Hi Jeff,

thanks for the question. First off, I think that anyone, from beginner to pro should feel like it is the primary goal to finish. I have had a couple of weekends now that I haven't performed to my expectations because of a combination of bad luck, and bad racing, but still finishing feels better finishing than dropping out. Never, ever, quit!

As for tires, I rode the Ranchero tire in Temecula, and it is great for hard pack. I think the Larson TT 2.0 is a great all round tire for pretty much everything dry. For a really fast tire for special courses where you don't need too much uphill traction, I would check out the Oriflamme. Those are my So Cal favorites, so you can let me know what you think of them.

Ciao, mel