back to the dutchman tomorrow. got some snow this week and with todays warm(er) weather, should make for a sloppy race. put the 22" razr's on:mad: bike sits way too high now. changed oil, cleaned air filter, a little bit of grease, and a quick chain adjustment, motor mount update, taped some cardboard together to keep the battery from flopping around:( should be ready to rock and roll. my trans filter disappeared:furious: oh well.
hopefully we'll have time to throw the blaze map in. check back tomorrow evening for results.
to the dutchman
Oooh I get first dibs on this....Well as you guys know from last week the results were decent for cdrookie and I, but both of us knew we were much better than the results allowed us. I spent a couple days this week getting ready, hitting the exercise bike a little extra and such hoping to improve on my 10th place finish the week before.
I got up this morning went to garage and started going over everything on the quad tightening things and double checking stuff. Well as I was working I decide to change the oil. I am done draining the oil and I am working on putting the drain plugs back in. The rear one goes right in the front one just keeps spinning and spinning. Crap I stripped the oil drain threads. Great I have to leave in about 1/2 hr and I have no way to feel secure about the oil bolt. The thought process kicks in. I realize that I will need to work on this later, but a temporary fix is in sight. Silicone gasket maker. Dab some on and cross my fingers. I let it set for as long as I can 1/2 hr fire the quad up and load it into the truck and away I go. Still hoping that this works.
As I am heading up to the track I get a call from Cdrookie telling me the track is a total slop fest. Great I tell him that the track is usually like this when it rains. When I get there we see that in just about every corner there are puddles and the dirt has been quickly moved away to almost put tracks in the course making it hard if you get out of the lines. Oh well I lower the air pressure in my tires and figure to go out there and have a good time anyway.
I got up this morning went to garage and started going over everything on the quad tightening things and double checking stuff. Well as I was working I decide to change the oil. I am done draining the oil and I am working on putting the drain plugs back in. The rear one goes right in the front one just keeps spinning and spinning. Crap I stripped the oil drain threads. Great I have to leave in about 1/2 hr and I have no way to feel secure about the oil bolt. The thought process kicks in. I realize that I will need to work on this later, but a temporary fix is in sight. Silicone gasket maker. Dab some on and cross my fingers. I let it set for as long as I can 1/2 hr fire the quad up and load it into the truck and away I go. Still hoping that this works.
As I am heading up to the track I get a call from Cdrookie telling me the track is a total slop fest. Great I tell him that the track is usually like this when it rains. When I get there we see that in just about every corner there are puddles and the dirt has been quickly moved away to almost put tracks in the course making it hard if you get out of the lines. Oh well I lower the air pressure in my tires and figure to go out there and have a good time anyway.
I went by myself so we don't have very many pics. Heck we only got 3 I will post them in a sec. It is kind of hard taking pics when you are trying to run a race, but I am trying to figure that out.
Back to the race. We line up in our row and check in at the barrels. Back to the quad and warm her up one more time before the race starts. Our line was a little smaller than last week. We had 17 racers this time. Cdrookie decided to line up far left where the line was the straightest. I decided to line up more to right. There was a puddle, but I figured even with a bad start everyone would be piling into that first corner and I could easily roll high on everyone. Race starts and sure enough I got a bad start. Cdrookiegot a decent start and was ahead of me going into the corner. I don't know where I got by him wether it was there or the next corner, but my tactic worked like a charm. I started in the bottom 1/3 and by the 2nd corner I had passed most of the class. Now usually the race lines up and everyone has to keep up with the leader or they just fall behind. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was in about 7th place. I was quickly working my way through the field picking of a couple riders. Now I was in 4th place and things kind of settled. I could see the leaders, but we were all running similar paces. Well all of a sudden I see 2nd and 3rd riders slowing down apparently they got tangled a little.
Well wouldn't you guys know, but 2nd was our friend from last week on the Raptor.
Back to the race. We line up in our row and check in at the barrels. Back to the quad and warm her up one more time before the race starts. Our line was a little smaller than last week. We had 17 racers this time. Cdrookie decided to line up far left where the line was the straightest. I decided to line up more to right. There was a puddle, but I figured even with a bad start everyone would be piling into that first corner and I could easily roll high on everyone. Race starts and sure enough I got a bad start. Cdrookiegot a decent start and was ahead of me going into the corner. I don't know where I got by him wether it was there or the next corner, but my tactic worked like a charm. I started in the bottom 1/3 and by the 2nd corner I had passed most of the class. Now usually the race lines up and everyone has to keep up with the leader or they just fall behind. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was in about 7th place. I was quickly working my way through the field picking of a couple riders. Now I was in 4th place and things kind of settled. I could see the leaders, but we were all running similar paces. Well all of a sudden I see 2nd and 3rd riders slowing down apparently they got tangled a little.
Well wouldn't you guys know, but 2nd was our friend from last week on the Raptor.
Now the 3 of us are all trying to figure out our own lines and how to get rid of the other one. Well 3rd finally gets by the Raptor. The Raptor actually started to try and run the guy off the track. Now I see my opening and hit the gas and go for the otherside of the Raptor figuring he wouldn't be able to get both of us. Guess what he didn't get either of us. I beat him to the corner and I had the inside. A little extra throttle and swing wide and bam shoved him right out of the way.
Now I see 1 and 2 and relaize this is a long race. 1 1/2 hours to be exact and as long as I keep these guys in my sight and don't let anyone sneak up on me I will be good. I settle in to a good riding pace working the corners well. All three of us had open lines and people were letting us by in the other classes. 1st started to pull away so I decided to get on the game. We hit the barrels at the end of Lap 1 and continue on. Now I realize I have to pass 2nd in order to keep up. I start pushing him more and more figuring it will be a fight to get him to let me pass. Then the most shocking thing happens he pulls over. I am not sure why, but I was greatful.
Now I see 1 and 2 and relaize this is a long race. 1 1/2 hours to be exact and as long as I keep these guys in my sight and don't let anyone sneak up on me I will be good. I settle in to a good riding pace working the corners well. All three of us had open lines and people were letting us by in the other classes. 1st started to pull away so I decided to get on the game. We hit the barrels at the end of Lap 1 and continue on. Now I realize I have to pass 2nd in order to keep up. I start pushing him more and more figuring it will be a fight to get him to let me pass. Then the most shocking thing happens he pulls over. I am not sure why, but I was greatful.
I am working the track well and I feel very fresh and keeping pace out there. I am not in serious striking distance, but he isn't pulling away. We are working the track quiet nicely and I start peaking over my shoulder wondering if anyone has gotten on the ball. Guess what noone is within striking distance of me. we Go lap 2,3,4,5.
We hit lap 6 and I still feel great. Now normally by about halfway the A riders have passed us and I start to feel like I just plain suck. Well guess what I still haven't even seen them yet. This was all the motivation I needed. No mind you guys Chris Borich is usually the top A guy there so getting this far without him catching up was great. It made me push harder. The 1st place guy was still in front, but even he started going faster. I still wasn't in striking distance. I start pushing harder and harder. I hit a corner and stall the quad in heavy mud. I start to crank it over and nothing it just keeps cranking. Now my thoughts are on am I going to get passed. Luckily it fires up and away I go. I hammer down. Lap 6 down and the white flag is out. I lost 1st place a little, but I was still not going to let Borich and the A guys get me on the last lap. I push through the lap and about at the 1/2 way point you can here them coming. I swear their quads are always louder than any others out there.
Well they haven't caught me yet. I turn up the tempoand keep moving. All the while I am still passing riders from other classes. We get to the final switchbck section and I look ahead and see 1st about half way through. Realizing that only a stroke from God would let me catch himI keep pushing figuring he could make a mistake and I still wasn't letting the A guys get me. I get about 2 turns into the switchbacks and the noise starts to grow. I look back and the a guys are just about to start the switchbacks. I push harder and keep moving I finally realize that I have made it when I exit the switchbacks and punch it for the final run to the finish line. He was still gaining, but I was able to hold him off for a second place finish. Not too shabby especially after last week.
I get through the barrels take my helmet off and wait for cdrookie. 3rd passes, 4th passes, and here he comes. 5th place.
Then the bit of humor as a guy in our class comes running up behind him with a tire almost off the rim and flopping all over the place. I will let cdrookie tell his story and then I will let you guys know my secret weapon for the race.
We hit lap 6 and I still feel great. Now normally by about halfway the A riders have passed us and I start to feel like I just plain suck. Well guess what I still haven't even seen them yet. This was all the motivation I needed. No mind you guys Chris Borich is usually the top A guy there so getting this far without him catching up was great. It made me push harder. The 1st place guy was still in front, but even he started going faster. I still wasn't in striking distance. I start pushing harder and harder. I hit a corner and stall the quad in heavy mud. I start to crank it over and nothing it just keeps cranking. Now my thoughts are on am I going to get passed. Luckily it fires up and away I go. I hammer down. Lap 6 down and the white flag is out. I lost 1st place a little, but I was still not going to let Borich and the A guys get me on the last lap. I push through the lap and about at the 1/2 way point you can here them coming. I swear their quads are always louder than any others out there.
Well they haven't caught me yet. I turn up the tempoand keep moving. All the while I am still passing riders from other classes. We get to the final switchbck section and I look ahead and see 1st about half way through. Realizing that only a stroke from God would let me catch himI keep pushing figuring he could make a mistake and I still wasn't letting the A guys get me. I get about 2 turns into the switchbacks and the noise starts to grow. I look back and the a guys are just about to start the switchbacks. I push harder and keep moving I finally realize that I have made it when I exit the switchbacks and punch it for the final run to the finish line. He was still gaining, but I was able to hold him off for a second place finish. Not too shabby especially after last week.
I get through the barrels take my helmet off and wait for cdrookie. 3rd passes, 4th passes, and here he comes. 5th place.
Then the bit of humor as a guy in our class comes running up behind him with a tire almost off the rim and flopping all over the place. I will let cdrookie tell his story and then I will let you guys know my secret weapon for the race.