Chapter 19
Mark woke up to the sound of his alarm clock ringing at 7:00 in the morning. He hastily turned it off and got out of bed. Mark had posters of Jeremy McGrath and Travis Pastrana and every other famous motocrosser hanging all over his room. There were magazines everywhere too.
It felt weird top be sleeping in his own room again when he had been sleeping in hotels and on the floor for the past few weeks. Bud had told Mark that the next round would be with the whole US and it would be in Florida. Mark would stay and train during the week and then fly to Florida with Jeff on Thursday.
There was a knock on the door. “What?” Mark called.
“It’s time to go,” Mark’s mom said.
“Okay.” Mark put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and walked downstairs.
“Do you want something to eat?” His mom asked him. Mark shook his head, but she forced a piece of toast into his hand. After he ate it, Mark, his mom and his 2 brothers walked out to the car.
“Where’s Dad and Jeff?” asked Mark.
“They left half an hour ago,” she said. It took them about 15 minutes to get to the track. They had a hard time finding a parking spot, but they finally did. They then set off to find the Suzuki truck. It did not take them long. When Mark saw it his mouth dropped open, as did his brothers. The team Suzuki semi looked just like the pros rigs do except a little smaller. His bikes were sitting there on stands.
“Whoa, those are you’re bikes?!” Carson exclaimed. He ran over and started looking at them. Mark’s other brother Tim, on the other hand, walked into the semi and came out and said, “It is just like the pros factory rigs!”
“I’m gonna go look for Bobby,” Mark said, and set off. As he walked by TPA semi, he glanced at the bikes under the awning. There was an 85. Number 39. Mark knew the person who owned that bike. It was a boy that had haunted him while Mark had been racing 50’s, 65’s and until recently, 85’s. It was Chris Marvo’s KX85 with a TPA graphic kit on it. Mark couldn’t believe it. How could TPA accept a rider like Marvo? Marvo was just as bad as Blake Gopy.
Mark continued walking until he got to Bobby’s. He walked inside his trailer where his dad was working on his bike.
“Hey,” Mark said.
“Hey Mark,” he said, “How’s the factory team?”
“Awesome,” Mark said. “They gave me 3 bikes.”
“Man I wish Bobby would get a factory team,” Mr.Andrews said laughing.
“Where is Bobby?” Mark asked.
“Walking the track,” he said.
Mark walked to Bobby and said: “Chris Marvo’s here,”
“Who?” Bobby asked.
“He’s like Blake Gopy,” Mark said.
“Well, you’re probably faster than he is now,” Bobby said.
“Yea,” Mark said. “Maybe.”
“Pretty nice track,” Bobby commented.
“Yeah, the jumps are huge,” Mark said. Fishermen’s MX track was pretty short. Lap times were around 1:30. After you come around the first turn, you go down a short straight then take a right and launch over a huge 65 foot table top called Devil’s Table, then over a big single, a small double into a left hand turn. After the turn you jump a little triple into a hairpin turn over a 25 ft table, a right hand over a 50 foot table finish line jump. There was also a double, double, double rhythm section, but some riders were triple, tripling it. After that there is a 40 ft triple into a 50 foot double. Pretty intimidating.
Mrs. Peterson handed Mark his goggles with 5 tear off’s on them. They had “over watered” the track and he would probably be needing them, especially since he was at the back of the practice line. He was sitting on his 85 mod waiting for the okay to get out on the track. When they did he came around the corner trying to pass as many people as he could and trying not to get roosted at the same time. He was one of the few people who were clearing “Devils Table” as they came across it. Mark continued passing people until he was at the front of the pack with Bobby, Blake Gopy and to his disgust Chris Marvo. He passed Chris coming over the triple, double section, Mark was the only one doing them. After practice Mark pulled off his goggles (which were empty of tear off’s) and rode back to the trailer. Jeff took the bike to wash it and Mark sat down next to his mom.
“I’m tired,” Mark said, “I don’t think I’ll do supermini practice.” Then he walked into the semi and pulled a Rockstar out of the fridge and opened it. Mark could instantly feel the energy and decided to walk over to see Payton. He walked to their trailer and poked his head inside where her brother, Cody, was working on his bike.
“Do you know where Payton is?” Mark asked.
“She’s out on the bleachers,” Cody said, not really paying attention. Mark walked the pits to get to the bleachers, and when he got there he saw Payton and Stephanie sitting together. He sat down next to them.
“Hey,” Payton said. “How’s the factory ride?”
“Awesome,” Mark said, and he told them all about Bud’s house and training. He just got done telling them about his 3 bike’s when the next practice, 85C, came out. “That’s funny. That CR85 looks just like my old one I had until I switched to Suzuki.,” Mark said pointing at one of the fastest kids out on the track. It had the same graphics, wheels, suspension and everything. Mark looked at the boys chest protector. The name was PETERSON and the number was 27.
“That’s my brother,” Mark said slowly. “I didn’t know he was racing.” After watching him for a while Mark said, “He’s gonna win. He’s one of the fastest out there. My dad must’ve brought our trailer before I got up.”
Right after practice, Mark headed for the riders meeting. The announcer went over what to do on a yellow flag and all of the number changes and then he said something that caught his attention.
“For those of you that are in the top 10 in points, next week when the whole US merges into 1 event, there will be no qualifiers since there will only be 20 riders in a class, but a 2 moto format.,” Everyone was looking at each other, some people pleased, others not so happy. Mark groaned. He had always like the Supercross style format, but not a lot of places did it. Then they prayed and stood for the national anthem. Mark went to get ready for his qualifier at the trailer.
“They’re still watering the track,” Jeff said.
“What?!” Mark said, “It’s already muddy, now it’s just going to be worse!”
“It’s a good thing we brought lots of tear-off’s,” his mom said.
The Supermini heat was slippery, but Mark managed to scrape the win, even after sliding out. Right after he came across the finish line, Mark rode right over to the staging area to hop on his RM85 and get to the line. Jeff had given Mark a different set of goggles with fresh tear-off’s. Mark put them on as the card went up, then put his bike into gear. When the gate dropped Mark flew out of the gate and came around the first corner in second to Bobby Andrews. Bobby was roosting him and as he came across Devil’s Table, he pulled a tear-off. Big mistake. Mark didn’t get his hand on soon enough and when he landed his wheel turned and he went flying off the track. When Mark got up his shoulder hurt pretty bad, but he knew he would have to finish the race to get to the LCQ. Mark had some difficulty picking his bike up, but he got going and rode around the track slowly until the checkered flag. He knew he had got last, but he would be able to go to the last chance qualifier.
Mark pulled off the track and rode to the semi. He leaned his bike against it and pulled off his jersey. “Better get some ice on that shoulder,” Jeff said.
“I think we should go get it checked,” Mark said. His shoulder was really hurting him.
They walked over to the trackside doctor trailer and went inside. The doctor examined the shoulder for a while and then said, “It looks like you have minorly dislocated shoulder. You should put some ice on it. You will be able to ride again in 3-5 days.”
“Yeah, ok,” Mark said and walked out with Jeff following him. When he got back to the trailer, he started putting on his jersey.
“What’re you doing?” Jeff asked.
“Getting ready for the LCQ,” Mark said, “I can’t not get into the main event, I’ll go way down in points. But I’m not gonna do Supermini main.”
“Okay. It’s LCQ number 5,” Jeff said.
Mark sat with ice on his shoulder until it was LCQ number 4, then he got on his bike and headed for the starting line. It was filled up with kids who weren’t quite good enough for A class, but still rode it anyway. Mark didn’t get the hole shot but got the lead within a few corners. He wasn’t going full speed because he didn’t need to. He wanted to take it as easy on his shoulder as he could.
Mark walked around the pits talking to kids he knew. A lot of his friends had big signs that said “GO MARK #83” or something like that. None of them were surprised that Mark had switched to Suzuki. It was apparently all over the internet.
Mark was once again sitting at the line waiting for the main event. He was lined up next to Bobby and they were talking about the podium that had been set up for the main events. It was new at the races-an excuse for the riders to give interviews.
When the card went up, Mark took the ice off his shoulder and put his goggles on. He got over the bike and the gate dropped. Mark surprised himself with the holeshot, and he was please nonetheless. Almost immediately he felt pressure from Chris Marvo behind him. Chris was coming so close to Mark that coming over a table top they actually hit each other and Chris fell, but Mark barely hung on. Right after that he felt the heat from Bobby. Bobby had started doing the big triple double as well. Bobby took the inside on the corner before “Devil’s Table” so they came off it at the same time. They looked at each other in the air and then came down on the landing. Mark took the position but not for long. Mark had taken the inside line and didn’t have enough speed for the next triple so he doubled, while Bobby took the outside and went for the hole triple. Mark passed him again coming over the finish line tabletop. The two continued battling for 3 laps. Mark was surprised that the race wasn’t over yet. His pit board read 2 more laps to go. Mark knew he needed to now to put on the burst of speed. Coming into the rhythm section, Mark triple, tripled which put him ahead again. By the time Mark passed the checkered flag, he was a good 3 seconds ahead of Bobby, who came second. Mark couldn’t help but throw a whip coming over the finish line. Everyone was cheering and holding up their signs. Mark made to ride into the pits, but got dragged over to the podium. He decided he might as well do it right. He took his helmet off and grabbed his hat and a can of Rockstar from Jeff, and also grabbed his goggles and hung them over his neck just like the pros do at the podium. He got up there and waited for the lady to say something.
“Mark, you dislocated you’re shoulder in the heat race, how was your shoulder in the main event?”
“Oh yeah it hurt,” Mark said. “But I knew I had to ride to keep up in points.” He took a drink of Rockstar and almost gagged. He had been expecting the sugary taste of an energy drink, but instead he got water. ‘Ah well’ Mark thought. ‘Better for me anyway.’
“How are you expecting to ride against Chris Gillworth next week?” she asked him.
“Oh, I just need to ride smart and fast and hopefully get the holeshot. I think my shoulder will be better so I wanna go 1-1” and he walked down the stairs.
The truth was, Mark was very nervous about the next week. Mark had just won the main event, but could he do it again against Chris Gillworth?
There it is guys. Hoped you liked it.