Tom Anderson

Eagle's Canyon, sometimes coined with the moniker of "Buzzard's Gulch" for unknown reasons, has never seemed to be a racer's favorite track in the wet or cold conditions. For the Solo 30 race on Saturday however, two young racers found a way to enjoy it among a field of others who may or may not share their enthusiasm.
During Saturday's practice the rain did fall. It was obvious that the two young racers were a bit worried about the weather and how they'll perform, but both seemed optimistic. Taylor had never raced in the rain (officially and purposefully), and Nicky D had his first race in rain and garnered a race win in the first race of the season but hadn't seen rain since then. The best comment heard all weekend came from Taylor when he did the first 3 laps in practice on his Bridgestone rain tires mounted on his RS chassis machine, "I like the rain, I'm not going to crash!!!" he exclaimed. Seemed to sum things up for the pair as Nick had similar comments after his Pop pulled him in after a few laps on the wet tarmac. The two young men ran the rest of the practice without incident, and much to the chagrin of both of their dads, "got a 'lil racy" when they found themselves on track together too.
As practice ended, the pair of competitors and friends headed back to the pits to dry for a bit before preparing for the race. Both dads were prepping the bikes and getting things set while the two racers thought about the coming race. Thoughts and comments about strategy and performance needs quickly turned to reality when the 2nd and 3rd calls were announced. It's race time.
As the group of racers splashed around the track for the warm-up lap, it was obvious that Nick and Taylor planned on putting on a great show. Nothing looked slow or cautious in the warm-up lap, nobody should believe that the race would be anything less. Upon the drop of Jeff Phillips' hand from "2" to flying the green flag, Mercury Myers bolted off the grid and out front in to turn 1. Doolan had a little stumble at the start and got caught a bit in to turn 1 in traffic and had a bit of trouble getting through the pack to chase Myers during the first lap. That was all Taylor needed, an unimpeded trip for lap 1 to put a big gap on his pursuers.
Being a 30 minute race and one of the last rounds for the season, Doolan only needed to finish the last races in order to clinch a championship. Whether his adolescent mind had this thought in the forefront or if he was just listening to those who counseled him, Nick rode a very responsible, smooth, and uneventful race to finish 2nd overall. Nick rode a very smart race and did exactly what he needed to do; finish the race without incident and gain some valuable experience in the rain. After all, he has the number 1 plate and a trip to Barber for the GNF to think about; there was no reason to try to push luck in the rain.
For Myers it was a very different story. Taylor needs to win races in order to position himself well for the end of the season. Win he did. Taylor once again lapped the entire field on his way to a incredible victory overall in Solo 30! After a rocketing start and smooth corner speed on the soaked ECR pavement, Taylor gained and maintained a comfortable lead from the first lap and then picked off the field one by one over the next 20 or so minutes. An incredible performance from the youngster who once again showcased his talent under difficult conditions. Myers wowed spectators with his performance once again, and showed everyone that he's one to pay attention to for the future.
With the unfortunate absence of Ryan Warren, the usual 3-way battle didn't ensue. I know that all 3 young men prefer to have their peers on track to compete, but it just wasn't going to happen for this event and may not again until next season. While this race was eventful and exciting to watch, it would like have been more so with Warren on the grid. Speedy recovery Ryan!
The last couple of rounds are upon us unfortunately, be sure that if you're going to watch one race during a weekend at TWS that this is the one you see!