BHF Report

[tshort]

Well, another WWF - er, BHF - weekend comes to a close.  The little pile of wood somehow doesn't dampen the irritation I feel at myself for having dumped myself big time in the closing laps of the last race of the weekend - nice-sized high-side in the rain on the exit of T1.  I was running full rains, had led the whole race, and just got greedy on my exit.  Rear end didn't step out - it came around what felt like 90 degrees.  When it all hooked up I was airborn looking down on my bike wondering what would happen next (this was a novel experience for me).

The thud on impact was surprising.  I landed flat on my back, I mean flat with my head and back hitting together. It was amazingly hard in terms of my head hitting pavement, yet surprisingly non-damaging in terms of my back and head not being destroyed.

I made the mistake of trying to get up before I'd stopped moving, and then went head over heels.  Note to self - "wait a bit after initial impact before trying to get up and get back in race."  Bike was not going to run anyway - broken clutch lever, pretzeled shift lever, and slider.  Haven' yet looked to see full damage, hope there isn't a lot more.

Then there was the collision in T6 in the Supertwins race between me and another guy who thought that simply by taking the inside line and pushing he could somehow force me to give him some room.  I went off the track briefly but managed to get it back on, and went on to win.  Afterward, in the paddock, there was a bit of an exchange that got a little heated.  So between the crash, and the paddock garbage, the sweetness of the victory is today a bit dampened.  On the other hand, I did win, and that in spite of some seriously dirty riding (IMHO).

Also won LW Superbike, and took 2nd in GT Lights, and Thunderbike, so it was a good weekend that way.

Thanks to Pierre and his team, team Stumpy, and John (of Kim and John) for helping out with wrenching/prepping throughout the weekend, and for Kim, and wife Flip, and everyone else, showing awesome support for me.  It's going to be a fun season - can't wait to get together again.

[tigerblade]

Congrats on the good finishes.   :)

[Pierre - Team PMR]

Tom,

Glad I got to meet you.  You did really well.  I didnt realize you had a tumble in T1 on that last race, but am glad your ok.  Thanks again for letting me use your generator.  

[StumpysWife]

Tom, You rock!!!!!  

Both on and off the track, ride your own race.  Then it's up to you how it ends up.  

I'm very sorry to hear about your wreck.  It's no fun to drive home with broke stuff.  

[spyderchick]

Tom, how come you didn't say "hi"?  :( Anyhow, congrats on the wood, condolences on the crash. Hope to see you next time out there!  :D

[tshort]

Tom, how come you didn't say "hi"?  :( Anyhow, congrats on the wood, condolences on the crash. Hope to see you next time out there!  :D

All - thank you for your posts - I'm fine.  My knee hurts a bit, but other than that all in one piece, which I feel is very fortunate - coulda been ugly.

Hi Alexa - I know, we kept missing each other.  :-/   I did find your lovely daughter, tho, and introduced myself.  All these new faces/names/people - we'll catch up at the next one, I'm sure.  Are you going to MAM?  We don't know if we are or not - right now probably not, but we shall see.

[tshort]

Oh - and how could I forget to thank our resident wine taster, Sooper Dave? ::)  Thanks, Dave, for the suspension consulting!  You are teaching me to listen to my bike (which I found out has been saying for about a month, "Can you hear me now?" :D).

[dave333]

Then there was the collision in T6 in the Supertwins race between me and another guy who thought that simply by taking the inside line and pushing he could somehow force me to give him some room.  I went off the track briefly but managed to get it back on, and went on to win.  Afterward, in the paddock, there was a bit of an exchange that got a little heated.

Isn't T6 a little quick for bumper bikes?  I haven't quite got the nerve up to close the door on someone like that, but I've decided I will if I'm racing and won't if I'm in a practice session or track day.  Who started the "heated exchange"?  Just curious, my money is that he thought he had the right of way and you ran him off the track and almost killed him...  I could be wrong.  ::)

[tshort]

Isn't T6 a bit quick for bumper bikes?  I haven't quite got the nerve up to close the door on someone like that, but I've decided I will if I'm racing and won't if I'm in a practice session or track day.  Who started the "heated exchange"?  Just curious, my money is that he thought he had the right of way and you ran him off the track and almost killed him...  I could be wrong.  ::)

Is T6 (actually, it was T5, I think - the one that if you miss it, you end up running into the airstrip, out toward the exit) a bit quick for bumper bikes?  Yeah, I kinda thought so, too.  I almost killed him? :o   Funny how my tail section is all scratched up...and I never saw him or his front wheel - I thought the person in front pretty much has the right of way.  Or?  I was riding my line and the next thing I know I'm first swapping paint with him, and then I actually felt his leathers rubbing my shoulder. He pushed me off the track, and I was the one who almost crashed.  Never did see what was happening with him.  The guy is quite aggressive, and was called on it afterwards by the ref.  

Anyway, it was pretty nerve wracking.  The heated exchange was in the paddock afterwards - his buddies had to restrain him physically as he started to come at me.   ::)  Aye yai yai - some people's kids...I tell ya. :-/ ;D

[dave333]

It sounded like he was the one who went off the track.  Sorry, I still need to learn to read.  Glad you are ok, but next time tell his buddies to back off and greet him with a 1/2" breaker bar upside the head...  

I still don't understand how some folks don't understand racing is racing.  You will make contact, you will fall down, other people will help you fall down, and you can get hurt reeeeeeal good.  That's the sport we sign up for when we get on the grid and nail the throttle with the first twitch of the flag man's arm...

[Dawn]

It sounded like he was the one who went off the track.  Sorry, I still need to learn to read.  Glad you are ok, but next time tell his buddies to back off and greet him with a 1/2" breaker bar upside the head...  

Nah...

We have Phil as the Referee, he is a good guy and very good negotiator.  You either race by the rules or you don't race.

Dawn   ;D

[Nate R]

I had a front row seat to the incident....Yeah, it was just after turn 6, right by the gate. From what I saw, Tom was holding his line, and 271 just slammed into him from the inside, and after some more contact, pushing them both off of the track. From what I saw, Tom was DEFINITELY out front by a good amount.

 Tom, I'm pretty sure you both went off the track, although you had a much tougher time getting on and once you got back on.  I understand that in racing there often is contact, but when it throws both people off of the track like that, it's beyond just racing. It was ridiculous. I've seen contact in racing, and this was downright mean, maybe even Evil.

Earlier in the day, 271 came around me in a race as he lapped me coming out of 5. He pulled in front of me unneccessarily close to my front tire. I was annoyed by it, and thought it was an agressive pass to put on a LAPPER.  From what I've seen from pitting right near him, he seems to be pretty arrogant, and acted like he had all the answers. (Yet I was the one with safety wire, legal coolant, and tools that he borrowed on the first weekend in April)

Point is, I think the race director did the right thing overall by putting him on notice, and it SEEMS like he settled down some near the end of the day. It's just a race for FUN....At least that's what it's SUPPOSED to be. Hopefully this guy will clean up his act on the track.