truespode
Moderator / Wheelie King
- Jun 30, 1999
- 7,984
- 251
What a weekend!! Lots of fun, lots of riding.
First, Saturday night it was racing at Shelby, SX on their redesigned track. The changes are pretty cool. More table tops, bigger table tops and now 2 step ups.
The track is tight as can be and the whoop section is killer. There was stiff penalty for making a mistake. I lost a lot of time in the whoops. I also had the 6th and 8th race so
I knew right off I would be a tired puppy.
I signed up for +30c/d and Unl Rookie. In the heats I pretty much was just trying to get used to the track and the auto clutch. I started to do much better than the previous week at Parker Valley in terms of using the auto clutch.
In the main of Unl Rookie I got a so-so start. I think I was around 6th out of 11 into the first turn. I quickly turned that 6th into a 7th and stayed their most of the race. I tried to make up time by doubling through the whoops but after the 2nd set (13 total whoops) I bobbled and the bike hit my chest protector and that hit my throat. I slowed it down but still tried to double through. I finished 7th out of 11 but the 2 ahead of me were about my speed. I just could not catch them b/c of the trouble I was having in the whoops.
In the +30c/d everyone took off and I had a last place start. I did what I could to ride as fast as I could but once the field seperated things pretty much stayed in that order the entire race. I finished 5th out of 6th but the 6th place guy was a DNF.
In the 250D Danny was racing and had a 3rd place start off the line. He held it for about 2 laps and then it appeared the whoops were getting to him. He faded a little and went to 4th. Then he went wide in a corner and dropped to 5th. If he wouldn't have went wide I believe he would have held on to 4th place. He got 5th overall and a trophy!! Way to go
Danny!!!
Gomer seemed to do well. I can't remember where he ended up but he was doubling through the whoops and doing a heck of a job.
Paul and Lee did well too. Paul had a time as he kept getting run off the track either by another rider or from a light breeze that ran through :) Lee would have done better but his stomach gasses seemed to bother him (and everyone else) <g>
We got home around midnight and I quickly went to bed. The next morning Vince and I loaded up and headed to Taylorsville for a Harescramble.
The race was in the mountains and it was the first time there ever was a race there so the course was slick and tough. It was probably the most technical woods course I've ever ridden. There was fast spots (4th gear) and really tight 1st gear stuff. There were even 2 really good size mud-holes with case deep ruts.
On the first lap I was in 20th place for my class and 130th overall (thank goodness for electronic scoring at www.nchsa.org). We got caught in a bottleneck on a steep and slick hill. The auto clutch was a life saver there as I worked my way through people to make my own line. However, right when I was about to bust through Vince came from another line and roosted me good. Damn him :)
Then we came up on this big pond of some sort. In it were a few bikes with ribbon on their bars and front ends. The water was up to their gas tanks. The blew the corner and took the ribbons with them so a lot of people missed the turn. Luckily for my basketball peripheral vision I was able to see the correct markers and went the right way.
Vince and I rode the first lap together and were doing pretty well. I has some good speed this year and is tough to stay with. Unfortunately, he fell and hit his knee and after he got to the scoring tent he called it a day.
I continued on and improved on my 28 minute first lap. I followed it up with a 24 minute second lap and went from 20th in my class to 16th and 130th over all to 114 overall. I had fun on that lap and felt like I was flying. I passed more people than I ever have in the woods and I was even passing in the tight stuff.
I got a little tired on the 3rd lap but kept pushing. My time fell to the 25 minute range (the leaders of my class were still doing 20-21 minute laps and the avg was around 23 minutes). I did go from 114 to 112 overall and up to 15th in my class.
On the last lap I was tired and I jammed my right hand. Right where the webbing is between my thumb and index finger. It is pretty swollen today but not hurting now so I know things are ok but it made holding on in the tighter sections a bear. Still, even with that I tried to push. I saw on my last trip through scoring that I was 3:46 behind the next guy in my class.
I would push it, take a breather as I went slow, push it and then breathe again. My lap time was 26:28 seconds and I didn't catch the next guy but I went from being 3:46 behind him to being behind him by only 42 seconds. I also picked up another spot overall and finished 111th out of 154 overall and 15th out of 24 in my class.
It was by far the most enjoyable woods race I have ever done and I loved the layout of the course. It had natural jumps, sweepers, tight turns, tight woods and long steep tight hills that made me love my 4-stroke and absolutely adore my auto-clutch.
I am happy I pushed as best I could. When I was done this was the most worn out I have ever been after a race that I have completed. I was on the verge of vomitting from being so tired and worn out. It took a good 30 minutes on the ride home to get my bearings. Luckily Vince was there to drive.
Today I feel good and am ready to start stepping up my riding. I need to be more aggressive throughout the 90 minute race and work a little harder. After some of the faster riders went by I busted ass to keep up with them and I learned a few things. Now I just need to keep busting ass after they leave me instead of getting back into a comfortable zone.
Overall I give this past weekend an A+.
Ivan
First, Saturday night it was racing at Shelby, SX on their redesigned track. The changes are pretty cool. More table tops, bigger table tops and now 2 step ups.
The track is tight as can be and the whoop section is killer. There was stiff penalty for making a mistake. I lost a lot of time in the whoops. I also had the 6th and 8th race so
I knew right off I would be a tired puppy.
I signed up for +30c/d and Unl Rookie. In the heats I pretty much was just trying to get used to the track and the auto clutch. I started to do much better than the previous week at Parker Valley in terms of using the auto clutch.
In the main of Unl Rookie I got a so-so start. I think I was around 6th out of 11 into the first turn. I quickly turned that 6th into a 7th and stayed their most of the race. I tried to make up time by doubling through the whoops but after the 2nd set (13 total whoops) I bobbled and the bike hit my chest protector and that hit my throat. I slowed it down but still tried to double through. I finished 7th out of 11 but the 2 ahead of me were about my speed. I just could not catch them b/c of the trouble I was having in the whoops.
In the +30c/d everyone took off and I had a last place start. I did what I could to ride as fast as I could but once the field seperated things pretty much stayed in that order the entire race. I finished 5th out of 6th but the 6th place guy was a DNF.
In the 250D Danny was racing and had a 3rd place start off the line. He held it for about 2 laps and then it appeared the whoops were getting to him. He faded a little and went to 4th. Then he went wide in a corner and dropped to 5th. If he wouldn't have went wide I believe he would have held on to 4th place. He got 5th overall and a trophy!! Way to go
Danny!!!
Gomer seemed to do well. I can't remember where he ended up but he was doubling through the whoops and doing a heck of a job.
Paul and Lee did well too. Paul had a time as he kept getting run off the track either by another rider or from a light breeze that ran through :) Lee would have done better but his stomach gasses seemed to bother him (and everyone else) <g>
We got home around midnight and I quickly went to bed. The next morning Vince and I loaded up and headed to Taylorsville for a Harescramble.
The race was in the mountains and it was the first time there ever was a race there so the course was slick and tough. It was probably the most technical woods course I've ever ridden. There was fast spots (4th gear) and really tight 1st gear stuff. There were even 2 really good size mud-holes with case deep ruts.
On the first lap I was in 20th place for my class and 130th overall (thank goodness for electronic scoring at www.nchsa.org). We got caught in a bottleneck on a steep and slick hill. The auto clutch was a life saver there as I worked my way through people to make my own line. However, right when I was about to bust through Vince came from another line and roosted me good. Damn him :)
Then we came up on this big pond of some sort. In it were a few bikes with ribbon on their bars and front ends. The water was up to their gas tanks. The blew the corner and took the ribbons with them so a lot of people missed the turn. Luckily for my basketball peripheral vision I was able to see the correct markers and went the right way.
Vince and I rode the first lap together and were doing pretty well. I has some good speed this year and is tough to stay with. Unfortunately, he fell and hit his knee and after he got to the scoring tent he called it a day.
I continued on and improved on my 28 minute first lap. I followed it up with a 24 minute second lap and went from 20th in my class to 16th and 130th over all to 114 overall. I had fun on that lap and felt like I was flying. I passed more people than I ever have in the woods and I was even passing in the tight stuff.
I got a little tired on the 3rd lap but kept pushing. My time fell to the 25 minute range (the leaders of my class were still doing 20-21 minute laps and the avg was around 23 minutes). I did go from 114 to 112 overall and up to 15th in my class.
On the last lap I was tired and I jammed my right hand. Right where the webbing is between my thumb and index finger. It is pretty swollen today but not hurting now so I know things are ok but it made holding on in the tighter sections a bear. Still, even with that I tried to push. I saw on my last trip through scoring that I was 3:46 behind the next guy in my class.
I would push it, take a breather as I went slow, push it and then breathe again. My lap time was 26:28 seconds and I didn't catch the next guy but I went from being 3:46 behind him to being behind him by only 42 seconds. I also picked up another spot overall and finished 111th out of 154 overall and 15th out of 24 in my class.
It was by far the most enjoyable woods race I have ever done and I loved the layout of the course. It had natural jumps, sweepers, tight turns, tight woods and long steep tight hills that made me love my 4-stroke and absolutely adore my auto-clutch.
I am happy I pushed as best I could. When I was done this was the most worn out I have ever been after a race that I have completed. I was on the verge of vomitting from being so tired and worn out. It took a good 30 minutes on the ride home to get my bearings. Luckily Vince was there to drive.
Today I feel good and am ready to start stepping up my riding. I need to be more aggressive throughout the 90 minute race and work a little harder. After some of the faster riders went by I busted ass to keep up with them and I learned a few things. Now I just need to keep busting ass after they leave me instead of getting back into a comfortable zone.
Overall I give this past weekend an A+.
Ivan