first round of yz thunder series-oklahoma

[mx547]

i haven't posted a race report in awhile so i thought i'd share this one with you all:


saturday was the first round of the annual yz thunder series at ascot park in dora, oklahoma. i felt sick all day and didn't really want to go but i had planned to run the series this year and didn't want to start out with a zero. i almost didn't go but loaded up at the last minute and headed down there.

i signed up in 40+ and there were fourteen riders (that is a huge class around here). i was the only two-stroke on the gate. the gate dropped for the first moto and i got a good jump but two guys pulled me to the first turn. one went tight and one went wide. i went right between them and took the lead. i lead for about a lap and a half before a guy on a ktm 505 passed me. he pulled about fifty feet on me quickly and i followed him the rest of the moto. on the last lap, i closed on him and got within a bike length. we caught up to a couple lappers and one moved over and blocked me and the ktm got away. i was still happy with second as i was just hoping for a top five but i knew i could beat him.

the second moto, the ktm got the holeshot and i was second. i stayed right on his tail and dogged him the whole moto. on the last lap, we came up on a long straightway followed by a left 180. we were coming up on some lappers and i saw him go outside on the straight to get around the lappers which would set him up wide into the turn. i took the inside and held it pinned all the way down the straight. i got a little ahead coming into the turn and let my bike drift over into his line. he backed off and i had the lead. i held it to the checkers - 2/1 for first overall. damn it was fun! what a great way to start the series.

and to think that i almost stayed home.

 

[DWreck]

Feeling bad, riding a two stroke and still pulling off the win against a 505 no less. Pretty impressive.

 

[olderndirtmom]

Nice!

 

[Sawblade]

Nice report Jay. Did they run on time or was it a late one?

 

[mx547]

they ALWAYS run late. i was moto 22 out of 25. my second moto was at 1:00 a.m. we got home at 4:00 a.m.

 

[BSWIFT]

Congrats, Jay. That's a great series, except for always running late.

 

[mx547]

round two, may 19. there were nine of us in 40+. i was the only two-stroke. first moto, i got a third place start. on the second lap, the leader screwed up and the second place guy on a #57 kx450f, and i went by him. on the fourth lap, i passed #57 in the same section. i pulled a little on him, backed off slightly and held the lead to the finish. the original leader stalled later and couldn't restart, finishing last. so i knew i didn't have to worry about him in the second moto. i pretty much just had to beat #57 to get the overall.

in the second moto, i got a second place start. naturally, #57 was leading. i charged hard and kept getting a wheel in on him but couldn't make a pass. i could've knocked him down easily but i wanted to make it fair. on the third lap, i dove inside of him in a sharp left-hander. he screamed an expletive loudly, i guess he thought that i was going to hit him. i took the lead but he never backed off and stayed within a few bike lengths the rest of the moto so i had to ride 100% the whole way. i ended up with a 1/1 and was just thrilled. after two rounds i have a comfortable twelve point lead on second place.

my races were on a split gate with the "faster" class going first. we caught and passed two or three of them in both motos. i guess us old guys aren't so slow after all.

this is really fun. i'm having a good time. i even got home an hour earlier than last time. :)

 

[Jeff Gilbert]

Ever consider trading that 2 smoke in on a thumper Jay?

 

[mx547]

Ever consider trading that 2 smoke in on a thumper Jay?

thought about it, decided not to. i can't really do anything right now because of money (or lack of). actually i could buy a new bike, i just couldn't afford to ride it.

round three was this past saturday night. i went 1/2 for first overall. i got passed in the last turn of the last lap in the second moto. my front end climbed out of a rut and i left the door open for the guy behind me. i knew i was okay for the overall so i didn't push it. he was on a brand new ktm 450. i'm on a five year-old two stroke with a year-old top end and the same tires since november so i'm pretty comfortable with my performance.

 

[mx547]

the two stroke let me down.

i raced the fourth round of the series sunday. the track is next to the arkansas river and it's been under water for a few weeks so they built a new track up on the high grounds there. it was a short tt style track with alot of tight switchbacks and only a few small jumps. the soil is soft sandy loam and is awesome. it was my kind of track, perfect for a two stroke. i was confident of another win.

40+ was the biggest class of the day and they gated us with 30+ and 30+ expert so we had a pretty full gate. i had a horrible first moto start. i was probably third from last. the track was so tight that the slower guys were stacking up in the corners. i probably bumped wheels about a dozen times but i never went down. normally, i get good starts so i never get to pass anyone. it was a blast, diving into the corners under the top-heavy four strokes and blasting the sand berms on the outsides. i was smiling the whole time. i slowly worked my way through the pack and after about five laps i finally got an open track. i could see another 40+ rider about thirty bike lengths ahead of me and i started to close on him. i got within about four bike lengths by the checkers. it turned out that he was the 40+ winner so i felt good about my chances in the second moto. i talked to him and he said that he got a great start, so i knew that all i needed was a decent start and i could take him.

i got the gate pick i wanted for the second moto. the starter was going down the line to see if everyone was ready and my bike died. i held up my hand, then kicked and kicked and kicked (just like a four stroke rider). it never started. i waved them off and pushed my bike to the finish line with a fouled plug. i took last place points. i was bummed. a couple of guys bailed before the second moto so i ended up with a 2/7 for fourth overall.

i've been racing for over twenty years and that was the first time this has happened to me.

 

[DWreck]

Bummer. How many rounds do they score for the championship?

In Blackjack they count your best 7 out of 10.

 

[mx547]

you get two drops. i think there are nine rounds.

 

[mx547]

round five was saturday, august 4th. i had a little good luck go my way this time (or bad luck go other's way).

my arch-rival and main competition for the points lead had a trailer bearing go out on the way to the track. he was in and out all night chasing parts and didn't get to race so he was out of the picture.

we had a few new guys in the class this time. i knew a couple of them, knew they were faster than me and both had just turned 40. since they hadn't been running the series in my class, i didn't need to beat them for points.

i got a fourth place start in the first moto. on the second lap, i blocked passed my way into third and remained there for the rest of the moto. the two aforementioned new guys beat me. i was pretty close to second but the winner was long gone.

in the second moto, i got a fourth place start again but i went into the first turn too fast and went off the track. i rejoined the race in sixth. i passed a couple of riders quickly but the first three had a good lead on me. then lady luck kicked in. on the third lap, the rider ahead of me went down. that put me in third. then the next lap, my buddy that i block passed in the first moto went down too. that put me comfortably in second but way behind the leader. i just rode smooth for the points and finished second. the guy that had won the first moto didn't show up for the second one so i ended up with a 3/2 for second overall.

i now have a pretty good points lead and if i keep my head on straight, i will have a great shot at the series championship.

four rounds to go!

 

[DWreck]

Good job.

 

[mx547]

round six was saturday, august 18th. as i prepared for practice, i noticed that my silencer core was broken and out of alignment. the silencer was still riveted together and i didn't have a drill so i didn't risk taking it apart. i just decided to ride with it and see what happened. i ran ten laps of practice and it didn't present any problems so i went ahead and raced with it like that.

the turnout for my class was the smallest of the series so far, only seven riders. there was a threat of rain all day and i think that kept some of them away. in the first moto, i got a second place start. i was behind a buddy of mine who was riding a yzf450. we immediately started doing battle. i would get up beside him in some sections, then he would pull away on the straights. i had his number in the whoops. i would pull two-three bike lengths on him there. we passed back and forth four or five times. on the fourth lap, i got him in the whoops and made it stick. he seemed to tire a little and i finished about five bike lengths ahead of him for the win. it was a blast, probably the most fun moto of the series so far. the silencer problem didn't seem to affect the performance of the bike (although it messed with my head a little).

in the second moto, i bogged out of the gate, got cut off, and ended up with a fourth place start. i passed one guy quickly but the guy in third put up a fight. i managed to pass him in a sweeper on the second lap. my buddy was out in front again. i set after him. there was one section on the track with a wide sweeping berm on the outside of the turn. my buddy used that line, i always took the inside, tight line. i caught up to him on the third lap. i saw him go to the berm, so i stuck the inside and block passed him. he dogged me the rest of the moto but i wouldn't let him get beside me. i crossed the finish line about two bike lengths ahead. it was another fun race and we were both exhausted but happy.

the guy that was second behind me in points finished fourth so i put a few more points between us. my buddy is third in points but i should be safely ahead of him.

i ordered a new silencer today--three rounds to go.

 

[Okiewan]

Fun read Jay... keep 'em coming and good luck with the rest of the series!

 

[YZ165]

Nice Job Jay!

 

[BSWIFT]

:cool: Great report, Jay.

 

[mx547]

round seven, august 25. another small turnout. the track was rained on heavily in the morning but was perfect by race time.

in the first moto, i got a fifth place start. everybody took weird lines or played follow the leader so i just took what space was left and passed into the lead by the third turn. by the third lap, i could hear a four-stroke behind me, pushing me so i took a safe inside line in the 180 degree turn after the finish line. i took it too tight and went down. i had trouble starting my bike (i felt like a four-stroke rider :debil: ), finally got it going but ended up fifth.

in the second moto, i got a little better start and once again quickly had the lead. this time the battle was on! these guys were fighting for it. in just about every turn, one of them would show me a wheel. i held my lines and made them work for it. i wasn't about to give away another one. there were two of them right behind me, sometimes beside me. i could never pull more than a couple bike lengths on them, then they would make it up somewhere else. i held them off until the final corner. i heard one of them come up next to me on the inside so i held it pinned across the finish line jump, overjumping it by about twenty feet. i won by less than a half a bike length. the third place guy was right on second place too. it was easily the best race of the night (it's becoming the norm in my class). my daughter who was watching from the bleachers said everyone started clapping as we crossed the finish line. i ended up with a 5/1 for third overall. we all gathered around after the moto and relived it, wishing someone had video - too bad.

we're having a great time and racing close and clean. we're all friends and that's what it's all about.

 

[rushy08]

That was a great read mate. Be sure to keep us updated.

 

[BSWIFT]

:cool: Great report, Jay.

 

[mx547]

round eight, september 15th. the track was in great shape and the weather was beautiful. the dirt there is perfect. it stays really tacky and never gets dusty, even after the quads have been on it. they only water it before practice and it never needs watered again.

i was moto number ten. i was watching some of the earlier motos and they had two crashes which resulted in injuries, one broken leg and one broken collarbone. those sort of things usually don't affect me but for some reason it bothered me this time. i know my time is coming (again) and i wondered if i was going to be next. most of the time, my g/f goes with me but last night it was just me and my ten year-old daughter. i considered talking to a couple friends to plan what to do if "something happens". i decided not to say anything and just put it out of my mind. i hate seeing people get hurt and i hate being hurt myself. i've definitely had my share.

the turnout was light again and i only had five bikes in my class. once again, i was the only two stroke. in the first moto, i backed up about four feet from the gate and got a rolling start. i timed it perfectly and got the holeshot. i led the entire moto but i could hear a bike right on me the whole time. i had to resist looking back to see who it was. i'm always thinking about the points and wondered if i could give up a spot, if necessary. all five of these guys are capable of running up front so it could've been any one of them. he dogged me all the way to the finish but i never gave him an opening. as we crossed the finish line, i noticed it was my buddy jay (obviously, he's a good guy judging by his name). i watched for third place and we had put several seconds on him. i was surprised because we rarely have a runaway. jay hooped and hollered a little and we stopped at his pit and talked about how good our racing has been this year.

in moto two, i tried my back-up-from-the-gate start strategy again but it didn't work. i got a good jump but bogged a little as i went over the gate. that was just enough of a slip to let the four strokes by. i got pushed wide in the first turn and came out in fourth. within three turns, i was able to take over second but jay had gotten the holeshot and had a pretty good lead on me by then. i chased him and closed to within a couple bike lengths but i just couldn't get close enough to make a pass. on the last lap, i tried a different line in the big sweeper and i went over the berm and way off the track. i lost about three seconds there but i managed to stay ahead of third place, settling for second and second overall. it was jay's first win of the series after several second place finishes and he was thrilled. i was happy for him.

the guy that is second in points finished fourth so i put three more points on him. i added up the points this morning and it looks like i have enough to win the championship regardless of what happens at the final round. one more to go. i can't wait! this has really been a fun series.

 

[Okiewan]

As always, great read Jay. Good luck with the last round.

 

[DWreck]

Way to go. Jay has more trophies than Ricky Carmichael.

 

[BSWIFT]

Good job Jay!