Big Springs Race Reports (lets here 'em)

[Ed M]

Great reports and great racing - I saw a number of riders wearing GoPro's out there including the flying one over the starting line. Anyone going to post up on YouTube?

[Tank]

Thanks Perry and FMHSC for another great race day!
I was up all night at the firehouse the night before but after a quad mocha and some 12 hr Claritin D I was ready to roll. I got in early and had time to talk to the usual vet40 and 700 club suspects. I found #57 and he said he had been up for pretty much 48hrs at Topeka fire and to suck it up!. Chad was ready to rock his new bike and Bob A. was excited to try out his new leg again. I didn't get a chance to inspect Tanks new ride but I heard that it's wicked fast! Silva #740 showed up with his youngest boy who was racing for the first time (Jr. row hole shot!!).
I invited a first time racer to try his hand at B.S. (he had the Great Dane dragging his wife-to-be around ). We entered him in the 900's for his first race to judge his speed. Turns out he got 2nd place in his first race on a borrowed old 400cc Honda with bald tires. He even ran out of gas at the time gate and shortly there after the handle bars fell off the bike. What a great first race story! Looks like maybe C class for his next race?
I lined up next to #80 Stretz and followed her for most of the first lap till she started gaping me pretty hard. I ended up washing out on a big powder berm somewhere on lap 3 and broke my right big toe and loads of pain behind the right shoulder blade. I tried to continue but I couldn't brake very effectively or put weight on the bars much. I decided to call it a day and cruise back to the pits and watch the last of the race. Besides the purple big toe and sore shoulder I had the best race day so far. My 2 lap times were just a second apart and my fastest percentage yet. I just need to keep it on the track!! Luckily there's plenty of time to heal up for Ballard.
Pictured left is one of our newest FMHSC junkies. Hope to see everyone in Ballard.

EDIT: After reading Tanks report above looks like we both had a similar experience. I remember asking if you were Ok when you were stopped out on the trail. That must have been right after you went down. That's when you lied and said you were fine You are tougher than me, I skipped that last section and went straight to the pits!

Yep, that was around that time. I am not tough, just wanted to finish. I have a great bike, so it wasn't its fault. Just need to ride within myself and not try to be competitive yet! It will come and then I will chase down some of the other old guys. Thanks for stopping and seeing if I was ok! I really appreciate it!

[danceswithtrees]

What a race! I was extremely apprehensive about the start, I don't quite move the same way I used to, but loved the challenge. Shredder came down the Vet 40 line trying to fire us all up, problem is that it's seriously hard to find motivation from a guy sporting a new cast. Went into the woods in 7th and came out the first lap to see 3rd on the timing monitor. That was a new experience for me as I always seem to land in 4th and can't get out of the slump. Found myself in 2nd after lap 2, and there was Dennis again sporting that cast and screaming "go get him, pointing at the 1st place rider"......you know thinking about it afterwards he might have found his niche as a motivational speaker! Anyway, I somehow found myself in 1st after lap 3 and got to see that the monitor reads "Class Leader" when that happens. What a cool experience. Somehow, and I'm sure it's because my fellow Vet riders took pity on me, I won my first race.

I had a great day, and really enjoyed meeting and talking to all the foward motion family both Saturday and Sunday. Brian, I am really sorry to hear about the toe. The brightside is that I think you have me for the number of broken bones now in two seasons!

Dennis......the White House wasn't calling to congratulate me, they were calling to let me know they have denied my application for health care. They said that if I didn't learn my lesson last year after breaking a leg, there was no hope for me now. By the way Brian, they asked me tell you that your application is denied as well!

A big thanks goes out Perry, the course was sweeet, and to all the great FMHSC workers that make these events happen.

Bob Angell
1060

[OnTheRocks]

WOW it has been a LONG time since I have started a race like that. But I liked it. The antsy anticipation of the board drop being replace by a 12 GA. Blast... NICE.

Well I got about a mid pack start and had a great first lap. It was dusty as hell and I actually backed off a bit so I could see the course. I didn't want to wind up riding a gurney outta there. Well after the first lap I was a little over mid pack and by the second I had picked up two more positions and that is where I pretty much stayed until the last lap when my buddy at scoring "Wirefryer" Yells and me and says "One more lap, Make it count" That was all the motivation I needed and my last lap was only seconds off of my first lap and I picked up a spot only to lose it again about a mile from the end when I stalled my bike on a down hill towards a water crossing and it wouldn't light up again on the fly... Had to stop and kick her to life again.

As I came through scoring I saw I was in 8th place and was very pleased. I have not raced a complete race since the beginning of LAST year and have spent very very little time on the bike since then. Work is a BUMMER. It seems there was some sort of discrepancy and I actually ended up in 9th. Oh well I was still very pleased. I finished the race STRONG and never ended up in SURVIVAL mode. I only made a couple of blunders and finished on two wheels.

All and all it was a GREAT race, one of the best I can remember. A little more moisture to knock out the dust and it would have been PERFECT.

[Blazin Bob]

I noticed there was a guy with a radar gun near the end of the first long straight after the finish. Did anyone hear what kind of speeds guys were hitting there? I would guess some of the fast guys were well into the 70 mph range. It was way cool that the standings were available in real time as the race was going on as well. Great day for racing. Harvey, you almost made me spit my water out when I read your "fender love" comment.

[shredder]

Well I actually did spit out my drink!
I don't care who you are....that's funny right there!

[swedishfishmx]

I heard a certain rider hit a kids bike 6th gear in one of the FAST sections and endo'd violently. Said rider got up and still finished. I heard several stories like this, but that was the most severe one.

IMO this race should have been split for THAT reason and the fact that it was dusty. The AA/A guys were lapping people on their 2nd lap.

[Sloppy Slawson]

split races are more work for scoring and unpaid personnel, but me personally I love the split races, lets the faster riders cut loose without fear of laping the beginners,or getting held up. lets the less experienced riders ride more relaxed.Definitely safer for some tracks. And also allows racers to spectate ! Oh and the live timing was pretty awsome at the last race.

[PK]

IMO people should try not to spread rumors....and try to just talk abut what they know and not what they think THEY know....

[TEAMBRAWNER]

Well where to start, It's been about 2 and half years since I raced and 1 year since Open heart surgery . so let get started went up to Big Springs on Friday night and parked the RV next to the enduro section. Saturday got up and worked the the track and then waited until Saturday practice . Saturday the track was awesome hardly no dust and prepped by Perry on his homemade plow that goes through all the single track. (Super nice job Perry ) I rode a ktm 380 and a ktm 144 but decided that the 380 was to much and would race the 144
Sunday 12:00 standing in front of the bike (straddling the front fender) thinking what the heck am I doing the shot gun went off. and so it begins I jump on the bike and miss the kick starter so did'nt start out very good in mid pack. after the first lap I moved up to third and was feeling pretty good. until I caught a tree with my head ripped me off the bike I jumped up and only lost 1 place. then on the last lap three C vet adv caught me Oh crap there in my class . so I tried to stay in front but picked the wrong line and one got by. then Chad Cooper passed me right before the muddy creek crossing and covered me with mud. I stayed right with him even though I could not hardly see anything, there were four of us in a row when we started to enduro cross and on the wagon wheel Chad went down. I got excited and dumped the clutch and killed the motor Chris and Mark got around me Oh well got 6th for the day and 35th overall not to bad for 50 year old Open Heart no riding sucker All I can say is it's on now you boy's in the C VET ADV class better watch out cause here I come.
Thanks for reading see ya Ballard. P.S. Perry puts on a Fabulous race and works his butt off doing it THANK YOU.

Thanks to Perry and Lea for putting up The Brawners.
Thanks to Letko Cycles.
Thanks to Dan Johnson and crew for making all happen.
Thanks to the C VET ADV riders for giving me something to shoot for.