Finally, a new track season has begun. This seemed like such a long offseason but the weather is improving and I'm really excited about the start of a new, and hopefully better, track riding season.
I decided to add some much needed "bling" to my riding gear so I picked up a new red/black KBC helmet and a pair of black/white Sidi Vertigo race boots. Now if I can just lose enough weight there might even be a new leather racing suit in my future. I've got my eyes on a red/white/black suit from RS Taichi.
Anyway, first up this year was WERA regional racing at the newly re-designed Talladega Grand Prix Raceway near Munford, Alabama. My first impression of the new track design is awesome, awesome, awesome. Talladega has always been a place that I really didn't like very much and it scared the hell out of me sometimes. The new layout seems to flow so much better and there is plenty of room for passing.
Saturday practice went well and by the afternoon I was ready for my first race, Mediumweight Solo20 Novice. I was gridded outside of the fourth row and got a good start. The mediumweight novices were on their best behavior and I cruised to a really fun and thankfully uneventful race. It felt so good to see that checkered flag again. There's just nothing like it.
Sunday afternoon I was entered in the Senior Superbike race for the old guys over 40. Actually it's really misleading to think of this as a senior race because some of the experts we race with in this division have many, many years of experience and are superfast.
This year WERA split the Senior Superbike race into mediumweight and heavyweight for both expert and novice. This meant a two wave start, expert then novice, and a row break between heavyweight and middleweight. Since I'm novice and middleweight it put me at the very back of the field but starting with the riders that I'm competing with in middleweight. I really like this new senior superbike race lineup and I hope it doesn't change.
I got my usual crappy start (I just am timid going into one for the first time) and the riders in front of me got off to a few second lead on me so by the time I was up to my speed they were long gone. This was really fine with me because I had approached the weekend's racing as just a warmup and practice so I wasn't pushing too hard and I felt really great. My concentration and focus are much better this year so I have something to build on.
Well things were fine till about lap 4 when the experts starting lapping me. One of them on a Kawasaki got a little close going into the 90's and he bumped me going by.
Bastard never even so much as gave me a wave (the usual way of saying "sorry, my bad"). 
Then, coming to the white flag, two riders dove under me in the last corner. One was way too hot going in and his bike did a wicked slide all the way to the corner exit. He was lucky he didn't run off as there is little room for error in this particular corner.
All in all a fun race and, thanks to the new grid procedure, a third place finish for me. I'll post more pictures and links to video when they are available.
Next up, NESBA track days at Barber the first weekend in March.
