When: September 2 - 4, 2005
Where: Shannonville (long track)

Thursday 9/1
Oh Shannonville.. my Shannonville..  How do I love thee?  Let me count the ways...
Dane was still on the injured list, so it was another solo trip for me.  I got a late start and didn't hit the road until about 11am.. but managed to make good time and got tot he track and set up before dark.  set up next to Tammy and John as usual.  I decided to only race the 125 this weekend, since there were two other people and myself one point apart for 3rd place.  Given how much I don't like the long track, I decided to focus on the 125.

Friday 9/2
Practice was slow.  the track seems bumpier every time we get on it.   Nothing too exciting happened.  Oh wait.. that's a big fat lie..! Did I put the dirt tires on the bike?  I should have!  In the second practice, I had passed a bunch of people on the back straight, got a little distracted and turned the bike way too early.  I ended up bouncing off the inside curbing at WOT in 4th gear.. I had to get the bike straightened out, and got it under control, but went right off the outside of the track.  Holy CRAP was that scary !!!  I must have been doing about 80mph when I went off track.. I got on the pegs and loosened up to let the bike do its' thing.. I went over boulders, through huge ditches, through mud and gravel, and somehow managed to keep it under control.  I made it all the way to Allen's corner before I could get it back on the track.  Scary !!  It took me a few more laps to shake that one off.

Saturday 9/3
Practice was uneventful.  The bike was running great, even though it was still vibrating (and I had even swapped out the crank bearings before I came to the track).  I qualified poorly (as expected).  I was on the third row.  Oh well.

Sunday 9/4
We had two practices, so I went out for both.  At the end of the second practice, I was doing a plug chop when a 250 rider came in front of me on the back straight and got on the brakes hard.  I had to swerve to avoid hitting him and didn't want to take him out going into the next corner, so I ran off the track onto the drag strip extension.  I walked the bike back to the pits in frustration.

125gp
I got a mediocre start (I really need to work on those).  I ended up in a spot all by myself.  I tried to keep my laptimes down, but ended up slowing down quite a bit since there was no one in front of me, and no one behind me.  It was a long boring race on a track I don't like (and I was there why??).  After all was said and done, I finished 7th, about 6 seconds a lap off the pace (pitiful!).  I managed to hold onto 5th in the championship.  I was happy to have done better overall than last year, but was disappointed I couldn't make peace with Shannonville this year, or hold a top three finish.

After the races, I got everything packed up, watched the 250 race, went to the trophy presentations, and hit the road. I stopped a couple times to nap and was home by 6am.

Special Thanks to:  The whole Can-Am crew.  Congrats to all season finishers, and a special thanks to John Dempsey, who helped me out quite a bit this year..   See you all next year!!