| 2001 Race Reports |
March 18, 2001
Finger Lakes State Park
Columbia, Missouri
6th of 13 in Open B
Finger Lakes plus Springtime equals Mud. Which is actually a welcome change from
rocks, so after a muddy practice lap I was actually excited to ride the slop. The course
was pretty much the same as last year, starting on the motocross track and heading
into the woods through a section that was one solid rut. After passing through the
main checkpoint, the trail opened up and had some fast sections winding up and
around the old strip mine hills. On the first lap, there was a section on the other side
of the overflow staging area that was swampy and getting worse by the minute. I tried
some "creative" alternate routes, and at one point I decided to blast through some
willow-type trees. Worked well until I noticed I was dragging about 10 of them along
with me.
On the second lap I made a bonehead mistake that I should have known better. At
Finger Lakes, the best rule you can follow is that if there's standing water in the trail,
stay the hell away from it. Some of the ruts are incredibly deep, and I found an
innocent-looking one, fairly narrow, but my front wheel fell down and disappeared in
the water. So there I sat, providing amusement for the 20 or so spectators standing
around in the woods. A course marshal finally came and helped me lift the bike out of
the rut, a two-man job for a motorcycle that was about 30 pounds heavier with mud.
The only other place I got hung up was a nasty section parallel to U.S. 63 that the
ATV's had torn up badly. Again I received help, this time by another stuck rider.
Despite wasting some effort on mistakes, I did four laps but fell one spot out of trophy
contention with my 6th place finish. Had I not dropped my front wheel into the rut on
lap 2, I probably would have trophied.
I did learn a valuable lesson after the race, but this time from someone else besides
me. Helpful Hint #2375: Remove your cooler from under your truck BEFORE loading
your motorcycle(s). I got a good laugh while helping lift up the truck parked next to
mine, so the cooler could be pulled out from under the frame. Sometime in the future
I surely would have learned this lesson myself, so thanks guys.
April 8, 2001
Steelville, Missouri
4th of 15 in Open B
Today's race was a reminder that the perils of our sport can reach anyone, whether
it's a beginner or an experienced racer. On the practice lap, one of the good guys of
the MHSC, Everett Shinault, was seriously injured after his throttle stuck and he
suffered broken ribs and internal injuries. I do not know Everett personally, but those
who do say he is a smooth, careful racer and is a consistent top-5 finisher in the
Senior class. We hope to see Everett back on the trail very soon.
As for the race, conditions were just about perfect. The course was laid out similarly
to previous years and included such familiar obstacles as the 20-foot straight-down
drop into a creek with a hairpin left turn at the bottom, a jaunt through a manure pile
(although I was disappointed that the manure level was considerably lower than in
previous years), and an off-camber trek up the side hill that is always wet no matter
how dry the rest of the course is. A new part of the course was a section of boulders
that resembled an explosion of the Statue of Liberty. Exact same color (only would
you find this in Missouri).
At the first corner I was 5th or 6th and gained a position or two on the first lap, then
settled in for what was a fairly uneventful ride to the finish. For a change, I made just a
few mistakes and did not dump the bike a single time. Other than whacking a tree
with my knee, I was free of bumps and bruises that are a common part of my
post-race aches and pains. The unseasonably warm weather began working on my
body on lap 3, which fortunately was my last lap.
In terms of percentages, my 4th place finish (of 15 in Open B) was my best in a
Missouri race. Had to be the duct tape.
Finger Lakes State Park
Columbia, Missouri
6th of 13 in Open B
Finger Lakes plus Springtime equals Mud. Which is actually a welcome change from
rocks, so after a muddy practice lap I was actually excited to ride the slop. The course
was pretty much the same as last year, starting on the motocross track and heading
into the woods through a section that was one solid rut. After passing through the
main checkpoint, the trail opened up and had some fast sections winding up and
around the old strip mine hills. On the first lap, there was a section on the other side
of the overflow staging area that was swampy and getting worse by the minute. I tried
some "creative" alternate routes, and at one point I decided to blast through some
willow-type trees. Worked well until I noticed I was dragging about 10 of them along
with me.
On the second lap I made a bonehead mistake that I should have known better. At
Finger Lakes, the best rule you can follow is that if there's standing water in the trail,
stay the hell away from it. Some of the ruts are incredibly deep, and I found an
innocent-looking one, fairly narrow, but my front wheel fell down and disappeared in
the water. So there I sat, providing amusement for the 20 or so spectators standing
around in the woods. A course marshal finally came and helped me lift the bike out of
the rut, a two-man job for a motorcycle that was about 30 pounds heavier with mud.
The only other place I got hung up was a nasty section parallel to U.S. 63 that the
ATV's had torn up badly. Again I received help, this time by another stuck rider.
Despite wasting some effort on mistakes, I did four laps but fell one spot out of trophy
contention with my 6th place finish. Had I not dropped my front wheel into the rut on
lap 2, I probably would have trophied.
I did learn a valuable lesson after the race, but this time from someone else besides
me. Helpful Hint #2375: Remove your cooler from under your truck BEFORE loading
your motorcycle(s). I got a good laugh while helping lift up the truck parked next to
mine, so the cooler could be pulled out from under the frame. Sometime in the future
I surely would have learned this lesson myself, so thanks guys.
April 8, 2001
Steelville, Missouri
4th of 15 in Open B
Today's race was a reminder that the perils of our sport can reach anyone, whether
it's a beginner or an experienced racer. On the practice lap, one of the good guys of
the MHSC, Everett Shinault, was seriously injured after his throttle stuck and he
suffered broken ribs and internal injuries. I do not know Everett personally, but those
who do say he is a smooth, careful racer and is a consistent top-5 finisher in the
Senior class. We hope to see Everett back on the trail very soon.
As for the race, conditions were just about perfect. The course was laid out similarly
to previous years and included such familiar obstacles as the 20-foot straight-down
drop into a creek with a hairpin left turn at the bottom, a jaunt through a manure pile
(although I was disappointed that the manure level was considerably lower than in
previous years), and an off-camber trek up the side hill that is always wet no matter
how dry the rest of the course is. A new part of the course was a section of boulders
that resembled an explosion of the Statue of Liberty. Exact same color (only would
you find this in Missouri).
At the first corner I was 5th or 6th and gained a position or two on the first lap, then
settled in for what was a fairly uneventful ride to the finish. For a change, I made just a
few mistakes and did not dump the bike a single time. Other than whacking a tree
with my knee, I was free of bumps and bruises that are a common part of my
post-race aches and pains. The unseasonably warm weather began working on my
body on lap 3, which fortunately was my last lap.
In terms of percentages, my 4th place finish (of 15 in Open B) was my best in a
Missouri race. Had to be the duct tape.
Columbia, Missouri
Steelville, Missouri
Steelville, Missouri
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