Pine Ridge Enduro

After a couple "not so good" races, I was hoping my luck would turn around for Round 5 of the Rocky Mountain Enduro Circuit. I got lost on course at the National Enduro in Texas, and then a week later I had a decent ride in Bennett, CO, only to have it all wasted by a scoring mistake. The Pine Ridge Enduro is always the type of race where you can only expect the unexpected. so we made the drive up north with our fingers crossed.

Chadron, Nebraska is home to some of the best trails I've ever ridden. It's also prone to some of the nastiest weather I've suffered through! Some years it's pouring rain, sometimes we're looking for the trail that's buried under 6 inches of snow, and some years it's beautiful, perfect springtime weather. Aside from some strong, cold wind, this year offered some of the best trail conditions we've had.

This event is one of only two timekeeping races left on our schedule, which means I had to dust off my ICO enduro computer and try to remember the little rules, tricks, and risks associated with the format. It's always a relief to finally hit the trail and see your nice display telling you to speed up or slow down. After an extended road ride out to the trails, we were finally able twist some throttle and enjoy the awesome mountain trails.

Unfortunately, I think my mind was too focused on how much fun I was having, and not enough on how to ride a timekeeping enduro. I dropped points on every check before the first gas, either by not riding "hot" enough leading into the trail sections, or by riding too early and entering checks before I was supposed to. Luckily, the section between first and second gas went very well, and I didn't drop any points for the next three checks.

The last loop was for A and B riders only, and was super technical and fun. I started the section right on time and was hoping to finish off the day strong. I rode smart and consistent, and at the next check I came through with a score of 8 mins and 0 seconds. I was frustrated, because had I been 1 second faster, my score would be a full point lower. There was one remaining check, so I couldn't dwell on my bad luck too long. Aside from a couple small mistakes, the last section was really fun and I felt pretty good on the bike.

When we left, I think I was sitting in 9th overall for the day. I was happy to get a good overall finish after the bad luck at the previous two races, but I'm still waiting for a race where everything clicks and I finish where I think I'm truly capable of finishing. Stay tuned... I have a good feeling that day will be coming soon!

Caprock Canyon Enduro

Last weekend was round three of the Rocky Mountain Enduro Circuit, held in the small town of Quitaque, Texas. Erin, Ron, and I loaded the van on Friday afternoon and got most of the 9 hour drive out of the way. The promoting club holds a fun GP style race on Saturday, so our goal was to get to the race site before Erin's 9:30 AM start.

Erin rode a great race, and despite a mediocre start, finished 3rd out of 11 girls. The only downside was that I could tell we were in for a really dusty weekend. I decided I didn't want to fight the dust on Saturday, and just saved my energy for the enduro on Sunday. We spent the rest of the day finishing up bike preparations and visiting with friends. We checked into our room at the local Bed and Breakfast, and it was definitely an experience to remember.

With the time change on Saturday night, our night's sleep felt a little short. Luckily our hilarious hotel owner gave us a nice personal wake up call (there weren't any phones, haha). He made us some eggs, potatoes, bacon, and toast, and we were off to the race.

The day was broken into 6 special tests. The first section was the same course used for Saturday's GP race. I got a decent jump off the line, but blew a sharp corner after a fast straight. Don Moen was on my row, and apparently he raced the GP on Saturday and knew that was coming! He got around me and I followed his dust to the finish of the section. He was laughing at the checkout and said "You didn't ride the GP, did you?!".

The next 5 tests were all a little outside town in the Caprock Canyon State Park. I had a great time in test 2, probably a result of some frustration in test 1. The 3rd section didn't go quite as well... I stalled my bike, had a collision with a slower rider that pulled over right into me, missed a turn, and struggled in the dust. I didn't want to continue the day in that fashion, so I settled in a little bit and tried to ride smart for the last 3 tests. I felt really good at the start of each section, but when I caught some dust I had to back off and wait for a mistake or good passing opportunity.

When the scores were finalized I was 19th overall for the day. This race always has a big group of fast riders, so I was really happy to be in the top 20. I felt really good on the bike, and had some great test times. Hopefully I can continue to improve by eliminating some mistakes. Erin took another 3rd place and most of my RMEC comrades also had really good results! I'll be traveling back down to Texas on the first weekend in April for the Lonestar National Enduro and ISDE qualifier. Check back soon for more updates!

Dual Duel-Phoenix 2011

Sorry for the lack of updates! As most of you know, 2010 was a very busy year for me. There was a lot of good that came with it, but I really want to put an emphasis on racing this year! Though it seems way too early, this year's racing has already started. The first two rounds of the RMEC are co-sanctioned with Arizona's AMRA, so I get the opportunity to travel to warm weather every February. It's hard to properly prepare during the winter in Colorado, so Justin Petty and I decided to travel down few days early to get some riding in and dial in our bikes. It's always a harsh awakening when you first twist the throttle on the Arizona terrain. The traction is mediocre, the ground is rough, the rocks are sharp, and if you make a mistake, you will end up covered in poisonous, barbed cactus needles. Smooth and precise riding is the ticket down here.

Erin had to work back home, so we brought her bike down and she flew in on Friday afternoon…. VIP STYLE!!! Saturday morning came sooner than I expected, and the first day of racing was under way. There were four tests on each day. The first was a fast seven mile section that provided a good wake up call to the high speed terrain we’d be racing on. The second and third were around 17 miles each, and had a good variety of high speed roads, whoops, winding trail, and sand washes. The last test was also just under twenty miles, but had a very technical, steep and rocky side-hill trail in the middle.

I felt good on the bike all day, and accomplished my main goal of staying off the ground and out of the cactus. My test times improved all day as I got used to the desert terrain. I knew that there were a lot of fast riders racing (including Destry Abbott on the row behind me), so I was happy to finish day one inside the top 20 overall. I usually do better the second day of a two day race, so I was anxious to get some food and rest and see what I could do on Sunday.

Sunday’s course was the same as Saturday’s, but each test was run in reverse direction. The course was getting rougher on each lap, and it took me a while to get used to the different lines. I struggled with the dust and speed again in the first test. Luckily I was able to put my head down and put in some better times for the remaining three loops. I stayed off the ground again, and only got a few cactus needles in my hand on the last loop! My times were good enough for a 14^th overall finish. I was really happy to finish the first two races safely, and in the points on both days.

I have some new sponsors this year that I would like to mention. I’m really excited to be racing for the Stillwell Performance/Carbon Raptor team again this year. My suspension is incredible, and I truly believe that regardless of the motor you have, it’s worthless if you can’t ride the bike in control and put the power to the ground. Fay Myers Motorcycle World helped me get a new fuel-injected 250 SXF, and it rocks! Between my new Moose gear and PG graphics, nobody can deny how good I look out there, haha :) . I would also like to congratulate my teammate Ray Barnard on some of his best results to date, and my girlfriend Erin who took a 3^rd and 1^st in the Women’s class!!! Wooooohooooo, looks like 2011 is going to be an awesome season!