Whiplash Racing Snowflake 100

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azcannon · #1 Post by **azcannon** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 3:34 am

Went to my first race this weekend and answered so many questions I have had for a long time as a cannondale mechanic.

1 why do you need exotic suspension and screw with the settings so much ( makes all the diffference)
2 steering dampner's ( a good one stops a lot of fatigue )
3 tires,pressure (less pressure, taller tires better - hard 20's don't take bumps)
4 power,power and some more power ( it also helps make your arms longer)
5 how do you get the nerve to ride like that ( found out after race started )
6 **** this costs a lot o money ( spent about 800 bucks total to get ready for this )
7 Exercise is for losers eat another cheeseburger ( I am a posterboy for the cheesburger association)

CannondaleRhino who now rides a new ltr450 (sold his cannondale to mjolliner )and I went last year, I watched and he raced. He hit a rock and busted his sprocket/hub and munched some other stuff before completing his first lap.

The race is 4- 27 mile laps through high desert at 6300 ft altitude and woods,meadows,some fields and a lot on fire service roads,and some rocky powerline roads that are straight up and down and not to leave out a lot of goofy turns after running pinned in fifth gear for a minute. ( or as fast as you can take the bumps )

150+ quad riders showed up for this race, it was unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I really wasn't nervous because unlike a mx race this is cross country desert/woods race. I knew the whole world wouldn't see me ride the whole time and make huge mistakes.
The pros run one lap just under 40 minutes and another Arizonan cannondaleRider who doesnt post here ran 40 minute laps in the sr.pro class in 40 and 41 minute laps on his beatiful moto we built the motor on. You may remember Thunder53 or Thunderwolfsomething posting about that. Well he has been running a few races on the circuit with it and doing well . He unfortunately lost a ball joint on his 4th lap and would have been top 5 or so in his class.

It was a timed start , 2 at a time ( so you got to drag race somebody )
I lined up for my start and had a good holeshot ( blew his a$$ away ) and hit the big singles on pure adrenaline , launched the first one and got a good response from some people , so I shifted to fifth for the next one and went nose high , but just rode it out --felt pretty good-- I wish I could get a picture of that and then hit these whoops set up for trucks way too far apart and really hard to get right , so I just plowed through them and ran my first lap, my race was 3 laps for the first timers in the 900 class and their are some total sandbaggers in this class , so you don't get points for it , which I am glad for but their will always be losers who sandbag because they are afraid of real competition in the higher ups. One of them had a pro time for his laps.
They split the beginners and amatuers with the pros to intermediates and those sandbaggers didn't get to race with them.

I ran my first lap and to my surprise had no problem riding my best, why , because theire were people in front of my that needed passed.... they were begging for it. I also figured out why you roost someone ( having been many times at the mx track ) its because you have to work to pass someone and when you do you don't want to give the position back. ( and to pelt them with rocks)

I was running a shortrod falicon with a JE 450 piston made for it, mild porting and a shortened fmf system that my endcap and spark arrestor flew out of the first 6 miles.
I was running ****** x440 map+8% fuel and it would pull very hard , I almost didn't like the power after a while because of how hard it pulled on my arms with any throttle I gave it. The only nice thing was I could go after anybody (in my class ) I wanted to if I could see them. Once in while I would chase someone too much and spinout big time powering through a corner.That sucked when I killed the motor and had to chase them back down after finally restarting it. I passed 17 people , there were 60 + in my race I had a lap time of 51 or 52 minutes and thought I would see Jesus before this race ended if I couldn't hang on better. My whole body felt like I was going to rip apart with all the soreness and cramping. Without a doubt I need to be in better shape but that will come later. I was through all the rough stuff and the woods when I was just about to hit the wide open area and crush,pelt ,smack down, and spit at the next 15 riders or so (big talk from a slow guy huh )
when I heard a tick tick tick at mid rpms and my motor shut off and spun really fast when I tried to restart it. ( I am thinking decompression ) So I walked to the next checkpoint a couple hundred yards away , drank a water and relaxed. Then the cramping started and I could not get comfortable. every time I sat down I knew I couldn't get back up, so the check point guy told me to get comfortable because it would be 6 or so hours before the would let anybody on the track to get me back to the Trailer we were camping in so I walked 5 miles back in riding boots and most of my gear .
Took about 2-2.5 hours my gps said I was walking through the high desert at 1.8-2.5 mph pretty good huh. Ouch my feet hurt when I got back . CannondaleRhino I saw many times flying around the course, and Andy on the Moto they always waved,ha ha . It was great , loved every minute of it.
Will update later with pics from the race people, for now only ones are from the startling line.
Will race again next year and probably hit some mx's soon too .

cannondale27 · #2 Post by **cannondale27** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 11:45 am

Thats a cool race report

Hope she makes it next time.

CannondaleRider · #3 Post by **CannondaleRider** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 1:16 am

A lot of times, whether your fast enough to be in the higher classes or not, Whiplash will put you in the ATV9 class, if its your first race. Then, based on your lap times in comparison to others times, they'll put you in the class your supposed to be in.

If it wasn't their first race, i'd be pissed off at them sandbagging too....but they should be gone by the next race, if they're that far ahead.

Cool to see you racing.

azcannon · #4 Post by **azcannon** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 4:45 pm

I guess your right , even though the 900 class is called a beginner class its actually a placement class and you can't run it again if you want to , cool. Then all those other dudes in should have been.
found a few more pics from the race on the net

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yamadjs08 · #5 Post by **yamadjs08** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 8:14 pm

Love the first picture, look at the guy staring at your Cannondale LMAO.

dalewannbe · #6 Post by **dalewannbe** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 3:03 am

Sounds like you had a great time. I still remember my first time racing too, ran out of gas, but it made me determined to race again and do better. Now I'm addicted.

azcannon · #7 Post by **azcannon** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 3:09 am

To be honest I was so tired I don't know how I could have went on but I think with a lot of adjustments I can make a lot better showing next time. It was very exhilirating chasing people down and sweeping by them I have to admit my main motivation is anihilating my buddy Cannondalerhino

cannondalerhino · #8 Post by **cannondalerhino** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 4:18 am

QUOTE (azcannon @ Sep 10 2006, 08:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

To be honest I was so tired I don't know how I could have went on but I think with a lot of adjustments I can make a lot better showing next time. It was very exhilirating chasing people down and sweeping by them I have to admit my main motivation is anihilating my buddy Cannondalerhino

Never gonna happen!