Saturday Night At Northwest Arkansas MX

Sawblade

Timmy Timmy Timmy!
Sep 24, 2000
1,491
0
I raced again Saturday night at NWA MX in Pea Ridge Arkansas for the second time in 6 months. This after a plus 10 year layoff from racing. I had tentative plans to go riding with Big Lou up by KC, but I worked Saturday morning and, didn't get out of my training class until about 11. So I decided not to head towards KC as I want to make a full day or riding with Big Lou and the rest of the KC gang in a few weeks. Lou, I swear we will hook up for some moto time! :aj:

This was a Arkansas State Championship race, and the place was packed with riders. I show up just before 4 when practice is to start, but find out practice started at 3. I quickly sign up for the over 30 amateur class, get unloaded, and suit up for a whole 2 laps of practice. This is my home track, so I wasn't concerned about "learning" the layout. The track was good and moist, with a few slick spots thrown in for good measure. Clouds were looming overhead, and even dropped a few light sprinkles for few minutes, then stopped for the rest of the night.

After practice, thoughts of I must be crazy start to set in. I haven't rode in about 3 weeks, and I'm in no shape to last 5 laps. If I'm lucky I can last 2 good laps, and somewhere into the 3rd lap, that invisible 500 pound gorilla jumps on my back and its time to go into full on survivor mode. So that's the plan, due 2 good laps then play road hog.

At the riders meeting I find out there are 19 riders in my class. Damn, that's a lot of old guys! I see two riders I knew back in the 80's that I hadn't seen in years. A little bench racing with both of them later on brought back some fond memories of my younger days.

My wife, son, and a few close non-mx friends show up to watch about a hour later. I tell them not to expect much as far as results are concerned, just have a good time watching the races.

The first moto I manage to show up late and I'm the last one to line up on the gate. Grrrrr, :| I've never been late to the line before! I end up getting a gate in the range I had scoped after practice. The gate drops, and as the announcer said all night long, "There they go!" I get a poor start at best. Everyone goes a little wide in the first turn, so I dive to the end side and pick up a few positions. The rest of the first moto is a blur, except for this guy on a KX 250 and a CR 450 that keep falling our stalling in corners. This was the only passing I did besides on the start. By lap 3 I was toast, burnt on both sides. Now I've always been good at counting laps in my mind so I know where I'm at. I come around to the finish line to what should be the white flag lap, and you guessed it no white flag! What the hell, did I count wrong, did I hear 5 laps at the riders meeting and its 7? Man, they shouldn't do this to us old guys. Lucky, the next time around the checked flag was out, and none to soon. First moto score 16th.

Back in the pits I'm sure glad I have a lift stand. I'm a whipped puppy! After recovering, we go to the grandstands to enjoy the race's. I roamed the pits looking for one of the guys I saw at the riders meeting, who I know from years ago. Come to find out, he was the guy on the CR 450 that keep falling down, or stalling in the corners in the first moto. By time I need to be getting ready for the second moto, I feel much better. I've always done better in the second moto in the past, so I set my goal to improve my finishing position.

This time I made it to the gate early, and even get the gate I want. This start was much better, I was inside the top 10 riders headed down the start straight, when just to my left, I see two Hondas tangle and hit the mat. I grab the brakes hard not knowing which way they are going to cartwheel. At this point, I hope this is the worst of it. On lap three I managed the feat of pulling off a for real pass, and not from someone falling or stalling their bike. By lap 3 I'm toast again, but have enough in me to keep a number of riders behind me buy playing road hog. Going into the long whoop section, I slow way down not wanting to crash from being tired, and 4 riders go blazing past me. Coming out of the next left hand turn, I brake late and pull even with one of the riders that just passed me. Down the next straight and over a step up I have the inside line going into a right hand corner. Now I'm complete toast by now, but want to try and keep this rider behind me. He goes to the outside of me, since I have the inside and I take him to outside edge of the turn. We hit, and for a moment, I thought it was all over with, but we both stay up. Over the next table top and into another left hand corner, this guy pulls a Travis on me. I have the inside line, and he is to my outside, with maybe a wheel on me. At the last moment he tries to jump to the inside line that I'm all ready committed to. Again, we hit, only harder this time. For a moment we are hung up together, until I dump the clutch to push him out of the way. Dammit, if you are going to play bump and run with me, I can play that game too! After the turn I let the guy go as I have no more to offer. The last lap I pull with in about 2 bike lengths and thing I can set him up, but then the whoops show up again. I decide to roll them and not chance it. The checkered flag comes out, and I've survived my second race in over 10 years.

After loading up , I swing by to say bye to the guy I knew in my class. Only to find out he was one of the riders that crashed on the start and had a concussion, and was headed to the hospital. What a bummer to a good night of racing.

My final score is 16/17 for 17th overall. Lessons learned: 1 - I'm not as young as used to be. 2 - I'm a spode and I know it clap my hands! 3 - I gotta get one of those big 4 strokes to get a better start. 4 - The Over 30 class rides for blood!

All in all, it was a good night. Too the rest of my Heartland spodes, and all others, come on down to Northwest Arkansas for some Saturday night rubbin and racing.
 

BSWIFT

Sponsoring Member
N. Texas SP
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Nov 25, 1999
7,926
43
The checkered flag comes out, and I've survived my second race in over 10 years.
Survival is first, fun is second.....well, maybe that is the right order. Good report.
 

mx547

Ortho doc's wet dream
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Nov 24, 2000
4,787
102
Originally posted by Sawblade
So that's the plan, due 2 good laps then play road hog.


that's always my strategy. sometimes it works. ;)

i'll make it up there sometime this summer, i promise. sounds like fun. i'm not so sure about having to ride with you young guys though. :eek:
 

justql

Sponsoring Member<BR>Club Moderator
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Oct 23, 2000
2,874
0
Great report Sawblade. I understand being out of shape. That makes me want to race a mx. I always have those thoughts and then i ride a mx track like I did the other day at the 500 and reality sets in when I am afraid to jump the jumps.
 

Welcome to DRN

No trolls, no cliques, no spam & newb friendly. Do it.

Top Bottom