Kevin's First race
or
"Anyone got a Tums?"

I'm posting my "first race story" here because, even though I bought a red bike, I've been hanging out here (thanks for the advice on XR250 vs. WR250) and it feels like home. There aren't really any comparable sites out there.

I did my first race last Sunday at the Dirty Ankle Hare Scramble in the foothills of the NC mountains. I'm 35 years old, and I've been riding about 3 months putting around on a TTR-125 and a little bit on a WR250f. My brother-in-law, Mike (mook, here on thumpertalk), who just did his 3rd race, talked me into it (I think he just wants someone else to fill in that last place spot!). Blame it on a mid-life crisis or just plain foolishness, but I decided to do it.

So I get my '01 XR250 2 weeks ago - slap some handguards on, and I'm off to race!

We hook up with Jeff, another TT bud, and one of the fast B-class guys in the Virginia and NC HS series for the 4 hour ride to the race.

Ok, we're here. I'm scoping out the situation - watching guys in parking lot riding wheelies, pee wee riders ripping around, and the A riders race around the open part of the track. Mike asks me if I want something to eat - "what I really need is a Tums" (what the hell am I doing here?)


So off we go to the starting line to wait in the heat for 30 minutes or so, while my stomach slowly turns to a rock. Finally it looks like we're ready to go. We get our instructions and say a prayer for some mx rider that "just got out of surgery from an accident last night"...WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING HERE!!?!!?!! OK its time for us to go… 10 seconds… GO! The bike starts up just fine, but I hold back. The Heavy-C class was the largest one, and I just wanted to follow right now-thank you very much (while not getting run over by the next class). So off I go into....an impenetrable dust cloud. I just keep riding until I see a tire in my 3 foot visibility range and just follow it for a quarter mile or so. Finally into the woods and the dust is gone. Nice and wide easy track - I can do this!.. round a bend and up a hill and there is a tremendous logjam of what looks to be half of the riders backed up behind what looks like an easy hill. I look behind me and I see the other half fast approaching! I'm starting to feel better now that we're off, but I'm still not confident enough to be battling it out with 50 other guys… so I climb the side of the hill to a nice secluded spot on the right to wait for them to clear it out so I can get back into my "bringing up the rear" mode. Here comes another XR up beside me… he's slowing down…he's stopping… he's dropping his bike on top of me! His bike is on my bike and he can't seem to get up so he's asking ME to get out from underneath HIM! He finally gets up and the logjam is cleared so he starts up and goes on his merry way.. "Thanks! Bye! Have a nice day!" ---- Enter the Kicking----. Since the guy dumped my bike over it doesn't start for about 20 kicks but it does finally start and I get going. I'm twisting and turning through the tree's.... pass a few dumped riders here and there.... I'm starting to feel good - nothing I can't handle and quite a few of the other racers are having trouble in it - "you couldn't get through THAT?? Ha ha... Actually start gaining on a guy up ahead. Then to the left and a long, steep (to me) hill constructed entirely of roots looms ahead. Ok.... here goes.... roll on the throttle...up, up, bump, bump,... CRASH. Ok, I'm on my side halfway up the hill. Amazingly, 2 trees have sprouted up and grown through my skidplate and around the shifter. I pull and yank the bike around on the hill to get it free and start kicking again. After about 50 kicks it starts and here I go up the hill again. Up, up, bump, bump, hey where did that tree come from, SMAKKK--SPROINGG! Front tire hits square into a tree just big enough to spring me 10' back down the hill. Some spectators near the bottom of the hill ask me if I need help… "no,(pant,pant) I got it"… not that I didn't want help, but just unsure of exactly what I would have them do (looking back, I should have asked them to push my bike up the hill!). I get back upright, catch my breath the best I can, drink half my water, and start kicking again… after about 50 more kicks it's going and off I go again… up, up, over!
Now I'm going again but realize I'm a bit shaky after the hill ordeal and as I come out of the woods and back into the dust I overshoot the soft bermed turn and almost take a 10' vertical dive into the next leg of the trail below (would have made a nice shortcut). Bike stalls again, and I kick it continuously for about 5 minutes while heavily breathing in pure dust and getting sprayed with roost from the fast guys taking the turn. I drink the last 10 oz. of water from my bottle. Get the bike going and I'm off again. As I hit the checkpoint the guy sees no punchout and asks if I missed the checkpoint last time - "no, this is my first time around… Really"

now I'm going about 10 mph and my body feels like Jell-O .. need water (and maybe an oxygen mask). I slow down at the barrels to finish my first lap and the guy records me and yells GO! No, I don't think so.. I pull out into the creek to cool down and leave the race for a 39 minute, 1 lap DNF I figure I was stalled or crashed for about 20 of those minutes!

Lessons learned: Zero, I guess - cause I might do it again! No, really though - I need to work on my hill climbing, get the drill down for starting after a dump, and get a hydration system. Basically, I need to find a way to stay on the bike - it seems a lot easier than picking it up, pushing it, or kicking it!


[This message has been edited by KevNC (edited 06-27-2001).]

[This message has been edited by KevNC (edited 06-27-2001).]

kevNC,

i think you re-lived my first experience at a harescramble. ok, pretty close to it anyways. i think ALL of us go through this type of "baptism of fire" at the first race. being on a thumper didn't help (kick your leg off) but not stalling fixes most of that.
when you fall (not if), take a few seconds to regroup. if you charge off right away, you will just crash again and take even MORE of your energy away from you. riding clean (no falls, no stalls) and a hair slower is actually faster than going faster and picking your face out of the dirt 3 times every lap.

if you could see your front tire, you have not been in a REAL dust cloud yet.

good write up, btw.

CONGRATULATIONS KevNC! You are now a racer, not just some trail riding spectator. Trust me, you'll do better your next race. Besides, the object is to have fun, and if you can pass a few guys it's even better still.

Husker,
Whats the problem with being a trail rider?

Hey Kevin! It's Danny, sorry I couldn't be at the race to DNF with you! Your story if you didn't read mine sounds a lot like it. Here is a tip on our bikes if it doesnt start. Give it a LITTLE gas, not much at all and kick it HARD. It should fire right over. Remember in the river when my bike wouldn't start and Mike got it started, thats what he did. Gave it a little gas. You did better in your lap time then I did, my first race was a 42 minute 1 lap DNF. Well hopefully ill see you at poole rd and other races too!

Hey KevNC.....Have you ever heard of a man named ED Hertfelder???;D

Randy,

No, I've never heard of him. Whassup?

Danny,

I think your lap was much longer than mine, so you actually did better. I spent a LOT of time on that hill. See you on the trails!

KevNC, Ed Hertfelder writes a column on the last page of Trail Rider magazine every month. Very funny stories! Your story reminds me of some of his..AND mine for that matter! I can definitely relate. FYI..forget the Tums. Pick a rider that makes you angry (not really of course) and just concentrate on killing him during the race. You'll see how much easier it gets after a few races!!

AAH...just go out and have fun!!
Randy

Kev!

Great race, man!

I like the story, you left how you passed me and it took me 20 minutes to catch you when I saw you 1/2 way up that hill. By the way a lot of guys were saying that hill was a &itch (especially the 2smokers).

btw, next time they ask if they forgot to punch your card at the checkpoint say YES!

SO... are you my partner for the Ironman on the 29th of July? we have a lot of training to do. I can probably get us time in Danbury with Joe from the NCHSA if you want.

Mike

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2001 WR250F - Snorkle out, t-stop cut, grey wire mod, YZ timed, DR.D Pipe, Ty Davis/IMS seat and tank, handlebar hot start, panoram computer, Mich S-12 Rear/ Mich starcross MS2 front, Ty Davis rad supports, Scotts Damper and triple clamp w/ Protaper bars, stock jetting, fuel screw 1.75 out, that's about it...

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ROTFLMAO! Ouch - that would be deadly!!!

Hey *mike68*,
There's nothing wrong with being a trail rider, I guess. To each there own. I prefer to test my skills against others in closed course competition. I find trail riding a bit boring. But that's me. Still, most of the "trail riders" I've ever seen were wannabe racers.

Kev,

Great story, I think you will find that it will get easier with every race. Just hang with Mike and Danny and ride as much as you can. As for the Iron Man, the trails can be harder, but I think with alot of riding between now and then you can handle it.
Keep up the good work!!!!
Jeff


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'98 YZ400F
'01 YZ250F
'98 CBR600F3
VCHSS
NCHSA
GNCC
DIST. 7,29 (mx)
4 STROKE B

As Jeff said, ride as much as you can. I have been spending a lot of time out at poole rd. I am feeling pretty confident with my bike now. Hey Jeff, have you sold those boots yet???

KevNC, great race report. Thanks for the story!

KevNC, your story reminds me of my first Harescramble here in Ga. several years ago called the "CornCob". On a built XR440 I had a similar experience that you had, except after hole shotting the start in a C class, passing other riders for 1.5 laps around this 8mile course, I was taken out in a deep creekbed, water 8ft across. Some A or AA flew into me, knocked me & my bike over in the creek, bike on top of me in 2ft of water. I tried to lift the bike off of me but riders were using me & my bike as the bridge to cross this creek. To top it off chicken wire was spread under me & my bike.(I guess some wisbang idea to provide traction across this creek). By now the bike is entangled in this chicken wire with me as the meat in the sandwich. There must have been 10-20 riders that rode over me & the bike, until 1 of them crashed into me & fell over causing a big pile up. Soon 20-30 other riders were all piledup at that creek. A moment that I will not soon forget..... Yep, we(other crashed riders & spectators) got me & the trusty XR440 up & out of the creek, turned it upside down to let the fish out, turned it rideside up, kicked 20-50times(I lost count), it fired up, but it bearly ran, but I finished 16th in my class with a XR440 with cancer that was forever possessed and a broken throttle cable.. Needless to say the bike never ran right ever again after that day that I holeshotted the start & got wiped out in a deep creek & I finished with boots full of water, the longest 3 laps I ever rode.

husker
The only wannabe is you . If you can't ride the trails fast enough to create a rush, thats your problem . Some people need to prove themselves in a croud and others have nothing to prove and just go out and tear it up. Some people ride very seriously and never race. I am sure racing is fun as all riding is, but I for one don't like crouds, I just like to go and go fast. Where you from? Maybe we can hook up and ride. I feel the need to eliminate this stereotype you have of us trail riders. Trail riding boring? Come to New Hampshire if you are close and we'll go for a spin.
Tea and crumpets ride tonight at my house. We will ride real slow,but we can pretend we are a racer like husker mike.

[This message has been edited by *mike68* (edited 06-28-2001).]

[This message has been edited by *mike68* (edited 06-28-2001).]

[This message has been edited by *mike68* (edited 06-28-2001).]

KevNC,

Like others have said before, it sounds like my first (and only) harescramble experience. I had the "Oh my God, what am I doing here?" thought going through my head and I felt like I had zero energy when the starter horn blew. I'm glad to know that's not unusual, because I plan to run an enduro or two next season.

It sounds to me like you need to install a hot start button on that XR of yours. I had an XR250 for about a year before I got my WR400. It makes a HUGE difference now that I've got a hot start system. 3 kicks wersus 50--2 kicks to realize it's too hot to start normally and one after I pull the button.

Rich

Wow, it looks like I got `ol *mike68*'s panties in a twist. From someone who doesn't like crowds or feel the need to prove themselves you sure do want to race me (and you re-enforce my sterotype). I feel so flattered that I am now the measure you wish to compare yourself. Good luck. As for hooking up for riding, I live in sunny Southern California, so that would be a bit of a drive for either of us. I guess you can just dream...

So I race motocross, so what? I've been trail riding before, usually now it's when I go dual-sporting in the San Bernardino mountains. Maybe you should try a sanctioned race -- mx, enduro, harescrambles -- anything just to say you've tried it. Who knows, maybe it would get you to relax a bit.

Actually I can speak for Mike68. He does not race - but if he did he would probably do well. When we rode I was always meeting up with him at the next trailhead - he didn't care that I was slower and he always asked if I needed a rest. I have ridden with quite a few testosterone driven bikers who always needed to be better than me by one comparison or another - but I never have ridden with them twice.

For those I ride with - it is all about the ride regardless if it is a trailride or a HS. For the ones I care not to ride with it seems that they want to make up for some inadequacy elsewhere in their lives. Usually they start acting all pissy when I don't acknowledge their supposid superiority.

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- Sean

Hey man, what kind of hill are we talking about here? What was going on, were you not able to keep a straight line or did the track go through or around the trees? I love trail riding, always have and always will I suppose, still I would like to try one of those hare scrambles though some day. Hey what the heck dose hare scramble mean anyway?