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#1
09-22-2006, 04:55 PM
Join Date: Dec 2003
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**Headed out**
Hey guys, long time.
Many of you already know of my switch to Yamaha. I finished the season 2nd in state in the Vet class in the XC racing we have here in Floriduh. I owe alot of my wins to the DS and it's hugeness. That is what I raced for 2 seasons coming in 2nd only one race. The YFZ is MUCH more knimble through the woods and MUCH easier for this 145lb guy to wrestle out of the mud or whatever I get stuck in.
This forum has been pretty boring with all the same old same old, so I thought I'd share a little story from the first race of the season we raced last weekend. I am gearing up now and headed out tonight for another race tomorrow. Gotta back up the win to make it known that I am a contender. Wait, that almost sounds like bragging. Sorry, I just want to be the best and I always help everyone else and encourage them to be the best. I have to live by my own rules and at least try to be the best. Luck has an awful lot to do with winning these things. So many things can come up to end your day. Anyone who has ever run one of these XC races with back me up. 2 hours of wide open is TOUGH on a 40 year old [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]
Anyway, I thought I'd paste this story I posted on our club site for your entertainment [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]
Talk to you all later,
Brian Mud-n-ur-i Morris
I had a BLAST!!
It was really great to see everyone. It seemed like I had seen you all just a week ago. Those of you that didn't make it, I hope to see next weekend for the 1st QS.
This course is FAST!! That has to be the longest start I have ever seen. 5th gear pinned into the 1st turn. The tight sections were far and few. The palmetto sections were very forgiving and thanks to my GT Thunder suspension, the faster I went, the smother the ride! A special thanks to the Albright's. Two of the nicest people you could ever meet. True sportsmen (sportswoman?) LOL!
The muddy sections, though they were VERY few, caused some grief and created opportunities.
The fast sections were 5th gear pinned, looking for a 6th. Long sweeping turns 5th gear pinned as well. AWESOME if you like to go fast.
Some sections of palmettos allowed for passing. They were very small in height. but scary nontheless. There were palmetto sections where you could not pass and the branches smacked you in the helmet with limited foward vision. The finish line I have to say sucked in my opinion. It seemed like it was put together in a crunch. It's too bad we don't have bales of hay to make a safe finish area. But I realize it is only more money and manpower in a volunteer organization. So I can only appreciate what is provided and praise those who make it happen.
With that said, here is my recount of my race.
It was a battle. There were 7 of us in the Vet class I think. 4 of them just switched to our class from the AA class.
When 10 seconds was announced, I counted down in my head and when I heard the starting horn I stabbed the
button and rolled on the gas. She started right up and was pretty much wide open
when I dumped the clutch. I noticed tons of forward momentum with the I-Razor
tires I had just put on hrs earlier. Somehow I came out ahead.
I led for the first lap (I don't know how many laps I did?) which was about 10.5 miles, I was told.
I was
leading the second lap when Phil Albright and some guy I never met before, Lenny Ketchum, took a totally legal
short-cut and passed me.
I was robbed! I kept it cool and continued to breathe. After another mile I came up to them
stuck in the mud behind some lappers. I remembered reading a tip from William
Yokely to take this opportunity to study the situation before diving in. I
picked a line that worked good for me and I was back in the lead.
If you can beleive one could be so dumb, those two caught up to me and they
passed me in the SAME SPOT again! D'oh! I was kicking myself for not seeing that
path and made a note NOT to miss it again. We got to the muddy section again and
the same thing happened!
Out front again, I kept the throttle pinned. I kept sipping on my Camelbak and
breathing. This course was a FAST one and there were sections that you could get
into 5th and pin it for over a mile. With my revalved/repringed suspension from
GT thunder, I felt confident doing this as it got smoother as I got faster. Some
of the bumps during these fast sections could really ruin your day if you
weren't going fast enough to sail over them. Long sweeping turns, WIDE OPEN.
Back into the woods and I noticed the Red idiot light was on!! $h#t! I had to
keep the air going through as best I could. My radiator was clogged! I went
through the scoring area and stopped. I didn't want to fry my engine. I thought
about this water crossing about a mile ahead and decided it would be best to
chug along until I made it there. Then I could cool her down. During this
chugging time, I was passed by only one Lenny and I wondered what
happened to Phil?
I got to that water crossing and log plumed it. The light went off and the race
was back on!
I finally caught Lenny and passed him in an open section on top of what seemed like some sort of giant house pad. I thought
to myself "dang! My machine is fast!! And quiet!! Back in the tight stuff I eased off the
throttle and caught my breath. I looked down and saw the light on again.
AAGGHH!!! This guy was going to take the win if I backed off and there was only
about 1 mile to go.
We were closing in on some lappers and I decided to go around to the right of
this 3 man train. Lenny stuck to my bumper and managed a triple pass as well. I
could feel and hear him giving it all he had. So was I. The last turn was ahead
and I set up for it thinking this is his only op to pass. The turn was a Left
handed U-turn though palmettos. My rear slid out from underneath me and he was
on the inside hard on the gas. I saw his tire just in front of mine as I was
back straight and hooking up. It was drag race to the finish. We took out some of the finsh area markings and people scattered. I ended up through first, but later found out we were topic of disqualification for that. I didn't know what else to do? Lenny was not backing down and I figured I wasn't going to just let him beat me in the last 40 feet. Right?
Then there was disscussion of a DQ for that finish. You are not allowed to take
out the finish line. But it was decided we were okay.
Best race of my life! Now I can only hope I didn't smoke my engine. Don't know how long we raced but it was WIDE OPEN! You can't beat it. I am really sore
today.
Anyone going to share some video footage or pics?
Many of you already know of my switch to Yamaha. I finished the season 2nd in state in the Vet class in the XC racing we have here in Floriduh. I owe alot of my wins to the DS and it's hugeness. That is what I raced for 2 seasons coming in 2nd only one race. The YFZ is MUCH more knimble through the woods and MUCH easier for this 145lb guy to wrestle out of the mud or whatever I get stuck in.
This forum has been pretty boring with all the same old same old, so I thought I'd share a little story from the first race of the season we raced last weekend. I am gearing up now and headed out tonight for another race tomorrow. Gotta back up the win to make it known that I am a contender. Wait, that almost sounds like bragging. Sorry, I just want to be the best and I always help everyone else and encourage them to be the best. I have to live by my own rules and at least try to be the best. Luck has an awful lot to do with winning these things. So many things can come up to end your day. Anyone who has ever run one of these XC races with back me up. 2 hours of wide open is TOUGH on a 40 year old [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]
Anyway, I thought I'd paste this story I posted on our club site for your entertainment [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]
Talk to you all later,
Brian Mud-n-ur-i Morris
I had a BLAST!!
It was really great to see everyone. It seemed like I had seen you all just a week ago. Those of you that didn't make it, I hope to see next weekend for the 1st QS.
This course is FAST!! That has to be the longest start I have ever seen. 5th gear pinned into the 1st turn. The tight sections were far and few. The palmetto sections were very forgiving and thanks to my GT Thunder suspension, the faster I went, the smother the ride! A special thanks to the Albright's. Two of the nicest people you could ever meet. True sportsmen (sportswoman?) LOL!
The muddy sections, though they were VERY few, caused some grief and created opportunities.
The fast sections were 5th gear pinned, looking for a 6th. Long sweeping turns 5th gear pinned as well. AWESOME if you like to go fast.
Some sections of palmettos allowed for passing. They were very small in height. but scary nontheless. There were palmetto sections where you could not pass and the branches smacked you in the helmet with limited foward vision. The finish line I have to say sucked in my opinion. It seemed like it was put together in a crunch. It's too bad we don't have bales of hay to make a safe finish area. But I realize it is only more money and manpower in a volunteer organization. So I can only appreciate what is provided and praise those who make it happen.
With that said, here is my recount of my race.
It was a battle. There were 7 of us in the Vet class I think. 4 of them just switched to our class from the AA class.
When 10 seconds was announced, I counted down in my head and when I heard the starting horn I stabbed the
button and rolled on the gas. She started right up and was pretty much wide open
when I dumped the clutch. I noticed tons of forward momentum with the I-Razor
tires I had just put on hrs earlier. Somehow I came out ahead.
I led for the first lap (I don't know how many laps I did?) which was about 10.5 miles, I was told.
I was
leading the second lap when Phil Albright and some guy I never met before, Lenny Ketchum, took a totally legal
short-cut and passed me.
I was robbed! I kept it cool and continued to breathe. After another mile I came up to them
stuck in the mud behind some lappers. I remembered reading a tip from William
Yokely to take this opportunity to study the situation before diving in. I
picked a line that worked good for me and I was back in the lead.
If you can beleive one could be so dumb, those two caught up to me and they
passed me in the SAME SPOT again! D'oh! I was kicking myself for not seeing that
path and made a note NOT to miss it again. We got to the muddy section again and
the same thing happened!
Out front again, I kept the throttle pinned. I kept sipping on my Camelbak and
breathing. This course was a FAST one and there were sections that you could get
into 5th and pin it for over a mile. With my revalved/repringed suspension from
GT thunder, I felt confident doing this as it got smoother as I got faster. Some
of the bumps during these fast sections could really ruin your day if you
weren't going fast enough to sail over them. Long sweeping turns, WIDE OPEN.
Back into the woods and I noticed the Red idiot light was on!! $h#t! I had to
keep the air going through as best I could. My radiator was clogged! I went
through the scoring area and stopped. I didn't want to fry my engine. I thought
about this water crossing about a mile ahead and decided it would be best to
chug along until I made it there. Then I could cool her down. During this
chugging time, I was passed by only one Lenny and I wondered what
happened to Phil?
I got to that water crossing and log plumed it. The light went off and the race
was back on!
I finally caught Lenny and passed him in an open section on top of what seemed like some sort of giant house pad. I thought
to myself "dang! My machine is fast!! And quiet!! Back in the tight stuff I eased off the
throttle and caught my breath. I looked down and saw the light on again.
AAGGHH!!! This guy was going to take the win if I backed off and there was only
about 1 mile to go.
We were closing in on some lappers and I decided to go around to the right of
this 3 man train. Lenny stuck to my bumper and managed a triple pass as well. I
could feel and hear him giving it all he had. So was I. The last turn was ahead
and I set up for it thinking this is his only op to pass. The turn was a Left
handed U-turn though palmettos. My rear slid out from underneath me and he was
on the inside hard on the gas. I saw his tire just in front of mine as I was
back straight and hooking up. It was drag race to the finish. We took out some of the finsh area markings and people scattered. I ended up through first, but later found out we were topic of disqualification for that. I didn't know what else to do? Lenny was not backing down and I figured I wasn't going to just let him beat me in the last 40 feet. Right?
Then there was disscussion of a DQ for that finish. You are not allowed to take
out the finish line. But it was decided we were okay.
Best race of my life! Now I can only hope I didn't smoke my engine. Don't know how long we raced but it was WIDE OPEN! You can't beat it. I am really sore
today.
Anyone going to share some video footage or pics?
#5
09-24-2006, 01:04 AM
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 874
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Received 0 Likes
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#6
09-24-2006, 01:53 PM
#7
09-24-2006, 10:23 PM
