I don't know why I've waited so long to write about my most notable adventure, but I figured this is as good a time as any since I've moved up two classes since then. It all happened on my 4th track day at Jennings GP.

Each of my visits to the track has marked a significant improvement in my riding, and has given me new levels of comfort on the bike at greater levels of speed. This track weekend was no different. On this visit I was already familiar with the track layout, and my goals for the weekend were to improve my passes while staying on line. During most of the day I had been very comfortable making passes at Turn 11. I was able to make passes there, and then get back on line pretty easily. I had been doing well all day - albeit with the occasional run-off, and had been battling with another rider that was at the same skill level as me. Near the end of the second-to-last session of the day, I saw an oppurtunity to pass this other rider right at the exit of Turn 1. I had not previously made any passes here, but the gap was so perfect, I couldn't pass it up.

Turn 1 is a fast U-turn closely followed by Turn 2, which, is a really fast kink. Entrance speeds for Turn 2 at the level I was riding at are around 90 mph. All of the corners at Jennings have a lot of run-off, with the tree-line pushed back far away from the track. Since I had been battling with this rider for position for a few laps now, when I finally was able to get in front of him I was so excited that I made the pass - and, that I had made it on this section of the track - that I totally forgot where I was, and what I was supposed to do next.

Oh what a joyous occasion it was. I finally made the pass. It was a really good pass too! After I made the pass, I even turned my head to look and see how far ahead I was, and it was by at least two bike lengths. But wait a minute. Isn't there something else I should be paying attention to? Isn't there another corner right after this one that I have to steer really hard for? Yes. Yes there is. And as soon as I remembered this, I turned my head forward to resume focusing on the track, only to realize the front tire was now directly on top of the curbing. The curbing that is the last turn-in point for Turn 2.

In all my excitement I had forgotten to focus on the track ahead, and now had realized too late that I was headed off the edge of the track. I stood the bike up straight in those last few inches of pavement, and rocketed into the dirt at a little over 90 mph. Now at the beginning of the day - at the riders' meeting - they had told us that if you happen to run off the track, to only use the rear break. Now the only problem with that advice is; at 90+ mph the rear break only does two things, skids the back tire and kicks up some dust. The surface off-track of Turn 2 is not the smoothest either. It's mostly dirt, and really bumpy.

So I am coasting along, off the gas, trying to slow down by pumping the rear break. I was still going pretty fast, but at least the bike was upright and there was plenty of open space ahead of me. Over on that side of the track, there's also a a thin long ditch, that seems to run almost from the edge of the track surface, across the dirt and into the woods. I remember coming upon it, and wondering if the front wheel was going to get trapped in the ditch and flip the bike over. So right before entering the ditch, I got off the brake, and pulled up hard on the handlebars.

I probably hit the ditch at between 50 and 60 mph. I made it over the ditch okay, but the surface was still too sandy to make any sharp steering corrections. So, after riding through the ditch I continued pumping the rear brake again to try and get the bike stopped. It's amazing how much ground you cover moving at that speed. The rear brake didn't seem to be slowing me down that much at all. I wasn't worried about it though as it looked like I had at least another quarter mile of treeless surface ahead of me. Treeless, but not totally flat.

As the bike kept racing forward I started to notice something peculiar in the distance. Before, when I was farther away it didn't seem like much of a concern, as from afar it just looked like tall uncut grass. As I drew closer though, there was this nagging feeling that something just wasn't right. What looked simply like tall grass from very far away, I was now beginning to realize were reeds.

Still, I wasn't immediately worried about riding into reeds, as they are very soft (just tall). But, I couln't shake that nagging feeling though that something just wasn't right. Why would reeds be in the middle of a wide expanse of dirt. Where exactly have I seen reeds before. Hmmm....

And then, It dawned on me. Reeds... always... border... a LAKE!!! "There's a lake right behind those reeds".

By the time I reached this conclusion, the front wheel was already slicing through the edge of the reeds, and I could begin to see the cool blue surface of the lake beyond. I really wasn't expecting to go for a swim, but there weren't any other options now. The lake was so big, I couldn't see the other side right away, so there was no way I'd be able to ride across it. I'm sure it was going to be pretty deep. The reed perimeter was almost at an end, so there was no way I was going to be able to ride around it. There was only one thing left to do.

As soon as I realized I was going to be doing some off-off-roading, I decided I wanted the bike to stay as close to the water's edge as possible. Once the front wheel pierced through the edge of the reeds, I stomped on the rear brake, and locked the steering hard to the right. Keeping both brakes locked up, I slid the bike in sideways (almost backwards) into the lake. The bike slammed into the lake and stopped immediately, ejecting me promtly into the air, where I then came splashing down into the water.

So there I was, lying on my back, at the bottom of this muddy lake, in the middle of nowhere, looking up at the sky and clouds through the surface, thinking to myself: "I bet when you woke up this morning, you didn't know you would be swimming in a lake with full leathers on did you?".

I pushed off of the bottom of the lake and swam up to the surface. I then made my way back over to the edge of the lake where we (me and my bike) came in. The bike was completely submerged, but I could see it below the surface. As soon as I got over to the bike I tried to get it upright. Getting it upright was the easy part. I also tried to roll it as much as I could outside the lake. While the bike was fully submerged it wasn't too hard, but once the body of the bike crested the surface, all that weight was just too much for me to roll out of the mud. Pushed as I might, my boots just dug into the soft muddy bottom of the lake, and the bike would just not budge anymore.

So there I stood. Me and the bike were soaked. I wanted to walk out back onto the dirt outside the lake so that I could see if anyone was coming over to help me, but if I let go of the bike now it would surely slip down the side of the lake, and be deep underwater again. It was hard getting it out the first time. Damn. All these electronics, water inside the combustion chamber, carburetor. I almost started crying. Would it even run again. This can't be good.

I noticed that the ignition key was still in the ON position, and switched it to OFF.

I stood there sadly. Holding up my bike. Thinking this may be the end. We must have been out there for at least 3 minutes already. I couldn't help but wonder then, since I had gone underwater, it was a very lucky thing that I was able to swim back up. If someone were to be unconscious out here underwater, they would probably be dead. I could be dead. Wow. It's taking a long time for them to get here.

A minute or two later I could hear the crash truck pull up. I couldn't see anyone, but I could hear voices. They shouted out to me and I yelled back. The solid edge of the lake was about 8 feet above where I was standing, so I couldn't see anyone until they were right there. Yay! We were saved! Interestingly, they seemed to know exactly what to do to get me and my bike out of the lake without doing any more damage. As if this had happened many times before.

On the ride back to the pits, I had many mixed feelings and thoughts. Sure, you try and put on a happy face, because you are okay, but my main concern was would the bike run again. Everyone assured me it would since it went into "fresh" water. Just don't try to start it until all the water is out and the bike is cleaned with fresh fuel. Everyone helped give the bike a cursory wash off with the hose to get rid of all the mud. The rest of the evening me my wife and a good friend tore the engine down to get all the water out. We were at it from 5pm to 9pm.

At a little past 9pm it looked like we had gotten all the water out of the engine. And, although it was late at night, we pressed the ignition switch, and the bike came alive again, loud as hell too since we had the exhaust piping disconected. Team WD-40 was back in business.

The next day the bike ran even better than it did before. I also rode even faster than I did before, achieving a new personal best lap time. The following Monday it rained all day, and I was the fastest in my group in the rain as well. It must have been because I had the most experience riding in water. :-)