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Nashville Roundtrip
A Torrid Time in Tennessee
I've grown "comfortable" with the wiggle pulsing through the big Bandit's bars as I transition from the banked front stretch on to the flat of the track apron. I tickle the front brake lever to scrub off some miles per hour that a mere second ago were probably surging past 130 or more. That's just a guess though. I taped over the speedo so I wouldn't even be tempted to look.
Sure, I'd love to know how fast I was really going. But, with just a glance, that needle can become an arrow with the uncanny ability to rip apart the core of a rider's focus. Processing a rapidly approaching low-speed left that's about to buff away another film of rubber from the Pirelli Diablos' outer limits is infinitely more urgent than an ego stroke from an inaccurate gauge; and honestly, knowing your speed on the track is only of use for chest-thumping purposes when you're back among your riding buddies. – Concentrate. The fatigued front brake pads valiantly answer the hydraulic summons and still manage to wrestle the Suzuki down to a manageable cornering speed. I slide off the seat, drop my knee, throw my head forward to "kiss the mirror," and revel in the steely trio of foot-peg feeler and steel-boot slider harmonizing with the Nashville Superspeedway's infield tarmac in a gritty tone somewhat akin to Bob Seger having a shouting match with a bench grinder. – Concentrate. I roll hard back into the throttle a little prematurely, causing an unsettling rear-wheel spin that throws my diminishing focus an unwelcome curveball. I stay in the gas, but slightly overcorrect. Timing completely shot, I botch the next hard right-hander, run wide, and set about recovering the correct line. Inside my head, red flags fly and reality sets in. It's past noon on Sunday, I've been riding this circuit hard for the last day and a half, the Tennessee sun broils above a thick veil of humidity, making it feel like I'm being poached inside my leathers, and I'm making mistakes. At the entrance to pit road, my left hand goes skyward, and I veer from the track, officially sticking a fork in my Sportbike Track Time racetrack experience. ...
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