Thurman Race Reports

[shredder]

Pulled in Saturday and took the tour... Too dusty. Sunday morning practice after the rain and way too slick. Race time on first race and WOW - it's just right!
That was the coolest well flowing trail with constant and sometime abrupt terrain changes and hill climbs that I've seen. It was so cool. So much fun! I would like to hear how the second race went, rain wise. OK. Let's post em! ( You guys go ahead because after the 10 inch tree I tackled my entire body is a mess).

[swedishfishmx]

Had a great time!

Nick went pretty big!

[ktm1991]

I have to agree with shredder one of the coolest courses I've raced, had a little bit of everything! Well my race started out pretty poorly as my bike didn't fire on the first kick had to use the cheater button and was second to last off the line I think. Made a few passes then saw Brennan sideways on that first little hill I saw an opening on the left and went for it but he came right into me and ran him over (sorry about that) I got around finally caught up to Jeremy Stretz and the battle was on! We were wheel to wheel for 7 laps until when lapping my dad, my dad fell on the A/B hill and left Jeremy not able to make it up! Gave me some breathing room but by that time we had caught Kasey we made a couple passes on each other but he ended up getting me! Overall a great day of racing hope we can come back next year!


Ryan Grun #255

[E.A.]

If there was a race that I wish all my friends and family would come to watch and enjoy....

It would have been this one.

Weather: Perfect
Ground: Perfect
Course: Amazing

Being this is only my second year, I wonder if it gets any better then that. I still can't wipe the smile off my face. Thanks to all the workers, sweepers, land owners, and of course the ladies in the trailer, and other staff....... for such a great event.

Erik


PS: And to the food guy.... whipping up those burgers for the long ride home!

[bmxpro2621]

Wish I had my nascar engine in my bike for this race. lol. Everyone was FLYING out there. Fun jumps.

[millwright]

Awesome course, well marked, plenty of helpers, very cool race . Riding escort with the junior class, I had a front row seat to one of the most epic 3 way, battle from start to finish kind of race that makes you remember why this sport is so fun ! The only damper on the whole race was a couple of big boys who refused to let this freight train of juniors pass, which in the end would be the deciding factor in their outcome for the day .

[keko]

Hands down the greatest FMHSC course I have ridden to date! It was like riding a dirt roller coaster. Had a blast duking it out with the 700 club and wound up sneaking in my first FMHSC win in six years of trying. Met some new people and had a great time!Thurman has my vote for race of the year. Hope its on the schedule again next year. Well worth the trip!

Thanks to the crew who put this all together, your hard work is greatly appreciated!

[shredder]

The track and temps were perfect. As I was getting ready I felt calm. HMMM, that's funny....no race day jitters or anything. Ok. I line up. The Senior rows turn to go now...Sign is up...The start sign tilts...fifteen seconds and I actually yawn. I realize how tired I am and remember how warm my bed was...ten seconds...oh yeah, I better turn on my bike and get the fuel injection turned going...OK...I see the red light on now...5 seconds...I causally put my thumb on the start switch...4...3...2...1...zero seconds left and the sign is still up. Hmmm...I see the guys shoulder holding the sign move slightly and I say screw it and light it up. Perfect. Everything is automatic now, twist the throttle and ease out the clutch and I feel the rear tire starting to eat. I feel that I'm well balanced and hookin up so I pin it and flip the clutch and run through the gears, shut it down and rail a line and clear the hay bales. I sprint to the woods in 3rd, ok good deal. In less than a minute though I get blasted hard by 3 or 4 seniors because I'm actually yawing again and it makes my eyes water up badly and can't see a thing. I AM CLEARLY AWAKE NOW!!! I squeeze my eyes hard to clear em out and get to work cause it's payback time!

As I predicted Wadedawg was close by and SloMoJo even closer. Joe is on my tail and gets by so I return the favor a little later...and the story goes.... We three hung out tight till Joe stopped to finish an oil painting of the scenery on lap 4 I think. I'm guessing he ran out of raw sienna or broke his Crayons or something so we all come to a grinding halt and come to a complete stop for an instant. This track demands you pay attention and plan ahead so I had some momentum saved up for the small turn on the hillside we were on but spent it all when I squeezed the front to shut it down. I stop and twist my bars a touch and realize I'm off balance and lifting my leg, squeezing my calf and buttocks with all my might did...nothing. Over I go to the down hill side and end up tackling a medium sized tree.

Fourth of July sale folks!!!see all the fireworks!? WOW!! Lighting and a laser light show!!! It was just like checking the tractor gas with a bic lighter! The stall warning light is blinking, the air raid horn is blaring, the tornado sirens wailing, The DIVE alarm goes off, the fire alarm screeches and the circuit board is full and no operators are standing by. I receive my full consciousness back and I'm sure I've broken my right collar bone. I stay limp because at first I'm not sure if a minute, hour or day has past since I was awake, but the refreshing smell of gasoline tells me that it just happened or I just hit oil. The crash sound was the impact of my helmet hitting the tree and moving my head to the left and my right shoulder smashing into the tree and my arms end up flying around the tree. (Another dang nabbit tree hugger I spose...) I got my head higher than my a$$ somehow and used my left arm to support my right. I could hear all the dudes asking me if I was OK so I waved them on but I couldn't lift my head up yet to see who it was. I didn't want to get hit by someone else falling on me. After about a minute I get full feeling back, no pain, a little headache coming on but hell Joe Leaderhouse gives everyone a headache!

I try to lift the bike up and get it about 2" up and realize I've weakend my body more than I first thought. Some guy stops without a vest on. Not sure who it was or even if he was real but together we get the bike up. He held it so I could run around up hill and get on and I lit er up, pinned it and slammed second gear and got it going up and back on track. (get it?...back on track....) OK now it's time for me to get mine. Pain really pisses me off and in addition I noticed that my right fork plastic has been torn off and my left Acherbis bark buster is hanging off leaving my left fingers exposed so I do the math and figure how much a$$ I'm tearing off of Joe for compensation. I rip it up and finally got my race face on. My balance was off but I figured I was going to maintain mach 3 or just crash trying to catch that sob. I lost a couple of minutes and time was running out. I finished lap 5 but got to go again. As I went through scoring I decided to "freshin up" the cone placement and redo the caution tape for a fresh new look. I was hoping Dan would be pleased with the new look. I noticed Wadedawg got by me too. Gotta get going...go faster...much faster...every second counts...

Halfway through the last lap I see Wadedawg in a little ditch and figure Jo probably kicked him over or used a chain to whip him off the track or something. He is also pissed off somewhat but he is fine so I'm off to right this wrong and make the world right again...off I go. At 3/4 lap I see Joe but he doesn't see me...cool...I hammer it hard but my eyes are full of dirt, glasses are crooked, no goggles, naked left hand as the bark buster falls completely off now and I'm starting to stiffen up and not in a good sort of way. I am almost ready to strike but got caught behind the 800 rider Joe passed. I went through scoring about 17 seconds behind Joe. I decided to tweak my first design of the scoring are a little for better uniformity and examine a better color pallet and maybe some different textures and somehow the green turtle needed EMT service somehow the wife said. DOOH!

payback's a bitch jo'!

I'm coming with a game face next time brah!

(Gawd it was so much fun I can't stand it!!!)

[El Dog]

Absolutely the best course I have ridden on in my short 3 years doing this. Everything seemed perfect (after the practice lap, of course! Thanks to the promotor for working on those crossings by placing pallets and fresh dirt on the greasy areas): temperature in the low 70's, overcast skies, incredible dirt (loved the smell of the dark stuff in the denser part of the woods), tacky track, awesome uphills/downhills, nice wide starting area, etc. Sized up for a good day.

I got a really good start and think I was 3rd or 4th into the woods; about halfway in, Laurentheracer got me on a long uphill while I bogged in 3rd gear and then shortly after that, on a downhill I tapped the front brake more than I shoulda and over the bars I went. The rest of the class went by while I remounted. I rode smooth for the next 4 laps but could never muster more than 8th thru scoring. No complaints here...I'll take it.

Bummer on the day, however, when my nephew, Jace, broke and displaced his humerus after going down on a downhill section; surgery on Thursday...Thanks to all who had a hand in comforting him and getting him off the course.

It's a long haul from El Dorado, KS to Thurman, Iowa but....

PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! PUT THIS ON THE SCHEDULE FOR EVERY YEAR!!!

~Russ

[slomojo]

Very interesting Dennis I was wondering where you went.Maybe Randy got it all on tape.