Friday, October 17th

In the GTO race, Gorman was in fifth and gaining on the lead group when his tire started over heating and chunking.  Due to a miscommunication, a soft qualifying tire had been put on the bike.  Still he managed to finished 9th.
“I was gaining on the lead group but started losing traction quite dramatically on lap six.  In turns one and six, as soon as I started to get on the gas the bike would slide.  It was fun practice but very frustrating.  On lap eight, I started to feel the rear tire vibrating and knew the tire had chunked so I slowed down and nursed it to the finish.”

With a new tire and a plan to work with fellow Kawasaki ZX-10R rider Jeff Lampe, Gorman attacked ASRA Superstock qualifying getting a respectable 10th.

“Jeff and I planned that I’d follow him for two flying laps and then he’d follow me.  On our second lap I drafted by him at the tri-oval and was headed into turn one on the inside of another rider.  That other rider turned in a little early and was on a collision course with me.  I stood the bike up and got on the brakes hard.  Jeff later told me he didn’t know how I missed that rider - he was saying prayers for me.  It was a really close call.  And that was basically it for qualifying.  I qualified for 11th, place which became 10th when another rider was disqualified so I’m pretty happy with that.”

Saturday, October 18th

Unlimited Supersport was the race of the day and Gorman finished in 12th.

“With the first lap blown, there wasn’t much I could do.  I got a lousy start and then dove into the chicane a little hot on the first lap.  I was wide but I could have made it.  A rider inside of me decided he couldn’t make it and went into the run-off area.  I had no choice but stand up and run through.  I didn’t quite know the procedure for re-entering so I took a little too much time there.  Then, I caught up to a pack of three going into the tri-oval and was going faster than I normally do there and I blew past turn one and lost a lot of time there.  From then on I was pretty much on my own.”

Sunday, October 19th

ASRA Superstock turned out to be a race of attrition as four riders did not finish.  Despite the chaos, Gorman finished 7th, three places better than he qualified.

“That was actually a good race.  I ran decent times and surprised myself.  Of course I would have liked to have done better but the bike is in one piece and so am I, so good.”

Gorman finished 14th in a frustrating Unlimited GP.

“I just wasn’t getting traction.  Turns one and six were especially bad.  At first I thought it was the tire but now that I’ve had some time to think about it, I think the rear shock might be too soft as the lower is scraping a lot more than it was previously.” In the final race of the weekend, Unlimited Superbike, Gorman finished 12th.

“I got a bad start and really had to work hard to make up for it.  On lap four I was running in eighth when I thought I felt a vibration coming from the rear tire.  This time I knew I was on a soft so I pulled in to check it out.  The tire was fine but I had already lost the three places.”

“This was a good weekend.  The team learned a lot, the rider learned a lot.  Now we’ve got to take that knowledge and put it to use in December.  When we get back to Daytona next year in March, we’ll be a much better prepared team and rider.  I also have to personally thank Steve Brubaker of Dunlop Race Tire Services.  He went way beyond my expectations in trying to help me.  At 230lbs, I’m not helping his tires at all.  But I was doing 1:54s and that ain’t too shabby.”

The Way to Happiness Racing Team will race again at Homestead on December 6th and 7th.  Visit us at www.twthracing.org

The Way to Happiness is a common sense guide to better living. First published in 1981, its purpose is to arrest the current moral decline in society and restore integrity and trust to man.

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