So my report. First off i am 48 and have never really raced MX. Last time I did was like 18 years ago on a TE610 and it did not end well
But I HAD to do this 125 thing. So my goal was simple, to make the main and not kill myself. Mission accomplished. Got there real early, got signed up, checked out the track and waited for my practice. Got out there for practice and felt really out of my element. Why am i and only one standing up? MXers like to sit a lot. I must of looked a little out of place with my hand guards, head light, 3 gallon tank and standing. Anyway realized I had real good corner speed and line choice (thanks off road) but flat sucked at the jumps (thanks off road). there were two doubles and one big uphill blind landing jump that i was not grooving with. 3 laps of "practice" and i was toast :>) Time for the Qualifier. Very intimidating lining up at a national track for a drop gate MX that i have NEVER done. Lined up outside as to not spode and take everyone out from the middle. Someone else did that for me and I road around the pile and off i went feeling pretty good about my position. I was rolling the jumps and not feeling very fast but maintained and charged hard where i could. Ended up just qualifying. Cool. Goal one complete. Then the ridiculously long wait for the main. It was so long I had lost interest and was sleepy and just wanted to put my shorts on and drink a beer in the sun with my friends. So the main comes up. I line up outside again and had a OK start once again avoiding the first turn pile up. Saw a guy get center punched by a bike, that did not loo fun. This moto thing might be dangerous, everyone seems in such a hurry. So i tooled around at my snails pace just riding and dreaming about shorts and beer. Oh, i did think to myself, "Kelly, just clear those two doubles, this is your chance" so i did, every time and without issue... FUN. Seems all it takes is speed, who would have figured. I felt good, hitting the lines well, very good corner speed, clearing the doubles, having fun. One jump I rolled every time was this kind big (to me) blind landing up hill jump. I rolled it every time as I could see that ending badly for me and messing up my goal of not being killed. I would roll it and then do a monster wheelie up over the top and down the other side. The group of 10-20 people up there seemed to like it and cheered every time i did it so the next to last lap i thought i am doing a MOSTER wheelie........ and to the joy of everyone did a monster loop out. WOOOOHOOOOOOOO. Let 2-3 guys by there and could have had a 32nd place! he he he. In the end this 48 year old moto spode on a borrowed off road bike got through some 80 plus guys to make the main and survived. Mission accomplished.
Brandon and I were the sole husky contingent other than one fast guy i did not know who was upper mid pack in the pro class. Brandon did not make the main but snagged the last spot int he LCQ but they messed up and ripped him off and had his number wrong. Sad as he had a solid day going and grabbed the last spot for the main.
Some random pix...
Getting ready to do "battle" (with myself)
I set the suspension up far stiffer, added pro level duct tape backgrounds and numbers and then just had fun with the remaining black duct tape. Also added my damper (brilliant move and did wonders for me and the choppy changing surface) and changed the bars setup and lever positions. Bike actually works very well. At one point I wheelied a good 3/4ths of the way up HP hill. FUN.
Brandon and I getting ready to kick ass at the back of the pack
Track was in nice shape...
but typical Washougal, everything from goo, to silt, to hardpack makes things dicey at times. I have to say Blake's bike, The Motoz front tire and my damper made me feel good and i had no traction issues.
What the F am I doing here?
Oh well, I'm here, might as well try this moto thing...
I tried to remember to look aggressive so no one would realize how slow i was going
Its lonely when your not fast :>)
this is what I wanted to look like :>)
Nice track and conditions for a fun day...
I think this is my long wheelie up HP hill. i found the top of the rev limit and tested the 165 kit integrity a few times
Anyone got the 411 on this guy :>)
Blowing past competitors (or most liekly getting passed) on the "ski jump"
Good times. Thanks for the lending me your bike and taking pix Blake.
