HP Topeka Race Report

[gcat7]

Cowboy hats off to Perry & his crew for a cool track. The new layout was fun, fast you could even run into a train. Way cool. Thank you guys for all your efforts!

On to the report from the 700's errr uhhh 500's .

Gave the 500's a spin since that where it's all headed next year. Lots a familiar faces in 5's crew and was good to bang bars with a few again. Was a little apprehensive at the line since these old cats are fast so I didn't know what to expect. O'l Captain Hole-shot Shane Weimer proved his electric love button is fastest starting bike on earth. He wasted no time hitting the sticks #1, I think I ducked in about 9-10th maybe. Gotta say, the pace was a definable a step up from the 700's. There was no letting up or you get passed by several people & quickly but I held the 9th spot (out of 16) thru lap 1. The short fat kid was doing ok so far but blew a corner lap 2 and crossed 10th . On Lap 3, hard easy line i pin-balled off a few trees in the tight easy line and came to a dead stop and about bit my camlebak mouth piece in two and got passed again.

I Considered throwing up briefly when I looked at the speedo which read 71 mph in the grass straight thinking...man.... if i something happened at this speed and i get tossed, you could bring in home in a Country Crock Butter Tub. If wadded up, that is exactly the right size container to fit whatever parts are left in. Dropped that thought quick and decided to wring that 270 out and passed two back for the 9th spot, then the 8th sport where I finished up.

Just food for thought: Guys in other classes really need to let other class guys go by simply for safety reasons. There were several 300, 400, 1000 class guys holding others in a close races back and cost people some spots. A simple shout "different class" usually does the trick but not today. Some may bash this thought but there is no way I'd try to make a race with a A rider and hold them back when it's just not possible to keep that pace. If it's your class then by all means race on!

Been a great season. Good to see guys like Tom Brunholtz who proved once again the old & slow adage is not true at all!

G-out

[yellow jacket]

HEARTBREAK AT THE HEARTLAND

I had two reasons for driving up to Topeka yesterday. Reason # one was to see if I could still hang with the 700 class and reason #2 was to see if GCAT was really that fast. It seems like only two or three years ago that JP and I were showing him what the two levers on the handlebars were for. I pulled to the line and there is GCAT sucking on a beer in his civilian clothes, well reason #2 was not going to happen. The flagged dropped and my bike started on the first kick and that never happens. Went into the woods in about 8th or so. Bikes seemed to be laying everywhere, did not know if they were in our class or not. I came upon Gordo in the first lap as he was picking up his bike off that tricky uphill off camber. Since it was copy cat day I proceeded to dump my bike exactly like he did. What was weird was I did a practice lap before the race and found Gordo in the same spot picking up the same bike. As we continued to cruise around the track, a 4 stroke came out of nowhere. I just pulled over and let him by. I was not hear to slow someone down. I saw him blast by Gordo and disappear, only to reappear wadded up in a corner. As we sailed by him I started to pressure Gordo. As soon as I did, here comes that noisy 4 stroke again, and I let him by again. I finally slid by Gordo, thinking that we were in 4th or 5th. With all the people yelling at the start/finish line, I thought something was weird. While I was out in the evergreens I came around a corner and found a minibike encased in a tree, as I looked again, I saw two feet peaking out from the tree also. The next lap, and almost in the same spot, some guy was trying to wave me down in order for a side by side cross the track. I still do not know what that was about. But all that pails in comparison to what happened in those evergreen trees on the next lap. I was dogging a young man and was about 10 yards behind him. I was watching his rear wheel instead of looking ahead, so I went back to looking in front of him when the impossible happened. I looked up in time to see a deer running straight at this kid at full speed. In the blink of an eye that deer darted to the right side of that young man and then crossed over and singed my left side. That kid and I were totally speechless. Just glad that deer did not challenge us on the long straight away. As I came thru scoring I finally looked up and saw the checkered flag and the TV screen, 1st place. Do not ask me how it happened, just glad I could still hang with the youngsters.

Yellow Jacket

[jetskier]

gcat7, first thing I will say is that most of us slower riders know to get out of the way, but to be SCREAMED at, and CUSSED at, in a section of the track that there is no possible way to move over is uncalled for. If your that fast you will find a way to pass a slower rider in a few more corners. No matter if your in first place or catching the leader its the same track for everyone. I respect a very few riders that said "Coming Through" the rest were like move the FRick over you Frickin DI#kHead!
I expected a lot more etiquette in this series being my first time entering, if it was not for the people that just wanted to ride for fun, the turn out would not be that good.it cost me 45 bucks for transponder and numbers and entry fee, I think in the riders meeting they should talk about Sportsmanship and Respect. If the guys that don't want to ride with slower riders on the track at the same time they should race Motocross.

[gcat7]

Great to see any Tom I chatted with JP all the way home. We got hook up and do that Moab ride or a Colorado tour next year. Sorry we didn't get to bang bars Sunday the series has definately helped and improved the riding skills.

jet skier who's yelling and screaming at you? It certainly wasn't me so don't paint me with that brush. 99.9 percent of the fmhsc people are totally cool. I have yet to meet any bad peeps. Don't bash me or the series due to a few bad apples. Come out again, hell my first race a few years ago was an eye opener but have never heard that crap.

[Diamonds]

Jetskier,

It's most likely the guys that don't race the Forward Motion series that are doing the yelling and screaming. Anyone can come out and ride and different areas bring out lots of different people. The majority of people in the series are very courteous. Please don't generalize your experience to be inclusive of all FMHSC members. Yes, I'm sure that some people get carried away when they are racing, hell....I've been yelled at and knocked off the track more than once. Typically, what I find is that it is not someone who races in our series.

[jetskier]

gcat7, I did not say it was you but you had mentioned that us slower riders were holding up the leaders, again I still believe that that the faster riders can get by in certain sections, and if we slow up the 1st place guy we also slow up the 2nd place guy and so on, the tracks the same for everyone!

[jetskier]

The section of the track was the really tight tree section that you could not get through with out turning the bars to get through it, I did have a lot of fun and the track was cool, with the all the variety, I will be back!

[Weissbeck]

Favorites, Friends, Fake News, Fahrvergnügen

Favorites: Had to be Nick riding that 600 HONDO in the AA class. Nice wheelie on the start, but really from back on the 1000 row it looked like your clutch didn’t release, then all that 600 power went to the wheel at once. Another favorite item was the fact that Jim Pratt got to see my expert riding ability. I about bought the farm coming out of that rail car. Looked up to see who might have seen such an atrocity, sorry you had to witness that Jim. Sucks that you had a flat tire.

Friends: Be one, Make some. Race people are the best people. I have never had a bad experience at any race, don’t know maybe lucky. Most folks will give you the shirt off their back.

Fake News: Maybe what prompted me to write this report, General statements like; Wish so many people weren’t cheating. People were like move the FRick over you Frickin DI#kHead.
So the possible solution could be you. Think about why your posting, what are you really trying to say? Believe like most people I spend most of my time reading between the lines.

Race report: nothing exciting to discuss spent the entire race by myself except for getting passed by Fred 1023, I think on lap four. Thanks Fred for dragging me along for the last couple of laps, my last lap was my fastest, quite possibility you kept me from being caught by Brent.

Fahrvergnügen: The enjoyment of Driving. Sorry need another F to tie this whole thing up. I know you’re thinking I got an “F” for this guy!

Thanks Forward Motion for all your hard work, it is greatly appreciated

Weissbeck (1014)

[Harvey Mushman]

Yes, hats off to Perry and the crew, that was a fun course, reminded me of Big Springs. Loved the big open straights. Thought they may incorporate the SCCA track they used the week prior but kick-ass none the less. The Vet 40 line was so big I was bangin' bars with the guys on each side of me before we even started. I purposely back up and let the guys on each side have the spot. I went into the woods dead last on purpose and decided to see how many I could catch.
I got in a couple good battles with two guys where I would lock on their bumper in the woods but couldn't get around and they would gap me on the long straights. I'd then catch them again in the woods and repeat the scenario. I saw 64 mph on the speedo on one straight and realize if I hit the ground, my 61 y/o body will get busted up bad so I lifted. I know 64 ain't fast to a lot of guys but that's haulin' azz to this old guy.
I finished 17th out of 31 so I felt I competed and had a good time.
It may be time to consider bumping the Vet class to 45 y/o or create a Vet-50 class? I've only done a couple races this year but both had really big Vet turnouts.
As far as passing, I've been doing FM for a number of years and even though there are some times where you just can't find room to move over, I think about 95% of the time you can make just a little room and the fast guys don't need much and they'll be by you in a blink. Some are even nice and holler "Thanks", a nice gesture. I make every effort to get over ASAP because if you are not in my class, I quite honestly don't want you behind me so I'll do what I can to get you by me. I've never had anyone cuss at me, (not saying it don't happen) because I didn't get over fast enough. Probably a good thing as we'd both probably wind up in the weeds.

It was a great day to be in the woods on a dirt bike.

[flipstick357]

I like the track I think he Perry did a great job with the property he had.

On the passing issue I have a couple points

1. Successful "Fast Guys" look way ahead and time their overtaking spots, yelling at a guy or even just coming up on a slow rider in a bar tight section is a recipe for disaster and "Fast Guys" know it.
2. "Fast Guys" usually don't use words to notify. They usually hoot or make some screech or single exhale sound. Words are a waist of energy. Some of them do give you a thank you and that is always nice but not expected.
3. Back Markers are part of the track for the "Fast Guys" they are as prepared to pass them as they are to have to go around trees and thru creeks.
4. Our Series "Fast Guys" are very nice guys and don't do that crap it is simply not the atmosphere of this series. I have been passed by every one of them many many times. Don't get me wrong everyone can have a potty mouth but I know from personal experience I cuss myself out almost the entire race, Out loud.

I am thinking your "Fast Guy" that cussed you out was A. the exception to the rule, B. Not a actual fast guy, C. Not worth your time to worry about.

And just for the record I am not a "Fast Guy" by any means. I am however highly experienced in getting passed by them.

Now lets put on our big boy paints and go get dirty.