I'll never match TIm H's reports but what the heck, here's mine.
Finally went racing after 4 months of shoulder rehab. Saturday
I went to the AHRMA cross country national that is only
45 minutes from my house at Jeep Skool. It was a two day
so my plan was to stop there for a couple hours on the way to
the Western Reserve MC short track, spectate, and come back
for the CC on Sunday. Race the evening short track on Saturday.
I walked to the far side of the course to watch the start. Since
I'd helped set the place up, I had a good idea where some fun
spectation could be had. The vintage guys were up first. They
came through the trees, my buddy Elmar in the lead,
weaving and flailing their old bikes. As soon as most of the
riders came through the first time, I headed to the truck to
get to the flat track. Just as I got to the pit area, my phone rang.
It was Will, the flat track was postponed until Sunday because
of thunderstorms. Damn! my race had just started at the CC!!
So I thought for a few minutes then went to tech and signed up for
the post vintage race in an hour. Back to the truck to slap the
knobbies on and wait for my race.
As we were called to the line, the skies got really really dark.
Then the wind started blowing and the rain started coming down.
After a 15 minute torrential downpour, the storm just as quickly
passed on by and we got the race under way. I was in the second
row with Historic post vintage bikes, whatever the hell that means.
By the time we got to the woods, about 3/4 mile into the course,
the ruts from the first row were already a problem for me. The P-V
bikes dug ruts deeper than my frame. I got stuck three times, the
third taking off my chain guide. It took 10-12 minutes for me to get
that off the chain and then I limped to the finish and called it a
day.
The ruts were just too deep and the puddles were wide enough that
you couldn't tell where the ruts were. What a mess. Even the P-V
guys mostly stopped before the full hour.
So I had a couple hours clean/fix in the evening, then put the dirt
track tires back on.
The short track was awesome. I've never done it except in the back
yard but I'll be back. Pics, I'm #58a
http://www.virtecenterprises.com/images/pics/me%20in%20middle.JPG
http://www.virtecenterprises.com/images/pics/me%20on%20outside.JPG
http://www.virtecenterprises.com/images/pics/guy%20in%20second.JPG
http://www.virtecenterprises.com/images/pics/slow%20guys.JPG
I entered +50 class thinking that their definition of vintage - 1993
and older - would not be the right thing. Now I know that is where
I belong as the guys I was racing with instead had CR450s and Wood
Rotax bikes that were FAST. I could keep them in sight, even finished
right behind the whole group and beat one guy, but there was no way I
was getting past anybody. When I got passed a couple times after
getting a good start, they just blew by me down the straight. By the
end of the final I was getting confident enough in sliding in fast
that
I could make up a couple bike lengths coming into the corner but
nowhere near enough to pass anybody. Next time I'll enter Vintage
Heavy where there were TT500's, XR500's and XR250's.
Finally, one pic of how this is really done. These guys are all
National number holders past or present
http://www.virtecenterprises.com/images/pics/how%20it%27s%20really%20done.JPG
Go fast. Take chances.
Mike S.
In article
Nice, thanks for the photo links! Saw one 2 stroke in there.
> I could make up a couple bike lengths coming into the corner but
> nowhere near enough to pass anybody. Next time I'll enter Vintage
> Heavy where there were TT500's, XR500's and XR250's.
What are you riding?
The only thing that's disappointing is to see deadly armco barriers
everywhere. Seems like that part of racing is still in the dark ages.
--
Charles
'99 YZ250
"It's bad luck just SEEin' a thing like that..."
HardWorkingDog asks:
> What are you riding?
My C&J frame 1972 XL250 vintage motocrosser with dirt track
tires slapped on.
> The only thing that's disappointing is to see deadly armco barriers
> everywhere. Seems like that part of racing is still in the dark ages.
Yea, it's weird. I never noticed them until I saw the pictures.
Riding, they
seemed a long way off.
I bet that changes if you're in the air heading toward them after
high siding.
Go fast. Take chances.
Mike S.
Thanks for sharing, and for helping prepare for the AHRMA race.
Good Riding!
Jim
_________________________________________________
>On Tue, 25 May 2010 11:51:01 -0700 (PDT), sturd wrote:
>I'll never match TIm H's reports but what the heck, here's mine.
>Finally went racing after 4 months of shoulder rehab. Saturday
>I went to the AHRMA cross country national that is only
>45 minutes from my house at Jeep Skool. It was a two day
>so my plan was to stop there for a couple hours on the way to
>the Western Reserve MC short track, spectate, and come back
>for the CC on Sunday. Race the evening short track on Saturday.
>I walked to the far side of the course to watch the start. Since
>I'd helped set the place up, I had a good idea where some fun
>spectation could be had. The vintage guys were up first. They
>came through the trees, my buddy Elmar in the lead,
>weaving and flailing their old bikes. As soon as most of the
>riders came through the first time, I headed to the truck to
>get to the flat track. Just as I got to the pit area, my phone rang.
>It was Will, the flat track was postponed until Sunday because
>of thunderstorms. Damn! my race had just started at the CC!!
>So I thought for a few minutes then went to tech and signed up for
>the post vintage race in an hour. Back to the truck to slap the
>knobbies on and wait for my race.
>As we were called to the line, the skies got really really dark.
>Then the wind started blowing and the rain started coming down.
>After a 15 minute torrential downpour, the storm just as quickly
>passed on by and we got the race under way. I was in the second
>row with Historic post vintage bikes, whatever the hell that means.
>By the time we got to the woods, about 3/4 mile into the course,
>the ruts from the first row were already a problem for me. The P-V
>bikes dug ruts deeper than my frame. I got stuck three times, the
>third taking off my chain guide. It took 10-12 minutes for me to get
>that off the chain and then I limped to the finish and called it a
>day.
>The ruts were just too deep and the puddles were wide enough that
>you couldn't tell where the ruts were. What a mess. Even the P-V
>guys mostly stopped before the full hour.
>So I had a couple hours clean/fix in the evening, then put the dirt
>track tires back on.
>The short track was awesome. I've never done it except in the back
>yard but I'll be back. Pics, I'm #58a
>http://www.virtecenterprises.com/images/pics/me%20in%20middle.JPG
>http://www.virtecenterprises.com/images/pics/me%20on%20outside.JPG
>http://www.virtecenterprises.com/images/pics/guy%20in%20second.JPG
>http://www.virtecenterprises.com/images/pics/slow%20guys.JPG
>I entered +50 class thinking that their definition of vintage - 1993
>and older - would not be the right thing. Now I know that is where
>I belong as the guys I was racing with instead had CR450s and Wood
>Rotax bikes that were FAST. I could keep them in sight, even finished
>right behind the whole group and beat one guy, but there was no way I
>was getting past anybody. When I got passed a couple times after
>getting a good start, they just blew by me down the straight. By the
>end of the final I was getting confident enough in sliding in fast
>that
>I could make up a couple bike lengths coming into the corner but
>nowhere near enough to pass anybody. Next time I'll enter Vintage
>Heavy where there were TT500's, XR500's and XR250's.
>Finally, one pic of how this is really done. These guys are all
>National number holders past or present
>http://www.virtecenterprises.com/images/pics/how%20it%27s%20really%20done.JPG
>Go fast. Take chances.
>Mike S.
XML Sitemap
> nowhere near enough to pass anybody. Next time I'll enter Vintage
> Heavy where there were TT500's, XR500's and XR250's.