Last Saturday was my first XC race in 4 years, and I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. In many ways, this was a race of many firsts for me; first time to race in the TORN series, first time to race at this particular track, first time to XC race on my KFX700, first time to race in the Over 40 C class, first time to race on my birthday, etc. Despite the new faces, new location and new quad, I'm happy to report that it felt just like old times as soon as the green flag went up! Here's my race write-up:


WHERE:
Grandview, TX…it’s a small town roughly 30 miles south of Forth Worth, TX. The track is a 3 hour drive from my house…so this event made for a LONG day as I chose to drive up and back in the same day.


TRACK CONDITIONS:
The weather was sunny, but COLD during the race with a high around 40 degrees during the race. The temps wouldn't have been a problem had it not been for the creek crossings with 1 foot of water at the bottom (more on that later). I think there was a slight bit of rain at this track the day before, but just enough to help keep the dust down and make some of the creek crossings interesting. The track was a short 3.8 miles long according to my quad's odometer and was mostly open pastures separated by small wooded areas with creek crossings to keep things interesting. Other than the creek crossings, the track was mostly flat and not very technical. It was an ideal track for newbies in my opinion.


QUAD SET-UP:
This was my first XC race on my KFX700 and so I recently made several changes to prepare it for battle, including installing a beefier front bumper, full skids, handguards, tether kill switch, PRM side-bars and removed the lowering kit to soften up the ride.


OVER 40 C CLASS:
When we lined up, I counted a total of 5 quads in the "old man" class (Over 40 C class). I introduced myself to my competitors and everyone seemed friendly. As I recall, the line-up included a Can Am DS 450, either a Honda or Yam 450cc sport quad (couldn't tell with all of the fender stickers/upgrades), a Yam. Raptor 700 (I think), Pol. Scrambler 500 plus my KFX 700.


PRACTICE LAPS:
I arrived at the track with over an hour left to practice, but had to wait in a huge line to enter the park. That left me with just enough time to do 2 laps. On my first lap, I took it slow and picked up a little steam on my 2nd lap.

The first thing that caught my attention was that my quad stalled out when going thru an offcamber section of the first wooded area...same thing happened on the 2nd lap too. That experience made me a bit nervous about how I would handle stalling out at that spot during the race(with racers on my tail).

The 2nd thing I noticed is that the open fields were FULL of tight turns around small mounds of dirt and my tires were gripping too much/would not slide around them.

Third, I discovered that hitting the 1 foot deep creek crossings at fast speed was a bad idea and left me totally drenched from head to toe. Did I mention it was 39 degrees at this point.

Lastly, I noticed that there were no long straight-aways where I could get up to high speeds and make passes. This was very disappointing as my quad seems to shine at 30mph to 50mph. (In fact, I think 26mph was the most I saw on my speedo during the race) When I got back to the truck, I added some air to the tires and that made a big difference in sliding around turns during the race.


THE START:
Unlike my past XC races, the TORN series does live engine starts. Seems odd to me, but it does make it easier to get off the line.

When I got to the starting line in an open field, I took a spot in the middle of the line. We had a short distance to the first turn (left hand turn) and then the track did a zig zag thru 3 more turns before entering a wet creek crossing. A class that started a few rows ahead of the us had an accident in the creek crossing area (I later heard the racer turned his quad on its side, but I didn't actually see it). As a result, the organizers delayed the rest of us from starting while they cleared up the accident...there's nothing like waiting on the starting line a few extra minutes to get the butterflies going and to remind you that XC racing can be dangerous.

Finally, the green flag came up and off I went!

Unfortunately, I launched too hard and pointed to the sky...immediately let off the throttle and got back into it. I reached the first cone in 3rd place and made the sharp left turn. That is when it happened...my motor stalled! By the time I got it restarted (not long), I was in last place and playing follow the leader into the creek crossing.


LAP 1:
After going thru the creek crossing, the track made a hard left turn around a small tree...that turn was hard packed, but slippery as ice due to the water dripping off everyone's tires coming out of the creek. After a few zig zags through the first open field, I was able to quickly pass the Raptor, and also had a chance to pass the Scrambler before going into the first wooded section (which has the off-camber situation I mentioned above). However, I chose to let up and follow him through the woods b/c I didn't want him on my tail just in case I stalled out in the off-camber section again.

Luckily, I made it through the off-camber trail without stalling and followed the Scrambler closely until we reached the next open field with lots of zig zap turns. After following the Scrambler very closely for a while, he pulled aside and let me go by...but immediately after my pass, the course made a sharp left turn...and it happened AGAIN! My quad stalled again, and I got passed before I could get it restarted.

Near the end of the lap, I was able to pass the Scrambler again in an open field full of zig zag turns and then set my sights on tracking down the 2nd place guy, who had long been out of sight by that time.


LAPS 2 - 5:
Lap 2 was uneventful except for stalling out 3 times during various left turns and stumbling badly/almost stalling dozens of other times. This has happened to me before this day, but not nearly as often...the cold weather seemed to amplify this problem.

Despite the stalling/stumbling problems, I maintained my 3nd place position while keeping an eye out for the 2nd place guy. Near the last lap, I eventually got passed by a ute (Renegade), and then I passed someone who started in the first row (guessing he was tired out).


RACE RESULTS:
I didn't see the official results at the track, but I think I came in 3rd place out of 5 in my class. As far as I could tell, the 450cc sport quads probably took 1st and 2nd place, followed by me, the Scrambler and then the Raptor. I hope to see the official results when they post them online (Monday).

Despite my carb problems, I'm very glad to have finished the race in one piece and had alot of fun in the process. It was definitely a fun way to spend my birthday, and I hope to do more XC races this year (but probably not the next 2 races as they are both 300 miles from my house).

UPDATE: The official results were posted online yesterday, and I came in 3rd out of 6 in my class (not sure where the other quad came from...lol). I also placed 13th overall out of 34 quads that competed in this particular race.

I hope you enjoyed my write-up!

Happy trails…

 

Nice write and thanks for sharing.

So did you figure out what was causing the stalling?

 

I have larger carbs (38mm) from a street bike installed on my engine and these carbs work excellent for drag racing and not too bad for casual trail riding too. But apparently whenever I hit the brakes/turn left, the fuel sloshes out of the carb bowls. I'm told that a possible fix is to tilt the carbs to the side (towards the bowls), but can't do that right now b/c there is no room under the middle fender with the size air filter that I have. So I just ordered a shorter air filter and will try to tilt it once the new filter comes in. If that doesn't solve the issue, I may have to go back to stock carbs. We'll see.

 

Mikey, I am looking at racing next weekend at Callisburg in the TORN series. I have never raced before or even owned a quad til about month ago. I am wondering if I should attempt it at all right now with the setup I have. 2003 KFX 400 with 13T sprocket, K&N filter upgrade, jetted, upgraded tie rods and nerf bars. (I know I know, nothing special yet but Im getting into it and should have the exhaust, programmer, and intake soon...and maybe a big bore kit) I was looking at the classes they have and figured I would probably be best at getting into the Sport C. All the times and lap results I could find were around 11 minutes and 26 mph which is where my quad is good at right now. over 35 and I start to fall off around 4th gear. I know you don't have all the answers but am just wondering if you could give me some insight into how I might fare. I don't want to get there and then realize that those guys are riding circles around me.

 

jstephens4,

I think sport C is a good choice for you and your kfx400. What I often tell people is that XC racing is similar to fast trail riding with your buddies (except that you don't stop to rest until you are done with the 1 hour race)...so if you enjoy fast trail riding and you are comfortable going fast on your kfx400 in the woods, then I'm sure you'll probably enjoy XC racing.

As to what you should expect, please don't expect to walk in there and expect to take 1st place on your first race...that is a common newbie mistake. Your goals should be to 1) finish the race (preferably in 1 piece...lol) and 2) have fun! If you accomplish that, you are doing great.

Another common newbie mistake is that they go all out in the first lap and then they are totally exhausted by lap 3 or so. The best approach is to pace yourself and ride within your limits! If you push yourself too much in lap 1, you will likely wreck (especially if you are riding above your limit) and/or you will tire yourself out and get passed by everyone before the race is over. Just keep in mind that the goals are to finish the race and have fun and you should be ok.

Not to sound harsh, but you have to be especially cautious around other newbie racers...they can be unpredictable and dangerous at times. With experience, the newbie racers wil gain skills and learn how to avoid crashing, etc.

As far as your kfx400 is concerned, don't worry about having the fastest engine...its not a drag race. IMO, the best upgrades for a XC race are suspension rather than motor upgrades (altho motor upgrades certainly help). If you have a rocket-powered quad, it won't help you win a XC race if it handles poorly in the tight woods and rides rough over the bumps, etc. Its better to have a good suspension set-up so you can confortably go fast over the XC course rather than to have a fast engine set-up with stock suspension and not be able to push the throttle much because it doesn't handle well over bumps and tight, twisty trails.

I'm not sure yet if I'm going to the Callisburg race on March 24th or not...If I do go, please come say hi if you see me...I'm on a green KFX700 (race number 555) and so I should be easy to spot.

 

Thanks for your help. I tend to take it easier than most and I expect to finish and nothing more. I just need something to get into right now I think. I am looking at getting some suspension upgrades but all the stuff I have found is pretty expensive. Are wheel spacers a decent upgrade on a budget?

 

If I were you, I wouldn't spend big money on your quad until after you've competed in at least a race or two so you can decide if you really want to do XC racing. All you really need to start with is to add a tether kill switch and make sure you have the right gear (helmet, goggles, gloves, over the ankle boots, camelback, etc.).

Once you decide you like XC and want to set up your quad, you should consider the following upgrades if you don't already have them:

1) suspension (yes this can be expensive, but usually worth it for XC racing)
2) tires
3) skid plates
4) beefy bumper and rear grab bar
5) hand guards (very useful to protect the hands when going thru the tight woods)
6) aftermarket footpegs (especially good if they are bent upward on the end for better leverage)
7) nerf bars
8) motor work

Regarding wheel spacers, I don't recommend using those for XC racing b/c it will make your wheels stick out wider. The narrower your quad is, the better for tight woods racing!

If you just got your quad a month ago or so, I highly recommend that you spend some time on it to get comfortable with it in the tight woods and over obstacles like off-camber trails, whoops, etc.

 

FYI:
Looks like the stars are lining up for me, and I am planning to attend the next race in Callisburg on Mar 24th (assuming nothing unexpected pops up). To anyone planning to attend this race, please let me know so we can look for each other at the race. I'll be racing in the Over 40 C class (my race starts at 2:30pm).

*****DETAILS*****

The next TORN series ATV cross-country race will be held in Callisburg, TX on March 24th. For more info and directions, go to TORN RACING and click on ATVs or UTVs.