UMC Desert Scrambles Sept-16-2007

[KKXR400R]

Coming off 2 real good races I was hoping to get another good finish. The start was a timed start with a 15 second interval. Being it was first come, first serve the line was super long and Tracy, Chris and I were pretty much in the back. We got about halfway through the line and we started seeing the leaders already finishing their lap on a 20 mile loop. Tracy went then myself 15 seconds later. Chris had to do some man duties and lost his place in line. I figure he was 5 bikes back. The course was really fast. HUGE whoops! I'm talking 3 to 4 feet tall! I caught up to Tracy within a couple miles and we both started settling into a race pace. I told her at camp that since she was doing 80 miles that she really needed to conserve to finish the race. We came up to a 10 foot wide left handed sweeper that led into a hill. Being on a 2 stroke I can't just lug it up a hill. I pinned it and took the left side line, no rocks. All of a sudden Tracy veered directly into my line and tagged my front tire. It was pretty violent. The bars crossed and I went right over them and into a small ravine. I think we need marriage counseling now. I was not a happy camper. I got the bike fired up and walked it down the hill, jumped back on it and ended up behind Chris! I looked at him and we both let out a little "WOOO!" It was on! We battled for 15 miles straight. I think most people were scared and just got out of the way so we wouldn't run them over. He put a clean pass on me in the tight stuff that just blew me away! We got out in the wide open and he was soaking up a some of the chop. I spotted a clean single track and pinned it. Drag racing a 450 with a 250 2-stroke was down right scary! It was 5th tapped and things were going way to fast, probably 70-75sh. I cut back onto the chop not knowing where Chris was. I glanced back and there he was to the right of me staying out of the dust. Just when I looked back up , there they were....2 bright arrow signs! My eyeballs almost popped out of my head. In a panic I downshifted from 5th to 2nd or 3rd and slammed on the back brake. I hit the inside berm and dropped the clutch praying that I didn't high side. Chris railed the outside berm and I made it through the inside and just started grabbing gears. We did this same song for miles. I was having a great time! As the course on our first lap was coming to an end I saw a rider go down pretty hard from a distance. When Chris and I went to check him out he seemed a little out of it but assured he was ok. I was concerned after he said he felt like he broke a few ribs. We jumped back on the bikes and a few miles down the road I saw kid laying face up and it looked like he broke his leg pretty good. There were several other riders around him so I took off to report it to the next check. On the way we came across Res 3, asking them to keep an eye out for the guy with the broken ribs and let him know there was another rider down that was hurt pretty bad. While talking to Res 3 Chris bolted away so I figured I was gonna cruise it on in. I got to the last hill and laid it over trying to get around a downed rider and got dusted out in the bottleneck. Ended up going back down the hill to wait for the dust to settle. I blasted up it and found that I lost my rear brake going down the backside. Great...After the pits I had no clue how to get back on the course. after stopping and waiting I saw a few dust trails and followed suit. About 5 miles into lap 2 cruising around 45 or so I hit some whoops that lead into a right hand berm that kinda swept back into a sand wash. The rear wheel locked up. The bike swapped from right to left, high sided over a bush, got thrown from the bike and landed in a sand wash. No injuries but was a little sore. Found out my caliper bolt had snapped. The brakes had popped out and snagged the hub. This sucks! I Saw Devon Rich and I think it was W86 slowing down and assured them I was ok, Thank you! A spectator from the MORE race had seen me from the road, stopped with water and tools in hand and assisted me with getting the caliper off. I didn't get his name but it was very much appreciated. After a gracious thank you I wire tied the caliper to the subframe and called it a day. Wish I able to finish but I had a great time. Oh well my first DNF and probably not my last....thats desert racing!

-Kevin-

[mxmama393]

LOL

What a story. Sounds like you took a beating~glad your OK!

So Tracy kept going after she "tagged" your front tire?


Man thats funny

sorry

[KKXR400R]

Originally Posted by mxmama

So Tracy kept going after she "tagged" your front tire?


Man thats funny

sorry

I'm glad my crashes provide family filled entertainment for you all! Yes, Tracy did continue on (again) and completed 80 miles. I'm sure her race report will be up by tonight. Its a desert race and things happen out there that are out of your control. You learn to deal with it and just plug away. I'm finding I'm making less mistakes, getting smoother and faster and keeping her on 2 wheels...for the most part. It was fun racing Chris. When we first started riding he was the one who took us under his wing and really taught us alot. I'm very fortunate to have a friend like him.

-Kevin-

[crfjedi393]

Enjoyable read! So did Tracy have to sleep on the couch?

[dhighlan]

Thats a great acount of how Murphy is always around the corner when on a dirt bike.
So How did Tracy do?

[KKXR400R]

Another club cancelled their event so UMC picked up the slot. They are primaraly an enduro club and this was their first desert they had marked out. It was a timed event and you had 15 second intervals between riders. I liked the course but there were so many riders out there. There was no breeze so I sucked dust 80% of the race. When you got to the tight 1st gear stuff the slower riders were hard to get around and people were packed like sardines on the hills. At one point I waited 10 minutes just so dust would settle on the hills cause you had no clue which way was up. There was alot of constructive criticism from many of the other racers on how to set it up the next time. I pitted Tracy on her 3rd lap and she was short of delirious and looked spent. She made it through just fine but has been hacking dust balls the last couple of days. We won't know her results for a while but I know she passed one woman in her class who started 5 minutes before her. The A course from what I understand was down right nasty! Someone said the DNF's are gonna overthrow the finishers.

-Kevin-

[KKXR400R]

Originally Posted by crfjedi393

Enjoyable read! So did Tracy have to sleep on the couch?

Nope. I did get alot of "sorrys" in the middle of the night though . Like I said "it happens" and I didn't lose too much time in the process. I told her "just remember Tracy, Desert racers don't like to hit the brakes when they turn"

Thats a great acount of how Murphy is always around the corner when on a dirt bike.

One word....KARMA! A couple of races back, a downed rider caught my eye and I kept going. I felt really bad and I vowed to ALWAYS stop now. I guaranty you had I not stopped for the guy with the broken ribs I would still be out there trying to pull that caliper off.

-Kevin-

[Keetoman393]

Great report, Kev! I was cracking up at the part where your wife took you out also. You need to be faster than her so it doesn't happen again. Glad you were OK!

[P1M]

Originally Posted by KKXR400R

I'm glad my crashes provide family filled entertainment for you all! Yes, Tracy did continue on (again) and completed 80 miles. I'm sure her race report will be up by tonight. Its a desert race and things happen out there that are out of your control. You learn to deal with it and just plug away. I'm finding I'm making less mistakes, getting smoother and faster and keeping her on 2 wheels...for the most part. It was fun racing Chris. When we first started riding he was the one who took us under his wing and really taught us alot. I'm very fortunate to have a friend like him.

-Kevin-

Yes, the teacher almost became the student! Kevin rode like a hero and we had a very hmmmmmm lets say agressive battle brake out between use. I started about 7 or so bikes back because nature called and I lost my place. Maybe 3 miles into the race is where I found Kevin. I thought I heard Tracy talking about taking him out but I thought she was joking . Anyways Kevin yelled and put a pass on me like I was going backwards. We must have passed each other a half dozen times. I pulled off one slick pass where I passed Kevin and another rider in one turn. I thought for sure that would have given me some distance. Not a chance!!!! I see a front wheel in the air blow past me and Kevin went from like 50mph to 0mph in a soft right hand turn and he some how saved it but I still went buy him. Then we hit this high speed section and lets just say Kevin decided he wanted to "Quote Ricky Bobby" GO FAST!!!!! I shifted into 5th and opened her up and I don't think I have EVER gone that fast in a race. Kevin picked the better line and I hit the VW size whoops and held on. Kevin lost me for a few miles and I didn't catch him until he stopped for a down rider. The down rider seemed beat up but said he was sure he could finish. We continue on and then Kevin pulled over to talk to rescue 3. I wasn't sure why Kevin stopped I thought he just had the urge to tell a story so after a few seconds I took off. Never saw Kevin again until I got thirsty at the finish for a and went back to the trailer to find Kevin and his rear brake caliper that was no longer attached to the bike.

Tracy, hmmmmm all I can say is Tracy is the Rocky of Desert racing. She takes out Kevin and never looked back and finished her 80 miles

[Dirtbikindad393]

I was going to make a race report but how can I top that?

I am sorry I didn't see you Kevin or I would have stopped but I have to admit your description of me going by you during the race was too funny!

[KKXR400R]

Originally Posted by Dirtbikindad393

I was going to make a race report but how can I top that?

I am sorry I didn't see you Kevin or I would have stopped but I have to admit your description of me going by you during the race was too funny!

Dane, I always like your race reports! Please post it. Unlike me, I think you use the "summarized" method so we don't have to scan through 2 pages worth of descriptions.... As far as you stopping....I was OK and I'm glad you kept plugging away! I got the bike back to the pits and cheered everyone on that I knew. Keep it up buddy.

-Kevin-

[MXER101]

Originally Posted by KKXR400R

All of a sudden Tracy veered directly into my line and tagged my front tire. It was pretty violent. The bars crossed and I went right over them and into a small ravine. I think we need marriage counseling now. I was not a happy camper

I am going to defend myself now............
I do not recall taking out Kev's front tire. If I did, I didn't mean too. Besides, when he told me about it I said, "Had I known I would have stopped for you".The only thing he said back was "You better not have stopped, you have an 80 mile race and your being timed".

From whst I hear Kev rode awesome though, I wish I could have seen it

[Dirtbikindad393]

Kevin,

Last time Jack took me out I broke a thumb and had to have a cast to set it just right. Just be glad she didn't mean to take you out it could have been worse, not that Jack meant to take me out it just happened.