Melvern Race Report

[getdirty]

One of those great days to be outside! A big thank you needs to go the land owner and all the FM workers!
Nice to race in weather in only double digits!
Parade lap almost to start, Brian # 718 and Jason # 770 and I are gearing up. Jason notices his cover plate is cracked and leaking oil! We scramble and with the help of a fellow racer by loaning some appoxy (what a great racing community!!!) - Jason fixes the bike as Brian and I went out on the course. Jason catches up when Brian fowls a plug.
Had a fun time doing battle with Brian #718 as I fought like heck to pass him for 3 laps. Eating dust, grass, and even a few rocks. We both had our bike ringing on the fast straight away going North. 6th gear and hanging on for dear life as the corner neared. I had two choices - Take myself and Brian out as I hit the corner too hot or slow down and eat more dirt! I went with #2. Coming to the final straight away downhill and I had to try again - hit 6th gear and hit the brakes at the last minute. I not only hit the brakes - I hit tree and then another and another according to Brian as he was watching a train wreck in slow motion. I kept the 250 upright, and was making it through the last of the trees with Brian hitting my back tire every chance he could! (I think he was a bit mad, not sure )
We headed back to the trailer and waited for Jason # 770 to arrive. Once Jason came around the bend, we stand and he gives us a nod - Yep, Jason has done it BACK TO BACK 1st PLACE FINISHES!!! Way to Go buddy! All on a bike that has a leaking cover plate!

[WireFryer]

Quite honestly, OnTheRocks and myself didn't know how to react to a 60 degree morning with Real-Live Moisture in the ground .

Free from Female confliction on this round, we arrived right on time after only one stop to get ice for my beer... though it required squeezing between the State Troopers having their morning coffee to do so.

Pit with our buds, unload, sign in, and tear into a practice lap on moist, velcro-like loam that was so sweet... if someone sold it in little bitty ziploc bags, I would be selling the house right now to get some more of it.

Laugh all you want... the dust bowl races get old real f'n quick.

KtmEric commented during the riders meeting for the fast movers that the course would go blue-groove before their race was over. He was very correct, and all us back-half folks appreciate the rubber laid down on the rocks and sweeper corners, but would have very much preffered the killer black-loam .

The MX/EnduroCross part after the start of the course demanded tribute, and it Got It! .

I can't throw any facts at ya', but I heard about a broken clavicle on a Double A, broken leg on a Trailrider, and a 300 class Female that we all know that got pounded into the ground like a tent peg.

The only good thing for everyone involved, is that the Melvern facility has some of the Best Medical Support( Chanute personel are well within the running ) of our FM Series.... I kept waiting for someone dressed in scrubs to pop out from behind a hedge tree everywhere on the course.

Props to the whole team!!! You Guys and Gals have got your ducks truly in a row, and, God forbid, when some nasty disaster hits your town, you will collectively have it covered .

Okay, let's get down to brass tacks...

As far as the fast-movers, I'm not one of them, so one of theirs can tell the story(cough, cough )... but Tucker got the holeshot and owned the place. Ezell and Brawner raced their guts out... but it wasn't enough.

Now let's get into the meat and potatoes of the Series...

Get lined up between Walline and Turley for the second show, and I'm well aware that my lil' XC-F has developed some kind of starting problem that has yet to show its'self.

Board drops, grouchy bee-otch won't fire, Dan hears language he is unacustomed to as a former Police Officer, and I get the honor of watching all the fun and games on the MX track from last friggin' place!! Hilarity!!

Bout two miles in, one of our 700 clubbers wads it up skipping off a tree and is trapped under his bike.... 3 of us stop to see if he needs help and He is almost pissed as he waves us on .

I quickly remember how slow I am, and set a zippy (for me ) maintenance plan, that includes a bit of energy left for the last lap.

The fun factor in this, is that I can watch the show... from the inside-out.

The Seniors have a points battle on their hands. From the inside it's like watching a Dog-Fight with the sound turned off..., but the Dogs all know how to play chess .

The 800s and the 900s got some sandbaggin' going on, but not as bad as past years, lotta' young talent coming up, and some of them have boobies! .

Look at your lap times and everybody elses.... this one was pretty much as level a playing field that FMHSC ever gets. Can't wait till' it gets ugly and rocky and muddy again

Stopped in one of the 4-StraightAways sections cuz' I seen a watch laying in the berm on my last lap...stopped for it hoping for a Bulova or a Rolex, but it turned out to be a WallyWorld cheapie with a shattered crystal. (Times is hard!).

Spent the whole damn day in 15th, but could care less... I had two laps left in me!

[shredder]

What a day!!! What a day!!! Pulled in and set up. went down to watch the fast guys take off and started blasting pictures (over three hundred just for the start!) and got a few of Danielle Slawson at the tires. A heads up play by the guys who did the re-route through the caution tape. We sure do take care of our own - don't we? As we gave out the "slow down" signals to the pack as they came screaming down the straight most of the leaders shook there heads as to say "yes" and every one fell into a single file line like a NASCAR yellow just came out. It looked like we practiced it a hundred times. Great work guys.

Would someone please let us know how she is doing? Danielle is a good rider and knows this track. Sometimes we just get a weird bounce and ... I hope she is doing well.

[shredder]

Well I got a bad start and just plain chugged it right out of the gate. I quickly re-started the engine and I was on my way!
I left the jitters at the start and I was just railing those corners! I can"t remember when I trusted my tires to stick like that, wow. Very nice!

I came up on WireFryer (I noted the the GoPro) who was putting it down I might add andd after only seconds he nudged to the right and gave me a short wave "go now" move. He didn't get a good look so I was planning to yell my head off to jack him up even more than he already was (IF THAT'S POSSIBLE) But as I made the pass he saw me and we are both yelling at each other like a cat fight and scared the rider caught in between us! hee hee hee...He thought we were talking smack at each other so I got 2 for the price of one!

I saw Steve Houghton putting along and I knew something was wrong there...You ok Steve? I didn't get to see you after the show.

I caught ol Devon Turley and POOF! It was like the good ol days again! I'm in the seniors and Devon is #78 and I tried to put him away...tried to put him down..tried to scare him in the creek... tried my secret quiet ninja blast...well...not today! My wife got some shots of Devon keeping me at bay - Good job dude..ps...my wife asks me - "Why didn't you just pass him while I was taking pictures after scoring? You were behind him for two laps?" I wanted to say I tried, but I wadded it up 3 friggin times puttin the hurt on em and ended up getting the hurt on me! But instead I says...Well I guess it was his day!


OH YEAH! Check out the hole shot for the juniors! I don't know her name but with starts like that I'm sure I'll know very soon!

[KTM_rookie]

First off, thanks to the land owners for letting us come out and play. Also thank you to those that worked the race.

As Devon mentioned, things got off to a rough start. After a little warm-up ride I noticed oil on my boot and oil smeared all over the clutch cover. I cleaned things up, did some inspecting and found a small crack right in the middle of the cover, luckily not too low. Devon went on the hunt for some JB Weld or something similar, came back with some epoxy which slowed the leak down but definitely not a permanent fix. THANK YOU to the gentleman that hooked us up.

I lined up 2nd from the left on the 700 row, board drops and off we go. I struggled to keep the front end down but still managed to be out front as we turned the corner heading into the MX section ("of doom" for us non-MXers). It didn't take long for me to show off my MX skills by almost looping out on the tabletop and then showing good form, I slid out in the last corner, just before heading across the hay field. Oh, and I stalled the engine. With one kick I was going again and still in the lead, barely. I had #707 on my tail for the entire race. I suppose that was payback for Chanute where I stalked him for half the race. Then on the last lap I see this Honda charging and I'm thinking to myself, "please don't be a 700-Clubber". As he closes the gap, I see it's #725. Crap. He got past #707 and was now on my tail. I was exhausted but managed to twist the throttle a little more and hold him off til the checkered flag. Bike held up fine and a new clutch cover is on the way. It took almost 6 years of racing to get a 1st place finish. Feels pretty good!

And to 2nd what WOLFYMAN said, anyone got any pics and/or vids? Shredder, are yours available to the public? Wouldn't mind seeing all classes. That way I can see how it 'should' be done!

See y'all at Merwin.

[quik406]

770, that was a sweet battle at Chanute. I wish I would of had more for you on that last Lap.
Melvern 600 traffic was terrible! You (770) did a nice job getting around them. I on the other hand... not so much. Sure wish my 250f had some more pull, because 616 held me up all day. I finally wore him out on the last lap and put some links on him.
As for 725 I am not sure where he got around me. Does anyone know him?
Hope I can battle it out with 770 again sometime. That is good fun!

[shredder]

I am so sorry but the wife did exactly what I ask of her (DOH!). She cleaned out all the ho hum start pics. I did see one of Scott riding his low rider in the front enduro section...hmmm see if I can find it...

Here it is!

You 700's are getting your fun percentiles WAY TO HIGH! Your taking all the available fun from the races and even making more as you post here!

Dan we gota put a cap on this now before it gets outa hand! Super double quick! Sheesh...I was all alone riding like a bolt of lightning and didn't even get a nibble...Hmmm...maybe try different bait!

[KTM_rookie]

Hey 707, Yes we've had a couple good battles now. At Chanute, it seemed like the 600's got out of your way better when hearing the bark of your thumper. I was happy to follow you around them. I'd get close to ya then make a mistake, over and over, til the 5th lap where you left a tiny opportunity to squeak by. Good times. But yeah, at Melvern it was rough. The 600's refused to move over. I was hoarse from all the woo-hoo'ing and begging and pleading for them to move over. Even had a TR want to race me as I worked to lap him on a corner. (Dude, we're not racing each other!)

I talked to 725 after the race. Nice guy out of Wichita. This was his first FMHSC race & it sounds like he's gonna trim the bars and I imagine we'll see him again. Lookin forward to the next battle. Except the next race has 'real' MX to it and I'll be looking for the Chicken Exit.

[quik406]

Shredder...Ya I noticed I broke out the last two times. If I brake out again, I will move. I don't want to race Cvet Advanced, because that would put me on a different schedule on the split races, and I haul with a C vet. I really don't want to race with the C class because the kids are to dangerous. Us vet guys seem to have more respect for other peoples body parts.

At the Chanute race I didn't have as much trouble with the 600's, but Melvern was driving me nuts! Maybe the longer straights made my 250f show its weakness??

Does anyone know why scoring was off? I stopped to voice my displeasure when I saw I was in 3rd...when I knew 770 got the holeshot, and I followed him the first two laps and was never passed, only to be scored 3rd. Between that and 600's I was ready to fight, but I managed to calm down...

I don't think I will make the next race. Going to Dallas to race the Red Bull Soap box race. Hope to make Eldorado springs.

[Criqui]

Danielle is doing fine. I believe x-ray came back fine