United MC Desert Scramble Race Report

[Dirtbikindad393]

After struggling a little with my endurance and the heat the past two race weekends, it looks like we will have cooler weather for the United MC Desert Scramble that is also paying Enduro points as it was a replacement for the cancelled 4 Aces Enduro. I have been extremely hooked on Enduros and try not to miss them. However I missed the Prospectors Enduro and the Vikings National earlier this year when I was sidelined with the Achilles tendon injury. The Vikings National is also one of the Enduro points paying races each year. Then in May the VCMC Qualifier was cancelled due to forest fire. That means I had lost 3 races in a series that only consists of 7 races this year. The point being since this was an Enduro points paying replacement race I was getting both Desert and Enduro points and wanted to do well in this race.

The format would be a 20 mile loop ran four times and timed. That means the lowest elapsed time would be the winner. There are two loops one for Experts and Ammi’s and one for Novice and Beginners, I am obviously on the Novice loop (easier). The start, instead of a mass bomb run start, would be one rider every 15 seconds and then at the end of each lap you would go thru the pits weather stopping or not and as you enter the pits you get your time written on the fender card. I love this format its safer and you really don’t know how you did at the finish because you don’t know where everybody else started.

Sunday morning comes and I am up at 6 am as usual and ready to make last minute adjustments and bike preparation. My gas tank is filled and my pit can has a gallon and a half in it, Check! My goggles cleaned by Mad Jacks girlfriend and loaded with tearoffs, Check! Bleed air from forks, Check! Lube chain one more time, Check! I must be ready to race. Oh wait go sign up for the race, Check! Now I am ready to race.

Start time is 9:00 am for the first rider in line then every 15 seconds another rider goes. I leave to get in line about 8:20 thinking I will be pretty far up…………………wrong! I already know its going to be dusty as we went for about a 15 or 20 mile ride Saturday afternoon focusing on rocks mostly……….Just ask Monster450 he was on that ride too! Temps at start time are about 65 with the sun shinning thru the Big Bear fire smoke and the wind is almost non existent. That’s ok though because I know there will be plenty of passing on this course in the first 10 miles for sure. As I sit and watch the multitudes of riders ahead of me negotiate the hill that we have to go up right off the start. I see many having problems or just really going slow and sitting down…....a big no no while hill climbing in our terrain. You must stand and let the bike flail under you while controlling your weight (lots for me to control) forward and back along with the power.

Before I know it I am up for my picture with the umbrella girl and get my count down 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 go! I start my bike first kick and power up the hill with no problem. I actually think I looked pretty good but only my wife or someone else watching could tell for sure. Kevin, Tracy, Greg, Suzie did any of you see it? Tell me the truth now how did I look?

I catch the rider right in front of me at the top of the hill and he pulls over to let me by. The first mile was full of deep loose rocky whoops so I take it easy and focus on staying in control. In the first 10 miles I caught and passed about 20 riders. Wow how is this happening I ask myself. I set a good pace and kept riding. I think it took me about 40 minutes to complete my first lap. I stopped in the pits for water only and took off after more riders.

The second lap seemed like it went by so fast it was weird. I passed a couple of guys playing follow the leader in a rocky single track section by slipping off the trail and gassing it through the rocks. I thought to myself those guys are probably saying wow check that guy out making his own line through the baseball sized rocks. I know that is what I used to say when it happened to me. I stopped after my second lap and pitted taking gas, more water and a liquid power bar. Off again and out for my 3rd lap. At this point I am thinking hmmm I am riding pretty well for an old fat man. I am still passing riders and haven’t slowed too much, then the dreaded forth lap comes. I started to get tired and had to slow down as my right hand and wrist are getting numb from the chop and rocks. I talk to myself a lot during a race and this one was no exception. I pushed myself to keep as fast a pace as possible without ending up on my head.

As I get to one of the hills in the loop that requires good forward momentum to make it clean, I am in second gear and twisting the throttle doing well………………I then need to shift down to first as I get to a kind of rocky ledge with some ruts in the hill. I shift and hit the rocky ledge at the same time only one problem………..I hit neutral. I instantly fall right over on my right side. Not just any fall though, kind of like the guys in the widowmaker hillclimb do throwing the bike forward as far as possible. It was kind of funny if you were watching but at the time I immediately threw out a big f-bomb. I had a club member help me get my bike up and turned down hill so I could ride it down, bump start it and do it again. That was going to be the fastest way with the least amount of energy expended. I get to the bottom of the hill and there goes the guy who is second in desert points to me in our class. I know I am not going to catch him if he doesn’t make a mistake. Oh well just finish Dane, just finish, I tell myself.

To sum it up I put in 3 solid laps then had the endurance factor take over on the last lap. I think I did pretty well in spite of my slow last lap. I can’t wait to see my lap times, I am guessing the second lap will be my best. While at the finish line waiting for Tracy to come in 4 or 5 guys in my class come in as I give them the thumbs up they just shake their heads due to being tired it appeared. Since I have no idea if they started in front of me or behind me I won’t know how I really did until the adjusted time results come out.

As always thanks for reading my long reports.

DBD

[KKXR400R]

Dane, after realizing that I was DNFing this race and waiting for sweep (with tools) I started rooting on everyone while they past in that sand wash. You looked awesome. Over the bars, elbows up and on the gas. No complaints at all. You start was great, a little bobble on that weird rut with the rock to the right of it though. Good job!

Before I know it I am up for my picture with the umbrella girl and get my count down 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 go! I start my bike first kick and power up the hill with no problem.

I'm confused...you did a dead engine start???? Tracy, Chris and I were live engine....


-Kevin-

[MXER101]

Originally Posted by Dirtbikindad393

Before I know it I am up for my picture with the umbrella girl and get my count down 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 go! I start my bike first kick and power up the hill with no problem. I actually think I looked pretty good but only my wife or someone else watching could tell for sure. Kevin, Tracy, Greg, Suzie did any of you see it? Tell me the truth now how did I look?

Kev, Chris & I all watched your start, it did not look too bad from behind............BTW, have you been using the "Buns of steel" video lately?

You did awesome Dane! My report is not that exciting. I only had one "episode" during my whole race. Well, maybe two....... I'll write my report when I don't have physics homework

[KKXR400R]

Oh BTW this was the umbrella girl...yep, she was "shading" us from the blistering sun..I can't say much more....my wife posts on here quite frequently....too late I'm all ready in trouble...

Guess who's sleeping on the couch tonight..

[Dirtbikindad393]

Originally Posted by KKXR400R

Dane, after realizing that I was DNFing this race and waiting for sweep (with tools) I started rooting on everyone while they past in that sandwash. You looked awesome. Over the bars, elbows up and on the gas. No complaints at all. Your start was great, a little bobble on that weird rut with the rock to the right of it though. Good job!

Yeah I think I had to sit down to go around that rock or I was going to fall.

Originally Posted by KKXR400R

I'm confused...you did a dead engine start???? Tracy, Chris and I were live engine....

-Kevin-

Yes they made me kill my engine per the D-37 rules for a desert race. I am surprised they let you live engine start.

Originally Posted by MXER101

Kev, Chris & I all watched your start, it did not look too bad from behind............BTW, have you been using the "Buns of steel" video lately?

You did awesome Dane! My report is not that exciting. I only had one "episode" during my whole race. Well, maybe two....... I'll write my report when I don't have physics homework

So its noticable is it?

[yzernie]

Originally Posted by Dirtbikindad393

So its noticable is it?

Umm, sorry Dane...were you saying something???

[DsBabyDoll]

And she was the ugly one! Sydney & I were going to check her out of the way and get in the picture with Dane instead but she chickened out. I knew how safe she was. Not Dane's type. Wait...I did see her breathing. I guess she was!