This is my second race on my new bike (2012 TE250). I'm getting more comfortable each time I ride it. For the past two years I've rented bikes from my local dealer Big D Motorsports. While it was awesome, I never really set up the bikes for me. Now that I have one it seems I'm struggling to find a set up 
While doing some maintenance I decided to adjust the levers to the way I thought I wanted them last time I rode. Didn't work out for me lol.
Anyway, onto the race report. The first couple laps were uneventful. I still haven't even tried to jump much yet and most of this course was a MX track. I was beyond tense for these laps even though I was mostly riding by myself. I eventually caught up to one of the guys in my class and was finally less focused on how the track was and more concerned about racing! As it turns out, we'd race each other until the checkered flag.
I passed quite a few people in this race but most had fallen down. I managed to keep the bike right side up but not without a few close calls myself. If I remember right, I came up to number 212 (on a Yamaha YZ250f) while he was on the ground in a really deep sand wash. I really didn't think much of it until he passed me later. People normally pass me and I chase for a section and then back off. This time it was different, we were about the same speed overall but did better in different sections.
It was obvious in the next sand wash he was quicker then me but then the track turned to hard pack and some nice hairpins and sweepers. That's when I was back at his rear tire. He stalled in one of the tighter turns and I passed him. I actually slowed up a little at this point waiting for him to fire it back up and a desperate attempt for me to catch my breath
We swapped back and fourth several times never getting further then 100 ft separation. There was this one point where I lost quite a bit of ground and didn't feel I was gaining any ground at all. We were a few turns away from what I thought was the end of the final lap and all I could manage was getting to his back wheel. That's when I saw it, the white flag. I've not once been excited to see the white flag in our 1 1/2 hour races, I'm just not in shape to do it. This time, it was different. I was given the chance to redeem myself.
I set him up in the hard pack sweeping turn right after the checkpoint. I took the inside but he quickly cut in front of me and we stayed together with him still being ahead. I finally made a pass in the sand wash section surprising myself because that was his section the whole time. I messed up in the next wash and he passed me back. It wasn't a big deal, we were doing this the whole race and we still had plenty of the lap to go. I had several failed attempts to pass him and we were just finishing the half way point for the lap. My desperation was showing because I was making stupid mistakes repeatedly. We were about 3/4's of the way through the final lap and I decided it was my last chance. I quickly caught up in the tight twisty section and there was a rider slowing him down (we didn't typically have that problem, we're the slow ones lol). He was focused on the rider in front of him and I cut down on the inside and passed both of them. I looked behind me at the next turn and he was still stuck behind the other guy. PERFECT! I wanted to pass both because I knew he had trouble with it, being so close to the finish a desperate pass by myself finally worked out in my favor! He passed that guy coming out of the turn and quickly caught up to me.
We made it to the checkpoint probably 10 ft from eachother. I managed to pull it off with a second to last place finish in my class. 8th out of 9 in the C 250 class. Not impressive, I'm aware of this I'm sure my overall score for C will be much better then usual because I did pass quite a few people.
Regardless of the results, this was my favorite race ever! In such a long race I don't normally see people again let alone stay with them for so long. It seems difficult to find someone you/re about the same skill level as because it's broken down in waves for the start. This track and race is the one for the year that I wasn't excited about at all and it turned out better then I could have imagined. Hopefully this guy races next week too! I just started racing last year and out of the 3 races I've ever done, each was the same event. It was nice to try a different venue
While doing some maintenance I decided to adjust the levers to the way I thought I wanted them last time I rode. Didn't work out for me lol.
Anyway, onto the race report. The first couple laps were uneventful. I still haven't even tried to jump much yet and most of this course was a MX track. I was beyond tense for these laps even though I was mostly riding by myself. I eventually caught up to one of the guys in my class and was finally less focused on how the track was and more concerned about racing! As it turns out, we'd race each other until the checkered flag.
I passed quite a few people in this race but most had fallen down. I managed to keep the bike right side up but not without a few close calls myself
. If I remember right, I came up to number 212 (on a Yamaha YZ250f) while he was on the ground in a really deep sand wash. I really didn't think much of it until he passed me later. People normally pass me and I chase for a section and then back off. This time it was different, we were about the same speed overall but did better in different sections.It was obvious in the next sand wash he was quicker then me but then the track turned to hard pack and some nice hairpins and sweepers. That's when I was back at his rear tire. He stalled in one of the tighter turns and I passed him. I actually slowed up a little at this point waiting for him to fire it back up and a desperate attempt for me to catch my breath
We swapped back and fourth several times never getting further then 100 ft separation. There was this one point where I lost quite a bit of ground and didn't feel I was gaining any ground at all. We were a few turns away from what I thought was the end of the final lap and all I could manage was getting to his back wheel. That's when I saw it, the white flag. I've not once been excited to see the white flag in our 1 1/2 hour races, I'm just not in shape to do it. This time, it was different. I was given the chance to redeem myself
. I set him up in the hard pack sweeping turn right after the checkpoint. I took the inside but he quickly cut in front of me and we stayed together with him still being ahead. I finally made a pass in the sand wash section surprising myself because that was his section the whole time. I messed up in the next wash and he passed me back. It wasn't a big deal, we were doing this the whole race and we still had plenty of the lap to go. I had several failed attempts to pass him and we were just finishing the half way point for the lap. My desperation was showing because I was making stupid mistakes repeatedly. We were about 3/4's of the way through the final lap and I decided it was my last chance. I quickly caught up in the tight twisty section and there was a rider slowing him down (we didn't typically have that problem, we're the slow ones lol). He was focused on the rider in front of him and I cut down on the inside and passed both of them. I looked behind me at the next turn and he was still stuck behind the other guy. PERFECT! I wanted to pass both because I knew he had trouble with it, being so close to the finish a desperate pass by myself finally worked out in my favor! He passed that guy coming out of the turn and quickly caught up to me.
We made it to the checkpoint probably 10 ft from eachother. I managed to pull it off with a second to last place finish in my class. 8th out of 9 in the C 250 class. Not impressive, I'm aware of this
I'm sure my overall score for C will be much better then usual because I did pass quite a few people. Regardless of the results, this was my favorite race ever! In such a long race I don't normally see people again let alone stay with them for so long. It seems difficult to find someone you/re about the same skill level as because it's broken down in waves for the start. This track and race is the one for the year that I wasn't excited about at all and it turned out better then I could have imagined. Hopefully this guy races next week too! I just started racing last year and out of the 3 races I've ever done, each was the same event. It was nice to try a different venue
…..even though you almost put me into berm. LOL!
