Upland Enduro Report.
Rode the Upland Enduro with Team PTP Sunday. Alternate rider “Cookie” filled in so “ACE GAS MAN” - M. Maurer could run gas for us. Trip started out by me arriving at the Ultimate KTM Shop –LANSING CYCLE where my poor buddy Napper was working hard on a Saturday morning. I helped the poor over whelmed guy by going to the ware house to fetch a tire for him so he could handle the full showroom.
ACE GAS MAN shows up, we load up the Freddy Racemobile RV and off we go.
We arrive at Upland a little lfter 4 PM their time (5 PM MI Time) do some socializing, set up camp and sign up. Row 38. All the usual pre-race stuff happens including a ICO seminar being held by Leroy for Napper. So all the route sheets are set, computers programmed and gas truck accommodations arranged. We have the pre race meal consisting of Pasta and Spaghetti made by my daughter to the race team.
To ease the pre race tension we watch the Team PTP TEAM MOVIE – “Road trip”
We get started and pretty soon the ‘ol RV is packed with guys laughing hysterically. The movie has special meaning to many members of Team PTP and that’s why it’s the Team Movie. Ask Maurer about that. After the Movie it’s lights out and sack time.
Key time was 10 AM Indiana time or 11 AM Mi time so we had tons of time in the morning. Seems some fellas felt the need to disrespect the number plate of Nappers race steed but they will get what’s coming to them on another occasion. Team PTP is bond.
OK, so as we are ready to start we notice local fast guy Jeff Fredette is in front of us so we know we got a good number. Flag drops and off we go. First few miles were free territory so we cruise to the first check in. Off we go and we’re moving pretty good going along an off camber up hill over a log, a team member has a slight bobble over a log and I try to dab but god for got tto make the two out side legs long enough and over I go. As I pick up the bike the friggin seat gets ripped off. Crap, is my day done already? Hell NO! Team PTP members NEVER quit. SO I stick the seat back on and ride to first gas in couch mode so it don’t fall off.Man it was dusty and the soil was hard as a rock and slippery, brakes were skidding every where –you had to be careful or you could easily over cook the corners. Other than an unfortunate screw up on a hill climb that cost me 2-3 minutes the first section is successful and I’m still going. But I lost 3 extra minutes riding in couch mode and screwing around on the hill. Oh well, I was still in the race with a seat that was falling off. :bang:
ACE GAS MAN makes the duct tape repairs and tapes the hell out of the seat and I’m good to go for the second half. I give Napper a big hug and off we go! Yee Haww! The second half was a lot more fun for me because I could ride the bike normal now. “Cookie” was gone each section but Napper and I rode together the whole second half, screaming at ACE GAS MAN each time we saw him. I was right on Nappers rear tire and we come down a road that dumps the trail back into the woods. It was a very tight right hander, down a steep bank and over the end piece of a guard rail. I end up losing the front tire and go over the bars down the hill right in front of ACE GAS MAN so the bike is pointing back up the hill. I have the trail all gobbed up so AGM (ACE GAS MAN) helps pull me out from under the bike and drags it to the top for another go. Thanks AGM! Off I go! I ended uop catching up to Napper some how and we tool around together. We get lost a couple times in the farmers fields and I make the spectacular wheelie over the gorge move much to the delight of Napper. (He was impressed) He got excited and tried to show me the wheelie over the mud hole trick but ended all wadded up on the other side spinning and shoving his bike. I take the alternate route around the hole and off we go. We decided to take a little fuel just before the very last restart so as I relieve my bladder AGM fills the tank and off I go about 20 seconds ahead of Napper. I get to the check in and Vic Flegle says my row just took off so I godda get moving. I check in and hammer down! Rode pretty well but carried the 30 seconds the whole section, good news is I zeroed the check in and there were a reasonable number of riders that didn’t. I hit the final check feeling pretty fresh still and took off. I was confused if there was another Known Control at the finish and I knew I could hit it hot but lose points if I was late so I took off. (Napper was upset that I didn’t wait for him to celebrate our Teams Finish but I’m getting old and confuse easily)
Back at the start we celebrate our finish with an ice cold beer and compare scores, Napper gets me by a minute over all from my dinking around before the first gas. Team PTP did pretty well, Napper being the stud that he is was disappointed in his day but had fun. He got 5th in his class, I got 8th in my class and hooked the last piece of hardware offered and Cookie got 4th in 250 A class. So we did pretty good. The Becker Twins have me in their “Hardware Photo” of all the guys that got trophies. I felt like I was on the podium. I think I got 4th place in D14 points race for my class so I’m happy with that, my class is pretty large with 23-25 riders and some local D-15 State Championship points for them as well.
Some where along the trail I slightly bipped my nose and it bled again but it was just scratched and not smashed this time so that’s a good thing.
I want to thank ACE GAS MAN for his superb work. I want to thank Napper for being my riding buddy the second half and I want to thank my Doctor for the suggestions on pre race training! :aj:
Freddy
Rode the Upland Enduro with Team PTP Sunday. Alternate rider “Cookie” filled in so “ACE GAS MAN” - M. Maurer could run gas for us. Trip started out by me arriving at the Ultimate KTM Shop –LANSING CYCLE where my poor buddy Napper was working hard on a Saturday morning. I helped the poor over whelmed guy by going to the ware house to fetch a tire for him so he could handle the full showroom.
ACE GAS MAN shows up, we load up the Freddy Racemobile RV and off we go.
We arrive at Upland a little lfter 4 PM their time (5 PM MI Time) do some socializing, set up camp and sign up. Row 38. All the usual pre-race stuff happens including a ICO seminar being held by Leroy for Napper. So all the route sheets are set, computers programmed and gas truck accommodations arranged. We have the pre race meal consisting of Pasta and Spaghetti made by my daughter to the race team.
To ease the pre race tension we watch the Team PTP TEAM MOVIE – “Road trip”
We get started and pretty soon the ‘ol RV is packed with guys laughing hysterically. The movie has special meaning to many members of Team PTP and that’s why it’s the Team Movie. Ask Maurer about that. After the Movie it’s lights out and sack time.
Key time was 10 AM Indiana time or 11 AM Mi time so we had tons of time in the morning. Seems some fellas felt the need to disrespect the number plate of Nappers race steed but they will get what’s coming to them on another occasion. Team PTP is bond.
OK, so as we are ready to start we notice local fast guy Jeff Fredette is in front of us so we know we got a good number. Flag drops and off we go. First few miles were free territory so we cruise to the first check in. Off we go and we’re moving pretty good going along an off camber up hill over a log, a team member has a slight bobble over a log and I try to dab but god for got tto make the two out side legs long enough and over I go. As I pick up the bike the friggin seat gets ripped off. Crap, is my day done already? Hell NO! Team PTP members NEVER quit. SO I stick the seat back on and ride to first gas in couch mode so it don’t fall off.Man it was dusty and the soil was hard as a rock and slippery, brakes were skidding every where –you had to be careful or you could easily over cook the corners. Other than an unfortunate screw up on a hill climb that cost me 2-3 minutes the first section is successful and I’m still going. But I lost 3 extra minutes riding in couch mode and screwing around on the hill. Oh well, I was still in the race with a seat that was falling off. :bang:
ACE GAS MAN makes the duct tape repairs and tapes the hell out of the seat and I’m good to go for the second half. I give Napper a big hug and off we go! Yee Haww! The second half was a lot more fun for me because I could ride the bike normal now. “Cookie” was gone each section but Napper and I rode together the whole second half, screaming at ACE GAS MAN each time we saw him. I was right on Nappers rear tire and we come down a road that dumps the trail back into the woods. It was a very tight right hander, down a steep bank and over the end piece of a guard rail. I end up losing the front tire and go over the bars down the hill right in front of ACE GAS MAN so the bike is pointing back up the hill. I have the trail all gobbed up so AGM (ACE GAS MAN) helps pull me out from under the bike and drags it to the top for another go. Thanks AGM! Off I go! I ended uop catching up to Napper some how and we tool around together. We get lost a couple times in the farmers fields and I make the spectacular wheelie over the gorge move much to the delight of Napper. (He was impressed) He got excited and tried to show me the wheelie over the mud hole trick but ended all wadded up on the other side spinning and shoving his bike. I take the alternate route around the hole and off we go. We decided to take a little fuel just before the very last restart so as I relieve my bladder AGM fills the tank and off I go about 20 seconds ahead of Napper. I get to the check in and Vic Flegle says my row just took off so I godda get moving. I check in and hammer down! Rode pretty well but carried the 30 seconds the whole section, good news is I zeroed the check in and there were a reasonable number of riders that didn’t. I hit the final check feeling pretty fresh still and took off. I was confused if there was another Known Control at the finish and I knew I could hit it hot but lose points if I was late so I took off. (Napper was upset that I didn’t wait for him to celebrate our Teams Finish but I’m getting old and confuse easily)
Back at the start we celebrate our finish with an ice cold beer and compare scores, Napper gets me by a minute over all from my dinking around before the first gas. Team PTP did pretty well, Napper being the stud that he is was disappointed in his day but had fun. He got 5th in his class, I got 8th in my class and hooked the last piece of hardware offered and Cookie got 4th in 250 A class. So we did pretty good. The Becker Twins have me in their “Hardware Photo” of all the guys that got trophies. I felt like I was on the podium. I think I got 4th place in D14 points race for my class so I’m happy with that, my class is pretty large with 23-25 riders and some local D-15 State Championship points for them as well.
Some where along the trail I slightly bipped my nose and it bled again but it was just scratched and not smashed this time so that’s a good thing.
I want to thank ACE GAS MAN for his superb work. I want to thank Napper for being my riding buddy the second half and I want to thank my Doctor for the suggestions on pre race training! :aj:
Freddy
