Well, from what we were allowed to see of the 12 hours course... it was awesome...

My team mate, Dan & I raced the hare scramble this weekend on the site of the 12 hour race... we were told up front that it was not the full 12 hour course, & that they would be adding more option lanes on the backside yet.... Dan took 5th out of 5 in the utility class ( all 650 & 700 Prairies )... Me... I decided at the last minute to send my 650 to the shop ( not completely blown up )( needs a head gasket, & I can't keep it cool right now ), & drove our 300 Prairie ( full time 4 X 4, & set up for my wife to mud bog with )... I entered the fat old man class...LOL... took second out of 3 ... I didn't mind losing 1st to a guy on a Z 400 ( the senior class goes strickly by age, rather than the quad style )

the course was rough in a few areas, as the owner is putting a stock car track in, & they are still working around it at this time...the front side is a balance of MX sections & tight woods sections, in loose soil & sand, down by the river a steep hill, going both up & down... the back side is TIGHT woods section with alot of steep off camber hills & corners, much more challenging & technical riding... the service road is nearly complete, & will aid greatly in extraction of downed quads, & viewing of other sections of the race...

I'm infactuated with the quality of the dirt / clay on the hill on the front side, as again I got a closer look at it... I was riding my wifes 300, with the thumb extender ( don't do it man !!! )... after about 4-5 laps, I was getting comfortable enough that I was powering down the hills ( if you can power down the hills on a 300...LOL... )... at the bottom of the long steep hill in the option lane I was in, was a section that was VERY steep, near the bottom, with a jump at the very bottom... 20 feet from a sharp right turn ( you must hit the jump a just the right speed, to take the jump, & still make the turn ), I wasn't able to hook my thumb, on the handle bar & grab some brake, with out hitting that thumb throttle extender... I knew I was in trouble ... I'm not sure if I had finally grabbed too much brake & hit the jump with the nose of the quad, when the suspension squatted under hard braking, Or weather I went over the jump with the brakes on & pounded the nose... either way, I was quickly ejected over the handle bars, & at some time during the 2-3 tuck & rolls down the rest of the hill, I saw the quad rolling end over end, behind me... I was sure I was going to end up with the quad on top of me like last race, but as I laid there trying to get my wind back, ( it knocked the wind out of me at sometime during my gracefull landing )... I turned around, & the quad was sitting there ( side ways on the trail ) ... Idleing away, waiting for me to get back on... the custom aluminum front end ( put on after my wife T-boned a tree last year ), was unfazed, the rear rack was pushed down a little in one corner... the handle bars were pushed down to the tank, fortunatly, they just spun in the clamps... after getting back on & getting into the tight woods section along the river, at the bottom, I realized that the hand brakes had also spun & I had to stop, for second & pull up the brake, so I could reach it... 2-3 more laps & the race was over for me... back at the pits, when Dan came in, I could see he was one of the many that had found a tree ... I think every utility had bent bumpers, or broken plastic on the front end...

A special thanks to the Webster County Wheelers... the track was awesome looking forward to seeing all you guys next time...

This isn't a formal challenge or anything, but I don't believe there is an other large bore utility class quad out there, that is going to be able to keep up with Mike Pendland / team Kawasaki , or the local Fort Dodge Iowa boys ... I think those 650 / 700 Prairies were turning lap times faster than the "A " class 2 X 4's... the $30,000.00 pro purse should attract alot of pros, come race or cheer on your favorite team ...If you camera guys want good footage, find the hills... I'll be there...WAM

 

now that I got a few of you worked up... I want to say that I feel the Grizzly to be a very formidable machine, & just maybe the only quad out there that could pose any competition ... are you going to come & race, or come & cheer on a Yamaha team ???

 

Just to let you know, the pits are open on Friday the 24th to meet all the drivers & for the kids to trick or treat... 1/2 way through the race on Saturday, they'll be giving away a new Yamaha 450... there will be a poker run on Sunday, & an ATV pull... let me know if you need any more info...WAM