The big track!

[Senior KX Rider]

Originally posted by BigLou
Just a reminder as to how big this thing is, here's me and PK riding up the part that you will be jumping over:

Why is it that you and PK are riding up the parrt you should be jumping over. :laugh: If I get the cajones to jump it I will make sure there is a camera there to capture the moment, clear the top and the thrill of victory or crash and burn :( :(

 

[biglou]

I just uploaded the hi-res video of Billy jumping it again. It's about 980k. Sounds like 4th gear pinned to me...

Click Me!

 

[Senior KX Rider]

He sure makes it look easy.......its not that easy is it :confused:

 

[Jeff Gilbert]

I'm guessing (and this is from my short memory) that the face is approx an 8' to 10' incline so steep that you can't walk straight up it. You have to sort of side step it or you'll come sliding down on your face. Like Bob said, "it's like hitting a brick wall wfo!" Againd as was mentioned, last year the run at it was so long you had all kinds of time to talk yourself out of it by the time you got there. There were so many laps I was a good 4th pinned till just at the face and every time I let off and slowed down (very quickly) for fear of life and limb. The key for me last year was trying to get most of the way up before landing because when you do land you had better down-shifted twice in the air or you aint making it up on a 125. I vividly recall landing anywhere from 1/2 tp 2/3 the way up, kind of dropped out of the sky and bounced once then fish-tailing the rest of the way up. I think it'd be much easier to fly over it.

Nikki, there were 80's clearing it last year after we left, doesn't that make ya feel good?

 

[slo' mo]

pics and video are entirely way 2 dimensional. There's no OMG factor :eek: And to use Billy as a benchmark of how hard it it to jump is like using a sledgehammer to mash potatoes. Lou, we need a helmetcam version of you attempting it this year, BTW. If you've never been there you can't believe it.

 

[MrMXer327]

Boneman and Ebbs from the North East Caravan were clearing it most of the week on 125's. I cleared it three times on my 426, but on the third one I tought I'd show off a bit. With a calculated clip of the top I was able to bouce the 426 about 12' back up in the air and pull off a spectactular nose dive Panic rev... What a save... But Ebbs wasn't so lucky in his MX race. I got that one on film... He bailed so hard that at one point the bike was about 10' or better above him cartwheeling. Shoulda seen the look on the Flagman's face on that one... Even better... Ebbs picked up the bent bike and finished the race. I think I'll pass on doing it this year myself, I am just glad to be back on a bike after getting the back rebuilt.

 

[Flying Scot]

Eh ! What ! Where is the kiddie track !

Let me know which races use that track so I don't sign up for them.

You guys have a screw loose. :thumb:

 

[motometal]

accidently jumping way past it makes for an interesting ride.  My advice (which I didn't follow): if you find a good line, stick with it.  Don't be curious about trying all the different lines on the face.

 

[Jeff Gilbert]

Originally posted by motometal
accidently jumping way past it makes for an interesting ride.  My advice (which I didn't follow): if you find a good line, stick with it.  Don't be curious about trying all the different lines on the face.

I think I remember that one.
You were taking the line right up the middle most of the time weren't you?

 

[Wraith]

I got there Thursday and wouldn't try to clear the whole thing until Saturday, thinking it would be better to get hurt on the day I was leaving and not miss out on to much riding :p But seriously, it wasn't too bad. Like some one else said, you had all day to talk yourself out of it because of the approach. I would like to be able to do the little rythem section he had (right after the first 3 tabletops) for some reason I couldn't get those down. I did try a handfull of jumps over the first tabletop. One was tried in 2nd pinned :aj: OMG, that did not work out for the shorts.
So I guess the step up will still be there?

 

[wrench]

Heck ..I'm just going to try and make a full lap without cutting the track in front of Jeff and BHawk this year! :thumb:


wrench

 

[Camstyn]

Haven't even seen the damn thing in person yet, so of course I'm going to clear it! Yee ha! :scream:

 

[motometal]

I actually saw the kiddie track first and thought it was part of the big track.  Where I come from, that kiddie track would be a nice track!

But as soon as we got out of the truck (and somebody in our group opened their first beer), we were approached by someone telling us all about this huge jump we had to go see.  Yes, it's pretty cool.  Jeff, I don't remember which line was which, but it was a hard bounce!

The tabletop Gomer mentioned is challenging, and I didn't do that one last year, even though I was doing other larger jumps.  A few times I gave that tabletop a half hearted approach, landed about a bike length short, and bounced so hard I didn't want to jump anything for a few minutes.  What I should have done is remembered how fast I went, and cranked it up about 2 notches on the next approach.

There were two camel hump type jumps that were relatively big and very fun.  The one behind the start gate was maybe 70 feet and not too high speed.  There was another one towards the end of the long jumpy section (near the open grassy field) which was more like 100 feet to clear the whole thing, and it was pretty high speed :eek:

The track may have changed and for all I know these aren't even there anymore. 

 

[efergason]

I ride a 98 yz400 and couldn't quite get the nerve to jump it. Then I rode
True spodes 250f and jumped it for several days before getting sideways off the take off. crashed hard and didn't race the mx rounds on saturday.

I walked the jump off when I first jumped it and as i recall and i did crash hard enough to have hit my head and not remembered this correctly, but from the top of the take off to the top of the jump in vertical elevation is about 25 to 30 feet and overall distance is only about 60 to 70 feet.

All I know is that 1st attempt is a rush and once you clear it is so much easier on the body.

Tailbone

 

[GETMETOCA]

Blackhawke was leading me around the track and had the foresight to go AROUND the step up for me, but on lap two I went up the face and it was a lot of fun just to do that. Lap three I bunny hopped off the lip and didn't quite make it up and needed help getting the bike back down. I don't recall who's nice teenage kids (They did well in the B class race if I recall) helped me get the bike down. I was riding Lou's (now Stan's) kTm250 which had all kinds of power, it was just my timid ability.

After that, I usually went a little faster than I normally do just to make sure I could get to the top with no worries, you can tractor up that thing if you have to! I was able to ride up it the rest of the week and the Saturday races with no trouble, although I remember the flagger "pretending" to have a rope pull attached to my bike as he "helped" me get to the top! :)

 

[High Lord Gomer]

Cool! I know who I'm going to be watching this year!

 

[wrench]

Originally posted by High Lord Gomer
Cool! I know who I'm going to be watching this year!

"watching" ???
Is that your knees talking or just OLD AGE! :moon:


wrench

 

[Jaybird]

After looking at the results of the poll to see who voted how...it sure looks like there may be at least a couple of sandbaggers lurking in the "will try" area.:)

I saw a couple of you guys make it... heck ate it up, yet you talk so tentatively.
I smell sandbagger!
LOL.....

MikeB....you need to be taking that jump. You got skills dewd.

Scott...you are racing A moto, yes?  Of course you are!  :)

 

 

[motometal]

I probably won't race on Saturday, but you never know.  For me it takes away some of the relaxation of the trip to have the mental pressure of racing at the end of the week, but to each his (or her) own.  Last year I had so much fun prior to Saturday with no major mishaps, I was ready to relax and watch others have fun...in fact, it doesn't seem like I even rode much Saturday.

Anyway, this year I have an O-ring chain on my bike (which is very rarely lubricated), so with all that power being sucked away, i doubt i'll be able to make it over any jumps of any size. :p

sorry Jaybird, but if that last paragraph wasn't there, i'm afraid you would suspect someone hijacked my username and it wasn't really me posting...

 

[Jaybird]

:laugh: LOL.....

 

[Flying Scot]

I'm riding the beer wagon all week ! :laugh:

Pffft ! 'A' class - C class for me as when I sandbag I want to do it properly and let everyone pass me. A real sandbagger does not show his skill even when in a race.  How can I raise the odds against me winning next year in class A if I don't come last in Class C this year. :thumb:

 

 

[nikki]

So..... who all nailed it and who all chickened out?? :p

 

[biglou]

<--- No one here but us chickens... cluck-cluck! :moon:

 

[Camstyn]

I spent a cool 5 laps on the big track all week combined :laugh:

My clutch slave cylinder crapped out on Saturday morning so I missed practice and only got one lap in on the B qualifier.. Needless to say I chickened out on jumping almost everything. :uh:

 

[Jeff Gilbert]

:(
I chickened out, I should be flogged and I suck! I didn't get much time on the big track this year untill Sat and even then only during my 2 laps of practice. I made it to the top during the race and that was after letting off and coasting up the face so I know I could have easily done it. Other areas of frustration were the 2nd double in the back, and the last stepup in the back. Each time I came up to them I said (outloud) "damnit, I can do this!!! I will on the next lap" but I never did. :whiner:
In track obstical order- the 1st 3 tabletops I had no problems, the rythym section I rode as if I were on a trials bike but that was okay with me (I did double out), the next stepup behind the start I was clearing and often over jumped. I was clearing the 1st table in the back but whimped out everytime on the next double and cussed each lap (ask the flagger). Next table I did but the bigger stepup caught the same amount of foul language from me as I coasted to the top everytime. I had a little trouble after the sweeper where the ruts were if I looked at the ruts. Once I looked past the ruts I was okay. Next is the BIG STEPUP. I was almost in the top of 4th as I approached the face yet I downshifted and let off everytime with the same amount of vocabulary as the lap before. Down the big hill, around the corner and to the next stepup and I landed at the top wondering why :( . Up hill roller I was flying and the finish line I was hitting okay yet I came up slightly shorter than I should have but didn't really lose anytime on it. The off camber was tricky for me.
In all I was dissapointed in my lack of aggression on the track, I know I could have done better. There's always next year I suppose :thumb: