--9/29/07: JB In Africa Day 4 (First Day of Racing)

Saturday was the last two rounds of the South African National series. This morning when I woke up, before I had even moved, my legs felt were feeling yesterdays training. All of us were beat so today's two nationals in 3 hours was going to be rough. They run nationals waaaaay different here then anywhere else. All motos count just the same as a main, so you have to win every lap if you want a shot at the overall. They don't really have an actual main, just three mains, a semi, and then another main. Weird, but their reason makes since trying to get everyone to go fast every lap instead of rolling. That definitely wouldn't work in the US. To make it evern more confusing they run a second national an hour after the first one comes to an end, combining the second race with the first to come up with a winner from the day, so you actually end up having 8 mains. In the main Sifiso had the inside and came out of the first turn out front. I came out behind him with Randy in third. Coming out of the third corner I got too close to Sifiso's back tire and kind of leaned into it thinking I was going to hit it and missed a few pedals. Randy came by on the outside so I was two bikes behind going into the fourth corner but it was really flat and I dove in on the inside and passed both Sifiso and Randy. Randy high lowed us both and went into the last corner ahead of us but I went underneath him and came out of the last turn in first. When I went to pedal my foot got stuck in his front wheel and he said one of his spokes were ripped out, that kind of balled us up and then we had to ride through the soft spot on the outside and this allowed Sifiso to go back by. During the break I threw out all of the GT stickers and the Fly beach balls and frisbees which everyone went crazy over. When racing was over we didn't do much but eat. Randy was tired so we dropped him off at the place we were staying and he went to sleep really early. Here are a few pics from the day. I will post pics tomorrow if I can. We just got back from the lake today and are leaving for the casino now so I will try to get it all up tomorrow morning. Later - JB