted Temple rode an inspired race, getting by me in traffic, to finish 2nd. Our 3rd place finish locks up the 2nd spot in the Lightweight Supersport championship with one event remaining. And there is still a small sliver of a chance at the championship. But it would require Rick to do something wrong or have mechanical troubles. I can't wish for that as he has had a fabulous year and really deserves the top spot on the podium come banquet time. Rick is a class act who is always "on the gas". Beating him a couple times this year makes our season a good one.
Thunderbike was a struggle as well this weekend. Starting from the back row inside we got pinched off in the 1st turn and had to fight back to finish 7th. A real disappointment as the points are real important if we are going to finish top 3 in this class and hit our Thunderbike goal. It will all come down to the performance at the final race. It is sure to be fun and exciting. So, come on up to NHIS September 27th for one last chance to see the PTC Racing team in action.
August 16, 2003..... At this point in the season figuring out the points chases can require a calculator. We're carefully adding up what it will take to win the LWSS championship in 2003. Our numbers show if we win 2 of the last 3 events, the championship is ours. Tough stuff for sure. But possible, even with Rick Doucette as the man to beat.
The first lap of LWSS was a good one and we were in the lead. With "the Rick" right behind me, naturally. Then I made an uncharacteristic error entering turn one. Missing a downshift and blowing the corner I had to use the runoff room in the NASCAR oval. I rejoined the fray in 8th. OUCH! In the next 1 and 1/2 laps I had worked my way back to 6th and was hoping to salvage as many points as possible. Then the weather intervened to my astonished glee and my blessing. The race was red flagged for lightning and serious wind. Then the skies opened up with heavy rain as we were pulling off the track. Racing was suspended and the tire choice calculations would begin. I would be given a fresh start and was very happy that my turn 1 mistake could be erased. When the race was restarted about an hour later we were on DOT tires and Rick, along with Brian Obara and some others, were on full rains. The track was still wet but drying quickly. Who made the right choice? Rick and Brian shot to the front at the start and built a big lead while we struggled with the slippery surface. But we were in 3rd and slowly pulling away from 4th. I was also getting faster each lap, and Rick and Brian got slower, as the track dried. They didn't slow down enough and I didn't get fast enough to catch them though. And when the checkers flew I was pleased to have 3rd place points. Especially after what could have been had the weather not stopped the race.
Thunderbike was a better result. Racing on a still cold and slippery track, the PTC Racing Suzuki settled into 3rd place at the start and began working hard on the #38 of Dave White. Putting a nice inside pass on Dave in turn 2 and making it stick gave us a 2nd place finish and good points towards a potential top 3 season in the Thunderbike class.
We can still win the LWSS championship. Although, it will be hard work we're prepared for the challenge. Thunderbike points have us in 2nd position overall. We're poised for a trip (maybe two) to the podium at the LRRS banquet in January. We need to stay focused and ride hard to assure a successful season. So, stay tuned for the final 2 events and an exciting finish to another thrilling LRRS season
July 26, 2003..... Race #5 means the beginning of the second half of the LRRS season. This is the time when championships start to take shape. Everyone has a pretty good idea who the real contenders are and what it will take to turn preseason plans into postseason champagne!
After being sick with a stomach bug, I was not in the best of condition. I found it difficult to ride with my usual intensity in Saturday morning practices and was a bit concerned. Beginning an hour before the race I really concentrated on getting focused. And it worked. Grabbing the lead at the start I put my head down and rode hard for the win! Kim kept showing me +0 on the pit board. Brian Obara was right on my tail the whole race and really gave me a run. I had figured it was Rick Doucette back there. But, he had retired with engine troubles after a few laps. This means Rick leads us by a scant 2 points in the overall championship. Things are very interesting now!
The effort to ride hard in LWSS had sapped almost all my strength. And I just couldn't stay on pace with the leaders in the Thunderbike event. After 1 lap I was in 6th position and then Brian passed me in turn 3. 7th place was a real disappointment for me. This means the Thunderbike championship is virtually out of reach now. And I'll need to do better in order to stay in the top 3 for the season. I'll be healthy next time though, so look out!
July 3-4, 2003..... HHH, for those of us who live here in New England these are dreaded letters. Hazy, Hot and Humid, means you're going to be uncomfortable in any activity. Trying to wrestle a motorcycle around NHIS with leathers on can be downright brutal. It's days like this that good physical condition really plays a part.
The Suzuki had been repaired after last races accident. It was just a matter of getting back up to speed and making sure there was nothing else wrong with our trusty steed. Suzi ran fine during Friday practice and I was becoming acclimated to the heat. Staying hydrated meant I drank about 9 quarts of Gatorade, mixed half and half with water. I was tired and was going to sleep soundly tonight!
Saturday morning Kim arrived and it was time to get things into high gear. Practice went very well. And then it was the long wait until race time. Trying to stay rested, hydrated and out of the sun gets tedious after a while. But, it's vital. Kim's family came to cheer us on and I was hoping to do well. For those of you who remember the old children's book, I pride myself on being the "Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel" kind of racer. So having fans present would be a help today!
In LWSS we jumped out to the early lead and entering turn 3 got into a braking duel with Rick Doucette. He got the better of the contest and led over the hill into turn 5. I tried to stay with him. But, he was flying and I didn't have anything for him today. My focus turned to finishing strong and staying ahead of the rest of the field. Settling into a good rythmn, I watched the pit board change from +1 to +2 to +4 and cruised to a 2nd place finish. Not the expected battle with Rick for the win, as I had hoped. But, a very good result nontheless.
I was gridded on the outside for the Thunderbike race. I hoped this would give a good line into turn 1 at the start. Giving me a shot at getting around some of the faster bikes in this class. I rode around the outside and passed a load of riders. But, Dave White motored passed me down the short back straight entering turn 3. Vahan Buchakjian was also in the mix right behind me. Suzi, I and our 68 HP had our hands full against two bikes pushing over 80 HP! No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get close enough to pass Dave under braking. And when I got held up a bit exiting turn 12, Vahan took advantage and crept by down the front stretch. I watched as Vahan worked Dave hard until he he passed him exiting turn 12 and that set the finish order. Rick Doucette 1st (pulling away from everyone!), Vahan 2nd, Dave 3rd and your humble correspondent 4th. The points after this weekend show us steady in 2nd place in Lightweight Supersport. Increasing our lead over 3rd place but, we need to do better if we are to catch Rick for the lead. The big news is moving from 3rd to 2nd in the Thunderbike class! Continuing to run up front will result in a very good season. And, there is still a shot at making it a championship one. Until next time......
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