Four race weekends into the season, #80 Jon Kuo, riding his 250cc Ninja, holds second place honors overall in Motorcycle Roadracing Association action in the 250 Production Cup. We're following Jon through his season in order to get a close-up look at the ins and outs of the amateur racing scene.
The bumps in the road ahead of Jon are two very fast racers, #177 Tracy Schram, the leader, and #213 Jason (Hammer) Madama.
"They're still just on another level than me," says Jon.
Still, because Madama, despite his speed, has had some bad showings and a DNF, and because Jon has raced well consistently, he is in second.
In Saturday morning practice Jon did well and qualified third.
"I felt good going into the race. Like maybe I could keep up with Tracy and Hammer, but during the race that just wasn't true. But I was able to keep in front of Tony Baker (#21) pretty good. He kept pushing me through the race and I was able to stay in front of him. The third lap Tony managed to pass me going into Turn 2. He came inside me on Turn 2 and he passed me and I just followed him up until Turn 9 where I repassed him, going on the outside. That happened for two laps, laps 3 and 4. He passed me again going into Turn 2 and I'd pass him on the outside on Turn 9. After that I learned my lesson and was able to close off those passing zones and stayed a little faster through that part so he wouldn't pass me and that's just the way it stayed through the whole rest of the race. So I was able to keep in front of him. Which was a good battle."
Sunday was different.
"Sunday's race, that morning didn't feel too good. I qualified fifth, so I was kind of bummed about that, wondered how my race was going to turn out. I wasn't too confident going into the race but I told myself to get all the negative thoughts out of my head and just run my race. I started on the second row. At start I was able to pull up to right behind Hammer and Tracy and all three of us were going into Turn 1 almost basically at the same time. I had the outside line, which was the bumpiest line, so I gave way and fell in behind Tracy and Hammer, stayed behind them for a little bit.
"I looked behind me and there was a pretty big gap behind me, but that only lasted for about a lap. Tony Baker was right on my butt the whole time, pushing me again through the whole race. He managed to pass me once, going into Turn 4. We were side by side going toward the hill and he had the preferred line, so I gave way to him, followed behind him through Turn 4, finally repassed him going down the big front straight. I passed going through Turn 1, meeting him in the third again . . . that's just how it stayed the whole race.
"He was on my butt, pushing me the whole time, trying to force me to make a mistake, and he finally did, last lap, Turn 9. He always showed he was going inside so that's where I was going to block him. He went to the outside. I made a mistake going into the apex--I had to straighten up a little and recorrect--and it happened to me right where his momentum was taking him, so he forced me to error but it turned out to be beneficial to me. So I was about a half a bike length ahead of him in that little small straight between 9 and 10, and we just drag raced through there, and of course I beat him going through that because I have a big weight advantage and I was already ahead of him. So I ended up taking third again. That was a good race."
Jon's happy about where he is at this point in the season.
"I'm not going to be catching up with Tracy, especially if he keeps winning them. I'm excited I'm in second place in points. I'm beating Tony Baker. He's my next direct competiton for points."
Race weekend 5 will be the end of July and it will also feature a four-hour endurance race. Jon has competed in this all-class event before but isn't sure he will this year.
"I don't know if I want to spend the resources on tires and gas for four hours and use all my energy for Saturday and not do good on Sunday."
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