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Off Road Racer's Corner ISDE, Enduro, Hare Scrambles, etc.


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Old 03-18-2008, 08:11 PM
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Default D-36 Phatom Hare Scramble

Last weekend was the 6th round of the D-36 Cross Country Series held at Hollister Hills OHV Park in Hollister, California. I arrived early to find parking and get all settled in for a great day of racing. The race was held at the Upper Ranch area, which was closed to the general public. The Upper Ranch has a nicely groomed GP track, which was part of the course. I managed to get signed up with no problems and so I headed back to my pit area to give my trusty GasGas a good once over. I got dressed and grabbed my gas can and proceeded down to pit lane to drop off my gas can. I noticed that there was a massive line formed of riders waiting to get their transponders checked in, so I headed over to get in line. From the way things looked I was not going to get a good gate pick. I made my way to row #7 C Seniors. The start line was jammed packed with riders and I could not find a place to squeeze into, so I started looking for a couple of 2 stroke to line up between, no such luck, all those orange and red thumpers made up the vast majority of the bikes. I found a guy with a KTM magic button and a Honda CRF 450 to line up between. I asked both riders if there bike were going to start on the first kick, the KTM rider pointed to the button, the Honda guy stated “sure no problem”, I then asked if I either one would mind changing places? Yea, right…like that was going to happen? After the riders meeting was over they stated firing off the rows 1 minute apart. I must have made the guy on the Honda nervous, cause he practiced firing that 450 up on every row that left. As the rows departed the drag race to the first turn kept getting longer and soon row 7 was off. The KTM fired, and the Honda did not, I had to lean to the right to avoid hitting the poor guy.

The drag race to the first turn was pretty crazy, a wide flat 90 degree right hand turn, then a nice short straight with a high banked 90 left hand turn, I was able to rail the outside and make a couple of passes. There was a few more turns and jumps then the course funneled down into single track. It was like riding on Velcro in the woods sections! I fell in line and pretty much-played follow the leader for the first half of the race, picking off a few riders at a time. Once out of the woods and onto service roads the course got really dusty and made racing very difficult trying to see, let alone ride at a race pace. Back into the woods we headed, this part of the course dropped us out into a sandy riverbed where we had to make a 30 feet steep climb out of the riverbed. Man…what a bottleneck of riders trying to climb out! I cliff had ruts several feet deep from the AA/A/B rides and was giving the majority of the C riders a fit! I knew I did not want to get caught up behind this mess so I picked a line between two guys trying to get the bike out of the ruts and pinned it! I managed to not go down, but I hit a rider with my Moose / GoFaster hand guards…I felt bad, thinking that he may have gotten hurt. I looked back to see if he was standing and he was still trying to get his bike out of the rut. I must have gotten past 25+ riders, and I had clear dust free vision ahead. The woods sections were perfect for racing, exposed oak tree roots and very little rocks. I was closing in on a rider ahead of me and managed to catch up with about 5 or 6 guys in a line in a woods section, which dumped us out onto a very dry and dusty up hill switchback service road. At the next turn there was a MASSIVE bottleneck of riders. I could not see what was going on due to the dust being so bad; all I could hear was bike revving motors and roots of silt ahead on the trail. I have no idea how many riders were stuck up there but it was not going to clear out and time soon. This section of the course was not marked with ribbon or snow fence, just the service road and a trail that was cut into the brush where the riders were bottlenecked. I decided to make work my way forward to get a better look, I found a small trail entrance that was blocked by another bike, I asked him to move forward so I could take a look at the trail. The trail looked to run next to the bottleneck trail, so I took off up the trail and I had countless number of riders following me. I merged onto the course about 75 feet ahead of the bottleneck. The course appeared to be making it way towards the scoring area. I entered back onto the GP course and headed into scoring with a conga line of riders in tow. I was scored in for my first lap in 6th place C Seniors. I feeling really good and my bike was working perfect as I finished up the GP section of the course and headed back into the woods for another loop! Loop two was pretty uneventful until about the middle of the course in a woods section, the course ran us down a really steep down hill that was rutted out and exposed oak tree roots and braking bumps, I ran this section on the first loop and really did not see this section giving guys and problems until now. The must have been 5 or 6 rider bulldogging their bike down this hill, and they managed to have the good line taken…One of the rider look behind him and could see I was starting down the hill, he pulled his bike out of the line and let me and another ride go by! The bottleneck in the silt had was gone and smooth sailing to the scoring check. I got scored and headed back out for loop three. The road sections were really dusty and I did not feel like taking a header trying to race guys in the blinding dust, and I back off and thought I’d make a move in the woods sections. I over shoot a turn and got off course and lost a couple of spots…. so much for riding smart! Loop three was in the books and the white flag came out and so I put my head down and hammer out the last lap. I had a pretty good battle with a rider on a KTM 300 for most of the last lap; we both had clear trails in front of us and were able to kick it up a notch. On lap 4 as I approached the entrance to the GP course I rounded a blind turn and there was a rider down, so I had to had to pull to the right and managed to go head first into a bush, and stalled my bike. I had to dismount the bike to pull it free from the vines sticks, and I got the bike back onto the trail I was passed by 3 riders. I gave the ole 200 a kick and she fired up and I was back in the race to try to get my position back, I raced a couple of KTM’s, and Yamaha 4 strokes hard to though the final 3 turns and jumps, finished 10th in class for the day and 100th overall. All in all it was a great day, my Gas Gas continues to perform flawlessly against mostly open class bikes!

http://www.ama-d36.org/


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99 EC 200
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  #2  
Old 03-26-2008, 09:08 PM
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Nice write up Rick but that last line is gold. I have been racing MX (only cause the guy I ride with is an MX nut) on the EC250 & I can't believe how well the Gas Gas holds up against the 450's the last 3 races have been 2 3rds & a 2nd & one hole shot & never more than 3 bikes back at the first turn. I bought the Gasser to trail ride with my son I never thought the bike would be any good on an MX track much less keep up with the 450's. Are you gonna be racing the V. City GP ? I'm signed up for +45 novice class on Sunday.
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Old 03-27-2008, 09:46 AM
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Link,

Yea...the 200 has been holding it's own against the 450 thumpers, of course keeping right wrist twisted helps Hey, Since you've been hitting the motocross track, why don't you come out and give a little "GasGas" support in the "C" Senior class cross country? I'm getting a little tired of being lost in the sea of orange..... if you know what I mean. The Shasta Dam National CC is in a few weeks.... As for the VCGP looks like I can't make it due to a family event. How old is your son? Mine is 14 and we trail ride all the local stuff, Stonyford, Elkins Flat and others. I have him on an 06 KX100. We need to get together and go ride once the snow melts..
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Old 03-28-2008, 05:18 PM
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What day is the Shasta race ? For April I've got a a race 4/5 & the VCGP on 4/26 it might be tough for me to get in another race week end in April but I'd like to line up in that class with ya so keep me posted. My son is 17 & rides a KX250f so a trail ride sounds good. I rode last week end at Middle Creek & there wasn't much snow at all & hardly any riders. We had a blast. Do you ever ride up there ? cause I'm thinking about heading up there this Sunday.
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  #5  
Old 04-03-2008, 05:25 PM
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Link,

Here is the flyer....Let me know if your going to head up.

http://www.ama-d36.org/Raceinfo/125_2008CcR08Flyer.pdf
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99 EC 200
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***Thanks for the support : Twin Air /O'Neil Racing / Race 100% / Matrix Concepts / ODI / Mika Metals
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  #6  
Old 04-05-2008, 12:47 AM
wheels7 wheels7 is offline
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I'll be at shasta most likely on my rm 250, though i do need to replace my linkage, shock, and swingarm bearings this weekend. my gasgas is bout ready to go with a new top end freshly cleaned powervalve and new reeds but im enjoying the rm. might bring the gasgas out for the fall season. I saw u at the race i was like .. hey a gasgas, i also saw you when you finished you were goin pretty good, much better than me. I had a pitiful race. On my first lap i got drilld in the kidney by some dudes bark buster he musta been doin 20+ and i was stopped im still sore right now and im 18 years old, soo much for healing fast. finished the race but was in soo much pain. you said u tagged someone wonder if it was me?
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Old 04-05-2008, 09:36 PM
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wheels7,

If you were in that bottle neck in the riverbed, and if you were trying to get your bike out of a rut on the slope of the river bank, and you were hit on your left side, then yes, it more than likely was me.....did you noticed what color gear that guy was wearing? If it was you...I am truely sorry about that that. Look me up at Shasta..... and bring out that GasGas
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99 EC 200
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***Thanks for the support : Twin Air /O'Neil Racing / Race 100% / Matrix Concepts / ODI / Mika Metals
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  #8  
Old 04-06-2008, 08:13 PM
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if youre talkin bout the riverbed where the guy stuck his bike in the mud and was there all race then no it wasnt me but i did get hit on the left side as my bike was in a rut, didnt notce color just immediate pain like i said im still a little sore no bruising though that was weird. If it was you no hard feelings a race is a race and if you cant run the pace then get outta the way. I may bring the gasgas out because the rm needs new linkage bearings but i need to break in the gasgas but its leaking coolant right now so i may need to take my topend off and seal the gasket better. i rode it up and down the street today and cant wait to get back on the bike, unfortunatly if i race it i will have to run open class which means no points for my class and ill start farther back so more bottlenecks.
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Old 04-07-2008, 09:37 AM
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I did not see the guy who was stuck in the mud for the entire race, only pictures, so I'm not sure where on the course he was? What class to you ride? C-200's?
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99 EC 200
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***Thanks for the support : Twin Air /O'Neil Racing / Race 100% / Matrix Concepts / ODI / Mika Metals
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  #10  
Old 04-07-2008, 04:57 PM
wheels7 wheels7 is offline
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i ride c250 with the gasgas i would be riding c open if i can figure out the coolant leak i may ride the gasgas as the rm needs new swingarm and linkage bearings. the gg also needs a forkseal.
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