3-28-99 Rolling Hills Cycle Park

Another great day for racing. The weather was perfect. Rolling Hills has been one of the legenday tracks of NC racing, I saw very little change in this track since the good old days. I had practiced here in late February, and felt good for the race.

In the first +35 class, I got an OK start, and gained and lost a few positions as the pack sorted out the first lap. I rode steady, and worked my through the pack, and on the last lap was in second place, behind a rider I had been following through pack the whole time. I challenged him on the last lap, when I jumped the new double and pulled right in behind him. With two turns to go, I set him up with some lapped riders from another class, and zoomed around theoutside, as he slowed due the lapped rider. I won the moto by a bike length, and felt great that I had won my first moto of my comeback.

In the +30A class, my goal was run up front with the leaders. I made corections on my body position on another concrete pad (two weeks in a row), and nailed the holeshot! I was stoked that I had pulled the start, and decided that I would ride my own race, lap by lap, and not let the nervousness get to me as it had done at Devil's Ridge. Sidney Williams and Scotty Shipley were hot on my tail, with Sidney challenging me over the double as I had been going wide in the previous turn to comfortably jump it. From that lap on, I went to the inside line in the turn prior to the double and never saw the 2nd place wheel beside me again. By the last lap, Scotty had pulled around Sidney, and he was pushing for my position. As we started the last lap, Itold myself to ride steady and cool, and work each turn and obsticle, and take whatever I could get. I held for the win, and crossed the finish line with my fist in the air, since I won a great moto, against one of the best +30 riders in the area in only my 3rd race back from a lengthy retirement from racing.

After winning my first two motos of the day, I was trying not to feel cocky, but it did feel good. As We started the second +35 class, I got the pleasure of starting behind two YZF-400's, with Jay Hauser in the lead. One good thing about riding with these monster bikes, is that you learn quickly to never follow, which is a good rule anyway. Jay dropped to 2nd on the 2nd lap, and I passed him on the second lap as well and went into 2nd. On the 3rd lap, I passed the leader after the double (I believe I was the only +35 rider jumping the double), and luckily cruised in for the win, with a comforable lead on the last lap and a half. I had won my first overall, and had had a great day, regardless of my last moto.

In the second +30A, I did not get my good start again, and started 4th. The leader ran good for a lap or two, and then quickly dropped back, and I fell into 3rd, behind Scotty Shipley and Sidney Williams. I knew that if Scott won, I would get 2nd overall, and that if I pushed my hardest, and finished 2nd in the moto, I would get 2nd overall. Since it had ben a long day, I decided to cruise in 3rd, and go home with 3 out of 4 motos won, and an overall win and 2nd place for my efforts. I was ecstatic about my performance and progress so far, and made a few bucks to boot.

+30A Results

+35 Results