MEAQ5 - Briarcliff Mx 4-29 thru 4-30

Probably the hardest race we've ever attempted. Hands down the worst weather weekend for us ever. Its hard to believe for some, but the roller saved it. Packing it Friday night was the smartest decision I have ever made. The best $1,000 ever spent was renting the compactor. I knew Saturday wouldn't be good, but the kick in the pants was the rain late on Sunday, just when we started to have a good track, then bam out of nowhere....and another lightning delay. I believe it rained 5 times total on Sunday, most of which was in the afternoon. Just over 2" from Friday to Sunday. Hindsight is a hell of a thing. Had we known it would have rained like that we would have skipped intermission and just ran straight through on Sunday. Should have moved the 50's to Sunday. Should have did this should have done that......Still learning. Two things stick out from this weekend. The crowd this weekend was one of the toughest, most resilient group racers that we have had the honor of running a program for, and the 50+ class is not for sissys. 1st up after prep, not one request for a site lap!! I loved it. The kids should take note. Thanks everyone.
 
MarctheSharc said:
Please expound - ?
Major Respect to the promoter and anyone that raced during this weekend.
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Some spode was not doing the tunnel jump. (me) Alan was on me like a bad habit and knew I was not doing it.
So he checked up and Randy did not see him check up. they came together and went down. ( I think,thats how it went)
So I hope Randy feels OK. he was moving slow but we all do at our age after a moto.

Give us a heads up guys! I will do that jump from now on. Just not feeling it yet with the new suspension and bike. Alan had me in a turn or two. He is jealous of my awesome riding gear and feels the need to roost it!!!
ha ha.
 
BriarcliffMx said:
Should have moved the 50's to Sunday. Should have did this should have done that.....
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And if it would have poured all night? the 50's would have been screwed. Besides, they could have just drew spoons, or grabbed balls. ha ha, and been done. 8 in one? 7 in other?

You guys made good calls all weekend. 500 or whatever riders are not going to agree on anything. not even free beer. You guys made a plan and stuck to it.

Maybe transponders next year?
 
Double D said:
Maybe transponders next year?
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That would have saved us in couple classes Saturday......Maybe. Transponders can malfunction too, and as bad as it was, we would have had to make a different loop or detection trip area for transponders. I know a lot people were not very happy that we elected to not run transponders. But what are the chances we would have another blackwater 100 type race? That's the way I see it. We don't need them unless its so bad that the race is ran under extreme conditions. Its a tough call. I will say this, I would love it if motosponder worked with trackside. If anyone with some software engineering in their blood can make that happen, I would say done. Do it. That's what we would do.
 
Sunday's program ran nicely. Track was great up until my last moto, which I figured I was opting out of after you couldn't even see through the rain pouring down.
Once the +40 guys were pulled off the line for the storm delay I decided to wash my bike and pack it up like a true modern day motorcrosser. It felt weird, I never make a conscious choice to DNS a moto. I confirmed with my buddy that under these circumstances it was ok to do. My first moto I went down and couldn't start the bike for a good 30 seconds, and I didn't need a qualifying position so the race essentially meant nothing besides practice and a gate drop anyways. Besides, I just did a frame up rebuild of my bike and it was looking spotless.
Loud speaker calls the +40 guys back to the line. These dudes just got soaked sitting on the line prior to the delay(absolutely drenched) so no way were they showing back up to that line to race on a pond of a track, I thought. Well one by one they start lining up. Slowly my head starts changing gears on me, I start reconfirming questions to my buddy that I know the answer to "it would be stupid to go out there and race now right?" "Racing would be pointless right?" "I did just wash my bike and there's no more water left, otherwise I'd consider it" "right?"
I start staring at my bike, staring at the track, shaking my head, staring back at my bike. Little voice in my head starts thinking about all the Pitracer threads complaining about race cancellations due to weather, Older dudes telling tales of riding through the rain sleet snow and mud, and there they were lining up right in front of me!
My buddy knows me pretty well, and he knows when I'm on the edge of flipping the script. That's when it happens, I get that little bit of encouragement from my buddy. "P**SY!" he directs towards me. And that's all it takes. Pretty sure I fire back with the hottest line of 2017 "Are you silly? I'm still gonna send it!"
I throw my gear back on, unload the bike, and I get down to the line. Gate director asks me if I still want to race, "that's why I'm here". Then he asks 1 or 3 laps, "3, I'm trying to get the most bang for my buck". Half of our class didn't show up, but I was proud that a few guys and myself were still there to represent +25. A holeshot and a moto win later my day was made. As dirty as I was, I was refreshed knowing I did my part.
I ride the bike right in my trailer after the race and see that the last moto isn't being run. I think to myself it must be that damn younger generation opting out, which I'm assuming it was. They must have been asked the same question as I. Do you still want to race?

Thank you Briarcliff for not cutting our last motos out. That made my weekend.
 
DelBalso123 said:
Sunday's program ran nicely. Track was great up until my last moto, which I figured I was opting out of after you couldn't even see through the rain pouring down.
Once the +40 guys were pulled off the line for the storm delay I decided to wash my bike and pack it up like a true modern day motorcrosser. It felt weird, I never make a conscious choice to DNS a moto. I confirmed with my buddy that under these circumstances it was ok to do. My first moto I went down and couldn't start the bike for a good 30 seconds, and I didn't need a qualifying position so the race essentially meant nothing besides practice and a gate drop anyways. Besides, I just did a frame up rebuild of my bike and it was looking spotless.
Loud speaker calls the +40 guys back to the line. These dudes just got soaked sitting on the line prior to the delay(absolutely drenched) so no way were they showing back up to that line to race on a pond of a track, I thought. Well one by one they start lining up. Slowly my head starts changing gears on me, I start reconfirming questions to my buddy that I know the answer to "it would be stupid to go out there and race now right?" "Racing would be pointless right?" "I did just wash my bike and there's no more water left, otherwise I'd consider it" "right?"
I start staring at my bike, staring at the track, shaking my head, staring back at my bike. Little voice in my head starts thinking about all the Pitracer threads complaining about race cancellations due to weather, Older dudes telling tales of riding through the rain sleet snow and mud, and there they were lining up right in front of me!
My buddy knows me pretty well, and he knows when I'm on the edge of flipping the script. That's when it happens, I get that little bit of encouragement from my buddy. "P**SY!" he directs towards me. And that's all it takes. Pretty sure I fire back with the hottest line of 2017 "Are you silly? I'm still gonna send it!"
I throw my gear back on, unload the bike, and I get down to the line. Gate director asks me if I still want to race, "that's why I'm here". Then he asks 1 or 3 laps, "3, I'm trying to get the most bang for my buck". Half of our class didn't show up, but I was proud that a few guys and myself were still there to represent +25. A holeshot and a moto win later my day was made. As dirty as I was, I was refreshed knowing I did my part.
I ride the bike right in my trailer after the race and see that the last moto isn't being run. I think to myself it must be that damn younger generation opting out, which I'm assuming it was. They must have been asked the same question as I. Do you still want to race?

Thank you Briarcliff for not cutting our last motos out. That made my weekend.
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Now there is a great story! I was working the starting gate/staging and was thinking wow, these guys are hard core old school! Well done. There was so much standing water that when I went to drop the gate there was a crawldad just hanging out in the starters box. No idea where he came from.

P.s. I believe the last moto was 12-16, those kids wanted no part of the mud!
 
Double D said:
Randy, how you feeling? Tbo

Alan, you good?
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MarctheSharc said:
Thanks DD -
Hope both are ok
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I'll live! Cracked my ribs in the same place as I did at Area 51! Was spitting up some blood yesterday morning but that stopped. Couldn't lift my arm above my shoulder and that worries me more than anything, just had surgery on that one. Seemed to be getting a little better as the day went on. Just really sore all over. Hopefully it gets a little better each day. Kelly sent me a pic of Allens back, he's scraped up pretty good and sore but I think he's alright. Dave I did see Allen check up and I did the same. Allen just landed in some really soft dirt and he swapped out. I had no where to go and hit his bike and it pitched me over the bars! I did the same thing in practice and barley saved it! Nobody's fault just racing!
 
TBO said:
I'll live! Cracked my ribs in the same place as I did at Area 51! Was spitting up some blood yesterday morning but that stopped. Couldn't lift my arm above my shoulder and that worries me more than anything, just had surgery on that one. Seemed to be getting a little better as the day went on. Just really sore all over. Hopefully it gets a little better each day. Kelly sent me a pic of Allens back, he's scraped up pretty good and sore but I think he's alright. Dave I did see Allen check up and I did the same. Allen just landed in some really soft dirt and he swapped out. I had no where to go and hit his bike and it pitched me over the bars! I did the same thing in practice and barley saved it! Nobody's fault just racing!
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......sounds like an old guy yard sale. Just think of what the golfers would say...
 
DelBalso123 said:
Sunday's program ran nicely. Track was great up until my last moto, which I figured I was opting out of after you couldn't even see through the rain pouring down.
Once the +40 guys were pulled off the line for the storm delay I decided to wash my bike and pack it up like a true modern day motorcrosser. It felt weird, I never make a conscious choice to DNS a moto. I confirmed with my buddy that under these circumstances it was ok to do. My first moto I went down and couldn't start the bike for a good 30 seconds, and I didn't need a qualifying position so the race essentially meant nothing besides practice and a gate drop anyways. Besides, I just did a frame up rebuild of my bike and it was looking spotless.
Loud speaker calls the +40 guys back to the line. These dudes just got soaked sitting on the line prior to the delay(absolutely drenched) so no way were they showing back up to that line to race on a pond of a track, I thought. Well one by one they start lining up. Slowly my head starts changing gears on me, I start reconfirming questions to my buddy that I know the answer to "it would be stupid to go out there and race now right?" "Racing would be pointless right?" "I did just wash my bike and there's no more water left, otherwise I'd consider it" "right?"
I start staring at my bike, staring at the track, shaking my head, staring back at my bike. Little voice in my head starts thinking about all the Pitracer threads complaining about race cancellations due to weather, Older dudes telling tales of riding through the rain sleet snow and mud, and there they were lining up right in front of me!
My buddy knows me pretty well, and he knows when I'm on the edge of flipping the script. That's when it happens, I get that little bit of encouragement from my buddy. "P**SY!" he directs towards me. And that's all it takes. Pretty sure I fire back with the hottest line of 2017 "Are you silly? I'm still gonna send it!"
I throw my gear back on, unload the bike, and I get down to the line. Gate director asks me if I still want to race, "that's why I'm here". Then he asks 1 or 3 laps, "3, I'm trying to get the most bang for my buck". Half of our class didn't show up, but I was proud that a few guys and myself were still there to represent +25. A holeshot and a moto win later my day was made. As dirty as I was, I was refreshed knowing I did my part.
I ride the bike right in my trailer after the race and see that the last moto isn't being run. I think to myself it must be that damn younger generation opting out, which I'm assuming it was. They must have been asked the same question as I. Do you still want to race?

Thank you Briarcliff for not cutting our last motos out. That made my weekend.
Click to expand...

Thats pretty funny. I was on the line for that plus 40 when it started coming down and once it unloaded i am sitting there thinking should i be the sissy old lady and bag it or ride in it. Then i remember i am the one that washes bikes and gear so i headed back to the trailer and we headed home. Lol.

Still had a fun day. Allan got both of his motos in i wasnt as lucky. Track conditions were awesome sunday especially after all that rain. Super jealous allan got to ride in the moto 1 after a fresh prep.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
TBO said:
Was spitting up some blood yesterday morning but that stopped. Couldn't lift my arm above my shoulder and that worries me more than anything, just had surgery on that one.
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Well then, I thought you got hurt, spitting a little blood and limited use of limbs is standard Monday morning stuff.... ha ha, hope you feel better.

You were right behind me in the first moto when I hit that slop and almost swapped out. I grabbed a bunch of throttle to get straight.

Still, if I was doing that jump, it would have not happened. I dont like the high poppers. especially
after seeing Z Boy flat land it!!

Heal up! Had fun, hope to hang out more next time, busy when you are getting an inch an hour of rain!
 
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