- Oct 20, 2000
- 2,963
- 2
Woke up at 2am, couldn't sleep, called Mosier at 4am and the race was on. I loaded the trailer and hit the road arriving at the track approx. 6:20am, I was the 5th person there. It drizzled rain all the way so I setup my newly acquired EZ-up first thing, opened the folding chair for the dog to get comfy in, unloaded the bike and got everything ready for practice.
I walked the track with my new friend Kenneth all the while people was slowly pulling in and by this time they're calling for practice.
Since I had already walked the track I did about 20 push-ups to warm the muscles did a few stretches and hit the track. It was very mushy and very little traction was to be had. By the time I had completed one lap my hands already began to cramp up. I came up short on a double and bottomed my forks hard but managed to stay on for the duration. After a brief rest I did my last practice, got the race order and I'm moto 1 & moto 5. I figure if mx547 and zero can race more than one class last week at Burleson, I can do the same at Mosier this weekend. The 1st race was combined classes, over 25, 30 & 40 and I got a 1st place in my class. I was very excited but there were some really fast guys in the other classes. :o
I head back to the truck with hands that were totally numb, bled the air from the forks and checked the gas. I had one full tank of gas and none to spare so the search was on for someone that has some for sale. Not a sole there was in any better shape than I was when it came to fuel so this was going to have to do.
Race 5 was coming up real quick so I remounted for the 125 beginner combined with 250 beginner. I got a terrible start and played catch up for the entire race, it was all I could do to hold on to the bars and I ended up with a 4th.
As my 2nd moto for race 1 rolled around I was really starting to worry I didn't have enough gas but I had no choice but to ride as is. I didn't do any better on this start but I somehow managed to finish 1st in my class (a long way behind the guys in the other classes) but good enough for my first "1st Place" trophy.
The 2nd moto for race 5 I shot out of the gate like a bullet, must have been because of less weight from lack of fuel, but had to let off in the 2nd turn to keep from T-boning another rider. I caught back up by the top of the hill and managed to hang for most of the race. As I began to tire I decided to concentrate on form and technique (ya know, slow down to be faster) because the guys behind me were a long way back there. On the 3rd lap I took a fall in one of the back corners and when I reached to pick up the bike my shoulder kind of popped like it was coming out of the socket, I guarantee they heard me from the fence line. I managed to pick it up, remount and fire it back up without loosing any places. It had to be a stroke of luck that I managed to finish the race with enough gas to make it back to the truck, I'm sure I was on fumes.
As I headed over to pick up my trophy's I had several people stop me and congratulate me on a good ride. This was a 1st for me and I even considered that they may have been joking but then it dawned on me that I was working on technique and just maybe that's what they saw.
At any rate I had a great time but I know how mx547 must have felt after last week. Two classes took its toll on me because I'm pretty sore today but hey, I needed the exercise. I'm not used to all the jumps but I had fun trying to do them anyway and I brought home a 1st and 4th place trophy to boot. :cool:
I walked the track with my new friend Kenneth all the while people was slowly pulling in and by this time they're calling for practice.
Since I had already walked the track I did about 20 push-ups to warm the muscles did a few stretches and hit the track. It was very mushy and very little traction was to be had. By the time I had completed one lap my hands already began to cramp up. I came up short on a double and bottomed my forks hard but managed to stay on for the duration. After a brief rest I did my last practice, got the race order and I'm moto 1 & moto 5. I figure if mx547 and zero can race more than one class last week at Burleson, I can do the same at Mosier this weekend. The 1st race was combined classes, over 25, 30 & 40 and I got a 1st place in my class. I was very excited but there were some really fast guys in the other classes. :o
I head back to the truck with hands that were totally numb, bled the air from the forks and checked the gas. I had one full tank of gas and none to spare so the search was on for someone that has some for sale. Not a sole there was in any better shape than I was when it came to fuel so this was going to have to do.
Race 5 was coming up real quick so I remounted for the 125 beginner combined with 250 beginner. I got a terrible start and played catch up for the entire race, it was all I could do to hold on to the bars and I ended up with a 4th.
As my 2nd moto for race 1 rolled around I was really starting to worry I didn't have enough gas but I had no choice but to ride as is. I didn't do any better on this start but I somehow managed to finish 1st in my class (a long way behind the guys in the other classes) but good enough for my first "1st Place" trophy.
The 2nd moto for race 5 I shot out of the gate like a bullet, must have been because of less weight from lack of fuel, but had to let off in the 2nd turn to keep from T-boning another rider. I caught back up by the top of the hill and managed to hang for most of the race. As I began to tire I decided to concentrate on form and technique (ya know, slow down to be faster) because the guys behind me were a long way back there. On the 3rd lap I took a fall in one of the back corners and when I reached to pick up the bike my shoulder kind of popped like it was coming out of the socket, I guarantee they heard me from the fence line. I managed to pick it up, remount and fire it back up without loosing any places. It had to be a stroke of luck that I managed to finish the race with enough gas to make it back to the truck, I'm sure I was on fumes.
As I headed over to pick up my trophy's I had several people stop me and congratulate me on a good ride. This was a 1st for me and I even considered that they may have been joking but then it dawned on me that I was working on technique and just maybe that's what they saw.
At any rate I had a great time but I know how mx547 must have felt after last week. Two classes took its toll on me because I'm pretty sore today but hey, I needed the exercise. I'm not used to all the jumps but I had fun trying to do them anyway and I brought home a 1st and 4th place trophy to boot. :cool:
