Season End Thanks/Recap

[mikendzel]

Since my season is over, here is my public thank you thread, combined with a brief recap of my season!!!

Thank yous go to:
CCS Staff - Thank you for the prompt answers to my hundreds of questions, and also for not choking me when I cancelled/un-cancelled/re-cancelled several races!!!!  You guys were awesome!!!

My Pit Helpers - Cecelia Cotterino, Art Lohman, Bob Michael, and others who helped me put out fires (YIKES!!!), gas up my bike, put tires on, take warmers off and put my bike up on stands when I came in from the track.  You guys helped more than you know!

The B&E Racing Crew - Art Lohman, Bob Michael, Bill Sylvester - you guys helped me out with travel, setting up my pit area, being friends during difficult times and kept my spirits up when I did stupid stuff like causing fires and wrecking in practice!!!  Also, many thanks for the help in "decorating" my bike!!!  Paybacks.....

Bob Michael (Owner of B&E Motorsports, CCS expert #4 this year) - Bob was absolutely invaluable this year.  He was responsible for prepping and maintaining my bike for me; a task made difficult by my penchant for doing stupid things, and I finished every race this year!!!  He showed me better lines to take and how to set up my suspension, resulting in me dropping lap times and better results.  He has had to endure my endless questions on nearly any topic known to man, and yet still calls to go grab a beer!!!  The time and effort he spent "babysitting" me this year is incredible; hopefully next year I will do better and actually be a positive advertisement for his shop!!!  Any halfway decent rider who would have received the support he gave me this year would have done WAY BETTER than I did!!!!  Next year I'll make you proud, man!!!
*** B&E Motorsports (410) 827-3792 ***  If he can keep me in the race, imagine what he could do for you!!!
Bob, I still owe you a fire extinguisher....


My 1st Season Recap:
CMP (April) - Did 4 laps during the practice day, thought I saw a red flag, pitted in and my bike caught fire.  Apparently me putting duct tape inside my lower, near the exhaust, was a bad idea....  Crashed in practice on saturday in damp conditions, on cold tires, a mere 150ft onto the track!!!  Bob gave me some replacement parts and helped me repair the crash damage so I could race on sunday.  On Sunday, got horrible starts from the back of the grid and finished a disappointing 2nd from last and 4th from last.  To be honest, I felt like quitting after I gouged a chunk out of my finger and my canopy took flight and crash landed during the repairs on saturday, but Bob and Art talked me into mounting back up on Sunday.
CMP =    I got owned

Summit (Memorial Day) - My first race weekend ever, the final round at Summit in 2007, my best lap was a 1:28:5.  During the saturday practice round I ran a bunch of 1:26's, and after talking with Bob a bit about lines, ran consistent low 1:25's during the races, with a best lap of 1:23:8.  I didn't finish very well though with a 26th, 27th, 29th and a 30th.  My starts were the biggest glaring weakness, as I was dead last into Turn 1 in every race.
Summit (Mem Day) = Learned a bit, and felt a little more comfortable on the bike

Summit (September Round) - I arrived late Saturday night due to not wanting to travel (or race) during the hurricane.  Forgot to check my tire pressures Sunday morning and wrecked in Turn 5 on my 4th lap of practice.  Inspection of my tires when I got back to the pit showed my tire pressures in the upper 40's!!!!  YES, I am an idiot sometimes....  After mounting the new Michelins, I went out in my first race and scored my first points with CCS!!!  A 16th place, running laptimes of high 1:24's.  My next 4 races all saw laptimes averaging in the mid 1:23's and I ended up scoring points in all of my races, with a best finish ever of 15th!!!  Bob and I had talked about how much of a sissy I was, along with revalving and respringing my forks; and despite the long layoff from May to Sept, and my trepidation in Turn 3 from that sealer patch, I had lowered my average laptimes 2 seconds!!!
Summit (Sept) = Starting not be scared of the bike!!!

VIR (September Round) - WOW!!!!  I am in love with that track!!!!  During practice I just tried to learn the track.  My first race I finished 26th and ran a best lap of 1:48:6.  My second race was a little worse with the same fastest lap, but a 28th finish.  The following morning Bob took me to the Turn 2 & 3 area to watch the expert practice.  He showed me a couple of fast guys go through, and then pointed out a few guys who were going the same speed as me and it was a crazy difference!  During the next 3 races I tried to really concentrate on doing the things Bob had told me, and wound up running a best lap of 1:41, and finishing 22nd, 30th (I had to start from the last row in the HW SBK race because I entered way late on sunday morning) and 20th.  Bob also worked with me on my starts during the lunch break since I sucked so badly at it on Saturday, and Sunday in my first race, and I dropped 5 seconds off of my starting laps in the final 2 races!!! 
VIR = Learned starting technique, had a blast, and can't wait to get back to that track!!!!

To all of my friends that I met this year (Craig Woratyla & family, Joe "BANZAI!!!!" Cotterino & family, John "Mellow Man" Dodson & family, Mark "Pink Crocs" Arrington, and the B&E Crew), I can't wait to see all of you next season!!!!

[mikendzel]

Vote Joe Cotterino for Expert in 2009!!!!
:D :D :D

[2old2fat2slow]

Had a blast hanging out with the CSB racing crew this season! I will keep my eye out for some flame retardant fairings for you Mike!! LOL ! Can't wait for the 1st race of 2009!!! See you and your crew in the pits!
                                                Craig, Dale & Marea

[mikendzel]

Thanks!!!  Craig was really looking good on the bike when he passed me this year in every race we were in!!!  He passed me twice in 3 laps at VIR, and I was thinking 'there's no way he just lapped me!!!' but I found out he had run off track and came back on behind me.  He was a great kid to hang out with, I really hope he does well next year, and he has wonderful support from you guys.   My family HATES my racing!!!

And Joe, I'm kidding with the Expert thing, you don't have to smite me!  Besides, we polled the experts at VIR and they said they were afraid of you, and they hope you stay amateur!  That's what you get for beating most of them, despite running off the track.

And how has Art not made fun of me yet?!?!?!?   You're slacking Chaplain!!!!  It's double paybacks for you....

[2old2fat2slow]

And how has Art not made fun of me yet?!?!?!?   You're slacking Chaplain!!!!  It's double paybacks for you....

He's too busy meditating and doing Tai Chi getting ready for Jennings !!!

[chaplain220]

Jennings was a blast bro Dale, and you should bring that young Rossi of yours down here for some winter saddle time!  Thanks for the Dragonknee T-shirt.  Now, apparently our boy Endzel is gettin all mushy on us, and before the tears start flowin, you just remember that most of the, "unauthorized modifications", to your bodywork were heavily influenced by none other than Bob himself.  I am but the poor victim caught holding the permanent marker...So I dont want to find my bike on top of chez summit, painted pink, or wrapped in aluminum foil.  On the serious side, you did a great job overcoming some very difficult circumstances, kept a good attitude, even during some tough times, and got your racing groove back.  Look forward to running with ya in 09, and hopefully having you and the B&E gang link up down south when the snow gets a little too deep up north.  Talk to ya soon, Art.