After a 2 year hiatuses I returned to the racetrack and my first stab at the over 40 class this past Saturday night. My goals were to have fun and not get hurt. Both were accomplished, but I need to work on speed and endurance! Practice started at 4 PM and it was a little humid, but not as bad as it could be this time of year. Once the sun started to set it turned out to be a very pleasant evening to spend at the track. I put a new back tire on prior to the race and had not rode on it until practice. Forget spending hard earned cash on engine and suspension mods. I’m spending my money on jets, tires and proper gearing! I guess I had forgotten how good a brand new tire felt as it made a huge difference from a week ago when I rode at the weekly Thursday night practice.
We had rain Thursday and the track looked a little wet. The four wheelers helped keep most of the ruts down and after practice was over the track was looking good. After practice was over Mrs. Sawblade and Sawtooth arrived to watch the old man in action. I also had an old MX friend that I had lost touch with years ago that showed up with his family to watch. Talk about the makings of a good night. I get to race and see and make up time with an old friend. I think he may even get back into riding! I need to also throw out thanks to Bswift for the pep talk about 6 weeks ago. His pep talk along with a lady that transferred into my dept (her family owns a local shop and both of her sons race) motivated me to start riding and racing again.
The first moto I line up 4 gates to the right of the doghouse. I had only practiced one start ever on the CR at the beginning of the first practice, so I didn’t know what to expect. I watched the two motos prior to mine and the kid running the gate is consistent in how he drops the gate. He stands about 20’ in front of the gate, points to everyone and then takes 5 steps to the gate, 3 fast steps and the last two at a small run to jump on the starting gate lever. So I count it out and drop the hammer and I’m rewarded with a great start the first 20’ out of the gate until the guy on the KX to the left of me comes down on the back of my bike from the huge wheelie he pulled. This was a when in doubt gas it situation and about half way down the long up hill start straight we final come apart. So much for a good start and playing road hog. My leg hurts now and the only choice I have is to run my own race at the back of the pack. Back in the pits I’m all smiles, despite what happened on the start. My leg was sore, but at least I wasn’t hurt!
After resting and more water I was ready for the second moto. This time I line up 3 gates from the right hand side. The kid running the gate was stilling doing the 5-step starting drill. So I counted it out again and was told by my friends I had about a 2 bike length hole shot going. That is until the top of the hill where the lights are not the best I was to the outside in the loose stuff and backed off. 5 bikes went blazing past me. At the end of the first lap I blew a berm big time and went way wide through a right hand sweeper and 3 more bikes got by me. By the time I corrected this they where gone so I road my own race smiling, with tongue dragging the last two laps.
End result: I had fun, didn’t get hurt. Renewed an old friendship and made some new ones, and the wife even had fun! The coolest thing was the lady I work with, her husband and two boys were all in the infield cheering me on both motos. She told me today that I got to see the other side of her and I wasn’t aloud to tell anyone at work. Next Saturday is the next round and I’m gradual stepping up the training and will ride practice Thursday night for more seat time. The best thing that has come out of this mid life crises is I haven’t had a smoke in 3 weeks!
We had rain Thursday and the track looked a little wet. The four wheelers helped keep most of the ruts down and after practice was over the track was looking good. After practice was over Mrs. Sawblade and Sawtooth arrived to watch the old man in action. I also had an old MX friend that I had lost touch with years ago that showed up with his family to watch. Talk about the makings of a good night. I get to race and see and make up time with an old friend. I think he may even get back into riding! I need to also throw out thanks to Bswift for the pep talk about 6 weeks ago. His pep talk along with a lady that transferred into my dept (her family owns a local shop and both of her sons race) motivated me to start riding and racing again.
The first moto I line up 4 gates to the right of the doghouse. I had only practiced one start ever on the CR at the beginning of the first practice, so I didn’t know what to expect. I watched the two motos prior to mine and the kid running the gate is consistent in how he drops the gate. He stands about 20’ in front of the gate, points to everyone and then takes 5 steps to the gate, 3 fast steps and the last two at a small run to jump on the starting gate lever. So I count it out and drop the hammer and I’m rewarded with a great start the first 20’ out of the gate until the guy on the KX to the left of me comes down on the back of my bike from the huge wheelie he pulled. This was a when in doubt gas it situation and about half way down the long up hill start straight we final come apart. So much for a good start and playing road hog. My leg hurts now and the only choice I have is to run my own race at the back of the pack. Back in the pits I’m all smiles, despite what happened on the start. My leg was sore, but at least I wasn’t hurt!
After resting and more water I was ready for the second moto. This time I line up 3 gates from the right hand side. The kid running the gate was stilling doing the 5-step starting drill. So I counted it out again and was told by my friends I had about a 2 bike length hole shot going. That is until the top of the hill where the lights are not the best I was to the outside in the loose stuff and backed off. 5 bikes went blazing past me. At the end of the first lap I blew a berm big time and went way wide through a right hand sweeper and 3 more bikes got by me. By the time I corrected this they where gone so I road my own race smiling, with tongue dragging the last two laps.
End result: I had fun, didn’t get hurt. Renewed an old friendship and made some new ones, and the wife even had fun! The coolest thing was the lady I work with, her husband and two boys were all in the infield cheering me on both motos. She told me today that I got to see the other side of her and I wasn’t aloud to tell anyone at work. Next Saturday is the next round and I’m gradual stepping up the training and will ride practice Thursday night for more seat time. The best thing that has come out of this mid life crises is I haven’t had a smoke in 3 weeks!
