So much to cover, where does one start?
To begin, I want to offer up a very public Appreciative Thank You to my wife. She is the best moto-wife a racer guy could ask for.
Up at 5am all three days, travelling up and back 50 miles each day, and home just in time to gather back up again for tomorrow. She never complained once and took great video footage of my races, and constantly supported me. She's the Best!
Special thanks to Mid-Ohio and AMA for another great event. A special thanks also to Jeff Beerbower and Log Road crew for giving us a great race track and Thanks again to Drew, Kyle and Ryan Wolfe for their help and the use of their starting gate again. Good folk’s and it's a pleasure to know them.
The weekend was a blast as usual. Overly busy, but a great time. As mentioned, was great that the rain held off.
Each year we meet new people and the list of friends that you want to spend time talking to and hanging out with continues to grow, and we enjoy that as much as the racing.
Friday Hare Scramble was a good race, and my KDX did its’ job very well once again, but time for a rebuild before next year. Raced in 40+B and finished 6th overall I believe. Track was fun and pretty fast, but sure seemed tight in spots. The hill climbs got rutted up and knarly, with lots of ugly tree roots and casualty riders. I stayed upright, kept a good pace and was pleased with my results. A couple different times I held up faster riders and the track was just too damned tight to get around me for the pace that we were going, but I made them wait, as I've learned that if you are fast enough to catch me, then passing me shouldn't be a problem, and I ain't just gonna give it to ya.
Finished just behind Cutty22
"AGAIN". Had fun and loved it!
Saturday Vintage, raced two class's, 40+B and 250B.
I have to take a moment to comment that I now better understand earlier discussions about grass track racing for vintage. And I have to agree, it was a blast! The Log Road crew left large portions of the track uncultivated for the vintage races. It is very different racing grass and yet it is fast! “Can't wait to do it again”.
Our 40+B class only had 4 racers to begin with and later one rider was DQ'd-removed from the class leaving 3.
It was fun racing against G. Payne, but the racer that took 1st was gone and I couldn't keep with him.Getting good starts on Poor Tom is a challenge, but he's good at racing through a pack and chasing down. We had 2 gate drops, with a large 125 class launching first. I caught and passed many of those boys. Taking 2nd overall doesn't quite have as much excitement in a class of 3.
The 250B class was a different story: "
19 of us Baby ! ".
Wow was that a fun race. Banging, dicing, swapping and pursuing hard for 4 full laps. Taking sweeping turns with the bike leaned hard and throttle wide open, what a rush! I got mediocre starts but respectable finishes for a 3rd overall out of 19. Pretty pleased with that.
Bike ran really well and came home in one piece with all parts still attached. I think having a big class and a track length of 1.1 miles helps the fun factor.
Sunday Bomber/PV/EVO.
We chose to settle back and relax a little by registering for only 1 class. "40+B"
with 15 on the gate.... Yahoooo!
I just got the 84 YZ250 back together on Saturday night,(at home) and wanted not to push it too much just yet. The bike ran fantastic, was all I hoped it would be. And the most gratifying part is that the racer that sold me the bike, finished behind me in moto #2. Thanks Scott !
Well in moto 1, the
"Battle of the Mike's" resumed
.
Always enjoyed the challenge, and you were hitting the mark today. Beenridin got a pretty good start and I found myself in pursuit immediately. Mike let me catch up with him over and over, but he was so smooth, fast, and consistent that I was never given a good clean passing opportunity. It was all I had to keep him within striking distance. The real funny part is that while Mike and I were going at it, we had a stalker on our tail and didn't know it. (CK1Racer will like this). In lap 3, another racer showed me a wheel and began the pressure to move over. He not only passed me, but quickly passed Mike as well. The kicker to this is that this was no small fit racer. In the most polite and respectful way I can say it, this was a "larger rider". He was fast, and he passed us both. Kudo's to you big boy Vet Racers!
Mike used up all of his good energy in a moto before our final bout (#10) so I had a little advantage in our moto 2. I got a better start and drove hard through the pack, catching Mike again, but then left Mike chasing somewhere behind me. This moto still went fast and aggressive, but I spent all my time trying to catch someone far ahead of me. I had my battle won with Mike, but then the "Big Surprise" showed up. A racer showed me a wheel, pursued me and finally got me on the south end of the track in a tight turn. I spotted this racer on the gate. I know that he has at least 10 years on me. He passed me (on my 84 YZ250) riding a Harley Davidson MX250!
And then he was gone, running away with my position.
What a weekend.......