Another Loudon story… My first weekend as an expert started with facing my first race on an un-scrubbed rear tire due to poor planning, and this was pre-tire warmers. I went to see local fast guys Steve Lombardo and Michael Rockwell searching for advice. Both of my pals said just slide it around on the warm up lap, get over onto the edge of the tire, and then just go for it! The green flag dropped on the Expert Heavyweight Supertwins sprint and I got the holeshot! I led for a full almost full lap, as we approached the start/finish line all the built up bikes blasted past me (the mighty Hawk was stock except for a pipe, a jet kit and a very fine point on the tune), it was a Ducati freight train, but I ended up sixth or seventh feeling good and very happy about the whole deal. A couple of race weekends later I was on a real flyer in the morning practice having found a better setting that really enhanced the front end feel. At the top of the hill I was caught out by a sprinkle of rain in between T 7 & 8. The back end snapped out, snapped back, I caught it, but now found myself was pointed straight off the track. I motocrossed over the curb and much to my surprise found that there was a one-foot wide mini-ditch that was at least eight inches deep behind the curb. It seems the track owners neglected to backfill after the curbs construction…. The rear wheel was caught in the ditch, chattering along, but the front was up on flat ground rolling free… I successfully rode along for several yards, but the end of the line was near. The next thing I remember was sailing through the air, watching as the Hawk followed me like a faithful puppy through my skyward arc. We both landed about mid track at the entry to T8 and then slid back over to the inside curb. The bike ground to a stop, but I kept on a tumbling and ended up back on the track. I thumped to a stop with my head was pointing downhill, and my legs uphill… I looked up and saw a bike coming at me; positioned to drive the front tire right through the “V” my legs had so gracefully formed… With an adrenaline fueled burst of energy, I rolled to the right until I was safely off the racing surface. Good Lord, someone call me a bus… It was the end to a beautiful weekend. Two holes punched straight through the frame spars, all the spar to casting welds broken, bent rear wheel, and the body work, gauges, exhaust, bars, controls, steering damper, gloves, suit, helmet all toast. My right hip displaced 40mm rearward and 30mm lower than the left with hematomas for miles. 60 days worth of rehab later a slight limp was all that remained, it would resolve over time… Sold the Hawk to Eric Madsen, wish I had kept it and fixed it… E Bruce Lyskawa would later tell me he used the colored marks left by my leathers as brake markers for the rest of the weekend… What a pal! LOL!
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 02:02:31 +0000