GNCC Rnd 1, Gilmer TX: Spoiler

Hey Rick,

This wasn't an enduro. Or even a hare scramble really. Cross country type
stuff. A lot more open trail than you will usually find in an enduro, or
even the hare scrambles around my neck of the woods. It was a three hour
race however, so endurance was definitely a factor. Especially at the
speeds you needed to go to be competetive!

That pic was of the 'morning race', which was the C classes, the senior and
vet classes, industry class, women, and kids. It was a two hour event. I
think the afternoon race had at least as many as that, maybe even more lined
up. I think they said there were around 600 bikes there, and 500 quads.
Needless to say, the pit area was HUGE!!!

I don't know if I would have fixed anything out on the trail. Nice to have
a bike stand and all, and I only had to go 8 or 9 miles to get back to the
pits. If it was an enduro, it would have been nice to have been able to fix
it at a reset. Might have had time to do it and still finish the race in a
competetive manner...

Jahelka

"roost4u" <mcmurria.RemoveThis@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:B1bUb.221118$xy6.1134891@attbi_s02...
 > Great report. Awesome pic. I had no Idea there were that many people at an
 > enduro race.
 >
 > Did you wish you had been carrying the stuff to fix the flat on the trail?
 >
 > --
 > Rick
 > 2000KX250
 > 1993KX250
 > 1992XR100
 >
 > "Brian Jahelka" <webmasterb AT blackjackenduro DOT com> wrote in message
 > news:1020i9emq3ehe42@corp.supernews.com...
  > > Everett,
  > >
  > > Man after reading that kick ass 'watch' report, I wish I woulda been
  > > watching!!! I can't imagine how you coulda missed us Ev... OK,
remember
  > > the GNCC Tech Inspection tent? If you were coming in the main road, and
 > got
  > > to the tech insp tent, you turned right. Went about 100' and we were
 > right
  > > there. We were directly across from start, and about 100' from where
you
  > > rode your bike into the starting area. Sucks we didn't get to see ya,
but
  > > oh well... If I had known I was going to have cell coverage down there,
I
  > > would have gotten your number and told ya where we were at!
  > >
  > > OK, on to the race report...
  > >
  > > Here is a cool pic I took of the starting lineup of the morning race:
<font color=green>  > > <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.blackjackenduro.com/photos/GNCC/MorningLineUpSmall.jpg</font" target="_blank">http://www.blackjackenduro.com/photos/GNCC/MorningLineUpSmall.jpg</font</a>>
  > >
  > > My buddies Brad Errigo and Mitchell Moore came down with me. Brad was
  > > riding the morning race in the C Vet class. There were FOURTY SEVEN
 > riders
  > > on his row. I was freaking out!!! So I figure, I'm not going to get a
 > shot
  > > of him off the start, unless I move on down the trail just a little ways
  > > where the riders will be spread out just a little. So I head down and
 > pick
  > > a spot on the inside of the 4th corner at the top of the hill. I'm
 > looking
  > > down there, and I see his row coming around the corner. I'm looking
back,
  > > but I don't see Brad. Then I look at the guy in the lead, and its
BRAD!!!
  > > He holeshotted with 46 other guys on his row! I couldn't believe it and
  > > started pumping my fist up in the air and yelling. Then I realized that
I
  > > was supposed to get a pic of this!!! So I got back to my duties. =)
  > >
  > > Here is a photo of Brad holeshottin on the GNCC website! He's on the
 > black
  > > KTM up front!
<font color=green>  > > <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.gnccracing.com/images/04Texasbike/start3.jpg</font" target="_blank">http://www.gnccracing.com/images/04Texasbike/start3.jpg</font</a>>
  > >
  > > After all the bikes got started, I headed back to the pit to get geared
up
  > > and finish my goggle prep. They were calling for rain, and it looked
like
  > > it might, so I set up 3 pairs of goggles with tear-offs just in case I
  > > needed em. (Sponsorship is an EVIL plan to get you to buy stuff. I
just
  > > spent $250+ on goggles and goggle accesories thru my deal with Scott
USA.
  > > Hell, I spent ~maybe~ all of $100 all last year on googles n stuff with
no
  > > sponsorship). I tried to get some more photos of Brad, but I think I
was
  > > always in the wrong place at the wrong time, and never got another shot
of
  > > him. But it was cool to hear his name over the PA system when they gave
  > > updates as to what the current running order was. Too cool!
  > >
  > > Brad came in and had a big grin on his face! He was hoping he was going
 > to
  > > get one more lap, as he started to feel good toward the end, and had
 > stopped
  > > making so many time consuming mistakes (read, getting stuck on the hills
 > and
  > > in bottlenecks!). He ended up with a 12th place finish out of 47 and
got
 > a
  > > really cool trophy!
  > >
  > > So now it was me and Mitchell's turn. We were going to both enter the A
  > > Open class so we could ride together, but when they saw my displacement
as
  > > 250, they made me enter the A 250 class. Bummer deal, but oh well. So
I
  > > get lined up on the 2nd row, which at the time was the front row, cause
 > the
  > > pros had to go in a certain order for lane selection. They started
lining
  > > up, and Ryno comes over and lines up right in front of me. COOL!!!
Right
  > > next to him, Brian Spearle. 39 on the front row. Amazing!
  > >
  > > So the pros are off, and we are getting roosted by all the rocks on the
  > > start. I couldn't even tell who got the hole shot. I looked down our
 > row,
  > > at all 41 of the guys in the A 250 class, and thought to myself that I
 > would
  > > be lucky to beat even 1/4 of them! So the 10 second flag goes out, and
 > then
  > > the green goes up. I kick and she fires right away, and I start to let
 > out
  > > on the clutch and wonder why I'm not going anywhere fast. So I clutch
it
  > > and a little more gas, and then I remembered, I had decided to do a
second
  > > gear start. I kinda forgot about that... Hehe. So my start was
crappy,
  > > probably mid pack, but not too worried... After about 1/2 mile of open
  > > dusty stuff, we are shoved into the first little set of trees, and
 > everyone
  > > gets in a line. I was doing just fine, staying with the guy in front of
 > me,
  > > and even made a pass. This stuff is gnarly! Lotsa big loose rocks.
  > >
  > > I think I was about 2 miles in when I thought my front end felt weird.
I
  > > was having trouble keeping the front end under me. Got out to an open
  > > section and got over a little and slowed down. Upon further inspection,
I
  > > realized I had a flat. DOH!!! And I was running 13 1/2 lbs on those
 > stiff
  > > side-walled Dunlops! Double DOH!!! So I just limped the bike along,
and
  > > got out of folks' way, not wanting to ding a rim or hold anyone up. I
had
  > > to keep pulling over and letting packs of riders go by. Got into the
new
  > > section of single track and there was a guy down, with his bike crossing
 > the
  > > trail, so I stopped and moved his bike for him. He said something about
 > his
  > > knee popping out of place, and that he was OK, just as long as I got
 > someone
  > > headed his way. So back on the bike and I spent the whole lap just
 > letting
  > > folks go by. They just kept coming!!!
  > >
  > > I got to that nasty hill right before the pits that Everett was talking
  > > about. Loose loamy dirt, with BIG loose rocks, and a few stair steps
 > thrown
  > > in for good measure. There were guys all over the place! I couldn't
  > > believe how many people were lining the whole entire hill. Musta been
two
  > > or three hundred of em!!! I got a little squirly at the bottom, and
 > scared
  > > a few of the spectators into jumping out of the way. =) Got to the
top,
  > > where it was the steepest, and the biggest rocks were... I just started
  > > lofting the front end over everything trying to save my rim!!! That got
 > me
  > > back into the pits, and I changed out the tube with a little bit of
speed,
  > > but not as fast as I could. Didn't want to pinch and not get to ride
  > > anymore!
  > >
  > > I didn't bother checking how much time I had spent there, but it was
quite
 > a
  > > bit. Judging by my lap times, I imagine it was about 15 minutes. So
  > > anyway, I just took it easy and just went out to have a good time!!! I
  > > passed lots of riders when it was convenient, but didn't really push
 > anyone.
  > > I also got out of the way when I heard guys coming up behind me. I had
no
  > > idea where I was in the mix of things. The second lap they routed us
thru
  > > the pro pits. Shortly after the pro pits, I heard someone coming up
 > behind
  > > me, and tried to get over to the side. The guy passed me, but ended up
  > > clear off the trail and out in the grassy stuff where rocks were hidden.
  > > Then I see Lafferty on his chest protector. DOH!!! I put my head down
 > and
  > > got on the gas! It was cool hangin back there, for the very short
amount
 > of
  > > time that it lasted. I couldn't keep up with him even if I only had to
do
  > > it for 2 minutes and he had to go the full 3 hours! A little later on,
  > > Wattsy caught me, and without knowing who it was, I moved over and heard
a
  > > "Hey thanks dude!". I chased him down this long nasty down hill, and he
 > was
  > > flat out moving! There was a sharp right at the bottom of the hill, and
  > > then a long flat whoop section. He was on the gas and I just stayed in
 > his
  > > line. We passed 3 guys in that straight, then it was back into some
 > single
  > > track and he was pretty much gone in about 4 corners. =) Just trying
to
  > > hang with Lafferty or Watts for that 45 seconds to a minute or so had me
  > > tired and breathing hard. They have to be in INCREDIBLE shape to go at
 > that
  > > pace for 3 hours...
  > >
  > > Everett did a pretty good job of describing the course. It was a cool
  > > combination of stuff. Long hillclimbs with big loose rocks mixed into
the
  > > loam, and huge rocks embeded in the ground. It was difficult to keep
your
  > > momentum! Some of the down hills were pretty hairy too! It sucked when
 > you
  > > got all the way to the bottom of a whooped out downhill, and the deepest
  > > whoop was at the bottom, right before you had to turn and go back up the
  > > other side of the hill. The single track was really cool, with some off
  > > camber stuff and lots of tree roots and stumps sticking out. There were
  > > quite a few sandy whoop sections. Some of em I could go WFO, but many
of
  > > them were rythm sections for me and I had to time them. They were deep!
 > I
  > > remember one of the rythm sections I got off just a hair, and I kept
 > landing
  > > on the face of the whoop. Then my suspension would rebound and it would
  > > send me up in the air and my feet would come off the pegs. Then I'd be
up
  > > in the air, with my feet off the pegs, until I hit the face of the next
  > > whoop, and I would repeat the process all over again. I think I made 6
  > > whoops in a row with feet off pegs. =) That will wear you out quick!
  > >
  > > So I was coming to the end of my 4th lap... And my bike died. And I
 > looked
  > > at my odo and it had me at just over 45 miles. Somehow, I had
 > miscalculated
  > > when I needed to pit for gas, and was OUT! I flipped it over to
reserve,
  > > which I knew was a very small amount, and leaned the bike over. Kick
kick
  > > kick kick kick. No go. Let bikes go past on the left and the right.
 > Look
  > > at the hill in front of me and the deep sand that I am in and decide
that
 > I
  > > don't want to waste energy pushing my bike out of the way. Let more
bikes
  > > by. Tip the bike back over trying to flood the carb. Kick kick kick
kick
  > > kick. No go. Let more bikes by... Kick kick and she fires. So I'm
off
  > > again... It musta been within a mile of the finish when I heard some
 > bikes
  > > coming up on me, and I slide over to the left side of the more open
trail,
  > > and Kid, Rodney, and Barry go by right on each other's tails! I looked
 > back
  > > to see if anyone else was coming, and then got in behind em. Man were
 > they
  > > hauling!!! They lost me pretty quick, right before the big hill climb
  > > before the finish. I got up the hill cleaner than I had in previous
  > > attempts. Up on the pegs and straight up that sucker in third gear till
I
  > > got toward the top and had to downshift to second. People were
  > > EVERYWHERE!!! Riders and bikes AND spectators! I've never seen so many
  > > people crammed into and around the trees and trail like that before. I
  > > launched off the rock at the top of the hill and landed in the rock
garden
  > > right after the kicker. Somehow I managed to keep my balance and stay
on
  > > the pegs and moving. WHEW!!! Seems like there is extra pressure when a
 > few
  > > hundred folks are watching you go up the hill. =P
  > >
  > > I cruised into the finish line with a crapload more spectators just in
 > time
  > > to see Hawk leaving the scoring tent. I pulled up and watched to see
who
  > > was coming in next. And sat there until I saw Shea come thru, and
decided
  > > that was good enuf. =)
  > >
  > > It sucked waiting in 3 different lines for about 2 hours to get signed
up.
  > > It sucked having the PA system come on at about 8 AM each morning with
  > > non-stop drivel while you are trying to get another hour or so of shut
eye
  > > in the trailer. But other than that, everything was really cool. A
super
  > > neat experience that I will not soon forget. Heck, even watching the
 > quads
  > > flip all over the place the day before was fun. If the GNCC comes back
to
  > > Gilmer next year, I'm definitely going to go! I've been eyeing those
 > Moose
  > > foam tire inserts for a while now. I guess its time to step up to the
 > plate
  > > and buy some...
  > >
  > >
  > >
  > >
 >
 ><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->

"Brian Jahelka" <webmasterb AT blackjackenduro DOT com> wrote in message
news:1022a8lj7lk7nc4@corp.supernews.com...

 >
 > Yes, they have to be from a different planet... Flat out amazing. Its
hard
 > to comprehend how fast they are going when you watch em on TV, but its

I remember seeing an interview with Kied where he said in his first few
he thought the others were cheating because they were going fast even by his
standard. He went on to say he knows there not after he started learning
the sport.

Congrats on working through your problems and finishing!

Rex McKinney<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->