- Oct 20, 2000
- 2,963
- 2
Preperation for the weekend went about the same as any other, late getting home from work, no time to load up and a deadline to meet.
Tigger & I finally pulled out of Robinson about 7:30pm headed for Whitney. We were to meet Blackhawk468 in the pits before dark so there's not time to baby the p.o.s. RV (the beast / the saddle and a few other names it's been called) so it's time to see what she'll do. It has no speedometer so I guess that was a mute point.
Luck was on our side as we both pulled in about the same time, she was coming from N. Dallas. The 3 of us spent the evening setting up camp and eating before turning in for the night.
Saturday morning just before dawn I rolled out of the sack to go register (riding the 125 beginner class). By the time I got back Blackhawk was rolling out of bed, she registered on line. Next thing I knew it was time for practice. WOW, my 1st time on the Whitney track! Every track should be this nice! After a few laps it was back to the RV and a little note comparing with Blackhawk. She's riding the Ladies class which is moto 7 I think, I'm moto 9.
Blackhawk pulls a major holeshot and proceeds to kick some girl butt! Moto 1 she's 2nd and moto 2 she's 3rd. 3rd overall, not bad for someone that never rides!
My moto comes up and I find myself heading into the whoop section about twice as fast as I had done in practice. Most of my bike tripled in but not all of it. :uh: I didn't make that mistake again. I found this one step up looking jump back in the woods that was a lot of fun so I practiced my freestyle on it. I like this new move I busted out with where both feet are off the pegs, the bike sort of leans (similar to a whip) and you throw your leg over the seat holding on with the back part of you knee area. I didn't try that one but once :D . There were some awesome you could just slam into and go for it. There were also some that you had better not try it with. :scream: In all Sat was perfect except I sure wish I had placed better that 10th.
Sat night the storm blew in. It tossed a 5 gallon bucket of cement from the H.O.H semi about a 100 yards to land just in front of the RV. Ripped up a lot of canopies and chairs but never touched my EZ-up. Go figure.. I said it was perfect.
Sunday we just hung out and watched the races.
Monday rolls around and the day I'd been waiting for was here. The 2nd anuall Iron Man Challange. I had made a last minute change in plans and desided to ride in the old farts class while Blackhawk did the beginner. Wouldn't you know it, they let the old men go last just as the sun was at it's highest point in the sky. This Iron Man was different from any other I'd seen. It was a cold start. Someone held our bikes and we were to run up to them, start them and ride for an hour. I gotta tell you it was the longest hour of my life. After the 4th lap my left hand was numb. By the 8th lap I had pulled off the track to find the hose to my newly aquired Camel Pack. About 10 laps into it they flagged the half way point and it was to the pitting area for gas and a wet towell. I wasn't stopped any longer that 30 seconds and it was off with a full tank of gas, a wet towell around my neck and half a bottle or water down my shirt and pants. The 2nd half of the race went a little faster because I was counting laps. I wasn't getting as many laps in as I was before. After a couple more laps I had forgotten everything. Tigger was standing off the track with the pit board cheering me on but it was all I could do to make it aroound the track. After an hour the race was over and I finished last. Back to the RV and take a breather I can finally start to feel my fingers again on my left hand. As I sat there and realized I had accomplished my goal of finishing I realized just how fast the other old guys are and how out of shape I must be.
It's now a week gone by and I'm ready to do it again. Man that was fun! :aj:
Tigger & I finally pulled out of Robinson about 7:30pm headed for Whitney. We were to meet Blackhawk468 in the pits before dark so there's not time to baby the p.o.s. RV (the beast / the saddle and a few other names it's been called) so it's time to see what she'll do. It has no speedometer so I guess that was a mute point.
Luck was on our side as we both pulled in about the same time, she was coming from N. Dallas. The 3 of us spent the evening setting up camp and eating before turning in for the night.
Saturday morning just before dawn I rolled out of the sack to go register (riding the 125 beginner class). By the time I got back Blackhawk was rolling out of bed, she registered on line. Next thing I knew it was time for practice. WOW, my 1st time on the Whitney track! Every track should be this nice! After a few laps it was back to the RV and a little note comparing with Blackhawk. She's riding the Ladies class which is moto 7 I think, I'm moto 9.
Blackhawk pulls a major holeshot and proceeds to kick some girl butt! Moto 1 she's 2nd and moto 2 she's 3rd. 3rd overall, not bad for someone that never rides!
My moto comes up and I find myself heading into the whoop section about twice as fast as I had done in practice. Most of my bike tripled in but not all of it. :uh: I didn't make that mistake again. I found this one step up looking jump back in the woods that was a lot of fun so I practiced my freestyle on it. I like this new move I busted out with where both feet are off the pegs, the bike sort of leans (similar to a whip) and you throw your leg over the seat holding on with the back part of you knee area. I didn't try that one but once :D . There were some awesome you could just slam into and go for it. There were also some that you had better not try it with. :scream: In all Sat was perfect except I sure wish I had placed better that 10th.
Sat night the storm blew in. It tossed a 5 gallon bucket of cement from the H.O.H semi about a 100 yards to land just in front of the RV. Ripped up a lot of canopies and chairs but never touched my EZ-up. Go figure.. I said it was perfect.
Sunday we just hung out and watched the races.
Monday rolls around and the day I'd been waiting for was here. The 2nd anuall Iron Man Challange. I had made a last minute change in plans and desided to ride in the old farts class while Blackhawk did the beginner. Wouldn't you know it, they let the old men go last just as the sun was at it's highest point in the sky. This Iron Man was different from any other I'd seen. It was a cold start. Someone held our bikes and we were to run up to them, start them and ride for an hour. I gotta tell you it was the longest hour of my life. After the 4th lap my left hand was numb. By the 8th lap I had pulled off the track to find the hose to my newly aquired Camel Pack. About 10 laps into it they flagged the half way point and it was to the pitting area for gas and a wet towell. I wasn't stopped any longer that 30 seconds and it was off with a full tank of gas, a wet towell around my neck and half a bottle or water down my shirt and pants. The 2nd half of the race went a little faster because I was counting laps. I wasn't getting as many laps in as I was before. After a couple more laps I had forgotten everything. Tigger was standing off the track with the pit board cheering me on but it was all I could do to make it aroound the track. After an hour the race was over and I finished last. Back to the RV and take a breather I can finally start to feel my fingers again on my left hand. As I sat there and realized I had accomplished my goal of finishing I realized just how fast the other old guys are and how out of shape I must be.
It's now a week gone by and I'm ready to do it again. Man that was fun! :aj: