July 10, 2010 Pueblo Motorsports Park
Round four brought the MRA to the hot, rough and tough Pueblo track. Typical of this time of the year the temperatures were in the nineties. The 600 supersport was first up for Ricky. A good start put him into turn one in third place. Making short work of the second place rider, Ricky moved into that position. Now working on the leader Ricky was taking notes and looking for the right opportunity. On the white flag lap Ricky executed the perfect pass down low going into turn two. Ricky pulled out a small gap to win his first race of the weekend. Day two Ricky gridded up for 600 superbike. Knowing he would be down on horsepower, an aggressive start was necessary. Entering turn one in third he had his work cut out for him. By lap four he was hounding the leader, although the pass that worked in the supersport race was not presenting itself now. As the laps wore down Ricky could not find a way past and had to settle for second. Last race of the weekend was Race of the Rockies, and Ricky knew he was in for the same battle. The start was similar and the battle picked up where it left off in superbike. Lap after lap, Ricky was showing a wheel to the leader hoping for a mistake. At the white flag lap he was determined to get by. Going through the slippery last turn Ricky gave it everything he had. With the Kawasaki shaking and protesting violently, kicking up a dirt cloud at the edge of the track, the crowd was on its feet for the most exciting race of the day. Unfortunately Ricky came up three feet short of the win, finishing on the podium in second.
June 12/13 2010 High Plains Raceway
The third round of the MRA season took the riders back to HPR. Weather was a big factor this weekend. Saturday morning racers awoke to rain and cool conditions. The only tire choice was Dunlop full wets. Ricky is well known for his wet weather talent, and his confidence was high.
At the start of the 600 supersport race he quickly moved into the lead on lap two. Riding at a very comfortable pace he led until the white flag lap. when he was passed. Cranking up the pace, he made a couple of attempts to retake the lead to no avail. There was little consolation that he had set the fastest lap of the race.
Sunday morning was a repeat of Saturday with rain still falling, and as Ricky headed out for qualifying the rain was coming down even harder. Halfway through the session Ricky tried to get by a rider to set a fast lap when his Rocky Mountain Kawasaki snapped sideways into a violent high side. He was okay, but the bike did not fare so well. With a puncture in the gas tank his weekend was over. Dejected and muddy, Ricky headed home to lick his wounds. The next day he found out he had set the fastest time for the session, putting him on the pole for Race of the Rockies.
Pikes Peak International Raceway, Fountain CO, May 22-23, 2010
The second round of the MRA season brought the racers to one of their favorite tracks, P.P.I.R.
Ricky always has had good luck at this facility and this weekend was no different. Practice times showed Ricky at the top. Saturday’s supersport race saw Ricky take a commanding lead from the start and cruise to a comfortable win by three seconds.
Sunday had superbike and Race of the Rockies on tap. At the start of the superbike race Ricky got a nice start and got through turn one in third place. By the midway point Ricky had moved into second and was challenging for the lead. Not finding a way past the leader, he had to settle for a second place finish. As Race of the Rockies was called to the starting line, Ricky was determined to nail the hole shot and he got it right. Leading the pack into turn one, he demonstrated his knowledge of P.P.I..R. by gaping the field. Lap after lap the challenges were mounting. Ricky did a great job of fending off the attacks until the last lap when a rider got by two turns from the checkered flag. With not enough time to mount a charge, Ricky was disappointed with his second place finish.
High Plains Raceway, Byers Colorado May 1 & 2 2010
The first race of the Motorcycle Racing Association brought the racers to HPR for an exciting first round. New riders and new equipment always raises the question of who will rise to the top.
Ricky was aboard his familiar Rocky Mountain Kawasaki ZX6R and felt confident about the weekend. The first race, 600 Supersport, was called to grid. The class champion had the honors of a front row start and took advantage of it by getting to turn one in second. After stalking the leader for three laps, Ricky made the pass for the lead. He held it to the checkered flag for the first win of the season.
Race two was 600 Superbike. A front row start saw Ricky into turn one in second place. Chasing the leader, Ricky was looking for an advantage but could not find a way past and brought it home in second place.
Last race of the day was Race of the Rockies. With honors of pole position, Ricky saw the new competition as he was shuffled into fifth on the start. As things settled down, Ricky started to move forward. By the halfway flags he was in second place and not able to make any time on the leader. On the white flag lap, Ricky was passed and could not retaliate by the checkered and took the last step on the podium for a third place finish.
Daytona Beach Fl. March 5, 2010
This year’s Daytona 200 was held on a cool, clear night with temperatures in the low forties at the start. A field of fifty-one riders was on the grid for the eight pm start. The race went to a red flag on the first lap due to multiple riders going down in turn two. Ricky was lucky to avoid the mayhem and make it back to the grid. The second start was a little smoother with only two riders going down out of harm’s way.
As things settled down, Ricky got into a battle with a couple of riders all the way to the first pit stop. With Marvin Rosencrans orchestrating the refueling, Ricky was out in eighteen seconds. At this point, Ricky had climbed into the top twenty from his thirty-first qualifying position. As the second fuel stop was coming up Ricky was in need of a new Dunlop. Coming in to his pit, a TV crew was blocking his entry and he overshot the mark causing him to lose valuable time. The race was drama-free to this point, but on his out lap with a full load of fuel and a new tire he was rammed by another rider. Ricky was determined not to go down and fought it to the edge of the track before regaining control. The laps were winding down and Ricky was running in fifteenth place with a rider in sight. Putting his head down Ricky was determined to climb one more position. On the last lap Ricky drafted past Santiago Villa coming out of the chicane for the spot and a fourteenth place finish.
With this year’s finish, Ricky is within 4 miles of breaking the record for a rider completing the most laps in the Daytona 200. Ricky has his sights set on breaking the record next year and hopes everyone will be there to help celebrate this milestone.