1st race back

Today was the Sonny Hutchins Memorial Crit in Richmond on the Southside Speedway. Actually the speedway is in Midlothian, but now we're splitting hairs! Anyway.....Danielle & I went up to help train some of the new officials. We also planned on doing the "B", or "Novice", track events. I decided to do the "B" race after looking at the confirmed rider list on Bikereg & after hearing how some of the folks rode last weekend in Snowball #1. Since I've been "down" for the better part of the year so far I thought it would be a wiser choice to do the "B" race & see how things go.

MAN WAS I GLAD I DID!!!! First off....the "A" race was INSANELY FAST!!!! There were guys in that race that should've been "okay" that looked like they were being turned inside out! Jeff Brandon won BOTH of the "A" races. Quite handily I might add....

Now to the "B" race. Like I said I've been "down" for most of the year so far so I had no idea just how bad it was gonna suck. When we started the 1st race I was kinda apprehensive. There were a LOT of guys that looked kinda "if-ish" on their bikes. One guy in particular, he was wearing a "Dopers Suck" jersey,.....HOLY CRAP!!!! I didn't think they allowed squirrels on the track!! He was all over the place!

Anyway.....I'm getting off track. Like I said....I was a little apprehensive about the 1st race. After we got going things just came back to me. There were 4 of us in the race. Myself, George, Matt & Danielle. Danielle wasn't too sure how she'd do, but damn if she didn't get out there & try anyway! Ya know?! George was kinda like a linebacker out there keeping everyone in check. Matt......well......he just kept getting blocked in on the inside of the track. Not the place to be, but I was hoping that we could get him lined up for a good finish. In the end I took 3rd. George & Matt were somewhere behind me.

Next race.....kinda the same, but just longer & w/a smaller field. Some folks just decided to take an early exit for the day. That's cool. Anyway, the 1st race was 10 laps & the 2nd race was 15 laps. George must've eaten some Wheaties or something between races because he was "throwing elbows" out there. I can remember on 2 separate occasions when he had me in the "hurt locker" & I had to use the other guys to get up to him! Last lap Matt was sitting right on my wheel, where he needed to be, when George lit the jets off! The only guy that could chase him down was a guy from Kitty Hawk. He went flying by George & I was right on his wheel. Matt, unfortunately, lost my wheel somewhere on the back & didn't finish as well as I'm sure he would've hoped to. Oh well.....we'll get 'em next time! I ended up 2nd, George was 5th & I'm not sure about Matt's place. There was this guy trying to come up on the inside & take 2nd from me & there was NO WAY I was gonna have any of that. I stood up & let it all go....what little there was left.

All in all it was good to be back on the track. I am more proud of my wife for getting out there & trying, though!! She was the only chick out there!! What's up w/that ladies?! I KNOW some of ya'll have fixies out there!! :) I do know for a FACT that I have to get my FAT ASS out on the road & get some mile under my butt!!! Snowball #2 next weekend. I'm doing the 3/4, or "B", race. I'm just hoping to finish in the pack & not get spit out the back!!