MMI 3. An Okie's Perspective On Red Bud. As Well As A Texan's.

[crfjedi393]

Watch out boys and gurls. This might get long.

When MotoMan brought up MMI 2 a couple years back, I checked the schedule for Red Bud. They were closed that weekend. I wanted to attend MMI 2 but couldn’t really justify driving 2,000 miles round trip to ride a couple days at a track in a dude’s back yard. All I had seen were a few pics and while I like MotoMan, I chose not to go. After attending MMI 3 and meeting the crew, I wish I would have gone. However, I didn’t and it is history.
Luckily, MotoMan has connections at Red Bud and he was able to set up MMI 3 to coincide with a practice date at Red Bud. That’s when I knew I was gonna make every effort to be there. Several of my local crew were interested but as the time drew near, life had other plans for them. It looked like the trip was off. Not only for myself but for Char as well. It looked like she was going to miss her first MMI. After kicking some options around, things began to fall into place for she and I to make the road trip together. We didn’t force any issues and, like I said, everything just fell into place. Not only do I get to attend MMI 3 and meet the folks I’ve read so much about, I GET TO RIDE RED BUUUUUUD!!!!!! Life is good.
I still have some things to say about the ride at MotoMan’s and I have a few pics to share so I will leave that for another post. This one is about Red Bud. The famous Red Bud I have only seen on TV. The famous Red Bud with LaRocco’s Leap, and the extreme elevation changes that are beyond description. It seems we drove a thousand miles only to find the best possible ride at Red Bud in decades.(Or maybe weeks. I'm just going by what the locals said) They had a quad race at 8:00 that morning AND there was a LL qualifier over at Log Road the same day so there wasn’t a large turnout. Even though there seemed quite a large number of people at the place to me, MotoMan kept saying, “I can’t believe nobody’s here”! And I reckon there weren’t very many as they never split the C practice like it said on the schedule.
So we paid our money and got signed up, geared up, and pumped up about being first practice. I have ridden with Char many times so she and I stuck together. Besides, we are nowhere near the speed of the guys we were with.(MotoMan, Hersh, Jer, Shoup) We go out to practice thinking we will be lapped in a hurry and just try to stay out of everyone’s way. Well, the track was sloppy and deep but as I labored my way around, taking the far outside in order to stay out of everyone’s way, I was recognizing a few places I had seen JBS and RC flying around on TV. How cool is that!? I also saw bikes and bodies laying everywhere before the 15 minutes of practice was over. Like I said, it was deep and sloppy. Deep everywhere and sloppy in a few places. One table scared the crap outta me. I wasn’t even trying to clear it but got sideways on the face. I’m pretty sure we got 5 laps in before we saw the checkered flag. So here I was riding the famous Red Bud. Trying to digest that fact was putting my brain in a fog but having so many other riders banging bars all around me had me second guessing what I was even doing out there. Char and I tried to ride together but it became near impossible as we went into survival mode on a couple of laps.
With first practice over, we hit the pits with cheek-splitting grins that seemed even whiter from all the roost on our faces. I ride with my mouth open so I was spitting dirt for at least 10 minutes.

I reckon I need to stop here. I'll add second practice later.

[char393]

My cheeks hurt from smiling so much after that first practice.

[crfjedi393]

2nd practice.

Char and I lined up to the far right thinking we would be out of the wild and crazy youngsters that we had to duke it out with in first practice. It turns out that was a big mistake as it put us smack in the middle of the worst of them. We had no idea we were actually mid-pack C riders up there. We spent the first two laps in the most incredible dirt I have ever ridden battling our way past some extreme squids. I got T-boned in a corner and was barely able to keep it on two wheels. Char got taken out when she was giving a guy PLENTY of room when he decided to take her line anyway. By the time we got her up and going, we were in the back of the pack again. The faster C riders started lapping us fairly soon so it was dicey deciding which jumps to go for. Even so, I used the remaining laps to familiarize myself with the track and test out a few approaches so I would be ready for them during 3rd practice. I actually managed to hit the Launch Pad on accident and it scared the heck out of me. EXTREMELY cool jump! The earth just falls away from you and you land so softly! I suppose you could hit it way hotter than I did and not be in too bad of shape. This jump reminds me of jumping an elevator shaft. It’s long, vertical approach is nearly identical to the landing. There is actually a step on top for the timid that feels pretty smooth as well. I watched a few guys double LaRocco’s Leap and knew, if they could do it, I could do it. So after this practice I was picking Shoup’s brain about gear and throttle control. I knew we weren’t going to stay all day so third practice was my last chance to meet another goal. We also got some good advice from MotoMan about lining up over on the left for third practice. That way we could let the faster riders pick us off but the ones even slower than us would be behind us and we wouldn’t have to deal with them. So we had a plan and we figured to make the most of third practice at Red Bud.
Of course, the bench racing all the way to third practice was pretty much out of control.

[mxxx rrrider]

After talking to Motoman and reading your post, I wish I could have gone with you guys. It sounds like you had the perfect day.

[Woody_393]

Man, you've got me amped to do some riding... Keep it coming as I'm excited to read the 3rd moto adventure

[DRGSin393]

I love/hate the waiting in limbo!

[mx165]

LIMBO!!!! i was pretty good when i was young, chasing the girls at the local skating rink!!!!!

[crfjedi393]

3rd practice

With our new understanding that we needed to take off towards the front, we lined up over on the left behind the dudes that shouldn’t even be in the C practice at all. The slop was completely gone except on the extreme outside and the braking bumps were minimal all the way around the track. The faster riders blew by us half way through and I was just trying to keep up with Char. I almost passed her in the whoops but didn’t really want to be in front of her. I wanted to see her double the Leap. We hit that sandy corner below it as fast as our skills would allow. The approach to the Leap is more like a freakin’ hill climb so the bike doesn’t really wind out to the top. I drifted to the right, stood up, and felt myself leaning way over the bars as I had the little thumper pinned. I couldn’t even see the landing but I popped up and instantly knew I had it perfect.(Thanks to Shoup once again) Char wasn’t able to commit as she had a couple of unpredictable cats close to her. As I blasted over the triple hump, I saw Hersh looking back for her. I knew then she was in capable hands and he would get her over it on the second lap. So I twisted the throttle and rode like I knew what I was doing. Passed a couple of guys and got passed by a couple of others. Red Bud is HUGE by our standards down here. We have nothing that even compares so it would take several weekends for me to even think about being comfortable on any section of the track. But having said that, I found myself looking forward to certain corners and even changing my line just to experience a different feel. I’m just a weekend warrior on the low end of the skill spectrum but I rode Red Bud and wasn’t the slowest dude out there. I even jumped over a few guys head’s more than once. Doubling LaRocco’s Leap should have been the highlight of the day but I really think it was clearing the Launch Pad. That was a feeling I’ve only previously experienced in an airplane and a roller coaster. And I don’t even know if it’s actually called the “Launch Pad”. But that’s a good name for it either way.
I quit before practice was over when I felt myself getting just past weary. I was in the pits when Char came riding in. There are no words that can describe the jubilation in her body language or on her face. The entire crew was lifted to another level by her enthusiasm. I think Hersh was just as pumped as she was about her conquering the double of LaRocco’s Leap. You guys need to understand that she really hasn’t caught much air since the major knee surgery less than a year ago. So doubling LaRocco’s Leap was one of the most incredible things she could have done a thousand miles from home. I guess I’m telling too much of her story. Sorry.
My experience at Red Bud was something worth talking about so I’m doing it. Every dirt biker should ride there if he/she has the opportunity.

[mx165]

One thing that all of us from here in michiana are thankful for is the awsome tracks and great promoters we have. Hersh and myself have both done some traveling to ride and i think we are blessed here in the north.

[MotoMan]

You 2 aren't the only ones who have put some miles on to ride Shoup.

We are indeed blessed with some pretty cool places to ride.......dare I post a link to the track we are thinking about for MMI 4??? Motoland...Ride IT!

---------- Post added at 08:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:46 PM ----------

Originally Posted by mxxx rrrider

After talking to Motoman and reading your post, I wish I could have gone with you guys. It sounds like you had the perfect day.

Oh and Bill....yeah you missed out big time man.....that was the best time I have EVER had at Red Bud. [COLOR="Red"]

[mx165]

Ya i owe others the same props. most of us from the north get cabin fever around January. And would ride in our basements if we could.

[MotoMan]

Originally Posted by mx165

Ya i owe others the same props. most of us from the north get cabin fever around January. And would ride in our basements if we could.

You know....we could ride 50's in the new part of the basement where the pool stuff is......

[mx165]

Hey!!! i just noticed the banner on hear for E.A.S. the company i work for owns them!!

---------- Post added at 05:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:58 PM ----------

better start lookin for one. heck just haul dirt into your barn. MINIMOTO!!!!!

[char393]

I figured since I pretty much tagged along on the drive up to Michiana, I might as well tag on to this thread as well.

When we pulled up to Red Bud, all I can say is I saw that place and thought "Wow". From the very second it came into sight, I was in awe. There are no amount of pictures or video that will ever do the place justice. It is situated on an amazing piece of property. It's picturesque, simply gorgeous. And as we made our way to the pits, we passed the Leap...holy cow. The jump face is huge, long and steep. It's more like a small hillclimb rather than a jump face. However, I remember telling Jedi I was going to do it.

We were a little late getting there because Jim needed to eat breakfast or something like that. We signed up for practice and had to hurry to get suited up. After rushing over to the gate, it all became real. I was getting to ride Red Bud, the very same track that JS and RC have ridden. How incredibly cool is that? I swear, from the time we took off, I had a smile on my face. I couldn't help but smile even as we waded our way through the slop. We were definitely caught up with a group of slower guys and I found myself on the outside more often than not, because like Jedi, I was worried about being in someone's way. As our first practice was coming to a close, I was beginning to get a little familiar with the track. I have to tell you, the dirt there is absolutely delicious. I know, because I ate plenty of it in the form of roost. Oh, and the first lap, when we came to the Leap, I was thinking "Holy Cow...this thing is friggen huge!". And it was, but I still felt confident that I could get over. After all, that was my one goal for Red Bud and I wasn't leaving until it was accomplished.

When the checked flag came out and we were back by the trailer, man, I could not wipe the grin off my face. I'm sure I looked all kinds of stupid, but you know what? I didn't care, because I was riding Red Bud! Even though it was deep and sloppy, it just didn't matter. It was fun, the layout is simply awesome and the dirt incredible. All the jumps are really safe and there's one section that's a big off-camber sweeper, it's got a name, but for the life of me, I don't remember what it is. But oh man, what a fun section!

Give me a few minutes and I'll share the second and third practices from my perspective.

[mx165]

Char is talking about what they call " the monza wall"

[char393]

Thanks Shoup

[ccnut]

Dang Bro, I'd be up for that one on MMI4!! Just need a few more hours on your track this summer and then watch out!!.....Jerry

[char393]

second practice...

Like Jedi said, we figured to line up on the opposite side this time, thinking that we wouldn't be in the way. Wrong...oh so wrong. However, in a way, it was cool because we weren't the biggest spodes out there.

The track was absolutely perfect as we worked our way through traffic. The dirt is dark and tacky in some places and sandy in others. It had just the right amount of moisture and the braking bumps and ruts were minimal. I don't think conditions could have been any better. I was working hard to get around some dude on a pinger who was even worse than I am at holding a line. I caught and passed him on Monza Wall thinking I had the line for the inside rut at the bottom of the hill. Well, apparently he decided that he still wanted that line too. Rather than just go ahead and push him over the berm, I tried to hold it even further inside, but I was carrying a fair amount of speed (relative term) and ended up sliding out. Like a dummy, I rode it all the way to the ground, partly because I thought maybe I could save it and partly because it happened so fast. It really wouldn't have been all that bad had my left leg not been caught under the bike and my clutch hand pinched between the lever and the bars. I worked my hand free and noticed the bike was still running so I quickly grabbed the clutch and tried to get myself free. Shoot, I couldn't do anything. I sat there at the bottom of the hill trying to push the bike off with my free foot, keep it running and just get the heck up. Thankfully Jedi was right behind and picked my bike up off me. Sheesh, I felt so dumb. However, Effie stayed running and looked back to make sure he got his bike lit off again. I took it slow for a few turns while I tried to work some feeling back into my hand and once he was with me, we took off again. Before I continue rambling aimlessly, let me just say that riding with someone you know and trust is one of the coolest things ever. It really is.

At some point, Shoup caught us and I know he slowed up a bit as I tried to hang with him. Oh, the ski jump, way cool! As we came around to the Leap, I knew he was pacing me but at the last second I backed off just a tad. That tad was enough to keep me from clearing it. Instead, I cased it...thank goodness for nice suspension! It wasn't long after that practice was over and I was on a mission to find out exactly what I needed to accomplish my goal. We pulled back to the trailer and had all kinds of fun bench racing. Shoup gave me a sweet moto-bandaid for my finger. And he told me, third gear, pinned to clear the Leap. Ok...now I knew exactly what I needed to do to get it done.

Holy cow... once again, this is getting long. My fingers need a rest.

[crfjedi393]

Atta boy, Jerry!

[mx165]

Char i have bandaids in my trailer!!!! lol!!! just knew you were hardcore enough for the electric tape instead.