Everyone has their story to tell, this is mine. I'll let the others speak form themselves..its much more comical that way.
Got up a 5:00am to make the drive to Clintonville, arrived at the track at the same time as Tim and Rob..perfect timing. Took the first pit spot that looked level and had room for my truck and "Tim's rig"..of course they complained of the hole.
Everyone unloaded and began the process of becoming a race..prep your gear, sign in at the registrar trailer and strap a cardboard box to your quad. Opps the cardboard box is another story (hint: see pictures)
http://parocket.smugmug.com/photos/551703331_T6sCc-S.jpg
Registration was easy and the ladies were helpful for the bunch of funny NOOBS. We picked our numbers, paid our cash.
In the pits one of our neighbors was Ken Robey who is the main man in the utility class. He was very friendly and talked at great lengths about how to ride the event and mostly to not let the course beat you. My goal was to ride 2 hours nonstop...how bad can the course be...right?
So were on the starting line..the last real group out 7 utilities and a few sports which are first year riders. The other classes really blast off ..over a hundred of them. Then its our turn, I have the key on and finger on the button. The starter yells "TENNNNN secondssss" and bang we go. I was told to count to 8 and hit the button but I want little to do with the holeshot, just want to keep it close. First turn was a big crash..someone else's story...
http://parocket.smugmug.com/photos/551707186_JEnv6-M.jpg
We hit the woods and to get into the woods is a drop, down hill, cliff, its like the earth ended..but down I go and at the bottom is a choice but it all equals mud. I went straight and passed about 5 stuck sport quads. Now into the woods...it was a very virgin trail..no logging road, no old path this was cut as new. The first section was rocky and tight, then a little must and very tight. No issues and I pop into another short field..though at and into another stand of woods. I could see riders in front of me but no-one behind yet..but I really was not looking behind. I start zipping by trees and had thoughts of catching someone..maybe a course worker on a mountain bike. Then I hit a tight tree section and seen the face of my boss on the tree...I go as fast as I can to hit her. I missed her but I hit the tree anyway! Up to the bars I go as I was being crushed into the tree I see my front fender bending. My thought was "glad I took those outside lights out". I put her into reverse..and off the bitch...err tree.
When I looked for parts as I went by the tree I noticed my tire was flat..we the tire was not holding air but the tire balls were holding up nicely.
I was almost done with the lap when I was in a tight rooty section..the damn quad would not turn like it should but I blamed in on the flat tire and my spaghetti arms..after the fact Rob notices the crunched lower control arm. At the shop Sunday night I had nearly 2" of toe out and it was tough just riding in the yard. Plus both right side tire were flat.
http://parocket.smugmug.com/photos/551711926_oiPRi-M.jpg
http://parocket.smugmug.com/photos/551711955_7sAN9-M.jpg
The next laps were much of the same, however there was 4 MAJOR pucker locations that must be mentioned. the one was the drop out of the field. It was easy but it had to be 100 feet. The next was a diagonal steep downhill which was covered in rock and trees. It actually got easier toward the end when i watched a sport quad fly down it so keeping some speed helped but I was still pissed about going down it. Another was the "deer tree stand" which was a quick up hill and then a turn along the hill and straight to the bottom of a 50 foot hill...into a creek. I nearly went over the bars twice there..the bottom was getting rough.
Overall, the first lap sucked. I was tired quick and was not in a good mind set. The second lap was much better and I was having more fun but a tree strike did have me thinking I broke my wrist for about 5 minutes while I waited for it to be able to hold the grip, the third I was having fun but nearly died on the track when I decided to drink from my camel pack and was sucking so hard when the water came that it went down the wrong pipe. I did have occasion to leave my machine twice, once was a big roll before the "tree stand hill climb" and the other was a case of mistaken identity when I went to blast a nice cushion of dirt on a corner and went over it.
There was some cool points like having Chris Borich and Chris Bitell..both factory rider go by but I was able to keep up for a short distance with the big 800 growling..that was a great 25 feet. I pasted Tim at a bottlenecks bunch of riders by plowing though the woods and then got him again when he got a flat..
Will I go back..yep. Will I be better..yep.
What did I learn?
Tire balls..for about 80 bucks you can have them..I rode all day with 2 flat tires but the ball held up.
Watch those trees
I need bionic arms or less fat to keep from moving..or a combination of the two.
I got an evening's worth of bench racing.
Should you do it?
If you like to ride your ATV..
If you like to be competitive
If you want to test yourself
If you want to be a better atv rider
If you just want to have some fun
Then do it...
All The Pictures are here:
http://parocket.smugmug.com/AWRCS%20Events
