Race your Gas Gas at Southwick on Memorial day weekend

[motogroove]

Hello Folks,

Usually, I'm the only Gas Gas at the Stimilon Motocross Challenge.

They have a "Headlight" class, and I also run in "Decrepit 45".
Husqvarnas won headlight last year. And a few orange things beat me too. Luckily, word on the street is there's some cool dude named Bryan who is running number 904 on a Gas Gas 250 this year. He might better represent the awesome capabilities of our brand.

But you should come too. Because you don't get that many motocross races that roll out the red carpet for woods bikes. And, follow the logic here, it's all about fun. Headlight class never fills the gate, and I think you'll agree that's just wrong.

But don't take my word for it. I'll paste the latest update from the funmeister himself.

Memorial day weekend - race Saturday, big party and madness Saturday night, open riding Sunday (unless it's sold out, limited spots), home or where ever you need to be Sunday night. Worth a trip from anywhere. Perfect deep sand all the way around.

Did I mention fun?

Be there. Aloha.

-Dean
2001 xc300

***begin quoted material***
We would like to invite you to our big riding party known as the Stimilon Motocross Challenge over the May 27-29 weekend. MX 338 in Southwick, MA will once again play host to "The Biggest Disappointment in Motocross" as our beloved event celebrates riding, friendship and good times. Come see why Racer X has featured this event in "X Marks the Spot" for the last two years in a row!



We are inside of 30 days until the event and we are still working on this pig, but here is what you can expect so far:



Vitamin Water Pit Party Challenge

This is a FREE competition for all who come out to play with us. Just dress up your pit area to represent what this weekend means to you - beer pong, bikini bike wash, dancing poles, circus tents - whatever you want. We have one rule: Whatever you bring in, you must bring out - Please dont leave your junk for Southwick to clean up. Just check in Friday night and sign up so we know who you are. Judging will take place during the weekend and the following prizes will be awarded:

3rd place: A Year's Supply of Vitamin Water (12 cases)

2nd place: A Year's Supply of Vitamin Water (12 cases) + 1 Snowboard

1st place: A Year's Supply of Vitamin Water (12 cases) + 2 snowboards +a Vitamin Water Branded Refrigerator



Factory Connection will buy your springs

Everyone's favorite stud, FC Mike, will be on hand doing FREE bike set up all weekend long, setting your race sag and adjusting clickers for the Southwick Sandbox. FC will also buy your stock springs if you want to upgrade to brand new FC springs that are dialed in specifically for your weight, height and riding style. And lets face it, we have seen you ride - you need all the help you can get. Take advantage of the great offer, because it is only available trackside at the Stimilon Motocross Challenge



Pre Register and Win!

The first 200 who have registered for this event have already won a FREE set of Pro Taper Grips (To be awarded at check in Friday Night) but everyone who pre registers will also get the following:

- 25% off coupon for Answer, MSR and Pro Taper products

- $10 off coupon for Twin Air products

- Over 21 gets a cold Narragansett (Friday night only)

- Show up with a six pack or more of Narragansett in your cooler - get a FREE six pack of Narragansett (must be 21, and provide a receipt showing where you bought it) Friday night only, while supplies last

- and more to come...

Discount coupons can be redeemed at Stimilon Shop Sponsors. Our shops can redeem the coupons directly with the manufacturer and apply the discounts towards their order so everyone wins! Please support local retail when prepping for this event.

Pre register at www.stimilon.com



da States Ultimate Relay

This is the Ultimate Relay race to end the racing day and start the party night. This will be the last moto of the day and it will be a 45 minute relay race where each member does 1 lap at a time, but upon completing the lap, the rider must exit the track back to the start area where they take off the team t shirt (their "baton") and give it to the next member on the team in the start. Put together your best team, but the race will be won in the pits (the shirt exchange) so practice up! Each team must consist of (1) Vet (over 30), (1) Female, and (1) 2 Stroke. Want more info click here http://www.stimilon.com/smc/dawhat.php



Red Bull After Party

After a great day of riding and racing with friends we head over to the Red Bull After Party featuring the 80's Metal Gods of Kobra Kai. Costumes are not mandatory, but lets just say you will look out of place without one! Narragansett Beer Specials, Red Bull Cocktails, and Hot Chicks!



Late Night

The cops usually show up so no promises here...



Want more still?

In the past we have been know to have Pit Bikes, Skate Ramps, Bands, Gauntlets, Tricycle races, RC Cars, Kiddie Pools, and who knows what else (we really cant remember).



Honor the Code

Why can we have this much fun year after year? The Code! The Stimilon Code of Honor goes like this: If you act like an adult, take responsibility for your own actions and respect those around you - you can pretty much do anything you want. Honor the code or stay home. If you cant have fun and be cool, we have no problem showing you the door.



This event is not for everyone - honestly some cant handle it whether it is the freedom, or the fact that this is less of a race, more of a weekend long celebration. So if you are timid, easily offended or just some muscled headed jerk - do us all a favor and stay home. Dont ruin it for the rest of us has beens - we just want to have fun. Everyone else, come play!



Thanks



davo






To date, we have over 220 entries for this event already. Some classes are filling up - once they hit 40 riders the class will be closed. Dont get shut out - pre register today at www.stimilon.com!

Spots remaining in the most popular classes as of May 2, 2011:
30c 11 spots left
Keepin It Real 13 spots left
250 Hack 15 spots left
Never Ever 17 spots left
40c 18 spots left
35+ 19 spots left
Open Hack 19 spots left

All others classes have 20 or more spots left

[motogroove]

You only need to forget one thing during race prep to really throw a wrench into your overall preparedness. Me, I forgot to tighten the rim locks.

So I went out in practice and quickly ripped the valve stem right out of the rear tube. It probably happened before turn one, and to tell you the truth I just thought the bike was handling spooky for the whole ten minute practice. The sands of Southwick can really jerk your bike around if you don't float on top of it, so I was just rethinking my love for the surface. It wasn't until I left the track and felt the telltale sideways crab that I knew I had a flat. Racing was about to start and I was to be in the fourth moto (Decrepit 45). I had no spare tube and I had given virtually all my cash to my daughter on the way to the race. This will teach me to remind myself that she's 21 now. It was beginning to rain.

I had the wheel off and the old tube out in, uh, no time flat. But, all the money in the world wouldn't have found me an 18" tube. But after Adam and Sean had both toured the pits for me, another rider in our pits allowed that he had a 19" tube I could use. Billy Kimmel saved my race day. It was pouring rain hard now - a deluge.

I scrambled to get the tire back on and aired. Billy leaned on the tire for me to ease that part. All the tools are wet now and sand is sticking to everything. My axle bolt and nut are somehow laying smooshed into the sand. It's not going to be the sanitary installation I had done in my driveway, but I keep it as clean as I can without missing my gate. Adam gets back in from his moto and says it's quickly turning to snot out there, and gave Billy some lines to watch out for. I couldn't really pay attention to the line advice as I was focused on the wrenches. With the bike together and my gear going back on, Adam told me I really won't need the goggles long unless I had tear offs. My tear offs were not installed so I went to the line commando with a plan to ride to protect my eyes. The rain was unfuckingbelievable as the gate dropped.

To say that the track was a mess is an understatement. The ruts were rivers and the low spots all had active gullies crossing the track. It was simply survival out there. Now the massive S12 was hooking up better than when it was spinning on the rim and using itself as a clutch. I chugged through the moto, got a few passes, and hoped a few girlie-men might pull out. On the last big uphill before the finish line, I bobbled and stalled it six impossible inches from the top of the hill. I lost a few positions restarting the bike. The sleepy finish flagger was holding only checkers, low but in full display. RMD results for moto 1: Dean, Sean, Scotty. Back at the pits, one of the EZ-Ups was a tangled heap of scrap metal.

The next race didn't finish before they shut the track down for an hour so they could re-assess the situation as the weather moves on. There was lightning now. Everybody is soaked to the bone.

The fine folks at Southwick really wanted us to have our event, so they decided that we'd save the day by running a shortened track. We'd get an easy sight lap before the gate. It was a little more than half the track - groomed but snotty. I rolled down to the gate early, waiting for my Headlight moto 1. Somebody tapped me on the shoulder and then kicked my flat rear tire. My head would have exploded, but luckily it was contained in my super-fine SHIFT Riot helmet.

I muttered some negative self-talk on my crab back up the hill to the pits, but then the angel on the other shoulder said something about it being a slow leak. I aired the tire up and shot back to the gate, hoping it would hold for four laps. Turns out it held all day. There was a lot of Orange on the line in Headlight class, and a couple sweet looking Husqvarnas. With only ten bikes racing headlight class, they double-gated us with the ladies teeing off first. I crashed hard once in this moto, a lowside slam, but I didn't lose too much time and took the checkers feeling OK about the whole thing.

Now I had to wait out 15 motos before my Decrepit moto2. Sean had hurt his wrist in his 2nd moto and decided to save energy for Sunday's open riding in better conditions. When the 2nd half of the program started, they had about 85% of the track open. I was riding fine if I could keep myself on the outside high lines. But, at the two-trees-turns I got forced to the inside line at the top tree right-hander, missed the exit, went over the inside berm and did a Bruce Lee/Fred Astaire get-off, running down the hill and slowing to a strike pose. Scrape sent me a cool Husaberg promo with electric start two-strokes. < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0FzS...layer_embedded > One of those would have been good about now, as I couldn't start my bike easily on the track there. Failing that I tried to bump start it down the hill but the sand was not helpful there. I pulled it off the track down by the bottom tree and kicked some more, but I was really just too tired to do it right. Frustrated and now worn out from kicking, I told myself I had nothing to prove and watched the race. What I forgot was that I actually *did* have something to prove. RMD results moto2: Scotty, Dean (DNF), Sean (DNS). Scotty beat me overall with 8th out of 19 riders in Decrepit 45. I was 10th out of 19. Electric start could have prevented this tragedy. Scotty did not beat me with speed, but with physical conditioning.

Afterwards, I mentioned to Scotty about that whole sandbagging in never-ever thing. He replied "you've seen me ride". I replied something like "yeah, you just kicked my ass so stfu". Rather than harp on the sandbagger thing (did I mention sandbagger?) I'll say that Scotty might be the wise man who knows we all live inside a system, and the key is to find the boundaries of the system even if you don't need to walk right up to that line. I'll call it that instead of, you know, sandbagger.

I was humbled by my D45 moto2, with the DNF and just sloppy slow riding overall. I considered that I wasn't fit to ride. I've been suffering this terrible sleep deprivation lately and there's creeping zombie in me. But the beauty of the bike and the love of my sponsors gave me new energy and I rose for Headlight moto 2. I wish I had the full results but they disappeared before I could document them. I only know my overall in Headlight was 6th out of 10 riders. I was beaten by three KTMs and two Husqvarnas (1st and 3rd). Scotty got some video of this race and that should be, um, an interesting first for me.

We ate, partied, watched moto movies on the SHIFT cinema screen. I slept for the first time in weeks - that was odd but mighty refreshing. The track was much nicer yesterday for the open riding day. Sean had probably done a smart thing saving energy for day two. Two short motos was enough for me yesterday. And I had another electric start dream out there...

The 420 machine was a real crowd pleaser, I'll say. I'll link some photos when I can. She wasn't idling nicely though and the float seems to be sticking a bit now and then. There's sand everywhere on the bike and it needs some love between now and arnettfest. I crashed hard three times and had two other get-offs. My last time out I stuffed it hard in turn two and tested my SHIFT Riot helmet in man-dart fashion. I finished two more laps after that, but the whole time I was wondering if I just used up the helmet. Even after two laps, there was a big wad of sand stuck to the helmet when I pitted. It was a hard hit. And even though it didn't hurt, I took it as a sign that I should stop now.

There's more - much more. But it's all a little foggy. I'm out of coffee and tea just doesn't seem to do the trick.

Mad props to the sandbagger - really. That was a fine performance. I'd be proud.

Thanks to Dave Olcott for his genius.
Thanks to Brian Horton and SHIFT for their great support this season. I love those folks.
Thanks to Adam Mozzer (team 420 MVP) for the pizza.
Thanks to Billy for the tube - I owe you one
Thanks to Sean for making me laugh so hard I couldn't breathe.
Most of all thanks to Ralph for letting us play hard at MX338

We had racers come from as far as Texas and Florida. It's worth a trip from anywhere.
Be there next year. Aloha.

-Dean
2001 GasGas xc300 #420

[fury1]

congrats,i may show up this year,havent been to a stimilon event since 2001 at jolly rogers?? daves got some great shots of me on my cannondale,raced two classes and pretty sure i won both classes,made it to the overall money main event and the bike just wouldnt fire up,pushed it over to pete collins(he was my dealer) and called it a day,got to try a newer cannondale on sunday,had a blast and won a ton of stuff from FC gift certs,free arizona iced tea,grips goggles and so much swag i couldnt fit it into my small truck..lol anyone thinking of heading to southwick for this event,you wont be disappointed at all...

[motogroove]

Oh yes, 2001 was my first Stimilon.
Jolly Roger in Lempster, NH is a lot of fun.

This was my bike in 2001. Stimilon killed this bike. The hub fell apart on my next trail ride. Tired of roached out basket case bikes, I bought a new Gas Gas from my buddy, the one and only Jim Cook. And Jim ended up with the remains of this bike.

[motogroove]

Schedule/Race Order
Gates open at 3pm - 10pm Friday May 27
Gates open at 630am - 10pm Saturday May 28
No vehicles or people will be allowed in or out outside of these times

Gate fee is $25 for weekend, $15 after 5pm on Saturday for those who have to work and want to still come party
Camping is allowed on site during the event.

Race Order (subject to change)

1. Keepin It Real
2. 250 Rockstar*
3. 250 Wanna Be
4. 250 Hack
5. Brittle 40C
6. Brittle 40 ABBA
7. College Boy
8. Headlight
9. Ladies...
10. Jobless 25+
11. Never Ever
12. Yoots
13. Crusty 35+
14. Decrepit 45+
15. Open Hack
16. Open Wanna Be
17. Open Rockstar
18. Old 30C
19. Old 30 ABBA
20. Staff/Sponsors (1st half) da States Relay (2nd half)

For the two dudes that signed up for KIR and 250 RS, sorry guys you are back to back (it couldnt be helped but you are rockstars, you can handle it

Tentative Schedule of Events (this is our best guess from past experience?)

Friday May 27 (all in military time so 1500 is 3pm)
15:00 Gates open
15:05 The cocktails start flowing, so we are told
17:00 Registration and check in opens. All Racers must check in to get info
18:00 Let the games begin ? walk around and play ? Pong Tournaments, RC
cars, Pit bikes, go nuts, just Honor the Code!
Vitamin Water Pit Party Challenge Judging begins.
18:10 Someone without supervision starts to act like a tool, and is warned
20:00 Registration and check in closes for Friday Night
21:20 The warning went unnoticed and ?that guy? is removed from
property? there always is one? The dude is not missed and the rest
of us go one like nothing happened.
22:00 Gates close for the night ? no one else allowed in until 6:30am Sat.
Rage at own risk (don?t forget you have a race in the morning ?
whatever)
04:00 Mandatory curfew ? all generators off, shut up and pass out!

Saturday May 28
06:00 Wake up call
06:30 Gates open, Registration/Check in for all the slackers (make sure to
let them know what they missed last night)
08:00 Registration/Check in closes
08:10 MANDATORY RIDER MEETING at Stimilon Registration
08:30 Practice starts
10:00 Racing starts, pit festivities, random lurking
18:00 Racing ends ? awards can be claimed 45 minutes after your second
moto ends.
18:05 Parties begin ? more Pong, Pit Bikes, 93/94 activities, etc ? HONOR
THE CODE!
20:00 Vitamin Water Pit Party Challenge judging ends
21:00 Kobra Kai plays at the Pavilion over by the legion bar.
Narraganset Beer Specials at bar (while supplies last)
Vitamin Water Pit Party Challenge awards announced
00:00 Kobra Kai finishes
00:17 Cops show up, sacrificial riders offered to police to meet quota,
hailed as martyrs.
00:23 Nobody remembers who got hauled off, party resumes
04:00 Mandatory curfew ? all generators off, shut up and pass out!

Sunday May 29
10:00 Bikes start up, hangovers everywhere get a little worse, Hangover
Rider Day begins for those who purchased a ticket
15:00 Hangover Ride Day Ends ? get out!
FIN See you next year, or at community service ? which ever comes first.
Drive safe! Enjoy your BBQ and parade Monday