| RACE REPORTS 03' PAGE 2 |
| 4-27-03 VIKINGS NATIONAL--THIS MARKED MY RETURN. WELL I PROMISED MYSELF THAT I WOULD NOT GET OUT OF 2ND GEAR AND I DIDN'T. I WENT OUT AND RODE INSTEAD OF RACING IT AND I FINISHED IN 2 HOURS AND 16 MIN. I STARTED OUT IN SECOND TO LAST AND FINISHED SECOND TO LAST. I ENDED UP STOPPING 7 TIMES FOR VARIOUS REASON. NONE OF WHICH WERE BECAUSE I WAS STUCK OR MY ARM HURT. I PUT THE STOCK FRONT A-ARMS ON AND THAT HELPED GOING THROUGH THE TECHNICAL STUFF. HOW CAN I DESCRIBE THE COURSE? ROCKEY, ROCKEY, ROCKEY, WITH ONE LONG FAST SECTION. POOR SHAUN HAD ANOTHER BAD VIKINGS RACE AND ONLY FINSHED ONE MINUTE AHEAD OF ME. ATLEAST HE FINISHED AND HIS QUAD SEEMS TO BE OK AFTER A CRACK IN THE CASE SCARE. TODD DID GREAT FOR HIS FIRST DESERT RACE AND FINISHED AHEAD OF BOTH OF US AND ONLY HAD ONE SCARE AND A BENT UP REAR SKID PLATE. CHARLIE WON AGAIN BUT ONLY BY A MINUTE OVER LEE. THEN JENNIFER AGAIN EXCELLED IN THE ROCK AND FINISHED 1ST IN CLASS AND THIRD OVERALL. ROBBY COMING BACK FROM AN ACCIDENT AFTER THE LAST NATIONAL FINISHED LAST BUT FINISHED. |
| 5-10-Badgers day 1--I was told that this course was the technical one. So I started out close to last. I was weaving back and forth just trying to find a path with the least dust. I passed a few people before I tucked behind andrea and I followed her through check 1 and could not get passed her until after check 2. By this time I thought to myself if the rest of the course is like this I was going to push it but I knew i was way behind and out of shape because I have not been riding. I passed shaun you broke his stator. I was chasing a pair of red quads. I finally passed one about a mile from check 3 by taking a side trail. By this time the other red quad pulled a big lead. I finally caught him after check 4 on the road to the hill. Thanks to him for waving me through. I could not see anybody until I started to go do the hill I caught a glimpse of gene. I was getting tired by now and ready to just hit cruise control but as I came into the home check everone was cheering and my wife was actually out there watching and she never does so I slowed to tell shauns dad his quad was broke and speed away to catch gene. Well I missed the first left and had to make my own path. I passed gene before we got to the mine shaft. Then coming down the small hill to check one I saw two quads pretty far infront of me but i decide to try to track atleast one down.I still had no clue what place I was in. So I was flying down those roads. I came upon patty just before the road crossing and followed her out of bounds and then up a hill and back to the course. I passed her at the top of the hill and waved and she did her usual yelling. I started to fell tired again on the way to check 3 and patty was still close to me when I went through it. I was just holding on until we got to the road again and I knew I could pull away. At this point I had no visions of caughting anybody else after the last check as we were making our way up to the hill I started to see dust. After each corner a little more. Then the turn towards the hill I finally saw todd. He got a glimpse of me and thought I was rick. So he nailed the gas. As we were coming to the left turn to go up the hill I took the inside knowing that it was my last chance to pass. I was just hoping there were no big rocks. I made the pass and todd let me go because he was so tired. When I parked after the finish all I saw was lee and I could not believe I ended up 2nd overall after starting just about dead last. |
| Badgers day 2--I got to the starting line late so I lined up next to charlie all the way to the inside. I tried to get a good start so if I felt good I would not have to make up so much ground. Well my line sucked but I came into the sand wash as the first am. so I was happy. I was just behind the guy with the raptor. I stalled it going up the silt hill because I could not see and I thought i saw a boulder in the dust. Patty and todd passed me. I finally passed todd back after the check. I was catching the raptor guy who was just behind patty then it happened. My chain came off. I tried to put it back about ten times. Fianlly I just about gave up. The sweepers came up and I realized if I finish I would make have the laps. I told them I had somebody that was coming back to get me but I was still trying to finish the race. They said that they could not help because they didn't have any tools but the check riders would make sure I get out of there because they are coming by to get the ribbon. Well just after they leave I get the chain to stay on while I was hanging off the back to keep the chain tight . I see shaun at the top of the hill. He wanted to help but i wanted to finish so I asked him to just follow and make sure I can make it.After about 3 miles I finally get to the finish and they were about to leave. Another 2 minutes and they would have been gone. |
| 6-7 RUTS DAY 1- IT WAS REALLY REALLY HOT. I SHOWED UP 2 MIN. BEFORE THE RACE WAS SUPPOSE TO START SO I DIDN'T HAVE TO SIT IN THE SUN. WRONG. THE RACE STARTED 30 MIN. LATE. AS THE BANNER WENT UP I NOTICED I CHOOSE THE WRONG LINE. THERE WERE TWO DEEP RUTS ABOUT 30 YARDS OUT THAT I WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH. BAD START. THE ELECT. START DIDN'T FIRE RIGHT AWAY. SO I MOVED TO THE LEFT AND IN THE DUST END UP WAY OUT TO THE LEFT AND OFF THE BEATEN PATH. I ENDED UP SECOND TO LAST OFF THE BOMB. I PASSED RICK, ANDREA, AND SOMEBODY ELSE BEFORE WE GOT TO THE FIRST ALT. WELL WHEN I GOT THERE, THERE WAS QUADS EVERYWHERE SO I STOPPED TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS UP. WELL THE QUAD STALLED AND EVERYBODY BUT CATHY PASSED ME BACK. I THEN PASSED BOB BACK. I COULD NOT GET PASSED RICK. EVERY PATH I TOOK I WOULD GET UP TO HIM AND IT WOULD GO BACK TO THE MAIN PATH. THEN I WOULD GET IN THE DUST AND HAVE TO DROP BACK. JUST BEFORE THE HOME CHECK WE CAME UPON ANDREA HAVING QUAD PROBLEMS. WE THEN GOT OFF OUR QUADS AND PUSHED HER TO THE SIDE. AT THAT TIME BOB CAUGHT BACK UP. RICK LET ME GO TO HELP ANDREA. WHEN I GOT TO THE HOME CHECK IT WAS NICE TO HAVE ED SPRAY US DOWN WITH WATER. THANKS. I WANTED TO QUIT. I HAVE BEEN SICK ALL WEEK AND THE HEAT WAS TAKING ITS TOLL. THEN I HEADED OUT. I FOUND PATTY OUT ON THE ROAD AND PASSED HER. ONCE I GOT INFRONT OF HER I SLOWED DOWN. THE LAST 5 MILES I WAS IN FIRST GEAR AND SITTING DOWN. RICK AND BOB JANN ALMOST CAUGHT ME BECAUSE OF THAT.OVERALL RESULTS--CHARLIE 1ST 50 MIN., JENNIFER 2ND 59 MIN., LEE 3RD 1 HR 2 MIN., ERIC 4TH 1 HR 7 MIN., ME 5TH 1 HR 11 MIN., RICK 6TH 1 HR 12 MIN., JANN 7TH 1 HR 12 MIN., PATTY 8TH 1 HR 14 MIN.( FLAT TIRE), BOB 9TH 1 HR 18 MIN., ANDREA 10TH 1 LAP(REED PROBLEMS), CATHY DNF. |