Summary:
2nd Place in 250 GP
250 GP:
My last race of 1998 was one of the best "races" of the year, so I'll just cut
to the chase and get to the main event!
Going into the event, Joe was leading the 250GP class by 8 points with myself in 2nd spot. If I could take 1st place and somehow convince Joe to finish 4th or worse, I would take the lead and win the overall championship. Well, I beat him in the race, but will have to "settle" for 2nd overall. Settle? No way! This is my first year getting a season trophy...I'll take 2nd! Here's how it went...
I get the "Kory Gill patented rocket start" and lead all the way down the straight and into turn 1 (T1). 5 of the fastest 250's in the area are at the race. Somewhere behind me is Joe Ferazza, Gene Brown, Bruce Lind, and Scott Menezes; all of whom I consider great racing buddies! I lead the entire lap and all the way back to T1 when I shifted poorly and hit a false neutral. I was scared to let out the clutch mid-corner, so I coasted to the exit of the corner then popped it into gear not knowing if the bike would lurch, wind up, or something...in doing so, I went from 1st to 3rd! Ack! It was Gene and Bruce who got by me. Each of them has been racing longer than I have been alive and these guys know how to get around a track pretty fast. I collect myself and tail Bruce waiting for ANY chance to get him (safely of course!). I was going into T7 on the outside and here comes Joe about 10mph faster on the inside passing me...I was really moving, and I have no idea how Joe made it, but now I was in 4th. We were all racing so close one could almost touch the next bike...it was fabulous. It must have looked like some orchestrated synchronized exibition, but trust me, it wasn't...we all wanted bragging rights! I draft Joe down the straight and pull to the inside and pass on the inside under heavy braking. I went way late into T1 and had to scrub of a lot of speed before pitching it in. Now I have my eyes set on Bruce again. If I can pass Bruce then pass Gene, I will take 1st and hopefully Joe will be stuck in 4th and I will be champ! I could make up all the distance on Gene and Bruce between T3 and T4 every lap. I draft Bruce coming out of T4 and use Joe's little T7 move and pass Bruce really hot into T7...thanks Joe! In all honesty, I would only make an inside pass like that against a racer I trust and who I know trusts me. Now it's just me and Gene! I tried and tried to catch him for a few laps and just couldn't close in. I never saw Joe or Bruce again, but assumed they were "right on my tail". Turns out Bruce's bike started slipping the clutch so Joe got by him and that's how we finished. This race may not have been my best "finish", but it certainly ranks up there as my best "race".
Well, it's time to hang up the road racing gear for the winter (and get the dirt riding gear out). Thanks to I-90 Motorsports, Galfer, Motul, TPowell Photography and Team WetLeather for a GREAT season.
My racing could not be possible without the help of my family, friends, and sponsors.
I would like to thank:
I-90 Motorsports,
Sandro at Galfer,
Kristen at Motul,
Jon at White Brothers,
Terry at TPowell Photography,
Northwest Link for hosting this web site, and
Janet, my wonderful wife!
For other race reports, please see http://korygill.net/korygillracing-retro/racereports.html.
I hope you enjoyed my race report. If you have questions, comments, or want any specifics on my race setup or anything else, just ask.
Kory Gill
#150 AMA/WMRRA/OMRRA in 1998
Email Kory: