Before I type up todays event's, lets go back a few years.... like 2009. I had a wr250f, I wanted to go race. I'd never raced before, I can handle the B class right? sure. So we go to Farmington to race at the dunes, trailer blows a tire, no spare. Dad does not care, he drags it the last 15 minutes, everyone in my class had taken off long ago. I take off anyway, 5th gear pinned, I got this shit, sandwash, smooth uphill with some small jumps
sandwhoops. oh shi..... down I go, which would summaraize the rest of the race for me, broke the clutch, broke the brake lever, knocked myself out, came too, rode it in to the finish like an hour after everyone in my class has finished. I hated it, have avoided the farmington race every year till this, because my main series was going back there for round 4.
Drove up saturday morning, did 2 loops in the pre ride, and still didn't feel that great, its hard to be comfortable when you don't get to ride that frequently. Drove up to near by Durango Colorado, ate ribs, drank sweet tea, drove back, went to the motel and went to bed.
Woke up this morning and race nerves were horrible. Ate a couple protein bars and went to the track, got unloaded, and a friend of mine who just so happens to be last years top pro (read: he's got the #1 plate) and his dad volunteered to be my pit crew (my dad didn't make this one). We started at 10:30, just as the 98* heat was starting to rear its ugly head, in the traditional main sandwash. Standing behind our bikes till the green flag dropped, I managed to start 2nd behind a MX bro on a honda. We hit the 2 main ski jumps and proceeded to the top of one of the many sand dune sections of the course, he was hauling ass and pulling away through the shallow whoops, but decided to be a hero through the man eaters. Bike hit the first one, tail of the bike went skyward, he got catapulted into the next man eater, and promptly got hit by his bike. If their is one thing I have learned the past few years racing, it is that the desert will bite you in the ass (and hard) right when you think you have it down, and that a wise rider knows when you can go fast and when you can't. Needless to say, I passed him back (emt crews were stationed nearby and were already on there way a few moments after it happened) Having the lead, but not for long, we proceeded off the sand dune, back into the sand wash, and popped onto some hard pack single track, another rider from my class on a ktm 2stroke got by me and the big 4 poke, and started to ride away, after a while i started to reel him back in, and on a hard right hand off camber corner with a rut, he dumped it, unfortunately I had nowhere to go and tipped over trying to avoid running him over. I remounted quickly and it fired right up (I <3 efi) and after him I started again, for all the time lost, 3rd place had me in his sights (older honda) through the washes and single track we went till we came to horsepower hill. I can't describe it, but just remember things don't get names like that easily. Incredibly steep with a curve and being all sand, it was no joke and there was no letting off the throttle once you started up it, but, 450's are no joke either and I suffered no problems on the hill, down a rain rutted narrow hill I went till I got into some more really deep sandwhoops, I clicked down to 3rd and just focused on getting my rhythm down and getting through cleanly, which I did.Into some narrow twisty sand with trees we went, and on a down hill turn with a steep drop just before a steep drop off, I dumped it, again the bike re fired, and 3rd was inching ever closer, through more sand whoops I held him off, as we climbed another one, he showed me a wheel by taking an inside line, but it wasn't enough and I never saw him again. I passed 1st, laying in the sand, and from there I just put my head down and rode the best I could (while playing it safe) through some of the nastiest terrain I've ever raced on. I held on to 1st for all 5 of the laps I did in the 2 hour+1 gp format, making my first win of the year, and a really sweet return to farmington. It also bumps me into 1st for Open B for year end, 5 points ahead of 2nd.
sandwhoops. oh shi..... down I go, which would summaraize the rest of the race for me, broke the clutch, broke the brake lever, knocked myself out, came too, rode it in to the finish like an hour after everyone in my class has finished. I hated it, have avoided the farmington race every year till this, because my main series was going back there for round 4.
Drove up saturday morning, did 2 loops in the pre ride, and still didn't feel that great, its hard to be comfortable when you don't get to ride that frequently. Drove up to near by Durango Colorado, ate ribs, drank sweet tea, drove back, went to the motel and went to bed.
Woke up this morning and race nerves were horrible. Ate a couple protein bars and went to the track, got unloaded, and a friend of mine who just so happens to be last years top pro (read: he's got the #1 plate) and his dad volunteered to be my pit crew (my dad didn't make this one). We started at 10:30, just as the 98* heat was starting to rear its ugly head, in the traditional main sandwash. Standing behind our bikes till the green flag dropped, I managed to start 2nd behind a MX bro on a honda. We hit the 2 main ski jumps and proceeded to the top of one of the many sand dune sections of the course, he was hauling ass and pulling away through the shallow whoops, but decided to be a hero through the man eaters. Bike hit the first one, tail of the bike went skyward, he got catapulted into the next man eater, and promptly got hit by his bike. If their is one thing I have learned the past few years racing, it is that the desert will bite you in the ass (and hard) right when you think you have it down, and that a wise rider knows when you can go fast and when you can't. Needless to say, I passed him back (emt crews were stationed nearby and were already on there way a few moments after it happened) Having the lead, but not for long, we proceeded off the sand dune, back into the sand wash, and popped onto some hard pack single track, another rider from my class on a ktm 2stroke got by me and the big 4 poke, and started to ride away, after a while i started to reel him back in, and on a hard right hand off camber corner with a rut, he dumped it, unfortunately I had nowhere to go and tipped over trying to avoid running him over. I remounted quickly and it fired right up (I <3 efi) and after him I started again, for all the time lost, 3rd place had me in his sights (older honda) through the washes and single track we went till we came to horsepower hill. I can't describe it, but just remember things don't get names like that easily. Incredibly steep with a curve and being all sand, it was no joke and there was no letting off the throttle once you started up it, but, 450's are no joke either and I suffered no problems on the hill, down a rain rutted narrow hill I went till I got into some more really deep sandwhoops, I clicked down to 3rd and just focused on getting my rhythm down and getting through cleanly, which I did.Into some narrow twisty sand with trees we went, and on a down hill turn with a steep drop just before a steep drop off, I dumped it, again the bike re fired, and 3rd was inching ever closer, through more sand whoops I held him off, as we climbed another one, he showed me a wheel by taking an inside line, but it wasn't enough and I never saw him again. I passed 1st, laying in the sand, and from there I just put my head down and rode the best I could (while playing it safe) through some of the nastiest terrain I've ever raced on. I held on to 1st for all 5 of the laps I did in the 2 hour+1 gp format, making my first win of the year, and a really sweet return to farmington. It also bumps me into 1st for Open B for year end, 5 points ahead of 2nd.
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