Just a quick thread to let everyone here know how my first race went.
I signed up for HWT SS Novice. Didn't want to deal with the extra 4 laps of a national 600cc SS novice race. Which incidently was red flagged once before the first lap, then ended on a red at the tenth lap. (good choice by me to stay away from the "meat grinder" class.
They ran the experts up front (7 of them) and the novices in the rear, with me being at the back.
I couldn't hear my bike at the start with the Ducati's being as boomy as they are when they're all revved up, so I over-revved and managed to lift the wheel about 2 feet when the flag waved! I set it back down slightly and grabbed another big handfull only to have it come up again, only this time it was only about 6" or so, so it didn't want to keep going!
I managed to squeak by two or three people by turn one (Summit Point Main). I think it was two novices and one expert. I felt pretty comfortable on the first two laps. (Turns out I was only running my track day pace 1:25's)
By the third lap, the guy in third place was inching up beside me down the straight, right around start/finish. I thought, "I'll just try to out brake him into one", and it almost worked, but he had the inside line! Wait a second! Maybe my out braking technique worked! He ended up running a bit wide, and being that I had the later apex, I snuck up the inside!
I decided then that I needed to push myself a little bit. I held the throttle open longer than I ever have going into three and tried doing the same thing for the next few laps as I figured he'd be right on my tail and then out drive me out of ten again and pass me into one.
The next few laps felt really good and I just continued to hold throttle longer and brake later. By the time the white was thrown (lap 7), I felt comfortable enough to glance to my left side when I went into five. I saw a dark colored bike, but it wasn't the rider who had passed me into one a few laps prior. I had no idea who was there, or if I was going to get passed by the checkered so I just kept pushing for the next four turns.
By the exit of ten I could tell no one was really close. Phew! I made it through my first race! Not only did I not crash, but I also had a little battle! Very fun BTW!
In the end I only managed a mid-pack finish.
And I turned a personal best lap! What was really cool was that I felt even more comfortable running faster than I ever have!
. I'll be interested to hear how the turn out was since it is a national. 
