Twelv51 Racing

Been about a year since I had a chance to do another helmet. This one is mine.

Dan commissioned me to paint his helmet. It took me a while to finish it but it was fun. He hasn't seen it yet so these are just teasers.

So Max and Koi at Oxymoron Photography have done it again. They take great photos, making us look better than we are!

photo credit: Erich Steigler

So Round 1 was a success if you ask me. The CRST CBR 600rr wasnt ready for the first round so we dusted off my trusted R6 and she was ready for the action. I had a looooong friday and showed up to the track around noon.

I was met with my new suit from Gimoto. I was like a kid at Christmas. This suit was better than my already high expectations. The craftsmanship is amazing. the fit, even better. I cannot express how happy I am with the suit. More about the suit on track later.

I finished getting my bike ready with the graphics and some new brake pads and relaxed the rest of the day.

Saturday, I was rested and ready. I slipped into my new Gitmoto suit and gloves,and new Kali Protectives helmet and went out for the first session. I had not been to this track in a couple of years and vaguely remember the layout but remembered the horrible track surface more. I was excited to see that the track was WAY better. I just needed to remember how to ride it!

As the day went on the bike and the suit felt great. Riding around in a suit that actually fit and is made of quality material made all the difference in the world. I was struggling against an ill-fit suit all last season and my riding suffered as a cause of it. Now, able to move freely on the bike I felt more relaxed and energized. The track came back to me as well and I was practicing in the 1:53's. The tire wear was amazing and Jim made one small adjustment all weekend and the bike was perfect.

Sunday came and my first race, 750 Production, could have gone better. I was gridded 4th. A front row start. I could not have had a worse launch.

By turn two I was about second to last. I got stuck behind a group of slower riders for the better part of the race. Buttonwillow Raceway is not an easy place to pass. Every time I would line something up the gaggle of guys in front of me would fan out and make a safe pass impossible. I came into the pits steaming mad.

My next race, 600 Production, was delayed as we were set to go out. I sat in my leathers and helmet for a long while, just clearing my mind and mentally prepping myself.

There was a lot of confusion on the grid because race direction failed to let us know there was a change. I was shuffled to the inside of row three. I got a decent launch. The traffic into turn one was harry to say the least. I thought I was going to crash or get collected in someone else's crash about four or five times in those few seconds of turn one.

After a brief sigh of relief I put my head down and started my pursuit of better times and positions. I was able to put in several good laps and ended up having a fun little chase of Stephen Rue. I put several good, clean laps together and we got caught in some back-marker traffic. The last lap I was able to close the gap and got a great drive out of the chicane. I was all set for the last corner pass but there was a yellow flag. I dragged him to the line but was about half a second behind. I was happy none the less, and set a 1:50 laptime.

Formula 1 was fun too. I had a bit of a bobble on the entry to turn 1 due to some aggressive riders which set me back a few spots. I was able to link up with a pack of riders and slowly make my way through them. I had a fun battle with my buddy Patrick Murphy. Once I got through that pack I was able to gap myself from them and put some consistent laps in.

I cant thank my sponsors enough.

Jim and Nickie at Catalyst Reaction are incredible. Their support over the last few years has been incredible. I owe so much to them.

S&P Racing for their support the last couple of seasons has made racing with the AFM possible.

Gimoto Suits and gloves... if you dont have a set, get some. We got a ton of compliments on them this weekend and they are well deserved. If you want to feel like a professional racer, and wear what they do, then you need a set. (Call Nickie at Catalyst if you are interested).

Corey and Chris at CT Racing/Pirelli tires. The tires they got me on this weekend performed perfectly. They continue to support me like one of the fast guys... which I am not!

K-Tech Suspension, TechSpec, Precision Trackdays, Motion Pro, Kali Protectives, Galfer Braking, and Moto-D for all the awesome track side pats support. Their warmers and under suits are easily the best in the paddock.

More pics from Oxymoron Photography coming soon!