First round of the 2010 AMA National Enduro season last Sunday. This race was "sold out" with a 600 rider limit.
A big storm, snow, ice and sleet came through. This hampered a lot of people's travel plans.
In Atlanta we missed most of the bad stuff, just cold and wet..
The family, myself and Roy traveled up together. As we got close to the race campgrounds we noticed the tree's were iced pretty good. Roy and I went and signed up, got our entry packs.. Placed our row numbers on the front plate and covered the trailer and bikes for the night. We left the bikes with friends who were camping. We had motel rooms booked in town. As we were leaving the camp grounds, there was a light flurry of snow.
Here is Lynn and Cassie, They are shivering, trying to get us to hurry up and get to the motel.
Motel room, take all my gear inside, the overnight low is 18F.
Sunday morning it was very cold. The race starts at 9.00am.
I am on row 15 so I leave at 9.15am . The sky is clear, sun is out, but still only about 22F. At the start there is James on his Husaberg 450, myself on my 200 and some other old dude on a Honda CRF 230 air cooled bike..
We took off, I went into the trail first with James 450 on my rear tire. After about 300 metres I bobble in a turn and James shoots through. He slowly pulls away and out of sight. I dont feel comfortable for while, takes me some time to warm up. Even though I rode most of this section of trail last weekend at the harescramble. Some parts were different, they routed around the big mudhole from last week. I was about seven miles into the section when the first Pro rider caught me. Russell Bobbitt who starts on row 21. (The Pro riders are placed, 1 pro rider per row from 21 to 44) Their starting position depends on their ranking from last season. Bobbitt was last years Champion, so he starts from row 21 all season, the runner up starts on row 22, etc...
I catch back up with James before the end of the section and pass him. first section was 9.4 miles .
The second section was 7.9 miles. James didnt show up for the restart, Found out later he has hurt his arm..
So just the Honda guy and myself start off on our row. On row 16 a minute behind us were, Roy, Johnny, Nick, all good riders I ride with regulary, I was trying very hard not to let them catch me. Into this section great trails, lots of trees some real tight gnarly stuff. they did run us into some low area's which were real muddy and rutted, I was feeling sorry for the 450+ bikes behind us. The old guy on the Honda 230 stuck to my back wheel like glue, I couldnt believe he was with me. I did manage to get away eventually after we went through some nasty mud area's.. The top 2 Pro's caught me in that section..
The third section was 8.1 miles. Lots of roots and log crossings some more nasty mud holes, got lost a few times as the arrows were a little sparse, the trail vague, lots of pine needles on the ground. Lots of fun though.
At the start of the 4th section, 16.9 miles. I noticed Johnny talking to the old guy on my row. So I asked Johnny,"who is that old fella?" " oh that is Dwight Rudder" "he is a multi year champion rider" He rode at the ISDE in 82..
So I introduced my self to him and found out he is riding in the 50+A class. He said he was starting to get warmed up and asked if he could lead into the woods. I'm like oke dokey. I followed him into the tree's and he started to leave me behind, after about 3 miles he is out of sight, so I just put my head down and consentrate on not crashing. The trail got faster and more open after a while. I caught back up with Dwight and stuck on his back wheel, I watched the lines he was taking, the small short cuts he kept finding
Thenafter a small straight, I find myself missing the turn and headed for a bunch of tree's. My rear brakes had just failed to work
I got slowed up without hitting anything. looked at my brakes. Pushed the pedal and nothing happens. I think my master cylinder must have poo itself.. So I slow down and only have the front brake, not that safe in sand. The main petrol stop back at camp is next anyway, so I will just try to limp back and call it a day.. This allowed Roy to catch and pass me. After a bout five or six minutes of riding not too fast, I instinctively touch the rear brake and it locks the back wheel. My brakes are back.. That's when I realise I have boiled the brake fluid
So I pick up the pace again but am still anxious about the rear brake.
Back at camp I poor cold water over my brakes and push the caliper piston back a couple of times to help bleed any air out.. Get some petrol and a sammitch, Then off to the last section for the B riders.
Last section is 10.9 miles Tis turned out to be a fun section, fairly fast, I followed Dwight again and kept with him for most of the section. We had trouble finding the trail occasionly, poorly arrowed again..
After we had finished that section it was a very cold 8 mile ride back to camp on sandy back roads.
The AMA classes are a little diffeent than our local series. there is no 45+B class at a National. They have a 10 year spread. So I was entered in 40+B. I finished 11th out of 47. One of my best races to date. My first National race in the "B" class.
Looking at the names on the entry list I think I got 3rd place for the Setra series 45+B class.
I finished 6 seconds ahead of "the old guy" Roy beat me be 22 seconds.
http://gallery.passion4dirt.com/p/rows_2_20/sumter2010-165_2_5_2_3_2http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/Orderpage.aspx?pi=03VE010U030052&po=52&pc=216
