Ride report - First desert race - HUGE REPORT

[MONSTER450]

Well i finished my first desert race today. i had initially planned for my first race to be the 16th but changed it to this weekend . I posted up a quick report in the district 37 site but i figured you guys deserved a better ride report.

So i've been trail riding the desert for a while and thought i was decent enough to join in a desert race. So, after talking with Dane we decided that it would be best for me to join into one of the "easier" races. Only an hour long, 3 laps of 12 miles each. Easy enough, i ride 50 -60 miles through some tough crap whenever we go out.

Saturday night i start to get nervous. This is a race with a bomb run and it's mid-day so it s going to be hot. I look up how far away it is and i'm like.... 150 miles is a long way to drive for 1 hour of riding. I start to think maybe i should wait , it's not worth it......... So then i slap some sense into myself and decided i needed to suck it up and get my first race done.

We wake up in the morning and hop in the truck. Empty cooler, left my bike ramp at home and we didn't eat breakfast. OOPS!!! So we get about half way and grab some mickey D's - great idea. We fill the cooler with water and gatorade. I only ate a little bit of my breakfast due to being nervous and thinking the whole time this is a bad idea. On our way to Red mountain i kept getting more nervous, we pulled over 2 times for potty brakes. I never have to go on road trips. So we get out there and i see the big R for rovers and i look for Danes trailer.... The one with the Amsoil stickers :-) We park and i walk over and i'm immediatly greeted and i get to meet several people. He shows me where to go to get signed up and off i went to go sign up.

I get to the sign up booth and i let them know i'm brand spankin new and they help me with everything, real quick, real nice, great people. So i'm all signed up and i go back to Danes camp and then over to Jacks starting area to watch the bomb run. Those guys are quick ! We go back to the camp and gear up. Again i meet more people. They just introduce themselves, it really helped with my nervousness. Then we're off!

We get to the bomb run area and Dane has his area and i look around and pick a spot about 10 feet away. I'm looking around i'm just getting more and more nervous. I'm right next to (sorry man, i forgot your name) another kx thats with Dane. So we're talking a little and i'm reving my bike. It's been very difficult to start lately so i'm trying to get it real hot. Banner goes up, then down and it took about 3 kicks and she starts. Front wheel hops up then back down. Through the gears i go while weaving through the bushes. I get behind a yz250 and then pass him. Adrenaline is going as i see another, he's slightly off course so i take advantage. Gas it a little more and i end up passing about 4 or 5 people. I come up to a yellow bike with the rider wearing redish bluish gear. it's gotta be Dane. How sweet would that be to pass him? About then is when i realized i just used all my energy to pass those people. I was warned by several people not to do that ! So i calm down a little to catch my breathe and he pulls away from me. Bummer, but thats ok we have plenty more to go. I continue on and BROOOOOOOOOOOOM yellow bike flies by. I recognized the gear and just waved. Dane blew by me, he must have had to take a leak or something ( found out later he stopped to help someone ) So back to running my own race. I felt like i had a decent start and i didn't mind people passing me but it got excessive. It seemed like everyone was passing. So i stepped up my game and was riding over my head again, still first lap. Smashing into the whoops, going off course then back over... lap 1 nears an end and i'm beat. I go about 5 miles past the start/finish and i decide i need to just stop, get some water and catch my breathe... regroup.... spent about 1 minute stopped. DIdn't help, if anything made me worse. So i hop on the bike and tell myself just to finish. I pick my pace and maintain it. every check point i pass there are people cheering, how cool is that? So i get a little more pumped up and keep going. cross start/finish and completed lap 2 my wife is there taking pics and there are cheers again.... thats awesome! Lap 3 i am able to determine which lines have worked and i feel i am moving at a decent pace. I can feel i am very tired but yet still moving at a good pace. Halfway through lap 3 i start to close in on a guy. Little while later i can see and hear him very well. 2 stroke kawi, the guy that passed me on lap 1. So i turn it up a bit and now i see 2 people. The kawi gains on the guy infront of him and they start to pull on me. Bummer. No need to race over my head again so i just maintain my pace. I completed lap 3, felt very tired !. This was supposed to be the "easy" race.

Dane is at the finish line with my wife and 2 others. Come to find out it's kevin and tracy. SWEET!!! Thanks for waiting, i hear i did decent being my first race and i see some novices come through. WOOHOO!!!! We then go back to camp, load up and shoot out.

Sorry for forgetting names but i am very bad with them !!!! Thanks to Dane, Danes wife, Kxguy (sorry, i feel bad for forgetting your name) Tracy, Kevin, The other guy i met, the guy across from Danes camp, the other 3 guys in that same camp, The guy signing people up, The lady that took my check, The people that let me pass them in the beginning, the people that passed me back 5 minutes later and didn't push me over, and everyone else that made the effort to introduce themselves to me. My Wife and I had a great time and are anxious for next weekend. Hers a few pics my wife took. How cool is it that people you don't even know cheer for you? Thanks again guys, i saw and heard you and it helped

MY NEW NUMBERS



START OF LAP 3



THE FINISH

[yzernie]

Nice report!! Sounds like you had a good time and had some serious fun. You drove yourself home and that by itself is a victory. Good job!!!!

[MONSTER450]

Originally Posted by yzernie

Nice report!! Sounds like you had a good time and had some serious fun. You drove yourself home and that by itself is a victory. Good job!!!!

HA HA, actually the wife drove home. SHe offered and i accepted. I was able to put myself into my own seat though :-)


I am very surprised at my lack of soreness. I was hurting during the race but right now just slight soreness in the lower back and upper back. WOOHOO.

[char393]

Great write-up Monster!

Congrats on finishing the race, that is a huge accomplishment.

[KKXR400R]

You rode great! I think you beat a few novices out there too. The main thing is that you finished and your in one piece. The first thing that came out of your mouth is "I'm retiring"......that had me laughing. It was awesome to me you and your wife and I hope you both had a good time.

-Kevin-

[DsBabyDoll]

The KX guy you started with was Evan and "other guy" was Brandon. I know you met alot of people in a very short amount of time and trust me, it is hard to remember names out there when there is so much going on. I feel bad I didn't get back in time to have your wife jump in the truck to the start with me but when Jack is racing, I don't leave until he finishes. Plus, I didn't plan on being in someone else's truck for Jack's start. Next time, she'll stick with Syd & me, it will be fun and she'll learn the craziness of race day.

Great meeting you both and looking forward to this weekend. Oh, my name is Debbie. Or Jack's mom or Dane's wife or Robert's step-wife.

[Mainjet2001]

Monster....
Welcome to desert racing......

You did very well and I'm impressed with your common sense. You have the right approach. Also you are with class folks in the desert. Listen to what they say as they know what they are doing.

Pretty nifty report bud.

[P1M]

Way to go Monster450,

It looks like we will be on the same line if you race this coming weekend. We should line up together and you can just follow me Just watch out for Kevin I guess he learned a new trick and likes to drag his feet to kick up dust.

[Keetoman393]

Awesome report! Glad you had a good time and hope you don't retire!

[KKXR400R]

Originally Posted by P1M

Just watch out for Kevin I guess he learned a new trick and likes to drag his feet to kick up dust.

Hanging out with Peter and some of the Ol' Los Coyotes guys will make you do strange things.....Maybe it was the Checker guys...I don't know.

-Kevin-

[Dirtbikindad393]

Monster you did awesome! Finishing your first race is a great acomplishment trust many don't. This was a good starter for you as they get longer and tougher these were pretty easy courses. I am truely ticked that this kid waved me over when I gave him a thumbs up to ask if he was ok. Then he tells me his bike is over heating could I give him a ride in. Yeah right I am running about 5th overall and was keeping a good pace after a great start and he isn't hurt so I am going to give him a ride in.
Oh well I would have not forgiven myself if he was really hurt and I didn't stop.

I hope your not too sore today. I am very glad you came out and brought Suzie. It was very nice to meet you two newlyweds and we look forward to having you again this weekend.

[MONSTER450]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I am so pumped, i can't wait till next weekend. I woke up feeling ok. Leaned over the first truck of the day and oh my! My back is sore. Thats great though. The more i told everyone about my hour of glory the more excited i got. My hands are blistered and my back is sore but other then that i am ready to go. Hopefully by this weekend i will have my new tank on. WOOHOO, can't wait. I actually have family that wants to try to come out and watch me. THATS SO COOL!!!

[crfjedi393]

I seriously enjoyed the report. I loved the subtle part about guys letting you pass and then passing you back 5 minutes later. I may have run 36 miles in one of our X-country races but most of them are closer to 24. You did good and my hat is off to you!

Originally Posted by MONSTER450

How cool is it that people you don't even know cheer for you? Thanks again guys, i saw and heard you and it helped

That's because they understand the accomplishment as well as how much it helps to hear the cheers!

[Dirtbikindad393]

Originally Posted by crfjedi393

I seriously enjoyed the report. I loved the subtle part about guys letting you pass and then passing you back 5 minutes later. I may have run 36 miles in one of our X-country races but most of them are closer to 24. You did good and my hat is off to you!

I liked the part about Dane blowing past him after stopping for a brokendown rider!

[Freak]

Great report bro. It almost felt like I was there! Very cool.

[MONSTER450]

Originally Posted by Dirtbikindad393

I liked the part about Dane blowing past him after stopping for a brokendown rider!

i knew you would, but you wait until this weekend. I have a few tricks up my sleeve and i feel i have "matured" as a racer and..... Oh who am i fooling !!!! I'm gonna stick with my original goal, 2ND OR BETTER!!!!






2nd to last or better !!!!

[MXER101]

Greg awesome ride out there on Sunday! Glad to hear you had fun.

Welcome to desert racing!!
Next weekends race should be a good one, see ya out there!

[swampgrass]

good report wish i would have read it sooner sorry bout that but good luck to you keep us informed

[MONSTER450]

Thank you everyone !!! you guys rock ! I just got done checking my valves and fitting the new tank. I pulled my spark plug and i think i found my starting problem, plug looks like crap. MY AIR FILTER IS TRASHED !!!! I RODE FOR 1 HOUR FOR CRYING OUT LOUD ! That was fresh when i put it on the night before the race. Oh well guess i should get used to this :-) I am so ready for the lucerne race.

[Mainjet2001]

Originally Posted by MONSTER450

. MY AIR FILTER IS TRASHED !!!! I RODE FOR 1 HOUR FOR CRYING OUT LOUD ! That was fresh when i put it on the night before the race. Oh well guess i should get used to this.

Greg, welcome to desert racing dust.