TrackMaster

Member
Mar 15, 2001
212
0
I had a great time, but the day was bittersweet. I decided i would begin my racing on memorial day at the closest track to my home (only about 30 miles away) in Sully, iA.

I could hardly sleep sunday night thinking about my race in the morning. When I awoke at 6 a.m. I dressed and gathered all my race gear, and headed for the truck. But wait a minute, the truck is gone. In the backyard of course, mom moved it last nite for the party. I then discover that i have a flat tire. Which happens to be the tire i just had fixed 5 days ago. No spare, should have guessed, Murphy's Law was begining to take hold of my day. But luckily i have two studded snow tires in the shed. But different sizes of course. So i changed three tires (snow tires on rear and shift rear to the front) Then i remembered i promised to pick up my girlfriend at 7. Clock reads 7:30. So i call and apologize and proceed to suffer through another lecture on being late.

To the track. A horrid coughing spell hits me as my allergies kick in on the giant motocross track in the middle of a dusty hayfield. I drink it down with some gatoraid. As soon as i signed up, riders meeting is called. I dont even get to walk on the track or look at it before the A/B practice is called. So i run and unload the bike, get dressed and get my bike pushed onto the track, not noticing my clinching chest protector arm bands that gave birth to ridiculous armpump in practice. Then the race is held, 125 C is the 2nd moto of the day, we line up and i am a total bundle of nerves. I managed to get the chestt protector fixed and clean my goggles before the gate dropped.

My race was of course the most interesting of the day. The 29 riderrs line up behind 2 gates, both dropped at the same time. The right side (opposite mine) had a rider jump the line and prevent all the other riders from exiting until he freed himself. My start was great untill I wheelied and was forced to let off. This resulted in me falling back and into the first turn pile up during which a kid got ran over and hauld off in the ambulance. I caught the very end of the crash and managed to lay it over and start right back up. I started catching the pack around 2nd lap, when we entered the yellow flag zone, the flagman near the rider down threw a red flag which no one followed except for me and a few others. We were then waved on to continue the race with no chance of catching the pack. I crashed once again in a corner, just a little mistake, but got lapped in the process and finished the race in 25th out of 29.

A few riders protested the start and the red flag, but when inquired about the flag they replied "there must of been a red one with the oranges, we didnt realize it was red until we waived it, sorry" this angered a few racers, but it was accepted. I had a great time myself, though i think practtice was more of a race than the race was. ( I kept midpack and didnt crash) i did learn to read the terrain a little bit after jumping a small blind double and missing a corner letting 2 guys by in the process lol. But it was fun, and im ready to race again next weekend and redeem myself.
 

Jeff Gilbert

N. Texas SP
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Oct 20, 2000
2,969
2
Redemption is sweet! Glad you made it through the 1st race experience in one peice. The 2nd race is a lot easier, you are more familiar with what to expect and you can ride more relaxed (after the 1st turn... lol.)
Congrats :aj:
 
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