When: July 22 - 24, 2005
Where: Shannonville (long track)

Thursday 7/21
Got up after a long nights' sleep, had some breakfast and hit the road to Shannonville.  I wasn't originally going to race this weekend, but discovered that I was 2nd in points after Mosport, so I decided to go for it.  This is the only day I would not be on the race bike for a 10 day stretch, and it was a needed break.   Stopped at a couple places and bought a radio and fan for the track.  Got to the track in the late afternoon and set up in the designated 125 area next to John and Tammy Dempsey.  Got the bikes geared, fueled and ready to go.  Decided to stay at the track that night, and the bugs were absolutely unbearable.  I got no sleep whatsoever.

Friday 7/22
Got up, exhausted from fighting the bugs off and got my act together for morning practices.  Registered, teched and went out for practice on the 125 and 250, trying to remember which way the long course goes.  I really don't like the long course... to me there's no flow, but I was trying to make the best of it.

Since this was a double header weekend, we had to qualify on Friday.  I didn't do well (no surprise) and gridded third row for both races.  Tammy and John let me stay with them at the local motel since the bugs were pretty bad on Thurs night.  I gave them some cash to stay on the pullout couch in their room.  we got some food, went back to the motel and I passed out in a matter of seconds.

Saturday 7/23
Up early and to the track.  The 250 wouldn't run in the morning, so I only got the 125 out.  The 250 seemed to be eating batteries, and I didn't have a spare (and didn't want to borrow one), so I parked it for the weekend.  The 125 was running great, but I was way off pace.  6 - 8 seconds off pace.  Not a good way to defend a championship position.

125 GP
I got a pretty bad start and didn't really get to battle with anyone in the race.   Overall it was uneventful, and I finished 8th out of 10 people.  I was frustrated to say the least. 

250 GP was cancelled for the afternoon due to weather problems.  To be run Sunday morning.

After the races, we did trophy presentations, I mooched a couple burgers off Rick and Lisa (thanks!!) and we went off to the motel.  We had a couple beers and hit the sack.

Sunday 7/24
Up early, made the morning stop at Tim Horton's and off to the track.  I tried to have a new good attitude for the day and decided to try getting some good lap times in.  Since I was the only person running 125 and 250, and my 250 was out of commission, Tammy combined the 125 and 250 gp races, which was great because it meant I could hit the road at a reasonable hour.  I went out for morning practices, then came in and got my pits packed up as much as possible.

250gp
I was able to race this on the 125 since it was a combined 250 Can-Am and 125 RACE (Canadian local series) event.  I didn't get any points in the 250 class, since I was on the 125.  Again, I got a so-so start, and finished 11th out of 17.

125gp
I got a decent start this time and went into turn 1 with the pack.  I fell back a bit by the time turn 4 happened, and ended up running a pretty lonely race.  The 250s were started as a second wave and I got passed by a couple, but otherwise the race was uneventful.  I managed to get a couple decent lap times (well.. decent in relation to what I had been doing all weekend, not decent in relation to the field) and brought the bike home in 7th.

After the races, I got everything packed up, went to the trophy presentation, and hit the road.  I was home and in bed by midnight.  I would have been home earlier, but I developed a slow leak in one of the truck tires, and had to stop regularly to put air into it.

Special Thanks to: John and Tammy Dempsey for the comfortable place to stay, Rick and Lisa for the food, and of course everyone at the track for being cool.