Friday 5/21
I take off from work at noon. By 1pm my friend Brian and I are loaded up a ready for the 5+ hr drive to Reno. I decided to take scenic hwy 88 instead of I-80. At about 7500ft, snow began to fall. I was happy to see the ground getting moist. @ 8000 ft, the snow was heavy. Many street bikes were stranded in the bad weather and a few cars were off the road. I dropped the s-10 into 4wd and headed over the top.
We arrived at my friend Tims house and ate pizza and downed a couple cold ones. We needed to get up at about 5:30 am and drive the 1 hr to honey lake.
Saturday 5/22
We get up and get to the track at 7:30 am. Practice is over by the time we get signed up. Me and 2 other friends are set to race @ 9:30 in the 250intermediate class. We go to the line cold and not knowing where the track goes. The race starts with you on the right side of the bike, both feet on the ground and your left hand on the helmet with the engine running. I got a decent jump and saw both of my buddies in front of me. I got by my friend Kane early, but Brian was gone. We left the track and headed into a series of rocky, steep, dry, narrow washes, back onto the track, up the famous 400 ft uphill, back down, off the track into super technical drop-offs and gully's, back onto the track and back to the start/finish area. One lap, much arm pump, but perfect dirt! Finally after 3 laps and many battles, the arm pump went away and I began to get comfortable. At lap 5 my friend Brian was pulled over waving me by. His arms had pumped and he could no longer wrestle the DRZ 400. Yes, he was smoking me on a drz400! At the end of the race, I was feeling good & expected a top five finish.
We all met back at the trucks and contemplated doing another hour+ long race. An additional 3 friends had signed up for the 1:30 open race, so we bucked-up and went for it. Brian, Kane, me, Kelly, Robert and Ryan all headed for the line just after 1. I could see Brian get another awesome start. Me, Kane and Robert went into turn 1 at the same time, about mid pack. I came out behind those 2 and Kelly also. At the top of the big hill, we were all 4 in line and battling! I followed Kelly and put on some pressure, but he fought me off for half a lap or so. I passed Kane just at the start of the 2nd lap and finally got Robert just after that. It was a big advantage to know where the good lines were from the previous race. I didn't get arm pump this time, but after making many passes the first few laps, I was completely spent. I had no idea what place I was in, and I didn't care. The track was beat from all the racing, and so was I.
We all met back up again and talked it over. We decided to do the Sunday morning Vet race at 7:30 am. As we went to check the results and get some food, we ran into some friends and bs'd for a while. Brian went 6-2 in the 2 races, I went 3-3, Kane went 8-8, Kelly got 10th in open B and Robert 13th and Ryan crashed out. A wind storm had begun to whip around, and Kelly's tent was getting blow around. The rest of us had lodging for the night, so we headed out after doing some bike maintainance.
We got showered up and hit a local bowling alley for a quick bite to eat and then headed back to the rooms for some rest.
Sunday 5/23
The wind finally died down, and the track was groomed and watered. We were the first ones on it this day. I got off to another bad start and only Kelly was behind me. I got past Kane just before we left the track for the first time. Brian and Robert were way out front. At the bottom of the big uphill, Robert crashed and was swallowed up by everybody. Kane and Kelly were right behind me. I felt good right away and began moving up in the field. The riders were crashing and getting backed up in the gully's. I was stuck and losing time to Brian, who had wholeshot and checked out. I noticed Kelly Yancy picking her way through the pack a few bikes ahead of me. I made some good passes and got by her about a lap later. I felt good the rest of the way, but I knew my start had doomed me. Third again. Kelly followed me up through the pack for 6th and Kane was 8th again. Brian was bumped to the A class after the win.
We loaded up and decided to watch the Pro race. Kurt Caselli took the wholeshot with Nate Woods right there. Mike Kiedrowski crashed in the first turn and was last. He managed to get all the way to 3rd by the end. Ty Davis caught Woods and passed him about 40 minutes into the race. They went back and forth all day with Woods finally winning. Russ Pearson was 4th, rounding out another big day for Yamaha. Local D-36 ace Bryce Olsen finished 10th in the pro race, but was taken out in a wierd finish line crash with Ty Davis!?
The weather was perfect sunday and the racing was so fun to watch. If anyone ever gets a chance to do one of these races, you should. I'll try to make the semi-pro class next year.
I take off from work at noon. By 1pm my friend Brian and I are loaded up a ready for the 5+ hr drive to Reno. I decided to take scenic hwy 88 instead of I-80. At about 7500ft, snow began to fall. I was happy to see the ground getting moist. @ 8000 ft, the snow was heavy. Many street bikes were stranded in the bad weather and a few cars were off the road. I dropped the s-10 into 4wd and headed over the top.
We arrived at my friend Tims house and ate pizza and downed a couple cold ones. We needed to get up at about 5:30 am and drive the 1 hr to honey lake.
Saturday 5/22
We get up and get to the track at 7:30 am. Practice is over by the time we get signed up. Me and 2 other friends are set to race @ 9:30 in the 250intermediate class. We go to the line cold and not knowing where the track goes. The race starts with you on the right side of the bike, both feet on the ground and your left hand on the helmet with the engine running. I got a decent jump and saw both of my buddies in front of me. I got by my friend Kane early, but Brian was gone. We left the track and headed into a series of rocky, steep, dry, narrow washes, back onto the track, up the famous 400 ft uphill, back down, off the track into super technical drop-offs and gully's, back onto the track and back to the start/finish area. One lap, much arm pump, but perfect dirt! Finally after 3 laps and many battles, the arm pump went away and I began to get comfortable. At lap 5 my friend Brian was pulled over waving me by. His arms had pumped and he could no longer wrestle the DRZ 400. Yes, he was smoking me on a drz400! At the end of the race, I was feeling good & expected a top five finish.
We all met back at the trucks and contemplated doing another hour+ long race. An additional 3 friends had signed up for the 1:30 open race, so we bucked-up and went for it. Brian, Kane, me, Kelly, Robert and Ryan all headed for the line just after 1. I could see Brian get another awesome start. Me, Kane and Robert went into turn 1 at the same time, about mid pack. I came out behind those 2 and Kelly also. At the top of the big hill, we were all 4 in line and battling! I followed Kelly and put on some pressure, but he fought me off for half a lap or so. I passed Kane just at the start of the 2nd lap and finally got Robert just after that. It was a big advantage to know where the good lines were from the previous race. I didn't get arm pump this time, but after making many passes the first few laps, I was completely spent. I had no idea what place I was in, and I didn't care. The track was beat from all the racing, and so was I.
We all met back up again and talked it over. We decided to do the Sunday morning Vet race at 7:30 am. As we went to check the results and get some food, we ran into some friends and bs'd for a while. Brian went 6-2 in the 2 races, I went 3-3, Kane went 8-8, Kelly got 10th in open B and Robert 13th and Ryan crashed out. A wind storm had begun to whip around, and Kelly's tent was getting blow around. The rest of us had lodging for the night, so we headed out after doing some bike maintainance.
We got showered up and hit a local bowling alley for a quick bite to eat and then headed back to the rooms for some rest.
Sunday 5/23
The wind finally died down, and the track was groomed and watered. We were the first ones on it this day. I got off to another bad start and only Kelly was behind me. I got past Kane just before we left the track for the first time. Brian and Robert were way out front. At the bottom of the big uphill, Robert crashed and was swallowed up by everybody. Kane and Kelly were right behind me. I felt good right away and began moving up in the field. The riders were crashing and getting backed up in the gully's. I was stuck and losing time to Brian, who had wholeshot and checked out. I noticed Kelly Yancy picking her way through the pack a few bikes ahead of me. I made some good passes and got by her about a lap later. I felt good the rest of the way, but I knew my start had doomed me. Third again. Kelly followed me up through the pack for 6th and Kane was 8th again. Brian was bumped to the A class after the win.
We loaded up and decided to watch the Pro race. Kurt Caselli took the wholeshot with Nate Woods right there. Mike Kiedrowski crashed in the first turn and was last. He managed to get all the way to 3rd by the end. Ty Davis caught Woods and passed him about 40 minutes into the race. They went back and forth all day with Woods finally winning. Russ Pearson was 4th, rounding out another big day for Yamaha. Local D-36 ace Bryce Olsen finished 10th in the pro race, but was taken out in a wierd finish line crash with Ty Davis!?
The weather was perfect sunday and the racing was so fun to watch. If anyone ever gets a chance to do one of these races, you should. I'll try to make the semi-pro class next year.
