GNF and the end of 2023
The final racing event of the year has passed and what a season! Finishing off the year again and my second racing season at Barber Motorsports Park with WERA at the GNF event. It was great to see so many of my friends for the last time for the year at Barber and what a chaotic week leading up to the event. I moved to the Huntsville AL area just the week prior, still living in the RV and then taking it down to Barber to race the following weekend. This would also be the first time I would be club racing the Aprilia to get more seat time and to also try out the latest modification, lowering the bars with lower clamps by 40mm.
I showed up Thursday evening and set up much of that night and the following morning as I had nothing going on Friday other than working on the R3 to replace the front pads and then helping some friends pit for their endurance races. When Saturday rolled around it was time for practice in the AM and racing that afternoon. Took both bikes out only once for practice just to get used to the track again as the last time I was there was a year prior and to try and learn the braking points on the Aprilia. I signed up for 6 races over the weekend, 4 for Saturday and 2 for Sunday. All doable but the issue of having back-to-back races and a bike swap made it all more interesting. I have to thank my friends both days for helping with this process. The first lap of the first race was simply a disaster. The mount for my lap timer broke but thankfully the lap timer got caught up in the clutch cable and didn’t totally fall off the bike. I was able to make it around the track take it into the pits and drop the lap timer off but the race was done essentially by the 5th turn. I was able to catch a rider or two but didn’t matter much. My next race was a vintage race on the Aprilia, yes the same bike I race in Super Hooligans, and I was able to finish 3rd in that race which was the highest I would finish all weekend in any race. Had some great battles in the other races on the R3 that day as well! Huge fields and lots of pros coming out to show us what time it is. Gridding up with Sammy Halbert is now something I can say I have done in my life… and then he left me in the dust, sadly we didn’t get to link up over the weekend but hope to see him again and next time be a bit closer.
Sunday was one disaster after another but I was able to keep it on two wheels both times which is key. Again with the back-to-back races and a bike swap and gotta still shout out to my friends who made it happen. While going for a pass on the R3 into T5 I overdid it and went on straight into the grass early on in the race too and finished that lap in last place. I was able to put my head down and knock off some decent laps and able to catch a few riders which was nice but not at all the result I wanted. The following race I did the same on the Aprilia going off in the museum section which just ended any chance I had of a decent result but I was able to post a PB that race which was a nice thing to walk away from. All in all another great weekend at Barber and with my friends!
Finished the year with 7 podiums and a championship win in the CMRA Solo 500 Superstock class and Looking for more next year!
The end of the season came just far too fast but my gosh what a year on and off … especially off the track. Laid off twice and working on the other side of the planet during the summer really did impact my track time but it all worked out in the end and I got to have a lot of great events and see my friends a few times and I hope to see them more next year. The move the Fayetteville Tennessee now has me located right in the Mid-Central region for WERA and I plan to win the V8 and F class for novices in 2024, those are the goals and I already have several returning sponsors for next year but have to shout out those that helped this year. Blud Lubricants, Galfer, Woodcraft, Hotbodies, Just 1 Helmets, RK Chains, Excel Wheels, On Road Off Road Suspension, and the title sponsor Coffee Break Liberty.
See you in 2024
