- Oct 20, 2000
- 2,963
- 2
The Waco Eagles, my local track, hosted its monthly mx race today and I was a part of it. Tigger was out of town for the weekend so I moseyed out to the track Saturday afternoon in the RV and camped out. I took the lawn mower and cut me a nice “yard” to park in and got it looking real nice while everyone else was out riding. It’s kind of an inside joke because we had a family actually move onto the club property and take up residency for more than a month before they were “forced” to leave. I told the guys I was going to put up a mailbox next and plant some flowers.
Sunday morning rolled around and I awoke refreshed and hungry. Instead of eating I sat out in the “yard” and watched the other racers pull in before I got ready for my day. Another DRNer joined me (can’t remember his screen name) but we are buddies. Shortly after that a musician buddy from days passed joined us, (his kid races). We all sat around waiting for signup and I just kept thinking, “I’m really hungry!”
It was time to practice so I geared up and went for 2 laps then headed back to the RV to conserve energy. I signed up for the Vet B class but figured I had better get the race order before I ate. As I headed back to the RV a bunch of little kids that saw me ride in a parade on Thursday spied me and made their way over. It was kind of a cool feeling to have a bunch of little kids gathered around asking all kinds of questions and wishing me a good race. By the time they moved on I didn’t have time to eat anything more than a nutritious “double stuffed Oreo cookie”, what a mistake that almost was, I could feel it as I made my way to the starting gate.
There were 10 of us signed up in my class and of coarse I was the only one on a 125. There were a few 2-stroke 250’s, a 300 2-stroke and the rest 450’s. Everyone was lined up on the right side of the starting gate so I chose the left side to start. Just before the card went up, another rider on a thumper lined up on my side to the outside of me. I knew I had to get a killer start or get stuffed.
As soon as my gate began to move I hammered it hard. It wasn’t good enough to get in front of the guy next to me and I was pushed me into the tires after we rubbed plastic a bit. I backed off just enough to fall in behind him but it slowed me way down in the 1st corner, I was 3rd coming out but we passed the guy in front of us. The next 3 jumps I had to back way off to avoid running into the back of him but this dude can corner.
I made the last turn before the drag strip and out of nowhere came a Honda rider. He merged onto the track in front of me and slowed just enough that I had to check my brakes hard. I managed to catch back up by the next corner but there were now 2 riders in front of me again. The next series of jumps I was right on the thumper and just couldn’t seem to get around. Finally I found a hole and took it, I was now in 2nd. The only thing in front of me was the Honda and he was flying. As I did the triple-double-triple I saw the Honda go over the berm in front of me, I was now in 1st.
2 laps I rode my heart out but all of a sudden the Honda shot between a tree and me as we hit the jump over the creek, this guy is a nut rider, especially for the Vet class. I finished the 1st race in 2nd and headed back to my “yard.” No sooner than I got there my pit was swarmed with little kids and all the other riders in my class telling me the Honda rider was cutting the track and was DQ’d, I had won!
I retreated to the comfort of my air-conditioned RV to escape my newly formed fan club and finally get something to eat. Feeling refreshed, I geared up for the afternoon race. I chose the same spot on the starting gate when I found out my nemesis had pulled out of the race. I was all by my lonesome on my side of the gate and I liked it that way.
The card went sideways and I made my attack. Out of the other side came a YZ250 and he was flying low. He shut the door on me in the 1st turn but I managed not to get caught up behind anyone else in the traffic. 2nd place out of the 1st turn and the guy in front of me was hauling butt. I made my 125 go faster than it ever had and was able to shut the door on an inside block pass. It was a great feeling to take the lead so early on but the things that run through your mind when you know you’re on the slowest bike in the race.
I was hoping to put as much distance between me and the rest of the field as soon a possible because I knew I was gonna get tired real quick running at that pace. It takes a lot of work to muscle that bike against the bigger ones, all I could think was I didn’t have enough power or speed to outrun the bigger bikes. I kept that thought for 5 laps.
I couldn’t hear the 300 on my back wheel but I sure could hear the YZF450 on his back tire. I began to ride defense on the last few turns but the 300 shot wide and took a outside line which crossed my line as the two of us hit an off-camber table-top. I had to jump off the side of the jump where the grass had grown over the track and he slipped past me. The next double I cross jumped and took his inside line but was really worried about the 450 now on my back tire. A quick recap of the point and I was still in good shape as long as the 450 didn’t pass me. I crossed the finish line about a wheel behind the 300 and was good enough for for me. Got me a 1-2, 1st overall and back to the RV and to my ecstatic fan club. What a fun day!
Sunday morning rolled around and I awoke refreshed and hungry. Instead of eating I sat out in the “yard” and watched the other racers pull in before I got ready for my day. Another DRNer joined me (can’t remember his screen name) but we are buddies. Shortly after that a musician buddy from days passed joined us, (his kid races). We all sat around waiting for signup and I just kept thinking, “I’m really hungry!”
It was time to practice so I geared up and went for 2 laps then headed back to the RV to conserve energy. I signed up for the Vet B class but figured I had better get the race order before I ate. As I headed back to the RV a bunch of little kids that saw me ride in a parade on Thursday spied me and made their way over. It was kind of a cool feeling to have a bunch of little kids gathered around asking all kinds of questions and wishing me a good race. By the time they moved on I didn’t have time to eat anything more than a nutritious “double stuffed Oreo cookie”, what a mistake that almost was, I could feel it as I made my way to the starting gate.
There were 10 of us signed up in my class and of coarse I was the only one on a 125. There were a few 2-stroke 250’s, a 300 2-stroke and the rest 450’s. Everyone was lined up on the right side of the starting gate so I chose the left side to start. Just before the card went up, another rider on a thumper lined up on my side to the outside of me. I knew I had to get a killer start or get stuffed.
As soon as my gate began to move I hammered it hard. It wasn’t good enough to get in front of the guy next to me and I was pushed me into the tires after we rubbed plastic a bit. I backed off just enough to fall in behind him but it slowed me way down in the 1st corner, I was 3rd coming out but we passed the guy in front of us. The next 3 jumps I had to back way off to avoid running into the back of him but this dude can corner.
I made the last turn before the drag strip and out of nowhere came a Honda rider. He merged onto the track in front of me and slowed just enough that I had to check my brakes hard. I managed to catch back up by the next corner but there were now 2 riders in front of me again. The next series of jumps I was right on the thumper and just couldn’t seem to get around. Finally I found a hole and took it, I was now in 2nd. The only thing in front of me was the Honda and he was flying. As I did the triple-double-triple I saw the Honda go over the berm in front of me, I was now in 1st.
2 laps I rode my heart out but all of a sudden the Honda shot between a tree and me as we hit the jump over the creek, this guy is a nut rider, especially for the Vet class. I finished the 1st race in 2nd and headed back to my “yard.” No sooner than I got there my pit was swarmed with little kids and all the other riders in my class telling me the Honda rider was cutting the track and was DQ’d, I had won!
I retreated to the comfort of my air-conditioned RV to escape my newly formed fan club and finally get something to eat. Feeling refreshed, I geared up for the afternoon race. I chose the same spot on the starting gate when I found out my nemesis had pulled out of the race. I was all by my lonesome on my side of the gate and I liked it that way.
The card went sideways and I made my attack. Out of the other side came a YZ250 and he was flying low. He shut the door on me in the 1st turn but I managed not to get caught up behind anyone else in the traffic. 2nd place out of the 1st turn and the guy in front of me was hauling butt. I made my 125 go faster than it ever had and was able to shut the door on an inside block pass. It was a great feeling to take the lead so early on but the things that run through your mind when you know you’re on the slowest bike in the race.
I was hoping to put as much distance between me and the rest of the field as soon a possible because I knew I was gonna get tired real quick running at that pace. It takes a lot of work to muscle that bike against the bigger ones, all I could think was I didn’t have enough power or speed to outrun the bigger bikes. I kept that thought for 5 laps.
I couldn’t hear the 300 on my back wheel but I sure could hear the YZF450 on his back tire. I began to ride defense on the last few turns but the 300 shot wide and took a outside line which crossed my line as the two of us hit an off-camber table-top. I had to jump off the side of the jump where the grass had grown over the track and he slipped past me. The next double I cross jumped and took his inside line but was really worried about the 450 now on my back tire. A quick recap of the point and I was still in good shape as long as the 450 didn’t pass me. I crossed the finish line about a wheel behind the 300 and was good enough for for me. Got me a 1-2, 1st overall and back to the RV and to my ecstatic fan club. What a fun day!
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