In a nutshell: what a way to kick off the season! Just a great weekend all the way around and on several different
levels.
Saturday practice went well as we revisited one of the tracks that seems to treat the TZ well. This weekend was
no exception. The laptimes on Saturday were very promising and the bike seemed to be working really nicely.
Sunday dawned a bit on the gloomy side. The weather showed signs of rain...and then it did start raining!
Honestly, we are not big fans of the rain, but we gambled on things drying up in time for our first race and, fortunately,
things went our way.
First up was the Lightweight GP race. Thanks to our new found discipline with pre-entering, we
found our grid position on the front row. This is a big change from the history of last row starting spots. Off
the start, we made the most of our grid position and immediately charged up in to the expert pack. The two regional
expert leaders were out in front, but the TZ was running really strong and it wasn't long before we made our way out front.
Its always rewarding to run in the front of the expert pack when you start from the amateur grid!
Next up was the Unlimited GP race. Going into the race, we weren't quite sure what to expect. The UGP race
always draws alot of talented riders because of the purse. In addition, the big bikes can flex alot of displacement
muscle which can make it hard on the little 250 sometimes. But the Firebird East course rewards the virtues of the TZ
and off of a decent start and a great race long battle, the TZ found its way up onto the podium and into the 2nd place!
This was a real unexpected treat. Hopefully next months race will go as well!
