i was beat, hands cramped permantly around the grips and sweat dripping into my goggles. had to get going to make some ground on the blaster.
passed a few more guys, they pretty much pulled over for me, the track was taking it's toll on everyone. the new section the promoter was cutting just routed us down a tight hill and back up threw a nasty rocky up hill.
i was trying to figure out who was still infront of me. started the second lap and heard it again:mad: the hissing was back. oh well, run it till it blows. or the clutch gives out... or i give out...
thinking i might be in third maybe 4th, when who do i see a few corners ahead? DERNO!
foot of the mountain 9/4-9/5
why he was creeping along i have no idea. maybe he'll believe me now when i say a track is rough. maybe he won't:confused:
i was on him in no time! he gives me a rather rude finger gesture considering i just went thru 3/4 of the pack to catch him. not to mention i raced yesterday.
followed him thru the barrels and he pulled over to let me by. thought i'd dust him out in the few switchbacks they didn't cut out, just in case.
pulled away from him and next was the ex from yesterday. he saw me and got on the gas but didn't last long and pulled over. he must be a fan of the 3 ring circus cause he had the trademark broke off rear fender. wrong side though. i didn't stop to tell him.
knew i was in second and was hoping owen broke down cause i wasn't seeing him anywhere.
i was on him in no time! he gives me a rather rude finger gesture considering i just went thru 3/4 of the pack to catch him. not to mention i raced yesterday.
followed him thru the barrels and he pulled over to let me by. thought i'd dust him out in the few switchbacks they didn't cut out, just in case.
pulled away from him and next was the ex from yesterday. he saw me and got on the gas but didn't last long and pulled over. he must be a fan of the 3 ring circus cause he had the trademark broke off rear fender. wrong side though. i didn't stop to tell him.
knew i was in second and was hoping owen broke down cause i wasn't seeing him anywhere.
last few laps i was just holding on and hoping. flopping around like a rag doll on a rodeo bull. couldn't let go of the bars but kept running over my boot laces as one came loose. talk about annoying.
derno claims he caught back up and was right on my azz but overshot a berm. don't know what his idea of on my azz is cause i never saw him. couldn't figure out why my bike was still running as it couldn't have much fluid in it.:confused:
was counting down the rocks till the finish and was glad when i got to the barrels in 2nd ahead of derno:) which puts me on a 3 race win streak and up 7-5 in the series.
i never would've withstood that abuse with the arvins. my hands got blisters on them for the first time ever since i started riding.
i'm very happy with 2nd. too bad i barely picked up any points on derno and owen. i might be 4th in the district, not sure about the state but i'm too far behind to catch up.
derno claims he caught back up and was right on my azz but overshot a berm. don't know what his idea of on my azz is cause i never saw him. couldn't figure out why my bike was still running as it couldn't have much fluid in it.:confused:
was counting down the rocks till the finish and was glad when i got to the barrels in 2nd ahead of derno:) which puts me on a 3 race win streak and up 7-5 in the series.
i never would've withstood that abuse with the arvins. my hands got blisters on them for the first time ever since i started riding.
i'm very happy with 2nd. too bad i barely picked up any points on derno and owen. i might be 4th in the district, not sure about the state but i'm too far behind to catch up.
Well I got pics with mine I just have to figure how to make them big. You guys will like some of the pics.
Anyway, here we go. Rookie calls me on sat at 7:00 pm and asks can he use the dernodale. I say sure just needs a little tlc and she is good to go.
I wake up the morning of and load my quad then realize the dernodale hasn't been cleaned quickly roll it into the backyard and give her a good hosing down. Can't have rookie riding a dirty quad.
My wife and I roll out and are under way when I get a call from rookie. He tells me he doesn't need the Dale. No big deal, but it would have been nice to know this earlier. I would have left it at home seeing as how I was picking up my Z from Harlen tonight.
Anyway, here we go. Rookie calls me on sat at 7:00 pm and asks can he use the dernodale. I say sure just needs a little tlc and she is good to go.
I wake up the morning of and load my quad then realize the dernodale hasn't been cleaned quickly roll it into the backyard and give her a good hosing down. Can't have rookie riding a dirty quad.
My wife and I roll out and are under way when I get a call from rookie. He tells me he doesn't need the Dale. No big deal, but it would have been nice to know this earlier. I would have left it at home seeing as how I was picking up my Z from Harlen tonight.
Get to the race track and look around and realize there is a decent crowd gathered today. I sign up and ask the lady how many in C class. She replies 9 at the time. I was number 880 and I saw 886 so my hairbrained new math puts that at 15 for the race.
I run into Rookie ask if he needs anything when he informs me he has no clutch. I inform him that the other machine is waiting in the trailer. He says no and just looked tired and miserable so i left him alone. I think he just made up the clutch thing for sympathy.
Line up and get ready for the start. Horn sounds pound the starter and away we go. Not a bad start top half of the group. I know what Rookie meant by washout. Couldn't see a thing. Only thing I could see was Owen and Ray who are the 2 guys I am battling with for points. They are right ahead of me. Well we hit the switchbacks and roll through them and there is a small line of us working our way through the woods. I have been to Ft before when they ran sections of this track, but this was just brutal. Owen and Ray sneak past a guy on a 300ex and i start working on him. Bumping and asking cause there is only one line through this section, but if he wanted too he could have pulled off.
Well I keep asking politely to move (yeah right!) and ride his tail. We then run into a guy on his YFZ how is moving way to slow. well it didn't take long for him to wind up in a tree and he even took my 300 with him. I quickly take advantage and fire off. I figure that I wouldn't see rookie as he was tired from the day before or that his quad wouldn't be running.
I start running after the other riders and start thinking in my head as to where I was running. Just something to take my mind off of the pounding i was taking. I like rough tracks, but I was definitely rethinking my stance on that.
I run into Rookie ask if he needs anything when he informs me he has no clutch. I inform him that the other machine is waiting in the trailer. He says no and just looked tired and miserable so i left him alone. I think he just made up the clutch thing for sympathy.
Line up and get ready for the start. Horn sounds pound the starter and away we go. Not a bad start top half of the group. I know what Rookie meant by washout. Couldn't see a thing. Only thing I could see was Owen and Ray who are the 2 guys I am battling with for points. They are right ahead of me. Well we hit the switchbacks and roll through them and there is a small line of us working our way through the woods. I have been to Ft before when they ran sections of this track, but this was just brutal. Owen and Ray sneak past a guy on a 300ex and i start working on him. Bumping and asking cause there is only one line through this section, but if he wanted too he could have pulled off.
Well I keep asking politely to move (yeah right!) and ride his tail. We then run into a guy on his YFZ how is moving way to slow. well it didn't take long for him to wind up in a tree and he even took my 300 with him. I quickly take advantage and fire off. I figure that I wouldn't see rookie as he was tired from the day before or that his quad wouldn't be running.
I start running after the other riders and start thinking in my head as to where I was running. Just something to take my mind off of the pounding i was taking. I like rough tracks, but I was definitely rethinking my stance on that.
I settled into a grove and just decided that due to the track I wasn't going to kill myself just to catch 1 or 2 guys. As I go through the barrels for the first lap I notice Ray and Owen again. There they are right in front of me. Well i notice Owen do I 180 and trying to turn around and Ray rolling by him I wasn't right on top of them, but I was working to catch him. Well i notice Owen get on his horse and work past Ray. I figured I wouldn't see the 2 of them again as they shot into the woods.
I was wrong. Not to long into the woods Ray was right in front of me. We start riding at a good pace and went at it for about another 2 miles then he just pulls over. I come to find out that he physically just couldn't take it any longer. I was shocked I knew I was running in a decent position, but not sure if it was top 3 or what. I then decide to settle back into my groove. I am rattling along when all of a sudden I hear and see rookie working his way towards me. Rookie is riding like he is possessed hammering away. I am wondering in my head why the frantic pace. I guessed he just wanted to pass me. Well at first I decided to hold him off. As we are working through the woods I decide to give him the universal sign for saying "you are #1". We go through the barrels with me still in the lead. Now is the moment I have to make a decision. Do I hold him off and hope he just falls on his face or do I let him go and reel him in when the adrenaline of catching me wears off.
I decide due to the track being so rough to let him go and reel him in later. Well off he goes Flying around through the switchbacks. Dust flying everywhere. I keep him in sight for about 1/4 lap and then he just fades into the distance. My wife who was at the race was furious I let Rookie by asking me if I really wanted to beat him or not. The she tells me that Rookie had like a 2 min lead or better after that lap and that every lap after that I got closer and closer.
I was wrong. Not to long into the woods Ray was right in front of me. We start riding at a good pace and went at it for about another 2 miles then he just pulls over. I come to find out that he physically just couldn't take it any longer. I was shocked I knew I was running in a decent position, but not sure if it was top 3 or what. I then decide to settle back into my groove. I am rattling along when all of a sudden I hear and see rookie working his way towards me. Rookie is riding like he is possessed hammering away. I am wondering in my head why the frantic pace. I guessed he just wanted to pass me. Well at first I decided to hold him off. As we are working through the woods I decide to give him the universal sign for saying "you are #1". We go through the barrels with me still in the lead. Now is the moment I have to make a decision. Do I hold him off and hope he just falls on his face or do I let him go and reel him in when the adrenaline of catching me wears off.
I decide due to the track being so rough to let him go and reel him in later. Well off he goes Flying around through the switchbacks. Dust flying everywhere. I keep him in sight for about 1/4 lap and then he just fades into the distance. My wife who was at the race was furious I let Rookie by asking me if I really wanted to beat him or not. The she tells me that Rookie had like a 2 min lead or better after that lap and that every lap after that I got closer and closer.
As I was running I decided not to worry about rookie and run my race. I finish lap 3 and start on lap 4. I am running at a good clip and start noticing alot of stickers from our class. I pass a 400 ex, a warrior, and another 400ex. Come to find out we were probably lapping them at this point.
Towards the end of the lap I start riding up on a yfz who was in our class and decide to start pushing it harder. I pass him in the switchbacks and figure heck I have to be top 5 now. I keep looking for Rookie, but no sign of him.
At the end of lap 4 I pass a 400ex in our class who happens to be another guy who was in front of us in the beginning. Now I know I am in the top 3. Well I figure I am running at a decent clip and if I don't see Rookie he either made a pact with the devil to beat me or he pulled off.
I get to the last lap and figure I will just relax and run my race Not letting anyone by from my class. I am rambling through the woods right behind a guy in the vet class and we switch positions a couple times and are just having some fun. he musta got tired cause he pulls over and waves me by.
Now I am closing in on the finish line. Had to be about 1 1/2 miles to go when I see rookie. Just putting through the woods. He can say he didn't see me, but he looked right at me when the trail switched back on itself. I figure we were going to battle all the way to the line. I come flying up on him as distance and time are running out. We cross over the bridge a quick left and right and work our way down a hill all covered in rocks. He hadn't picked up any tempo so I figured my plan worked like a charm. I am zeroing in on him getting right on his tail. When I get too aggressive.
There were millions of rocks out there, but somehow in the woods there was a soft loamy burm. Well I went high and got stuck on the center of it. No wheels touching the ground. I figure there goes my chance and dismount as I watch Rookie ride off. I come to find out later that he claimed he didn't see me (I have no idea how he didn't) and that if I had stayed right behind him longer he probably would have puled over. He said he was way too tired to keep going.
Oh well I guess 3rd isn't too bad. Only negative is I went from 2nd in PA series to 3rd. Luckily I am only down 2 points.
I will post some pics tomorrow!!!!:head: :usa
I think the cool part is that Cannondales took 2nd and 3rd and did it fromt he back of the pack.
Towards the end of the lap I start riding up on a yfz who was in our class and decide to start pushing it harder. I pass him in the switchbacks and figure heck I have to be top 5 now. I keep looking for Rookie, but no sign of him.
At the end of lap 4 I pass a 400ex in our class who happens to be another guy who was in front of us in the beginning. Now I know I am in the top 3. Well I figure I am running at a decent clip and if I don't see Rookie he either made a pact with the devil to beat me or he pulled off.
I get to the last lap and figure I will just relax and run my race Not letting anyone by from my class. I am rambling through the woods right behind a guy in the vet class and we switch positions a couple times and are just having some fun. he musta got tired cause he pulls over and waves me by.
Now I am closing in on the finish line. Had to be about 1 1/2 miles to go when I see rookie. Just putting through the woods. He can say he didn't see me, but he looked right at me when the trail switched back on itself. I figure we were going to battle all the way to the line. I come flying up on him as distance and time are running out. We cross over the bridge a quick left and right and work our way down a hill all covered in rocks. He hadn't picked up any tempo so I figured my plan worked like a charm. I am zeroing in on him getting right on his tail. When I get too aggressive.
There were millions of rocks out there, but somehow in the woods there was a soft loamy burm. Well I went high and got stuck on the center of it. No wheels touching the ground. I figure there goes my chance and dismount as I watch Rookie ride off. I come to find out later that he claimed he didn't see me (I have no idea how he didn't) and that if I had stayed right behind him longer he probably would have puled over. He said he was way too tired to keep going.
Oh well I guess 3rd isn't too bad. Only negative is I went from 2nd in PA series to 3rd. Luckily I am only down 2 points.
I will post some pics tomorrow!!!!:head: :usa
I think the cool part is that Cannondales took 2nd and 3rd and did it fromt he back of the pack.