Pretty much everytime I get on the Ducati, I am still learning, as I have never been on the same track more than once to race it  And every track surface is different, depending on the type of dirt/clay/pea-gravel whatever it is, plus a lot also depends on what Mother Nature decided to do that day. Rain, sun, wind, they all change our tracks drastically from year to year. And I am the type of rider that is not going to go out there and crash when I am not sure how the bike or track conditions are. I take my time in learning this stuff, then when the green light flashes, I am ready to race. So once again it felt like I was starting all over just as it seemed in Arizona, as in practice today I knew I needed to figure out how this Ducati would get around and off the corners. During the first practice/qualifier session out today, I could tell the bike was not trying to do anything too crazy to me. I always have a big group of friends that set up cam down on the inside of turn one here on the mile every year, and after a couple laps, I wanted to show them and myself that I could run the Duck into the corner wide open just like I could my Harley here in practice in years past. So on about lap three I decide to do this. It went into the turn just awesome, but then about one-third of the way into the corner, my left foot caught a little hole and twisted my knee it felt like up around the backside of my head. I saved it, but instantly I had this pain in my knee that I had hurt last year. It didn't hurt like last year when I did it in, but it still kind of gave me that queezy feeling that, DANG, did I just reinjure my knee? After another lap or so, I kind of rode through it, but now it was kind of in the back of my head, as I was not sure just how bad I had maybe injured it. I mean I could definitely walk on it fine right now, but I knew I had hurt it a little again, and I hated to think about that, as riding most of the season last year with it in pain was no fun at all. And I'm all about having FUN!

    Anyway, each time we went out in qualifying, the bike was getting better and better with each adjustment we made, and when it was all done, we ended up qualifying in the 7th spot. I was happy with that, as I knew I was still getting used to the bike on this track, and I definitely had some room for improvement, which I knew I would do as the day went on.

    I was in the first heat race with fast qualifier Jake Johnson, Chris Carr, Willie McCoy,Aaron King and others. Off the start  totally spun it up too much, learning curve # 1 for the day. I still managed to get into turn one in the third spot behind King and Johnson. As we headed down the back stretch, I drafted past King and got into 2nd place. Johnson had already gotten a ten bike gap or so in that first 1/2 a lap, as he was just flying all day so far. We were running very, very close to the inside guardrail today, so after practice, I decided to take off my wedding ring, as I had hit the guard rail in years past here, and I had seen guys tear their fingers up doing it too. And I really did not like the thought of getting my ring caught on some guard rail going 100mph. I remember a few years ago looking at McCoys finger after he had hit the rail here, it was NOT pretty! With Johnson out front, I tried my best to run him down, but I was not having much luck with that, as he was getting away more and more each lap. I knew Carr was in this heat race too, but I had not seen him the whole race yet, but after the finish I looked back and seen he was right there behind, just not close enough to catch my draft, but still very close. So I got a second in the heat race which would put me in the Dash for Cash again today, and I was happy with that.

    Now it was the Dash time, and we had Johnson, Smith, Coolbeth,Bonsey, PJ Jacobsen and myself. We tried a couple of new things to the bike again, but mainly we were just trying little things, as the bike was really working pretty good I felt. I mean you always want more traction from the bike as a racer, but I also knew from years past just how much traction there usually is here when the sun is beating down on it. And I felt we had a pretty getting along pretty good so far. I mainly worked on getting a better start this time, as my last one was no good at all. I got off the line way better this time, but still not what I knew I could do with this bike. I was second going into turn one with Johnson at the point, and already as we exited turn two, he had a huge gap on me already. Then Bryan Smith drafted past me on the Kawi, and for the next few laps, him and I went back and forth. I could tell he had a fast bike, but he was really having to wrestle with it in the turns as he was having a heck of a time there. But the power in his bike kept him in the game this time, but I knew in a 25 lap race, he wasn't going to be able to make it work that long down low like this. I ended up drafting past Smith at the line and getting second in the Dash behind Johnson. Did I mention it was hotter than heck out here still today, cuz it was! Very humid too!

    Now it was Main event time! I knew Johnson was probably going to try and split from us again if he got another good start, as that is what he had done to us two times already today, as no one ever had a chance to catch his draft yet today. But that is exactly what I wanted to try and do this time, not let him get away that first corner. They went out and watered the track right before the final, and at the flash of the light we were off. I got out of there better again, as I was a solid second going into turn one, right behind Johnson. Dang he's getting good starts today! I rode as hard as I could through turn one and two this time, just trying to hang with him, but as we exited turn two, he already had 6 bike lengths on me or so. The first time down the back stretch and I was already too far back to catch his draft again. All I can say, is "atta boy Jake, you got it goin on today". I rode by myself for the first few laps, as no one drafted me, and I was just trying my darndest to catch Jake. I made a little ground up on him one lap I could tell, but he was just so consistent lap after lap. Then about lap five, here came the pack as Smith, Murray, Mees, Coolbeth, and Jacobsen were all right there. Only a couple drafted me that first time, but after that it turned into a crazy battle with everyone taking their turn leading at different times. Once Smith and Murray went by me, I seen they were running a much higher line through the turns than I had ever ran here before. I mean way,way higher, like 40 feet higher than usual. I moved up there to try out this new line, and Smith seemed to figure it out quickest as he was kind of getting away from us by lap ten or so now. But behind him, it was Coolbeth, Mees, Jacobsen and myself having a heck of a fun battle. It was kind of hard to trust Jacobsen as he is very young and does not have much experience in circumstances like this. He seemed to be riding pretty safe so far, but there are still many circumstances that can come up on a mile track with the draft and all that are not easily taught, but only learned from experience. So I think Mees, Coolbeth and I were all kind of keeping a close eye on him to see what he might do in different situations out here. When you are doing 135mph around a circle dirt track, ya better know what is happening around ya if ya want to keep living.  Smith had gotten away like I said, but just after halfway through the race, I could see that Coolbeth and I had worked together and were catching him. Then within a lap or so, we were on him, all of us, Mees, Jacobsen, Coolbeth and myself. About this time I was starting to have a hard time when I was entering the corners, but my problem was that I was having a hard time focusing on corner entry it seemed. I don't think my eyes were blurry, it was kind of like my mind could not react quick enough when entering the turns, and this is where most of the critical action is happening, on corner entry. I remember thinking to myself that, "hey, we are catching Smith, so things are going to get a little more intense here in a few laps, get it together Joe". I remember taking some real deep breathes after that going down the straight aways trying to get my body working good again. My breathing did not seem to be helping much yet, but I was still trying. There were a couple of times in these last five laps or so that I just had to kind of let the guys in my pack go into the corner without me right there, as I just didnot feel safe trying to push it in there like that right then. Then I would get to the middle of the corner, and it seemed like I was right back in the game, throttle on. We were still all in this tight pack all five of us with time running out. And when we went past the white flag, I could see Jacobsen was in second, and I know myself and the other guys probably too were thinking that this kid aint gonna beat me out here today. We go down the back stretch, I knew what I needed to do, and I felt I had the position to do it,but just as we get ready to enter turn three, I'm kind of having second thoughts about throwing it in there with them again, side by side. I'm just not a guy that is gonna put my life or anybody else's life in jeopardy in a situation like that. So I had to back out of it just a little, and then right back in it once we got in the turn. Then we came out of turn four heading for the checkered flag, and I got past Jacobsen quick , but Coolbeth, Smith and Mees had burned that last turn pretty good, and my not being able to get into turn three good kind of messed up my chances of getting second as Johnson won all by himself, followed by Smith, then Coolbeth, Mees, myself, Jacobsen, Sam Halbert and Carr.

    I take a lot of pride in making sure I stay very fit and ready to race these guys and I just think today that I had a slight case of heat stroke or something, because right after I got off the bike, I had to sit down on the ground and take a breather for a while. And I just kept having some major cramping in my back and such, which kind of told me I was dehydrated a little or something like that. I am pretty conscious about keeping lots of liquid in my body on days like this, as this is the first time I have never had this happen on all the hot days I have raced in over the years. But lesson learned, and I will pay more attention next time. I really felt I had a very good shot at second place today, but my body just would not let me do what I was trying to do, so I will take the fifth place today and go onto the next one.

    With Jake winning both the Dash and the final today, he made up the ten points on me and now we are tied again, just Jake and myself for the lead in the GNC points. All in all it was a really good solid weekend for myself and my team. Also I have to say great ride to PJ Jacobsen, as he rode a very smart, and safe race today.

    Until next time, G'Day! Joe