I just finished my annual compilation of the season racing results. For 2013 I participated in 15 road race events, the most I've done since 2006. This was at 15 different venues, again the most since '06. Three of these I had never been to before: NOLA (New Orleans), The Ridge (Shelton, Wa.), and NJMP (Millville, N.J.). Talladega (Alabama) and Sears Point (Ca.) were substantially altered since the last time I was there. I entered 60 individual races and started 57 of them, the most since 2005. I did this on 13 different bikes, the most since 2010, owned by 11 different people. I got 33 firsts, 11 seconds, 5 thirds, and 4 DNFs. One of those DNFs was a crash and one of the DNSs was a crash (on the warmup lap), and I had two practice crashes, one of which I'd call 'not my fault/being in the wrong place at the wrong time'. Four crashes in a season is considerably above the 2.5 crash/season I've had over the last 12 years, but fortunately I didn't get hurt in any of them and raced the same or next day after all of them.
In addition to these races, I did the Parades at the Classic TT(Manx GP), a couple of Tiddler Tours, the Fall Giro, and the Pewter run. 2013 has been a busy, successful and satisfying year.
WOW...Way to GO Dave Roper!! Very impressive stat's.....33 FIRSTS says it ALL! Glad to be able to see you race and thankful for this blog, complete with photos, for the times we can't attend as it's the next best thing to being there.Thank YOU David. D
ReplyDelete"2013 has been a busy, successful and satisfying year."
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're going to hibernate on us for the rest of the year. There's still a bit of fun left in the year. For instance, you could come to Michigan; I've got my iceboat ready to go racing. it goes 3 times the speed of the wind! We do like our motorcycle ice racing here too; you could join us. Or you could...........hibernate.
Hate McDead
Congratulations Dave. You make it look easy on the track, but reading your blog helps show what's really involved. Of all the riding you did this year is there any single moment that you would say defines 2013 for you? T
ReplyDeleteT, if I had to say, the highlight of my year was the 'Classic TT' at the Manx Grand Prix. It was an incredible gathering of significant historic race bikes and riders and to be able to participate on Team Obsolete's AJS 7R3, a bike that won a TT, was a privilege. But, it was only parading, not a race. If I had to pick a race, it would be Sears Point May 2-3. Sears is a great and challenging track that I hadn't been to in many years. I felt really good there and won all six races I was entered in which included the 'bump up' class, 500 Premiere. Mike Bungay's Aermacchi, tuned by Karl Engellener, was ideally suited to the circuit and I beat a lot of bigger bikes with it. I also had a couple of excellent rides on Gary Roper's '51 Velocette MAC.
ReplyDeleteSorry, that's 'Engellenner'.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for letting me join you at some of the race tracks. It's always a pleasure. And since I'm drastically slimming down my rig for next year, I'd like to come over to your place this winter to get familiar with your spares and tools. As you well know from my lack of bike preparation, I'll be foraging through your stuff on a frequent basis so we might as well get an early start.
ReplyDeleteStu