Category: 3
Result: Mid-pack

It was good to be back at the track racing for the first time since the district championship weekend. It took me a while to get back into the swing of racing on the track, but later in the evening I was getting my legs back. In total, I spent more time in zone 5 above LT than I did in zone 4, the first time that has happened this year.

First race was a 10 lap scratch race, always something of a shake-out race with people trying things early on. I sat near the back, content to wait till near the end. I got myself into a reasonable position at the bell, but failed to do anything in the sprint, rolling in 6th.

I gave myself a stiff talking to after that, and in the win and out I tried to go from the back of the group at the whistle. I stayed away for something like 4 laps before everything seized up and the group reeled me in. I managed to almost hang on in the group, but missed out on points again.

Third up was a 15 lap points race with sprints every 3 laps. I didn't contest the first sprint, but then began to do so, gaining enough points to get 4th. My jump at the last sprint was quite impressive - I almost caught the lone leader.

There was surprise and drama in the sprint competition. In the first round, Lori Nock, fresh from winning 2 Masters Track Championships, surprised Dave McCook (McGuire Pro) and Ricardo Lynch (RHVilla.com) with 400m to go leaving them looking at each other: "You go!", "No, you go!", "Shit, we had better go...". In the 3rd/4th place ride, Lori was up against District Champion Dean Harraguchi. She again jumped at around 400m after some inattention from Dean. During her acceleration effort, Lori lifted her front wheel and it came down slightly crooked which launched her over the bars. Ouch.

Lori hit her head, so I provided the ambulance ride to casualty. The diagnosis was a mild concussion with heavily bruised, possibly cracked ribs. There was some humour in the crash - Lori parted company with her bike which continued until it knocked Mike Hardaway (who was working the lap cards) onto his backside. Mike was OK.

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