Springfield, Illinois
 
The Springfield short track is an event I look forward to racing everywhere. The track is super fun to race on and the IMDA always does a bang up job on everything. This year the track was really shaped like a paperclip and it was the first time ever (besides TT's of course) where I was shifting my motorcycle on and off the corners. I felt descent all day long. There were 96 guys and I was 17th the last practice session, so I knew we'd be right on pace for when the program started. I had a pretty hard heat race as usual with schnabel, mees, smith, halbert, hittle, and some others. I got a pretty crummy start and it was really hard to pass on this track and I finished 6th. Only top two transfer from the heat and the winner only from the semi. In the semi I lined up with Cummings, Bergen, Taylor, Gedeon, Cose and some others. I got the holeshot only to have a red flag come out on me. The next re-start I didn't get off to well. I think I was 4th or 5th. I made some moves up to 2nd and held that for a while, until I made a small bobble and Bergen got by me and I stayed a close 3rd to the end. I was disappointed, but I guess things could of been worse. The bike just didn't feel like it had anything down the straight-aways for them. I think with a fresh, fast motor for next year we can finish alot better. Overall I felt good and rode hard, but just came up short on the bump and bang type short track.
 
Mile #1
 
I was really nervous but yet really excited for my first ever Springfield mile race. I have rode there once on a 600 and 450 back in 2005, but this was going to be way different. Racing with some of the legends of the Springfield mile such as Chris(Carr), Kenny(Coolbeth), Mccoy, and even Atherthon was a little intimidating at first. I have been coming and watching the Springfield mile since I was born and here I was racing it against the best in the world. There was an excellent turn-out with 55 riders or so. Springfield is probably one of the hardest races to make of the year and especially for a new-comer like myself but I was excited to try my best. I took it slow at first but by the end of the practice I actually felt really good. Once again, I had a stacked heat race with past winners at this race Carr and Coolbeth, as well as the Halbert brothers, Sweet and more. I got a horrible start and was 12th off the line. I passed quite a few guys and before I knew it I was up to 6th reeling in Sweet. I ran out of laps and finished 6th. I lined up for the semi and I was super pumped. I again struggled with a bad start. Running such tall gears on the mile makes it really tricky to learn how to holeshot. I shuffled into about 4th and found myself in a race long drafting battle with Cheza, Tyer, Wood, and Varnes for 2nd place and transfer spot. I took the 2nd spot away about half way and tried to set in some super fast laps and check out from the pack. I stayed a consistent 2nd for two laps, but it's so hard to break away from 4 riders drafting and working with each other and they caught back up. Last lap, Varnes passed me on the back straight-away and I tried to shuffle in behind him to try and draft him off four. A rider came up the inside and pushed me a little high and then a rider got around me on the outside and I had no room to draft and I finished 5th. Missing the main event by two tenths of a second. I was pretty bummed out, but for being the one of the only first timers in the whole field, it felt very good to be competitive with riders who make mains here often. The only thing that I wish I could of changed was getting a better holeshot. I felt alot faster in the corners then the riders I was drafting with even sometimes passing 3 or 4 of them around the outside in the corners, but like I said it was so hard to break away from 4 riders catching each others draft.
 
Mile #2
 
After riding the mile the first day, I was really excited to ride it again. It was one of the best feelings in the world going 130mph down the Springfield mile but I really wanted to put the 65a bike in the main event today. I felt descent in practice but didn't qualify nearly as good as I needed to. We switched bikes from the previous day and I just couldn't get a grab on the new motorcycle. We switched back to the bike I rode the previous day and lined up for the heat race. I lined up with Mccoy, Coolbeth, Sammy Halbert, Mees, Baer and some other guys. I got my usual bad holeshot on the mile and ran into turn one about 10th or 11th. Passed a couple guys early on and caught up to drafting pack ahead of me involving Baer, Taylor, and Sweet. I was up to 6th and I was trying to pass Baer on the outside and I ran off the groove and the pack got back by me with 3 laps to go or so. I made up 15 bike lengths or so that I lost in thoose 3 laps and tried a triple draft off turn 4, but just couldn't find a hole and I finished 7th. I felt really good though and was ready for the semi. I got another crappy start in my semi and I was about 8th going into turn one. I settled in and caught a couple riders drafting each other at half way or so. I drafted both of them in turn one and set my sights on the next rider in front of me. Mees, Murray, and Pearson weren't too far ahead of me but I knew there wasn't going to be any way I would make up that sorta ground with the time I had left in the 8 lap semi. I ended up 5th. I felt awesome, but just came up short. Good news was I would get to go out on the track again. They were having a "non-qualifier" dash. They took 3-6 from all 3 semis for a 12-rider dash. A couple riders who made the main the previous day were in it as well as some other quality riders. With only 5 laps to go, I knew I needed to try something different a get a good start to win. It was a winner take all type deal. I got some good advice from Rich Hanson and I pulled the best start I had all day. I was running 5th from the back row and the red flag came out. After the red flag, I again pulled a descent start and I was running 7th or so. I couldn't seem to pass the guys in front of me. I felt so much faster, but everyone was so much slower in the corners and I couldn't find any room to draft down the straight-away. Two laps to go came out and I made a move. I went from 6th to 4th on the back straight-away and on the white flag I drafted by Pearson and closed up on Cheza in the middle of 3 and 4. I thought about everything Carr has told me over the last couple days all at once, but I pulled out a little too soon and lost by inches. My foot kinda of slipped off the peg a little bit when I pulled out and I think that cost me the extra money. The good news was I felt awesome. Passing the quality of riders in the semi and finally learning the draft was a real good feeling. I may not have made my first national, but the important thing was how much I learned over the weekend and how good I felt. It was awesome watching my buddy Chris Carr win the main event and take my dad for a victory lap. I am having alot of fun racing right now and I can't wait til the next race!