MotoSL4 Race #2 at Snowpeach

Annie Gufler wins Snowpeach MotoSL GP

Second Lifes most prestigious race series attracted 26 riders to compete for the top step today.
After some bumping and grinding with both Yuriko Nishi and Jafo Tendaze, Annie Gufler scored her 1st MotoSL win and the 1st MotoSL win for Am Pro Racing.

Josephina Gears held steady for a impressive 2nd place finish after Qualifying 13th on the grid and in Group 3 , proceding to win the Group 3 race and the Group 2 race. Josephina drew a hot hand today and finaly got a well deserved rest after racing 3 full races... standing up on the 2nd step .

Yours truly had a shaky qualify , just barely landing the 5th and final spot in Group A . My main problems started... oh about 300 feet into the race when I and Stang Voom came together trying to share the same line , the result was a hard crash into the wall taking us right out of the lead group at the start.

Stang got the worst of it having flipped over the barrier wall , it took him awhile with help of race stewards to right his bike and get under way . I on other hand was able to procede fairly quickly after righting my bike .

For awhile after that it was a lonely race for me , all alone on track as far as i could see, Stang far behind and i couldnt see anyone ahead, lap after lap , thinking i might be seeing riders thru the chicane (S turn) as i round the turn before it .

Finally around lap 8 i caught up to Yuriko who had taken a turn wide and come to a near stop on the grass to avoid going down . I chased Yuriko for several laps , but it was so-so driving vs good driving and i fell behind again .

Lap 11 and i came around the big sweeping turn before the chicane , and as in races past, suddenly i came up on 3 bikes , Jafo, Yuriko and Stang trying to get going after a bad incident near the entrance to the chicane , i was able get thru cleanly but Jafo was fast behind me being able to recover fastest from the accident area, from 5th just a moment earlier, i crossed the line lap 11 in 3rd.

Jafo was close behind for the next several laps , but i was able to make some space in the last laps and crossed lap 15 in 3rd. Jafo fast behind in 4th, Yuriko Nishi, who won Archer Racing's first ever MotoSL GP last week, came in 5th and Stang an unfortunate 6th after a nice qualify where he was 4th .

The Group 2 race was all Josephina Gears after some early race excitement with Raver Below and Just Catteneo dueling it out in the early laps , but both came upon misfortunes and steady Josephina was able to take the lead and gap the field. Brave Ashbourne of the Racers Island team, held on strong for 2nd place with Just Catteneo getting 3rd.

Group 3 was a great duel between BikerSites.com team mates Suzy Cuddihy and Josephina Gears. Trading off the lead several times, the race looked like it could go either way. The pair put alot of distance behind them to rest of field as they raced each other . Josephina finaly was able to get a little gap , winning the race, with Suzy 2nd and Holden Saunders after having the roughest qualify round of the day finished 3rd.

The Group 4 race might have had some of the loudest cheering of the day , with Snowpeach Raceway and MoR racing team owner , Count Bayliss surging out to the front of the pack early on and holding onto the lead for several laps , but the entire time , White's Bikes team rider Molly Fitzgerald, was hot on his heels.

Molly has been quite dedicated to improving her skills at MotoSL , practicing long sessions at the tracks before each race, and it paid off today. Several times Molly almost got by Count , but was held off. Possessing the more trained hand in this one despite Counts valiant efforts, Molly was just waiting for her moment to get by and get into the clean air where she knew she could pull away .

Finally her patience and skill paid off and she was by the Count , she was never challenged again and brought home a solid win . Count Bayliss held on for impressive 2nd place finish , with BBB
team rider Hakuna Albatross coming in 3rd.

Grats to everyone for some great racing , the schedule now has a week off with Race #3 taking place at Mooz on the Canyon track on October 25th .

After 2 races , Annie Gufler currently leads the points race, with Yuriko Nishi close behind in 2nd, Jafo Tendaze looking to repeat his championship last season in 3rd, BikerSites.com rider Josephina Gears 4th and Archer racing Crippy Oh 5th


Next post, during the MotoSL break week will be --- Past Champions: MotoSL season 2