Team Johnson Bros./BMP Racing are off to a strong start in both the OMRA GP and XC series after Round 1 at Eddieville (Over The Bars Gang, Goldendale, WA). This year the 50 Expert starting line is 50% Red with Mark Johnson (defending 1R) on a 310R, Nelson Lyon (just bumped up from 50 Am championship) also on 310R and Lonny Johnson (Old guy out for a ride) on TXC449. Saturday's GP race on the dry hard packed course had Mark and non-series rider Chuck Worley run away from the field. While Mark did manage to pass Chuck's 450 KTM on a long uphill ...yes you read that right .. stock 310R outruns KTM450 on long uphill. Ultimately Chuck got back by and Mark had to settle for 2nd on Saturday but went away with the GP series points lead. Nelson also put in a solid run in his first 50Ex race and old guy Lonny, cruised around for the exercise :-) Conditions changed dramatically overnight, temperatures dropped and we were greeted by a thin crust of snow on Sunday for the XC races. Longer course, lots of grass track added. Decision was made to delay start and combine all classes at 11 am. By then the moisture had soaked in and conditions were epic. (Pictures coming soon) Mark had a short tussle with another non-series KTM rider about 3 corners in and then he ran away with race, scoring a strong 1st and dicing with some 30 and 40 year olds in earlier waves, just for entertainment. Last year he did it with the 511, this year 310R. Same result !! Thanks for BMP in Salem and Watson Performance Suspension (who was at the track helping refine the setup on the 310)
He likes the more traditional geometry of the 310 and the slightly smaller feel, though he does miss the awesome roll on torque of the 511. The course last weekend is pretty fast and big bikes generally have an advantage. There are tighter courses coming up where the 310R should shine even more.
While we are at it, I should mention that I finally got to try out the Watson Performance shock setup on my 449. This is the shock that Mark ran last year on the 511. We set the sag at 100 and off I went (mind you I weigh about 70lbs more than Mark does so this wasnt the best spring to use). The Eddieville course has an especially diabolical criss-cross whoop section on a short uphill just after a barrel turn at the bottom of a downhill. It is pretty easy to carry speed into these whoops, but they invariably try to chuck you sideways before you get to the top if you maintain that speed under power. With prior bikes and setup ...CRF450, WR300, TE250, TXC511...every one I have had to roll off and coast to the top to keep it settled. On Saturday I got in a situation where power on all-the-way was the only choice.....and voila it tracked straight, stayed stuck and I came out under power and easily flicked it into the right-hander to follow. Miraculous!! Tom Watson for Pope, I say.
