Carbondale Race Reports!

[shredder]

Well Congradulations to our 1st place winners!!!
AA Macon Ezell
A Jadan Johnson
B Michael Everhart
C ADV Derek Hughes
C VET ADV Mark Johnson
C David Campbell
C VET Scott Georgen
Sportsmen Erik Radzins
Trail Rider Tom Youngquest
Senior Chris Locke
Junior Grant Macoubrie - by a nose!!!!

What a spectacular epic carbondale! Today was actually the first time I ran that track and
SAW THE WHOLE THING! Man without the heat and dust that place just, just, just...EPIC!!!!

[CowTown]

Very fun course. Just enough slick spots to keep you on your toes. Crashed on the first lap while trying to move up. Front brake guard got bent down and was causing my brake to drag..... I really enjoyed the few laps I was able to ride until my vertigo set in. I decided to pull off so I would not interfere with anyone race and series points.

Christopher got a good start then his bike died. After several minutes of trying to start his bike he finally remembered the first thing to check when your bike will not start. Sure enough the fuel was turned off . He finally got her started and ended up having a fun time.

Carolynn was able to get some good photos.

http://chrislocke.blogspot.com/2013/11/ ... tures.html

[wadedawg]

Awesome pics Carolynn! Thanks for all the action shots. Those on the gravel pile were way cool. The pics show me how I really look while riding my bike.

I got a bad start and was dead last into the first corner. I was able to pass a couple of guys and reeled in SLOMOJO and pressured him for the first lap. On the second lap we were caught by the faster 800 riders so as quickly as I could I let them in and watched Joe disappear out of sight. So lesson learned, if you let one rider pass you it is possible to regain your opponent. When you slow down to let another rider pass and 1 turns into 4 and there was only space for 2 you get run into the trees and they use you and your bike for traction! Finished 2 lap over 2 minutes behind Joe and found myself letting riders pass instead of racing. I was never happier when I seen the checkered flag putting and end to my Misery. I better quit here before my blood pressure goes off the chart!

[Tank]

Awesome Pictures Chris! Appreciate them so much!

[shredder]

We will talk about your other issues at the banquet Mr Wadedawg. I appreciate you holding your tongue for now. You are the better man.


I got a good start and I just wanted to beat Joe and steal his second place crown (truth be told I'm to cheap to buy new numbers...I want to keep # 1002). Joe and I really fought it out as we traveled the corners at the start and I beat him out (by half a tire) and I got into the woods before him. Ok. Good. The track got faster and faster and I realized Paul was in front of me and he was racing, not on a pleasure cruise. Paul and I ended up banging bars for almost 3 laps! THAT was nerve racking. I don't even want to poke the bear much less RACE HIM!!! Wahdda ya thinkin!!!?? That guy knows how to race so don't kid yourself - that man has got game. He rides like a 35 year old! Any way I got by Paul and lock in and railed 1075 HARD (like he stole my bike) till I was able to squeak by on a wide turn. It was glorious as no one in sight and running 3rd with Joe BEHIND ME! OK! Let's Party! WHOO HOO!!!

yup. life was good!


until


BOOM! I blow the rear tire. Dan has been on me to get my butt up front on my bike so the previous night I moved the bars up a bit. The new position of the bars saved my bacon!!! As I kept experimenting (crashing into trees) on how fast I can go without the rear kicking out I established a slow pace but kept enduring the smashing into the tree thing. It was getting annoying to say the least. I was doing the math in my head and figured I'd see a repeat of ol Joe and Randy kicking my butt just before the finish line...AGAIN...SHEESH! I was determined to keep pushing through the pain and working twice as hard to go half as fast. Sho - enough Joe rears his ugly head and I've got me and th' boyz up on the gas cap and going way to fast for the sprint to the finish. The corners are easy as we have placement ruts to keep the flat tires in alignment but the straight sprint is a whole different situation. I felt someone next to me and I couldn't confirm who it was so I went way faster than I should have which made the rear swing out wildly and I guess that it what blocked Joe's attempt to pass me just before the finish. WOW. My wife was watching and she said it was a nail biter!

I beat Joe by .004 seconds. He hit my rear tire just as we crossed the finish line. WOW. After all year and a 2 hour race and we are less than a bike length apart - tied in points. WOW

I want to say thank you for the whole senior row as on any given Sunday it's always up for grabs - who wants it more and who is willing to get through the pain to get the prize. I also wish to mention to the Gentleman's club that I appreciate the honorable way we bang bars (and Paul too), shoot the gaps, climb the hills, etc.

I appreciate all the land owners, Dan and crew for all the selfless dedicated hard work (literally), the trailer ladies who always make us feel welcome, Flip, and workers.
It feels like my com padre's and I are only separated by who doesn't cough up the football and who shows up awake and ready to race, simple as that.

Mr Leaderhouse I consider you my equal and I want to thank you for an electric - hair on fire racing season. You are a competitor. Win or loose I'm always glad your there to push me faster and to ride cleaner. You da man!

T-Climber...get a bike man!

[Btrigg88]

Awesome Pictures Chris! Appreciate them so much!

I was glad to see you got some laps in. I thought you were down for the count up on the mound. I couldn't get over to you with my little one in tow. If you don't find a new bike by next season you are always welcome to ride the 300. Hope to see everybody at the awards banquet.

[Tank]

Thanks Brian! I was a little shaken up when I hit my head, but after it cleared, got back on the bike and finished her up! Not the best, but always learning and getting better! Hopefully you will be back on your 300 by next season! I will have to find my own I think! Thanks for the offer Brother! Firefighters Always!

[Tank]

To Update my thanks for the pictures. Thank You Carolynn and Chris!

[shredder]

Thanks for the awesome pics! You got Me pushing Jim Pratt (1075) and a nice pic of me running down Paul! (Please destroy all pics of Paul kicking my butt...please...I'll send a check in the mail to Carolyn...please!)
Great shots of the Locke boys! what a day! What a day!

[WireFryer]

That's it Kiddies! Another Fun-Filled Season IS in the books! Somehow we all managed to enjoy all 4 Off-Road weather extremes (too cold, too hot, too dry, too wet ) as the FM calendar progressed.

C-dale was no exception.....

Knowing that the place got soaked for at least two days during the middle of the week, I was somewhat surprised when it was a 'Go' on Saturday nite..... since the place mudwise has about 4 different personalities depending on wind velocity and ambient temperature ( reminds me very much of a chunky Nebraska farm gal I met back in '91' ).

So I pick up Tank and his Kow, and it's off to the races we go. On the way up the Turnpike we decide that life is good for the crows and coyotes, who are feasting on the remains of a Kenworth-smoked-and-tenderized deer every 10 miles or so.

Hit the pits, and decide that since the chilly 25mph S. wind ain't going away, we should lay out a pit to position ourselves next to Shredders' house-on-wheels whenever he shows up, so he can be a wind block, worked out sweet!

When it comes time to get our gear on for our practice lap the wind hasn't backed off a lick ... the Navy/Air Force guys go hide in Shredders hauler to put their scoot-suits on, us Army guys each take sides of my pickup, and the one Coastie in the 700 club is wandering around eating bannanas 3/4 naked. I'm still trying to figure out how the 4 one-dollar bills wound up tucked into my riding shorts .

Practice is an absolute greaseball, again I have borrowed OnTheRocks 200MXC for the race.... so now I get to remember how to ride a pipey 2stroke without a Rekluse, in the mud, which proves to be mostly 'varying degrees of slick and confused'.

The black dirt on the Northern half including the root forest is starting to tack up, but the gray/concrete slurry stuff on the tight South half could go either way.

(Would someone please... print up a T-shirt with a cool ' Don't Poke the Bear!" logo/design. Paul deserves one, don't forget the side-cutters, period!)

Line up on the 700 line for my Last Round with them... it has been a pleasure to have shared the same mud, dust, and blood with them for last 5 years, and I have made many Lifelong Friends there (you know... the guys that will show at your funeral just to drink free beer) , but it's time to move back a row and open a spot for someone else.

Look behind me at the line I will join next Season, and see it is well stocked with reprobates, wards-o-the-court, lost souls, third cousins twice-removed, but mostly a 'test Class a few years ago' that has firmly settled into the Series and has no intention of going away as long as there are 45 year olds that still got some game left in em'.

Board drops.. and I whiff the puny lil" kickstarter again! It's Milford part 2! Get her going on the 2nd kick after clawing it out from under the tank but am less than amused with my own performance at this point.

Get on the back of the field when we hit the woods and am pleasantly surprised that the gray mud has tacked up pretty decent, first lap felt decent though the numb-throttle hand demonSOB hopped in about mile two.

The black mud on the North half has turned into velcro with the exception of all the exposed roots....which are now covered with Crisco! We're havin' fun now Baby!

Highlights...

I pulled over on lap 2 and let by what sounded like a parade lap of any A feature of the WoO Series go.... and there had to be 20 bikes in that mob, 8's 9's 10's, and the brand-new Mrs. Stretz was riding caboose on em.

While the view was inspiring ... I couldn't hang for more than a mile at their pace, in the 80's we called it a 'Conga line'.

Ever had a race where you and someone else in another class just flat-assed couldn't get away from each-other?

#89, Yamaha 4s, Jake Cates.... for three friggin' laps we took turns watching eachother screw up, or piggyback on a group pass, back and forth, over and over! We where both looking at eachother funny about the tenth time.

Also swapped around with WadeDawg and the younger Mr. Locke all afternoon, and both where excellent Sports about it.

About halfway thru the show a Godawful ROAR came from above and stayed there a bit.... I mean it rattled your friggin' teeth!

I'm thinking one of the buried UFOs' got a signal to launch and the flyash pile is gonna' need a major re-route...., but Shredders Wife Stacy told us after the show it was just two Billion dollars worth of invisible bombers doing a flyby.

Since it's currently a hot topic I will speak my mind...., passing was very polite all day, including many yelling out their class.

I heard a guy behind me late in the first lap yelling "C-Vet!" and though I wanted to yell back "So am I, Sweetpea!".... but my hands wanted no part of it, and let him by when it worked out for both of us.

I did try to let a late A classer by on a goofy, RH downhill and got all tippy-toed on a berm ridge. We got together and I somehow didn't wreck him on my trip to the ground, but I sure as hell scratched his plastic.

My fault, not his. And I did not see.... but felt him look back, before he hopped over the next drop, to see if I was getting back up .

Dan, Landowners, The Lovely Ladies O' Scoring, Everyone that makes the PeeWees happen...., thanks....!

Talk to us!!

Whoop!

Tim