Darryll King at Round Three

Posted: Thu 06 May 1999

Weather:Hot and sunny
Track:Tacky dirt, very dry in the second moto, extremely rough
Qualifying:4th in Group B
Race 1: I was 5th after the start and felt really great. I rode a strong race and felt good on the bike for the first time this season. I got into a good rhythm and managed to pull the leaders in to 2 seconds. I moved up to 4th and held that position to the end. As much as I tried I couldn\'t get any closer than the 2 seconds. The last lap I cruised and looked for some good lines for race 2.

Race 2: I had a 20th place start. Once again I struggled with my clutch off the start gate. Something is seriously wrong & I have some major testing to do. I moved quickly through the pack setting the fastest lap times from anyone. I moved to 6th where I stayed for a few laps. By this time I was feeling good but loosing power from the engine. As much as I tried I just couldn\'t make any further progress. At the 20 minute mark I was really struggling, with the view glass on the clutch cover having popped out and the oil in the engine pumping out. The engine became more and more tight - I kept thinking it was the clutch & kept adjusting it over every jump hoping I could fix the problem while I was riding. However, the engine was coming to a slow stop. In the last 5 laps I was just limping around, hoping to finish in the points. This was not to be and I ended up in 18th and out of the points.

Comments: Well, I rode much better this weekend. I was ready to win a heat here today but Shayne did it for me. He rode awesome and deserved the win. I gelled with the bike and everything started to feel like the DK of old. Race 2 was a real disappointment but that is racing. I am more motivated than ever to win races now and really looking forward to Italy on May 16th.

Current Championship Standing: 7th

--Darryll King