Merwin Race Reports

[dive]

I agree with Shredder, this was an Awesome race!!!!

Made the morning practice lap, the course looked great! RJ has a great place.

On the line I can feel the sweat running down my back, time to get this thing going. The gate drops and I hit the first corner in second behind Chad, the second corner Ryan comes around me wide, now it's on. We hit the woods, I am pacing myself off Ryan, don't want to let him out of my sight. A few miles in, I come into the narrow creek/rock section, somehow I must have fallen off the pace, I can't see Ryan or Chad anymore, time to up the pace and get caught up. Finish the first lap and they are nowhere in sight! As I pass through scoring it says I am in 1st place. A little confused but kept the pace heading into the second lap.

At this point a I am really starting to feel the pressure, I think Silva had a rope tied to my rear fender, he was right there at every turn! Just when I thought I pulled away, bam, there he is again! I know alot of guys in the series have tough battles from time to time furing the race, but Silva was there the entire race! I ran 5 full laps knowing in my mind if I blew one corner, missed an inside line or screwed up in any way he was right there to take the position. Talk about pressure! I put 100% out there, blocked every inside line I could, kept my pace and got my first win at Merwin!

This race will be a very memorable one for me, and probably Silva too, I fought extremly hard for the win and pushed myself to the limit. Silva, thanks for an awesome race man! This is what racing is all about, I look forward to our next battle in the woods! I still can't believe for 3 laps, our times were identical.

RJ, thanks for an awesome race! I always like riding Merwin.

I made a left turn in that small creek/rock section with Ryan following me (sorry Ryan) I should have not gone that way ..
Then after a minute are so we found the course again and it was catch up time.

[WireFryer]

Cool place to race... Would love to race it wet!

NO, you don't....trust me on this one


While not even close to the hottest race we've ever run in FMHSC, (anyone remember the first Knoxville?) El Sol knocked out even more riders than the dust did.

Picked up Major Riggins promptly at 0500, loaded up and rolled for Missouri, actually ran thru a rainstorm at about the Emporia exit.

Hit the pits with all of the usual suspects in one place for a change, knock out a practice lap and ponder on how we can go from flood conditions for 3 straight weeks... to big cracks in the ground 2 weeks later.

Line up for the start between Scott and a 300 XC-W on my clutch side... when we launch it becomes very clear what going thru a poorly maintained shotblaster feels like in its entirety

We all hit the first turn in a brown fog, nobody drops, and I'm stuck behind this loose nut that I could never get a number on, very out of date gear.

I try to nail him before we get out of the grasslands and hit the single track in the woods but no joy, so I BECOME his rear fender. Turns out He's some kinda' Loon... every line He takes has some silly log or rock, or a combination of both with a bluff thrown in for cheap entertainment, clearly a dangerous person in need of evaluation by State Authorities .

This turkey is wearing me out, which usually results in a small mistake on my part, and thus I cease to be his problem... he gaps me hard at the first open section while I'm trying to air out my gloves in 4th gear and I never see him again.

2nd lap I stop to help out Lauren at mile 2, chain flopped all over the ground as the result of a broken link (not the master, probably caught a rock).

While I did notice a bit of (cough, cough,) redeye ... She was well in control of things even though She had 3rd in the bag before the damn chain broke..., much better than the first time we met under similar circumstances at Wburg years ago (2007? Ted Foster broke his Tibula on the East side and rode up to provide moral support) when She was using a 4 foot chunk of hedge to beat her 200 into small pieces .

Spent the whole damn day in 13th, but clipped the checkered right when Rod hung her out.

Easily the sportiest Merwin (with the exception of the last lap of the 2007 thunderstorm race) I've ever run, mainly because of the rain-inspired undergrowth covered up most of the open air trails.

John got himself another taste of the Series, Scott and Silva got almost to viral levels, Shredder came close to cooking-out, Joe now understands that throttle cables only cost about $30 or so... and are far easier to operate without ViseGrips involved, Brads' ummmm, new bike thing continues... made some new friends

YOU ALL race safe at Thurman ... the local economy will not be allowing my attendance.

RJ, Dan, Karl, ScoringINC.! good show!

Whoop!

Tim
#785

[shredder]

You don't check the gasoline level in the tractor with a Bic lighter.

You don't tug on superman's cape.

You don't insult a cop when your drunk.

You don't want to ride Merwin muddy.

Nope.

That's all I gotta say about that.....

[advbeach]

I agree with Shredder, this was an Awesome race!!!!

Made the morning practice lap, the course looked great! RJ has a great place.

On the line I can feel the sweat running down my back, time to get this thing going. The gate drops and I hit the first corner in second behind Chad, the second corner Ryan comes around me wide, now it's on. We hit the woods, I am pacing myself off Ryan, don't want to let him out of my sight. A few miles in, I come into the narrow creek/rock section, somehow I must have fallen off the pace, I can't see Ryan or Chad anymore, time to up the pace and get caught up. Finish the first lap and they are nowhere in sight! As I pass through scoring it says I am in 1st place. A little confused but kept the pace heading into the second lap.

At this point a I am really starting to feel the pressure, I think Silva had a rope tied to my rear fender, he was right there at every turn! Just when I thought I pulled away, bam, there he is again! I know alot of guys in the series have tough battles from time to time furing the race, but Silva was there the entire race! I ran 5 full laps knowing in my mind if I blew one corner, missed an inside line or screwed up in any way he was right there to take the position. Talk about pressure! I put 100% out there, blocked every inside line I could, kept my pace and got my first win at Merwin!

This race will be a very memorable one for me, and probably Silva too, I fought extremly hard for the win and pushed myself to the limit. Silva, thanks for an awesome race man! This is what racing is all about, I look forward to our next battle in the woods! I still can't believe for 3 laps, our times were identical.

RJ, thanks for an awesome race! I always like riding Merwin.

It was a great race Scott! I thought if I can just stick with him eventually you might make a mistake and I could slide by, But that never happened. I thought I might have a chance when on the 3rd lap you decided to take a right and go down the creek and I stayed on the bank, but here you come out of the trees right infront of me like you never left. During all this I could feel Dave closing the gap and I new Keith wasn't to far behind. I'm pretty sure I would have cracked under the pressure, Scott was super cool and rode a super clean race, nice job!
I'm really looking forward to the next one, Silva

[quik406]

It was a great race Scott! I thought if I can just stick with him eventually you might make a mistake and I could slide by, But that never happened. I thought I might have a chance when on the 3rd lap you decided to take a right and go down the creek and I stayed on the bank, but here you come out of the trees right in ront of me like you never left. During all this I could feel Dave closing the gap and I new Keith wasn't to far behind. I'm pretty sure I would have cracked under the pressure, Scott was super cool and rode a super clean race, nice job!

This race will be a very memorable one for me, and probably Silva too, I fought extremly hard for the win and pushed myself to the limit. Silva, thanks for an awesome race man! This is what racing is all about, I look forward to our next battle in the woods! I still can't believe for 3 laps, our times were identical.

I love that kind of racing! Drexel when Scott caught me, and WB2 when Jason hammered on me. To bad you guys didn't like racing with me!

[shredder]

That's what I live for!!! True racing in it's purest form, very, very addictive I might add. Ever notice it always takes just a little more every year to get that same adrenaline rush? Gotta go a little closer to the trees, little faster in the corners, little more aggressive at the starts, little more aggressive passing...you get the idea. Sweet!

[WireFryer]

To bad you guys didn't like racing with me!

Oh no, no, noooo !

Like had nothing to do with it, we just held a secret 700 club vote behind your back... (26 yea-- 2 nae-- 1 abstention ) to hound Dan to move you up to the BadAss Vet class after finally getting you properly trained.

The 500 Class was looking a bit thin and in danger of going away altogether..., but NOW, thanks to the tireless efforts of the 700 field molding crafty Vets on really good equipment, we have a 500 Class that is not only thriving, but has become the 'Class to Watch' again.



Tim
#785

[KTM SLIM KARL]

That's what I live for!!! True racing in it's purest form, very, very addictive I might add. Ever notice it always takes just a little more every year to get that same adrenaline rush? Gotta go a little closer to the trees, little faster in the corners, little more aggressive at the starts, little more aggressive passing...you get the idea. Sweet!

I am very hurt that you did not come and say hay or even get some of that great banana nut bread or cookies!
I don't get to many at all bummer

[quik406]

The 500 Class was looking a bit thin and in danger of going away altogether..., but NOW, thanks to the tireless efforts of the 700 field molding crafty Vets on really good equipment, we have a 500 Class that is not only thriving, but has become the 'Class to Watch' again.

Ok, but who's going to join me next year?
I don't want to give up my race secrets, but I plan on sandbagging 500 early than dropping the hammer 1/2 season, so be prepared.

[WireFryer]

Ok, but who's going to join me next year?

Now that you mention it...., Scott, Chad, and Silva come to mind don't want you boys getting lonely!

Whoop!

Tim
#785