speedracer97123
06-02-2009, 11:00 AM
This was written for a forum in which I am well known. So it may read like you guys know me well. Just ignore that part. LOL
Well as some of you know I also ride dirt. I actually started in motocross a few years before I rode street. I was never terrible good (in relative terms) but loved it tremendously. I had a couple pretty severe injuries that helped me make the switch to road racing. Two years ago I finally bought a dirt bike again and became a pro practicer with the like of MXJunkie, DPW, and several others. Not road racing this year I have been getting the bug again and last week Jason and another riding buddy told me I should race. So, with one week notice I decided to make my official return to moto. Even though I hadn't been racing I am considerably faster now than I was back when I did race, and I am also on a MUCH newer MUCH faster bike (2007 CRF 450). So I come out, sign up for 30+ Junior and figure I shouldn't be last, though this is a class full of a lot of former really fast guys typically. I go out for morning practice and the track is notoriously over watered anyway, and Saturday morning it was worse than usual. I made two laps and was just checking lines and a few new obstacles and came around the end of a section they call they freeway. I was 3rd gear wide open around an uphill sweeper that goes over a speed double and the second I hit that the bike went sideways over the double and high sided me into the face of the next jump. It was a bumpy way to start the day. I was fine, but the bike would need some straightening. I go get it fixed and chill with Jason waiting for my first moto. We line up on the gate and the butterflies were in full effect. I hadn't done a gate start in 7 ish years, I have NEVER started a motocross bike with so much power and only had 3 practice starts on this bike. I just wanted to get off the gate clean and get things going. That plan didn't work out at all. At the end of the start straight a rider came from my outside, hooked my bars on the right and ripped them right out of my hands. Damn in the dirt before T1. I picked it up frustrated and last by a bit and went to work. I passed through a few guys and gut stuck behind a trio battling each other for about a lap and a half. After being patient too long I made a slightly banzai pass on the inside over a triple and grabbed a handful on landing and cleared all three of them. I made one more pass and finished out very tight, pretty tired but safe and in 4th place.
For moto 2 I thought I would go back to plan A. Get through the start, and just try not to fade. This time was better. I still sucked off the gate but put myself in a decent position in T1. We clear the triple and are just about to enter a fast but small rythym section and the two front guys get together and the race 1 winner is cleaned out. The new leader started checking out pretty fast and I didn't want to lose total touch. I put my head down and tried to hang tough. I made a couple passes and began gapping the guys behind me. I was unsure of my position and the next rider in front of me was just far enough away I would have had to ride hairball to catch him. So I just settled in and brought it home. I ended up 3rd, and my 4-3 finishes were good enough for 3rd overall and my first moto trophy in a LONG time. I had a blast and will probably go ahead and race the series now. My bike is going to need some work if I'm going to take this seriously. It's sprung for a 215lb and rider and takes alot of work to turn. I talked to Barry at GP North and he thinks he can help. So I will get that dialed and get back to it. So in advance thanks to GP North, EDR (i will come up with something for them to do later) and KBC Helmets. Hope you all enjoyed the report as something a bit different
Well as some of you know I also ride dirt. I actually started in motocross a few years before I rode street. I was never terrible good (in relative terms) but loved it tremendously. I had a couple pretty severe injuries that helped me make the switch to road racing. Two years ago I finally bought a dirt bike again and became a pro practicer with the like of MXJunkie, DPW, and several others. Not road racing this year I have been getting the bug again and last week Jason and another riding buddy told me I should race. So, with one week notice I decided to make my official return to moto. Even though I hadn't been racing I am considerably faster now than I was back when I did race, and I am also on a MUCH newer MUCH faster bike (2007 CRF 450). So I come out, sign up for 30+ Junior and figure I shouldn't be last, though this is a class full of a lot of former really fast guys typically. I go out for morning practice and the track is notoriously over watered anyway, and Saturday morning it was worse than usual. I made two laps and was just checking lines and a few new obstacles and came around the end of a section they call they freeway. I was 3rd gear wide open around an uphill sweeper that goes over a speed double and the second I hit that the bike went sideways over the double and high sided me into the face of the next jump. It was a bumpy way to start the day. I was fine, but the bike would need some straightening. I go get it fixed and chill with Jason waiting for my first moto. We line up on the gate and the butterflies were in full effect. I hadn't done a gate start in 7 ish years, I have NEVER started a motocross bike with so much power and only had 3 practice starts on this bike. I just wanted to get off the gate clean and get things going. That plan didn't work out at all. At the end of the start straight a rider came from my outside, hooked my bars on the right and ripped them right out of my hands. Damn in the dirt before T1. I picked it up frustrated and last by a bit and went to work. I passed through a few guys and gut stuck behind a trio battling each other for about a lap and a half. After being patient too long I made a slightly banzai pass on the inside over a triple and grabbed a handful on landing and cleared all three of them. I made one more pass and finished out very tight, pretty tired but safe and in 4th place.
For moto 2 I thought I would go back to plan A. Get through the start, and just try not to fade. This time was better. I still sucked off the gate but put myself in a decent position in T1. We clear the triple and are just about to enter a fast but small rythym section and the two front guys get together and the race 1 winner is cleaned out. The new leader started checking out pretty fast and I didn't want to lose total touch. I put my head down and tried to hang tough. I made a couple passes and began gapping the guys behind me. I was unsure of my position and the next rider in front of me was just far enough away I would have had to ride hairball to catch him. So I just settled in and brought it home. I ended up 3rd, and my 4-3 finishes were good enough for 3rd overall and my first moto trophy in a LONG time. I had a blast and will probably go ahead and race the series now. My bike is going to need some work if I'm going to take this seriously. It's sprung for a 215lb and rider and takes alot of work to turn. I talked to Barry at GP North and he thinks he can help. So I will get that dialed and get back to it. So in advance thanks to GP North, EDR (i will come up with something for them to do later) and KBC Helmets. Hope you all enjoyed the report as something a bit different