2024 Season Wrap
October 25, 2024 Adam Miller
As I was staring at a properly adjusted shift mechanism while struggling to row through the gears on Duc Prime, I realized that the gearbox had some kind of internal problem. “Damn, I’m gonna have to split the case” I muttered to myself as the witching hours approached. I sat for a moment too long perseverating on the fact that my asphalt riding season was officially over.
Every Club Racer’s Face at One Point or Another, Miller Garage, October 2024
Now that my year has come to a close, it’s hard for me to feel great about things from a 30,000 ft view. This was meant to be a year of growth and I had a modest goal of competing in just 3 rounds. At the close, however, I was not able to match my PB laptime and I was only able to compete in 2 rounds. From a distance, it would seem I didn’t achieve what I set out to do. In a sense that’s true, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. There have been some positives this season. My ability to ride the Ducati fast is more fluid than it’s ever been. I got very close to matching my PB during Round 6 and did so feeling like I could take one hand off the bike. I was also able to get back up to speed with very little seat time which means that my skills are becoming muscle memory. On top of pace development, my racecraft has evolved. It has become much easier for me to strategize during a race which is something I was able to do successfully to edge out a few midpack battles this year. Being in the midpack has also taught me to persist, give chase, and fight for higher positions instead of simply watching faster riders clear off into the distance. Despite the lap times, there has also been improvement in terms of raw speed. Prior to my gearbox failure pouty face, shown above, I was able to get in one last trackday at HPR. I only got to ride for 2 sessions, but I did record some encouraging telemetry.
Final Trackday, Miller Garage, October 2024
At the end of 2022, I remember fighting through newborn child fatigue and turning my PB in the Round 7 NovU race and thinking that I was on the verge of taking a big step. Unfortunately, I’ve struggled to get that feeling with the bike back ever since that race. The goal is always the same, though: wait until you’re terrified and brake like a demon, trail the brakes all the way to the apex, kiss the apex with a high corner speed, then punch out hard and early. I’ve always been able to do 2 of those things decently well, but putting them all together has been a consistent struggle. After putting in some dedicated effort on mid corner speed this year, it looks like I’ve finally taken my step. An excerpt of my data from my final session of the season tells the story.
Hope on the Horizon Telemetry, HPR Full, October 2024
I’m finally tracing the circle of traction from brake initiation to corner exit. This was supported by a feeling of harmony on the bike. As it turns out, riding the Ducati like the Devil is chasing you makes it easier to ride; it goes straight to the apex and you don’t have to fight it, you just have to be brave enough to give it what it needs. It was a genuine “aha” moment I’m grateful to have tasted before the snow starts falling. I’m confident I now have the tools I need to make a splash in the white plate classes in 2025.
As ever, the question arises: what next? I have long since made peace with the fact that riding talent is not my strength. I do, however, have truckloads of mental fortitude and can stay dedicated to a goal for very long periods of time. Once more, I’m reaching into my bucket of motivation to continue pursuit of one of my silly dreams. At this point, it may be a bit of madness to keep hammering away at it, but I’m possessed with unfulfilled purpose and must continue until I’ve reached some kind of meaningful conclusion to this chapter of my life. I have some logistical problems that need to be overcome before I can make another charge at my objective, so, one step at a time, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. With some hard work and a little luck, I will see my competition on the track next year to continue my growth as a rider. With even more luck, I’ll be fighting at the sharp end of the field again.
Never lift.
2024 Supporters
