I pulled on my gloves and checked the straps one last time. I clicked the starter on my motorcycle and from a little choke it rumbled to life. I waited for the engine to warm up, I adjusted my sliders, I noticed the left one was almost worn out and would need replacement soon. One of the crew tapped me on the shoulder and handed me a sipper. I pushed the straw through my helmet and sipped on it. I could feel my arms grow tense and my ears felt like they were on fire. I got on the saddle and double checked the throttle and clutch cables one more time.
I hauled out of the pits, I could hear my heart pounding and my head throbbing, I heard one of the other riders scream past on the front straight, a shiver ran up my spine. I knew this was it. I gently feathered the throttle as I made my way out of the pit lane, I dropped a gear and I felt the motorcycle surge forward, it caught me off guard. I had ridden this motorcycle a thousand times before this on this very track but today was different, I had managed to qualify in the top 10 for the first time. The seat felt too hard, everything about the track and the motorcycle felt alien to me.
I was finally out on the track, I cautiously set myself up for the first corner, one of the local riders zipped past me; I lost my line and ended up running wide. My left foot wouldn’t stop shaking and I was finding it difficult to change gears. I was fumbling about like a rookie. I took a deep breath and tried to calm my nerves, I decided to just ride around the track not bothering about my race line or the other riders. I saw the flag waving, all the other riders were lining up on the grid, I made my way to the third row and was a split second too late while pulling in the clutch. The bike stalled, I heard a few of the other riders snicker. I was embarrassed. I clicked the starter again and took a deep breath. I was in position and I could see the red lights in the front start their slow count down.
I clicked into first gear and dug my toe into the tarmac, I slid a little further up against the tank and pulled on the throttle, I saw the revs rise slowly, when the tachometer showed 4000rpm, I held the throttle position, I slowly started releasing the clutch, till I had just enough to let me launch without slipping too much. I saw the marshal raise his flag. My time was now. I popped the clutch and gunned the throttle, I felt the front wheel rise a little off the ground. PERFECT. I hit the redline and heard the sweet ping of the engine reaching its peak; I slammed into second, and I felt the wave of torque push me back against the bum stop. I had managed to pick off four positions in turn one and then it happened.
The same rider who had made me run wide on the warmup lap was trying to pull on the inside line again, I decided to give him a fight this time, wrong decision. Our handles knocked against each other and I felt him brush against my knee, I turned and saw his front wheel just under my elbow. I tried to power through it but our motorcycles were too evenly matched. I tried to push back in but it was of no use. I found myself on the kerbstone and a little while later on the runoff area. I was fuming, I hated his guts and I hated myself more for getting into the same situation twice.
I had dropped out of the top 10 and was trailing in twelfth position. I took another deep breath, my left leg stared to twitch again, I shook myself and crouched back behind the bubble screen. Today was going to be my day and if I had to beat karma into submission for that to happen, so be it. I felt my palms tense up for a second and then there was a calm. I saw the other racers around me melt away. I was back and I just found my Zen. The bike felt better, I could feel myself become one with it. I know sounds cliché but that is exactly how it felt.
Every lap I managed to pick a position and sometimes even two positions. As I came around the front straight I caught a glimpse of his teal green suit, I didn’t care if I had to crash to do it but I was not going to let him finish ahead of me. I saw the little signboard the pit crew had put up, I was back in 5th position, a podium finish was a possibility if I managed to keep the pace up. I leaned into the corner and I was closing in on him, I gave a little more throttle and I could feel my knee slider bounce off the kerbstone, a little more throttle and I was now right on his tail. I decided to stick behind the draft of his slipstream and power through when I got the chance. We were coming into the chicane, I saw my chance, I waited for him to get on his brakes and I slid past and slammed on my brakes, I felt the back wheel lift off the ground. My heart was in mouth, I only hoped that if I crashed, I was going to take him out as well. I heard the front brakes squeal and the tires screech and I felt the back come back down, I gunned the throttle again and felt my rear slide out, I stuck my butt as far out as I could and tried to pull it back it, “I might have overcooked it.” I thought to myself as I struggled to get my bike back in line. I cut the throttle, dropped another gear, the rear hooked up finally. I felt the front tire lift off the ground momentarily in some sort of celebratory wheelie for making it out of the turn in one piece. I turned around to check if he was anywhere near me, he was still on my tail but I could see him shaking his head, he was as flabbergasted as me with what had just transpired.
“One more position to pick.” I told myself, and pinned the throttle, I was losing grip on the tires, the 10 laps of riding them to bits had taken its toll, the rear was moving all over the track every time I leaned into a corner but I had now made up my mind to finish on the podium and I decided to push some more for the final lap. I took a quick glance over my shoulder and I spotted his teal green leathers, he was catching up and he looked determined. He managed to get right behind me on turn 3 and tired his same old trick on turn 4 but this time around I was waiting for him.
He pulled on the inside line and tried to run me wide but I decided to stick to my line, he braked hard and pulled in and tried to run me wide again, I stuck my body out as far as I could heading into turn 5, he pulled on the inside line again, he was nuts, he was on the kerbstones and leaning off at an insane angle. He pulled off the kerbstones as we were exiting the corner, he was going to try to push me off again, I felt his fairing brush against my knee, I leaned in, I could feel the heat radiating off his engine through my leather and a couple of seconds later I could smell the burning leather, the intense heat was starting to burn through my suit, I was not going to let a little pain ruin today. I leaned in some more and felt his front tire rub against my toe slider. We were coming up to the chicane and I was finding it hard to break free from him, I let him take the race line and powered through on the inside running wide, my rear was slipping again. The tires had no traction left and were just spinning around the corner. He was going to get past me and he knew it as well as I did.
He zoomed past me, I was still struggling to regain traction. I was able to catch up with him but with less than half a lap left, it would be impossible to overtake and then karma smiled upon me. I saw his rear wiggle a little and then his front, he was about to crash if he didn’t slow down through the corner. I slowed down to give some space between the both of us so that I didn’t get wiped out with him. He didn’t crash though, he manage to pull out of it. I started tailing him closely again, 3 turns to go and I had resigned to my fate of finishing behind him and then without warning. I wasn’t even sure how it happened but all I remember seeing was sparks flying and his motorcycle flip itself onto the grass. I felt a little sorry for him, I glanced over my shoulder and I could see him getting up, he was going to be ok.
As I entered the front straight I could see the rider in front of me cross the finish line. I couldn’t hear the pit crew cheering over the roar of my exhaust but I knew they were. I didn’t manage a podium finish but 4th wasn’t so bad for the battle I had just been through.
One Knee Down 