When Mary and I got settled into our hotel in Tokyo, I flipped on the T.V. and heard about a world superbike race at Suzuka. I had to get down there to see all my old competitors! It's been a few years since I left the circuit. I wanted to see how much had changed, and how much had not.
The crew told me the middle bike dyno'd with |
|
2 h.p. over the back-up bikes. |
You have probably driven this world |
|
famous track on video games! |
Once we got into the pits, I found my friend Eric Bostrom had fallen in the shower and broken his wrist that morning! Team Kawasaki was scrambling to find a driver! Luckily I had kept my world superbike license up-to-date. So naturally I took up the challenge when they asked me to ride for them.
|
Mary caught me during a little "down time." |
The 4cyl. Kawasaki was a little heavier |
|
than the Ducatti I used to ride. |
A few laps into the race, my nerves calmed down, and I settled into my groove. You kinda feel a "oneness" with the bike and track in that "zone". I finished 5th, not bad for being such a rusty rider! I reluctantly turned down an offer to join the team, I'm getting too old for this!
|