Miles hadn’t been on the track since the final round of last season, but he had put a lot of work into the bike. After an extensive coolant flush and putting in a new head gasket and thermostat, overheating issues were a thing of the past. The bike ran cool all weekend, which helped Miles devote his full attention to riding. He was feeling great and things were going well. He was already down to his race pace from the final round last year by the end of practice on Saturday.
Miles was in the first race of the day on Sunday—nothing like getting an early start! He got a good launch, but lost a few positions and slipped into 7th place. He took a little time off his practice pace, which was a good sign since the track was still a little cold. His next race was 450 Superbike, which was delayed after one lap due to a red flag. By the time the race was re-started, the track was nice and warm. Miles put his head down and really concentrated on improving his technique during the race. He was able to pull off a 6th place finish and break the 2 minute mark for the first time at Buttonwillow! That was a big deal for him because it was a new personal record, but more importantly it was the first time he had beat his SV650 time on the 450. Miles had his Formula IV race after lunch. He broke the 2 minute mark again, but made some mistakes late in the race, putting him back in 12th position.
It was a great weekend and a good way to start the season. Miles is finally starting to click with the bike and is super excited to have a new PR on the new bike. Looking forward to the next round!
| Race | Place | Best Lap |
|---|
| 450 Superstock | 7 | 2:04.336 |
| 450 Superbike | 6 | 1:59.565 |
| Formula IV | 12 | 1:59.922 |
