Made a one day trip to the Pocono Cycle Jam by WERA this past
Friday in order to run the Twins race there. Since this is the only
weekend (other than the GNF) where WERA mixes Pro and Club racing,
they have to hold some races on Friday in order to fit them all in.
Last year they were able to find a sponsor for the Twins race and we
had a number of Pro's from around the country. This year it was more of
an east coast contingent. Stephen Mathews was there with his Feracci
888, Stephen was the last National Champion in AMA Pro Twins GP2.
Veteran Kurt Liebmann was there along with former AMA Pro Twins Mod
Prod National Champion Pete Johnson. Also there was former Pro Twins
racer, Ron McGill and a number of very good club racers including the
WERA Twins National Champion Richard Eyman. Richard had beaten me for
that title last year at the GNF when my Guzzi was faster and his 851
was slower, I would have little chance to find myself in front of him
during this race.
    Since I sold my close ratio transmission, I hadn't run a really
long track like Pocono and during my first practice session, I realized
that my available gear ratios were wrong for the infield. I could
either down shift into a corner losing too much corner speed and having
to feather the throttle through and out of turns or I could take the
corner in the next higher gear and be off the power band coming out of
the turn. I could have fitted a lower profile tire and made the higher
gears work, this would have made me a little tighter down the straight
which would have been ok because I wasn't hitting redline in 5th
anyway.  The penalty for that choice would be 1) cost, I'd have to buy
a tire (doubly painful since I had left one in the garage at home) and
2) I'd lower the rear end robbing me of ground clearance and slowing up
the steering. I decided since this was just a club race and a one day
event for me that I'd run what I had, and just run the bike into the
corners hard and come out hard, squaring off the corners and using the
lower gear.
    By the time the race started it was quite late in the day, but I
was surprisingly relaxed considering I usually hate late in the day
races and considering the fact that Pocono is not the safest track.
WERA is gridding people this year based on points standings first and
signup position second. Since I had only run one other WERA twins race
all year I was gridded at the back of those with points. The good news
is most of the Pros that showed up had no points and were gridded
behind me.  I got a good hole shot, but the 888's and the 1187cc Guzzi
of Pete Johnson (built by RACECO) shot past going into the first turn.
I was in about 8th place after the first lap, and was able to get past
Koch on an 851 using the brakes into turn one. After shooting past, I
realized I was entering turn one a lot faster than I had before and I
thought for a moment that maybe I saw Elvis. Eyman was leading and he
tucked the front in the infield sliding off unhurt, and handing the
lead to Mathews. The 851 of Koch and one of the Hayden brothers riding
a TZR 250 Yamaha (2 stroke twins are legal in WERA Twins) were able to
blast by me on the straight. I was able to get past the 851 again in
the infield, and this time he tried to take me on the outside going
around the bowl. I saw his wheel and started to drift high in order to
make him think alot about the pass. I would never put a competitor into
a wall, but I will tighten up the available space making him think
about it! It made no matter as he dropped low and blasted by me on the
low side. I was mired in 8th with the 851 and the the 2 stroke getting
away when we came up on back markers. During this time the sun was
shining, but there were a few lonely rain drops hitting your face
shield.  My experience told me Pocono gets slick when wet, but that a
few drops should pose no problems. I was able to catch up in the
chicane, stay in the draft down the front straight and take 6th next
time through the infield. I took the white flag and knew I had to hang
on for one more lap. Just then the rain started to come down heavy and
I saw the track getting dark.  I had crashed in the tunnel turn a few
years back in the rain and knew just how slick the sealer got when
wet.  Sure enough I had a nice controllable drift as I crossed over
that section and headed down into the chicane.  I parked it in the
chicane, coming all the way down to 1st gear, and was able to hold onto
my position. Little did I know the drama ahead of me as Ron McGill's
hawk tied up a crank and he coasted across the line in 5th. Oh well. I
was happy for my result.  Mathews won, Liebmann was second and Johnson
(the first non 888) on the RACECO Guzzi was third.
   Ron McGill was able to win the C superbike race on the RACECO Guzzi
on Saturday and Pete Johnson finished FUSA on the same bike.