Last Sunday was the big finale race for our local XC series (ATVCCS). Although one racer in our class (who is also a GNCC pro racer) was a clear favorite to win the ute class title, no one had clinched enough season points yet to claim the title or secure any of the other top 5 spots going into this race. So this race was very special b/c it would decide how the top ute racers would finish the season. Below is my race write-up:


WHERE:
Mud Creek Offroad Park in Jacksonville, TX...it's the same ATV park where Mud Nats has been held the last 3 years or so. This place is a 2.5 hour drive from my house (which is a relatively short distance compared to many of the other XC races that I've competed in this year), so I drove up for the day (no need to spend the night at the track this time).


TRACK DESCRIPTION:
The weather on race day was beautiful and a good reminder that we are blessed to live in the south during the winter! lol While many northern states are already enduring overcast skies and temps in 40s and 50s this time of year, mother nature was smiling down on Texas this day with sunny skies and moderate temps in the mid 70s. This track was 8 miles long and stretched across large pastures dotted with huge hardwood trees and large, round hay bails. This course was fast and wide and zig-zagged around dozens and dozens of trees and hay bails and occasionally ran through the woods. The only thing to slow down the racers were the endless number of bumps and whoops in the pasture areas. Only two or three of the many pastures were actually smooth enough to comfortably pin the throttle down from turn to turn.


UTE CLASS LINE-UP:
A total of 8 utes lined up in the last row (ute class). As I recall, the line-up included a Renegade 800 (ridden by Shawn Hess - a GNCC pro), a red Outy 650 (ridden by Brady Foster - a WPSA racer), a blue Twin Peaks 800 (me), a red Outy 800 (driven by Billie), a red P700 (driven by David), a Blue Griz 700 (driven by Danny), a Honda Rancher 400 (driven by Smokin' Willie) and a Honda Rincon (driven by Matt).


START:
When I got to the starting line, I ended up taking a spot near the far right side (the first turn was to the left). When the green flag went up, my quad started on the first try and I pulled off the line. The quads to my immediate left and right were soon behind me and I was ahead of the pack about ½ way to the first turn. The only other racer out front was the Renegade and he was in the inside lane (to my left). I decided to let off the throttle and fall in behind him going into the first turn...my strategy for today was to simply to play it safe and ride smart...I only needed to finish the race in order to hold onto my current position in season points.


LAP 1:
We snaked around a set of trees near the scoring schute and then ran into the first of many, many bumpy pastures. I held off the others behind me for only ¼ mile or so when suddenly I saw the red Outy 800 pass me...followed very quickly by the Outy 650. That left me in 4th place and I knew at least one fast rider was still behind me on the Rancher 400. About ½ way into Lap 1, I came to the smoothest/fastest pasture area on the course where I hit speeds of up to 57mph. It ran straight and then made a long sweeping curve to the right before dropping down into the woods on the left side of the pasture. It was in this fast pasture area that I passed the red Outy 800 (he was going kinda slow and it was obvious that something was wrong). I later found out that he broke his rear drive shaft and finished the race with only front wheel drive! With the Outy 800 behind me, I now held 3rd place thru the end of lap 1.


LAPS 2 THRU 4:
As Lap 2 began, I held a short lead over the Griz 700, followed closely by the Rancher 400. In the pasture areas, I could see both quads within 20 yards of my rear bumper and the heat was on to maintain the lead. About half way into lap 2, the Rancher finally passed the Griz and started putting pressure on me. Unfortunately, this lap is also when I started to endure painful thumb cramps in my right hand which sometimes made it difficult, if not impossible, to push the throttle past 1/2 throttle.

I came across a slower sport quad and he pulled to the outside of a deep sandy corner to allow me to pass him. Unfortunately, my tires didn't grab and I slid over the berm behind the sport quad...that mistake allowed the Rancher 400 to pass both of us on the inside and then I fell in behind the Rancher.

I stayed close behind the Rancher until we hit that fast pasture where I had earlier passed the Outy 800...I knew this was my chance to make a pass, so I nailed the throttle and blew past him like he was standing still! LOL But it was much too soon to celebrate b/c we still had a long way to go. I held off the Rancher for a while and then suddenly, I over-steered during another deep, sandy corner which caused me to spin out...I chopped the throttle to avoid doing 180 degree spin...just then I saw the Rancher headed into the same turn and straight for my rear bumper! Yikes! Somehow, I still had enough wits to nail the throttle and get my quad out of the way right before impact. When the Rancher swerved off the trail to avoid the collision with me. Not much further up the trail, the Rancher passed me on very a bumpy section of pasture.

By the end of the 3rd lap, I was praying for the race to be over...but alas, I saw the white flag at the scoring schute indicating that the day was not over. I decided to suck it up and try my hardest to catch up to the Rancher. This is also when I wised up and started to wiggle my right hand from time to time so that the blood flow would return and aleviate the thumb cramps...this worked fine so there was nothing holding me back from catching the Rancher but the sheer exhaustion of another 8 rough miles! lol I eventually got close enuf to see the Rancher again, but soon tired out and lost sight of him before the end of the race.

I later heard that sometime during the last few laps, the Outy 650 broke an axle and returned to his truck to get it repaired. He finished the race, but was docked a lap or two b/c he failed to return to the track in the same place that he pulled off.


RACE RESULTS:
The GNCC pro finished the race in 1st place in our ute class and 1st place overall for the B class race. 14 minutes behind the pro was the Rancher in 2nd place, followed by me in 3rd, the Griz 700 in 4th and the red P700 in 5th. As a side note, Brady Foster appeared to be very fast, and I'm guessing he would have finished in at least 2nd place had it not been for his mechanical problems and accidental rule violations.


SEASON POINT STANDINGS:
After the smoke cleared, the GNCC pro (renegade 800) won the ute class title this year, followed in points by me (2nd place), Smokin' Willie (3rd place) and Billie (4th Place). I have enjoyed the many hard-fought battles this season with all of my ute class brothers, and I'm mighty proud to have finished 2nd in a field of 24 ute class competitors.


THE END:
This race concludes my 4th season of XC racing in my local series, and I hope you enjoyed reading this and all of my other race write-ups as much as I have enjoyed racing and writing about them. I'm not sure yet if I'll return to XC racing next season... but if I do, I'll be sure to continue doing my race write-ups so I can take you along for the ride! lol


Happy trails... [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]