truespode

Moderator / Wheelie King
Jun 30, 1999
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We got to the track a little late but so did most everyone else. Practice was delayed for an hour and they announced they would have 2 practices per class and one main event. No heat race to qualify for gate position.

At first I did not like that but after riding the two practices I had a lot of fun and felt that it was not a big deal. It was actually pretty nice.

In the 250D I was last out of the gate as I spun too much but by the time we got to the first turn I made up some time and I got a 4th place start. Wrench was 2nd I believe until the 2nd corner. We were moving pretty good and we go up a big double, take a left over a table top section and then Wrench lets me by. Turns out his bike was loading up or something.

**Note: I was seat bouncing the table top with ease in 3rd gear. Last year I could barely get over the table top with the 250f only when I went wide and pinned it in 2nd.**

I moved into 3rd but then Jeff Means gets by me and I try to hold on for a lap but couldn't. The headshake without the steering damper left me tentative but everything else was great so I was only losing some speed to the 250 RM he was riding in the straights due to my tentativeness. Jeff then proceeded to check out as he showed me he has developed some cornering speed too.

I got a little tired and got passed by a group of riders from the 125D class that started on the 2nd drop. Turns out there was another 250D rider in there too so I finished with a 5th place trophy out of 8 positions (1 was a DNF though).

As we are waiting for our next race the rain came. It poured and poured really hard. Luckily we had the e-z up and the 6x12 trailer. We were able to stay dry and keep the bikes dry as well.

They delayed the racing for awhile, groomed the track and started where they left off. When the +30C/D came up the track was still really wet. It was a pretty good mudfest.

I went off the line sideways and was last out of the gate again. This time I passed 2 guys in the first turn. Then Barry and I get close to each other. I follow him for a lap then pass him on the straight away. He soon passes me back and we dice really well the rest of the race sliding around in the mud. He started to pull a gap but made a mistake in the long straight and I was able to catch back up. For the last half a lap he and I were right there together.

Barry did a great job taking the good lines and forcing me to search for a way around. But, I could not find one. He and I went over the finish just inches apart. It was by far one of the most fun (and safe) races I had in a while. It reminded me of James and I battling at Shelby last year. Barry got 4th and I got 5th out of 6 guys who finished (10 total in the class but 4 DNF's... not sure how many of those did not start). Barry then went out and got a 2nd in +35.

Wrench was in +35 too but went down in the first couple corners and then went down again. He lost a lot of time and was at least a good half a lap back on the next guy. He put his head down, charged and caught #33 for a 4th place trophy finish!! It was a heck of a ride!

Billy raced the ATV's in a big mud-slop. I could not tell who was who b/c they were so dirty. Turned out he got 2nd. He was moving when I watched him in practice so I'm not surprised he did so well... way to go Billy.

Sunday we went to TNT. Jenni got to ride the CR150F around and is starting to get back into form. She is still nervous but it is coming back to her.

We rode the intermediate track a good bit. My friend Sean showed up too and despite some poor jetting/bad gas he was riding really well. It has been awhile since he rode last and he doesn't appear to have lost any speed at all.

I about ate it 3 times. Once on the intermediate track where I went into the woods and almost lost it, once in the big rythm section where the bike twitched on me when I landed (the damper would have been nice then) and then once on a small table top that left me in the air with both legs off the pegs. Wrench and Gomer asked me what happened and I told them that I call that a "soiler" as in I soiled my britches.

I was lucky I saved it.

James showed up too on his beast (XR650L). It was great sitting and bs'ing with everyone.

Anyway, I hope everyone else had fun.

Ivan
 

Lemming

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Jan 19, 2000
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Good report Ivan. You guys either need to move SC closer to AL or I need to take speeding lessons from Gomer so that it's not a 5 hr trip:(
 
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