Well... I finally got it done

[GoFastMike]

I got the bump into 'A' yesterday at VIR North with NESBA on my beast of a ZRX.

We rode South, North this weekend and I was riding really well. First session on the South set the tone for my weekend, sliced thru almost the entire field, ran some :20's, went berry, berry fast. By the afternoon I had passed riders at every possible location and I'm thinking I may get a visit from a CR. Instead, CR shows up across the road in the paddock and bumps a Duc I'd been dicing with all morning. Trouble was, in the previous session this guy had stuffed me and another rider in T1, I get around the rider and catch up only to have him stuff another lapper into T10, leaving me behind the traffic. The rules are no inside passing in the corners in 'I' and I guess I was following them a little too well. So I got pissed and went and talked to the CR's and the main guy for the SE region. Went back out and tried to get a little more aggressive the rest of the day.

Monday, the North course. Rode the 3 sessions before lunch on the rear tire of one CR or another, passing everywhere, riding my ass off. Brian Johnson, SE main guy, stops by our pit spot after the last morning session and we talked for 10 minutes about passing strategy, aggressiveness and only needing to show the guy your front wheel before the turn-in. Went out the first afternoon session and romped. A CR and I sliced thru the field for several laps and when the checker flew I pulled into the hot pit, stopped, and he rolls up beside me. We grinned at each other and he says let's go get you a new sticker...

Rode two more sessions that afternoon in the A group and what a difference. Clear track, very fast guys, got to improve my corner entry speed just following them, and just missed getting into the 1:46's. Needless to say... I'm pretty freakin' happy.

So... there's a ZRX in NESBA's A group. Brothers, can I get an Amen?

[cgt211]

Congrats on your advancement to the A group.

[Two Crow]

NESBA must be tired of getting bad press from the ZRXOA!

[FudRules]

Good work GoFastMike! You make us all proud.

[logmaster]

AMEN BROTHER!!!!!


got any pix in action?

[C.Jay]

AMEN!!!

[indianrider]

[The Hun's ZRX]

Congrats

[JaxNavy Controller]

AMEN!! and


Hallelujah

[GoFastMike]

Thanks, gents. It's been a long time coming. I have to ride my ass off to make the beast turn and it's taken me awhile to work up the aggressiveness needed to pull off the passes you need to make to get thru traffic. Here's a couple links to pics from the weekend, first batch from I, second from A.

http://www.photoreflect.com/scripts/...rt=0&password=

http://www.photoreflect.com/scripts/...rt=0&password=

We're riding VIR full course on the 21st...

[zrx24]

Originally posted by GoFastMike
Rode two more sessions that afternoon in the A group and what a difference. Clear track, very fast guys, got to improve my corner entry speed just following them, and just missed getting into the 1:46's. Needless to say... I'm pretty freakin' happy.

That's around 2:02's at TWS (our local track) based on my quick RPF calculation. Cool!

[Two Crow]

Mike, you have to be the only ZRX in NESBA "A" group in the U.S.

[Greg]

You da man!!!!!!!!!

[Flyboy 8251]

AMEN Brother, AMEN!!

[Riley]

way to go man

[FudRules]

GoFastMike - Tell us some more about other riders reaction in the paddock. You must have gotten a lot of attention (and respect) and compliments as a result of muscling around the big powerful beast. You deserve a lot of credit for your perseverance. Most of us that ride ZRX's on the track wind up getting a sport bike-track bike or simply refuse to ride with Nesba because we dont get bumped up. You stuck it out and proved it could be done.

[GoFastMike]

Originally posted by FudRules
GoFastMike - Tell us some more about other riders reaction in the paddock. You must have gotten a lot of attention (and respect) and compliments as a result of muscling around the big powerful beast. You deserve a lot of credit for your perseverance. Most of us that ride ZRX's on the track wind up getting a sport bike-track bike or simply refuse to ride with Nesba because we dont get bumped up. You stuck it out and proved it could be done.

Just about every one of my buddies in the NESBA paddock came by and shook my hand, slapped me on the back, said 'Way to go'. There's almost always a couple riders that stop by during the day and tell me they're amazed how well the Rex gets around the track... you blew by me... I couldn't keep up with you... geez, what have you done to that thing... kinda stuff.

Perseverance and determination are omnipotent. It's been a goal from day one to get into A on the ZRX and man, it felt great to finally do it. I'm lucky to have to some really good riding buds that understand how cool it is and how much work it took. It really is the rider, not the bike. And thanks for the kind words, Fudster... look forward to riding with you again soon.

[chrisweir.com]

Sounds like good times; congrats

[Jerry]

Congrats Mike!
Thats got to be a Hoot blazing by those guys with the REX while they're on Sport Bikes!

[EA6BMECH]

That's it!! I gotta get 3rd gear fixed! Mike save me a spot! I'm in there with ya!!
Here's one of Hellsdarklord and me in '03 at Roebling.. [IMG][/IMG]

[zrx24]

Originally posted by EA6BMECH
That's it!! I gotta get 3rd gear fixed! Mike save me a spot! I'm in there with ya!!

Uh oh. It seems Mike has inadvertantly thrown down a gauntlet.