At the end of every summer, motorcycle roadracing invades our area. The Pocono Cycle Festival is the only local roadracing event of the year and gives fans an opportunity to get up close to professional and club level racing. It is close enough for a day trip although spending the weekend in the Poconos should not be ruled out (See side bar). The racing is always competitive, with this year's action being supplied by Formula USA and the Loudon Road Race Series (LRRS).

This would be my fourth time racing Pocono. My first time was in 1996 and it was my first full weekend as a licensed roadracer. I raced in two 600 races on my CBR F2. I finished fifth in the first race and last in the second due to loose bodywork and a black flag. 1997 was my favorite. I took a first, second and a third in the three races on Saturday. Packed up and headed to Bridgehampton, Long Island where I won the 600 Supersport Race on Sunday. A rare accomplishment, winning the same class in two regions on the same weekend! 1998 was cut short due to a crash and broken hand in Pro-Tek 103HP qualifying. What would 1999 bring?

Friday was promoter practice day. A relaxing day to get your bike sorted out and garages and pits set up. Pocono would be my first circuit race since the Isle of Man TT. Suspension and gearing would be complete opposites and idle time was no longer an issue. The "Cycle Fest" used to include Thursday and as the weekend progressed the only negative thing to be said about the event was the tight schedule. Doug Gonda and Don Hutchison did a great job adjusting and fit everything in. Safety was kept top priority and Dave Sadowsky, a former Daytona 200 winner and current Tech Director, made multiple adjustments. One that proved to be a lifesaver for at least one rider was the removal of Armco at the outside of turn one allowing for extra run off room.

Saturday was the first of the LRRS support races and Formula USA qualifying. LRRS is the Northeast region of the Championship Cup Series and has three divisions: amateur, junior, and expert. Formula USA is a national and professional racing series with a focus on keeping the racing even with no "factory" backed teams. The rules are designed to keep riding ability the number one advantage. Teaming the two racing organizations together creates an event that appeals to everyone. The difference between the front runners of each division is only about one-two seconds a lap. This gives the fans close racing action and opportunities for the top experts to test their skills against the Pros.

Bob Guerra of Team G Motorsports and a 96 CCS Champion was kept busy between races helping with adjustments, advice, and repairs. My CBR F4's suspension was still not adjusted correctly and Joe Spina, one of the fastest amateurs, was hit buy another rider on a Ducati with a stuck open throttle in the first turn of the first race. Joe suffered only a sprained wrist but his bike was terminal. Team Green rider and Team USA founder, Dwight Mitchell, picked up a third place in the Unlimited Sportbike race. Jim Lester, riding a Honda CBR F4, picked up a couple of wins and looked forward to qualifying for the pro races. I was entered in the Expert Middleweight (600) Supersport and Superbike races. For the regional races I used "Old Faithful", my 1995 Honda CBR F3. I needed to keep the bike up on two wheels, not only for self-preservation, but because a racer from Ohio was there to buy the bike upon completion of the two races. I ran conservatively and finished ninth and twelfth. With a bit of sadness and a smile I helped Dave pack up the F3 for a trip back to Ohio.

Formula USA qualifying had everyone excited. Doug Polen was the top qualifier for the Formula (unlimited) class with a 1:38.152 lap. James Bowman and Josh Hayes were the fastest of the 126H.P. (750cc) and 106H.P. (600cc) classes with 1:43.296 and 1:43.333 lap times. I ended up 25th and 16th, both on the Pompton Honda CBR F4.

Sunday was ShowTime with the Formula USA and remaining LRRS support races. The good weather continued and the racing action promised to be all that and more! The morning's practice saw times slightly better then Saturday's. Jim Lester's success on his CBR F4 continued as he picked up a few more trophies. Wayne Apple, our honorary crew chief at the Isle of Man, had his CBR F2 entered in a few amateur races. For the first time he was gridded on the front row and felt a bit nervous. "It's only my second race weekend!" exclaimed Wayne. In the same race he experienced another first, a low slide in the second turn. After replacing a bent foot peg, Wayne continued his race weekend with respectable results.

The First of the Pro races was race one of the two race YUASA Formula class. Right from the start it was all Josh Hayes and Grant Lopez. They exchanged the lead a few times but eventual race winner Hayes pulled away beating Lopez by a margin of 2.7 seconds.

The second Pro race and my first, was the DbCom 106 HP eight lap race. I was gridded on the outside of the seventh row. As the One board went sideways and the green flag dropped the field of 36 took off towards the first turn and I found myself in the middle of the pack. By turn two, a left hander, I am about tenth and watch Eric Wood low side out of my peripheral vision. "Just moved up one spot," I thought to myself! I run most of the race in the back of the first pack of riders. The Avon tyres offer a great amount of feedback and the rear slides predictably. The F4 is definitely better then the F3, and with each lap I got faster and more comfortable. I am passed by a few riders and finish 13th. Josh Hayes was the winner, 12 seconds over Kenneth Snyder and regular LRRS rider Jim Lester came in third on his F4. "Not bad against the paid Professionals."

The schedule was changed, and Race Two of the Formula was switched with the 126 H.P. Dynojet race. The race is similar to the first in that Hayes and Lopez battle for the lead. That was until Lopez's bike quit with a mechanical problem. Hayes won again, this time over Doug Polen, who ran a faster laps overall. Michael Barnes rounded out the top three.

The last professional race of the weekend was the Dynojet 126H.P. Class. I decide to sit the race out for a few reasons. The first is that my bike is classed for the 106 H.P. and is underpowered for the 126H.P. If I was running 110% it wouldn't be a problem, I would make up the time difference in the turns. But since I sold my race bike and need my only bike left for commuting to work on Monday (my second reason), running at that pace was not an option. I peeled off the tape from the lights and had my "street" bike back and became a spectator. I was able to watch James Bowman take the win over Charles Chouinard. David Rose filled the podium with a third place finish.

With the racing finished I take down the POMPTON HONDA, VANSON Leathers, AVON Tyres, ALPINSTAR Boots and Gloves, PERFOMANCE PLASTIC aluminum polishing, Factory Jetkits, and GUNS4HIRE.COM banners and pack them into my STATE FAIR TRAILER. The hour drive home has me reflecting on the weekend's action. The weather was great and the racing better. On Monday I changed the oil, and swapped the water for anti-freeze and rode my Honda to work. Tuesday the F4 was back in full swing, commuting to Brooklyn and by Friday it was used to take a pleasure ride with a few friends. Thanks again to my main sponsors mentioned above and LOCKHART PHILLIPS, EBC brakes, PENSKE shocks, YOSHIMURA exhaust, and SHARKSKINZ bodywork. 2000?

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