Daniel Blair Indy Race Report
Anyone who watched the live broadcast of the Atlanta Supercross last week could probably understand why I decided not to write an "Atlanta Race Report". It was probably the worst night of my racing career and it almost seemed fake. Brief summary: Hit the gate on start of heat race. Caught up to 8th in 3 laps. Got taken out. Went to LCQ and got a 4th place start but passed into lead by end of the first lap. AMA red flags race because 30 second board girl thought it was the 3 second board. Holeshot the restart but got landed on coming out of the first turn. But I put in some solid training in Alabama this week and focused on bouncing back in Indy. And I did, sort of.
Practice:
I am not sure what the deal is, but I just cant seem to ride good in first practice. I felt horrible. My timing was off, I was running out of breath, but somehow I was still sitting 12th fastest after the first session. The second qualifying practice I felt better. I finished 9th overall which would give me a solid gate pick for my heat race and a nice little boost of confidence.
Heat Race:
The heat race started out great I guess. Compared to Atlanta where I was stuck in the gate, I actually made it through the first turn in about 6th. I made a quick pass into 5th but then Pourcel passed me and put me back to 6th. I made one more pass at the end of the moto and finished 5th. You have no idea how relieved I was to be in the Main. The east coast lites is dangerous and every single moto is pure chaos. To be able to stay out of trouble and get my TCCI, Slaten Racing Honda into the final was nice. Haha, that sounded like a generic podium interview.
Main Event:
So last week in Atlanta they red flagged the LCQ while I was winning. There is no way my luck is so bad that it could happen again. WRONG! I get a 3rd place start in the Main and what do you know, the red flag. I really dont know what to say. Yes, it was a big crash but everyone was up by the time we got to the crash. Stupid. I finally get the break I need, and it gets taken away. So when the gate dropped for the restart I pulled a complete DB move, dead last start. I made some insane passes on the first 2 laps and ended up getting into about 10th by lap 3. A few more passes and I was in 8th where I would stay almost the entire moto. I ended up passing Matt Lemoine on the last lap after he crashed and could not start his bike. When the checkers flew, I was 7th, the best finish of my career.
Conclusion:
I am not sure what is wrong with me, but I am not that happy about last night. Everyone is so pumped for me, but I feel like I am still underachieving. I still feel the best is yet to come and if I could just get a damn start in the Main and not have it red flagged, I can get myself a top 5 finish. I have really high goals for myself this year and although I am getting closer, I still feel like the pieces are not all in place yet. I am happy to be back in the top 10 in points. I am actually only 10 points out of 5th which is amazing considering I got zero points last weekend. If I would not have gotten screwed in Atlanta I could be in 5th right now! Oh well, I can still get there. Just gotta keep fighting, keep training, and keep out of trouble and I will get it. My dad said something that has really stuck with me this year. He said "if you can get as fast as the factory guys on your own bike, you will be ready to win the day you get on theirs". I believe he is right and that is why I am still chasing the dream. I really dont think I am that far away. Success comes when preparation meets opportunity. My day is coming.
DB125
Note:
Thanks to Kenny Watson for the hotel room this weekend. It was awesome to sleep in a nice room for once