part3 – THE RACE

The race in Los Angeles was as the Perris Motocross Track.  Practice was crazy because there was a ton of bikes….  they had 54- 65cc dirt bikes and 38 – 85cc dirt bikes.  They had some really fast riders and I had a lot of fun battling with different people.

I raced three classes:    65cc  6-8     -    65cc  Open    -  and  -     85cc  thru 11

The races began with light rain on and off throughout the day and ended under the lights late at night.  It seemed like every time I got to the line it started to rain.

The first round of racing I was a little off on my starts and I wasn’t sure why.  The way they started the races was something I had not experienced before.  They didn’t use a board….the guy asked everyone if they were ready and then ran in the house and dropped the gate.  After I realized how everything worked, my second round of starts got better.

65 Age races went well.  In both races I got OK starts and battled to the front.  In both races I was able to stay in front for two 1st place finishes.

65 Open race had a full gate of fast riders.  I got caught up in a huge crash on the start of the first race and couldn’t get my bike started so I took off in last place.  I battled through several bikes, but I also fell two more times during the race.  I was able to pull out an 18th out of 38 bikes.  The second race I got a much better start….I was able to battle up front and I was in third when I slid out on a turn.  I lost a couple of spots but was able to finish the race in 3rd place.  Overall I came in 9th place overall.

85 thru 11 I was pretty consistant in both races.  I didn’t get the best starts but was able to battle up to 9th place in both races.

It was really fun to race with some new people and to battle with a full gate.  A lot of my friends from Northern California were at the race and it was really fun to cheer each other on.  My trip to Los Angeles was so much fun!

part 2 – THE ROAD TRIP

So last Friday we were getting ready for our road trip to Los Angeles for my first race there.  It was Friday The 13th……My Dad got home from work and started to load up the van.  As he was loading things in he hit his head really hard on the edge.  The garage had blood everywhere and he couldn’t get his head to stop bleeding.  My Mom had to take him to the hospital and he had to get 10 staples to close the cut.

After a few hours in the hospital he came home and finished loading the van.  We got a late start, but we finally left for LA.  Luckily my seat in the van makes into a bed because we arrived at my Uncle Mikes house at 2am Saturday morning.

We got just a couple of hours of sleep at my Uncles house and then headed to Perris Raceway for the 8am practice.  After a day of practice we went back to my Uncles house to rest.

Sunday we got to the track for an 8am practice and then races started right after that.  I was the last race of the day and we were finished at 8pm.    As soon as my race was over we threw everything in the van and hit the road.  My Dad had to be at work at 3am so we had to get home fast.  My Mom drove all night and we got to our house at 2:15 Monday morning.  My Dad jumped in the truck and left for work and was able to get to work on time.  I was lucky because Monday was a holiday so I got to sleep in and relax all day.

To be continued…….

part 3 – THE RACE

part 1…..THE VAN

So last weekend I got a new van and all this week we worked on turning it into a motocross van.  My Dad, Grandpa and Uncle Mike put a wall and tie downs in the van.  I helped my Dad put carpet on the wall and in the front cab.  My Mom and Grandparents helped put the set and seatbelts in….it was a family project.  I have to thank everyone for helping my Dad with the van because in a few days it looked amazing inside and was ready to go.  We still have a lot of work to finish everything off, but we were at least able to put the bikes in and go racing.

I love the back seat of the van!  I can seat up and relax…….

Or I can lay down and sleep…….

Thank you Uncle Mike Cross for picking up the van and getting it ready for me to bring home!  Thank you Grandpa, Grandma and Uncle Mike Piedade for all the hard work putting the wall in!

TO BE CONTINUED…….

• part 2 THE ROAD TRIP
• part 3 THE RACE

SUPER SICK, SUPERSTARS AND SUPERCROSS

Last week both my Dad and I had the flu really bad!  Over the weekend we were feeling a little better and decided to go to LA to pick up the van my parents bought for me, for my dirt bikes.  When we got to LA we went to Lake Elsinore to practice and I was not feeling good again.  I was able to get on the track for a little but was not 100%.  The track was really cool, it is a newer track and they put a ton of money into the facility.

While we were there, guess who parked right next to us……Twitch and Carey Hart.  It was so awesome!  I rode on the track with them both and raced Twitch for a while.

After we were all done with practice I talked to them, they signed my dirt bikes, and I took pictures with them.

Even though it was really cool to hang with them, I was feeling worse by the minute.  On the way to my Uncle Mike and Aunt Jane’s house I got sick in the truck and my Dad had to pull over.  Shortly after that my Dad got sick again.

Saturday night was the supercross race and my parents got tickets for my family to go.  My Dad was so sick that he had to stay home, I was so happy that I felt better so I could go.

My Mom and the rest of my family and I had so much fun at the race….our friend was nice enough to help us get industry tickets that were totally awesome.  We didn’t have to wait in any lines, we sat with the riders and their families, and sat right behind the starting line.  First we walked through the pits and had a ton of fun.  We saw Larry with Moto Efx was in the 51Fifty Energy Drink Pit….he had wrapped their hauler, bikes, helmets, stands, gas cans, etc.  Everything looked so amazing!  Larry showed me around the trailer and introduced me to the team riders Chris Plouffe and Preston Tilford.  It was fun to cheer them on and watch them ride.  The 51Fifty guys were really nice also, I asked if I could try one of their drinks and they said I could if my Mom said it was OK.  My Mom let me try it because she thought I wouldn’t like it but it was sooooo good!  My Mom was mad that the drink was good because I wanted to drink a lot and she said I didn’t need any extra energy.  lol

After we hung out with Larry we went to our seats and watched the races.   We had great seats and it was really cool to see all the riders walk right by me and several of them sat right next to me.  We didn’t want to bother them, but I couldn’t help giving them a high-five as they walked by me.

The races were great and we saw some really good battles.  For the main event I sat right behind the starting line, it was so cool.

 

ANOTHER HELMET FOR THE GRAVEYARD

I have a wall of old helmets in my mancave, and it was time to add another one to the shelf.

My parents don’t like me to wear a helmet after it has taken a hard hit.  My old helmet has taken a few hits and it was time to get a new one.  I found a helmet that I liked and fit so we brought it home.

I usually like to wear matching gear and then a different pattern gloves, helmet, and goggles…..I think it is cool to look a little different and stand out.  I didn’t realize that my new helmet matches the gloves that I have already been wearing.  So with my new helmet I match even more than I did before. 

LOOK WHO’S IN “THE PRESS”

A couple of weeks ago I got a phone call from a reporter at THE PRESS.  The Press is a newspaper publication that is delivered each Friday to every home and business in Discovery Bay, Brentwood, Antioch, Oakley and surrounding areas.  With over 65,000 papers delivered to each door, as well as local business’, the paper is well-known in East Contra Costa County.

After a short interview, the reporter said he was going to review my website and write a story for the next edition of the paper.  The next Friday I had a half page write-up in the paper, and two weeks later the story re-ran again.

I want to thank The Press for writing the article and for mentioning my website.  I love riding dirt bikes and I love to share it with everyone.

JUST LIKE RIDING A BIKE

I was off a few weeks with my elbow and it started feeling a little better.  I decided to take it easy and get back on my bike last week to see how my elbow would feel.  Although my arm was a little sore and I got tired because I am a little out of practice….it was just like riding a bike.

I had a lot of fun seeing all my friends at the track and riding.  Because many of the tracks were open during the day for the holiday week, my Mom took me to a couple of tracks because my Dad had to work.  Things are for sure better when my Dad is there, but my Mom and I didn’t do to bad….. Thanks to Robert for helping adjusting my chain, I don’t think my Mom would have had that move.

I think I need to get back in the swing of things, but I am so happy to be back on my bike.

TIME TO CATCH UP

……so during the last round of practice at club moto I took an easy fall in a turn and hurt my elbow.  I went to the doctor and found that I dislocated my elbow and I had to take a short break from my bike.  I was so mad !!!!

The next week my sister Elyssa had to go into the hospital.  She was eight month pregnant and was having problems.  After being in the hospital for three days I was an Uncle.  Baby Lola Lynn was born.  She was so cute and I was so excited to finally see her.  My Mom and my Sister had to stay in the hospital for a few more days with the baby and then she was able to come home.  Elyssa and Nick brought Lola to our house to stay for a while so it has been really cool to play with Lola.

I am working on teaching her how to say UNCLE 71

PRACTICE, PARADE, PRACTICE

Saturday we went to Oatfield MX in Turlock for a day of practice.  The first round of practice was good and my Dad gave me a few things to work on in the second round.  I couldn’t believe how much it helped…I was able to pick up more speed without riding out of control.  Each practice after that I continued to improve on my speed and by the end of the day I felt like I gained alot.

The Oatfield track is a really fun and fast track that gets really bumpy.  The track is very sandy with some great jumps.  The best jump is a huge step up right in the middle of the track.  During practice I saw the camera man taking pictures of bikes going over the step up…..I decided to do a no-footer when I jumped over the step up, but he missed the shot.  Sorry I don’t have that picture.

This is a picture of the step up

After practice we rushed home because my Mom’s (and the other business’ in town) were having a Christmas parade.  The whole town gets together and they have floats and music and it’s a lot of fun.  When the parade is over we can go in the office and have snacks and I get to play with all my friends.  Next weekend is the Boat parade when the boats are decorated and go buy the homes…..more to come on that.

Sunday I went to practice at Club Moto MX in Livermore.  I was able to carry the speed on Saturday over to the track on Sunday and continued to work on improving.  The track conditions were not the best, but I was able to work through it until…………

To be continued………………….

FINAL DAY IN LA – Glen Helen

Sunday we woke up early and headed to the track so we could get a little riding in before we drove all the way home.  We decided to go to Glen Helen Raceway and my Aunt, Uncle and two of my cousins followed us to the track to watch me ride.

Glen Helen was different from the other two tracks I rode at.  This track was really sandy, more high-speed, more table tops instead of doubles and triples, and some really really big hills.

You climb up to the top of the huge hill, come straight down, back up and down again…..so crazy.

At Glen Helen, the water truck sprayed the track while the riders were still on the track.  The truck would go around and stop spraying when a rider was coming instead of having the bikes come off the track.  When I came around the huge sweeper turn I guess the water truck didn’t see me because I jumped into a huge wall of water.

It was really windy at the track and I want to thank everyone for coming to watch me ride.

We went to lunch and then it was time to go back home.

Thank you Uncle Mike and Aunt Jane for letting my family stay at your house……we had so much fun!

DAY TWO IN LA – Perris MX

While we were in Las Angeles we stayed with my Uncle Mike, Aunt Jane, my four cousins (Michael, Chelsea, Cheyenne, and Calais) and Grandma Clara.  It was really fun to run around with all of them except when I was picking on my Uncle and he locked me in the dog kennel. lol

When I woke up I was so excited because I could smell bacon cooking…..my favorite!  We ate pancakes, bacon and sausage and then it was off to my second track.  All the girls went shopping in Oceanside and the boys went to Perris Raceway.

Perris Raceway has three different tracks but I had fun working on the main track.  The track had a lot of kickers and long jumps.  It was a very fast track and really fun.

Thanks Uncle Mike for coming to watch me ride!

Then it was back to Temecula to eat and rest.  I hung with the family, played arcade games and video games, and watched movies.  I was really tired so I went to bed early to get ready for day three.

To be continued………….

THANKSGIVING AND A ROAD TRIP – Milestone MX

My Mom’s extended family all had Thanksgiving at our house, we had Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and Grandparents.  It was a lot of fun and the food was sooooo good.  After we were done eating everyone watched some football.

Hailey, Mom, Dad, Elyssa, Nick and me……..and the baby in Elyssa’s stomach

When everyone left, we went to bed for three hours and then got up at 2am to drive to LA for a weekend of visiting my Dad’s family and dirt bike riding.  I slept in the truck and when I woke up we were at Milestone Raceway just as they were opening.  The place was really cool, it has 7 different race tracks on the facility.

The tracks in LA are a little different in many ways, the biggest difference is the way they run the practices.  In Northern California we rotate time on the track between big bikes and little bikes (20 minutes mini’s, 40 minutes big bikes each hour), in Southern California big bikes and little bikes ride at the same time throughout the day whenever they want to go on the track.

I worked throughout the day on the big track and it was really fun riding with the big bikes.  The track was really fun it had some big triples, large whoops, and big swooping turns.  The turns were a little different because they didn’t get big ruts in them like at home, I had to make the turns almost like I was on a flat track.

After riding my 65 for a while, I also rode on my 85.

While we were at the track pro’s were also at the track practicing.  We saw Tadesco, Tickle and someone with a red number 1 plate and no name on his jersey…….who do you think it was?  It was so cool to watch them ride and see how they practice and how fast they can blitz the whoops.  I couldn’t believe they were just right there parked right next to us…..except for the number 1 rider, he was a little more private..huh!

When we were done riding we drove about an hour to visit our family.  On the way to Temecula we passed March Field Air Museum and we had to stop and check it out.

They had so much to look at that I will have to tell you more about it later.

Then it was back on the road to visit family

………to me continued!

65 PRACTICE AT 408MX – Helmet Cam

It has been a while since I put a video on, so I thought it was time.  This is a video of my helmet cam during my 65cc practice at 408mx a few weeks ago.

PLAYING WITH DAD….AND RIDING A 450

With the weather getting worse, the tracks won’t always be open for me to go riding.  A few weeks ago my Dad got a new dirt bike and I was so excited because now we can go play……and I can tell my Dad what to do when he is riding.

Last week we went to Sand Hill just to play, it was so much fun!  The track was really, really bad……it was so slippery and dusty, but that is OK because we were the only people there and we got to just go wherever we wanted and play.

My Dad even let me ride his new 450 in the parking lot…..So Cool!

CATALOG WORK !

The new Moto Efx catalog is out and guess who is in it ? 

ME !!!!

Sorry these pictures are so bad, the real ones look great…..but you can get the idea.

You guys have to check out their graphics, they do a great job and my bikes look so sick!  If you are looking for something different, make sure you give them a call and also add them as a friend on your facebook page so you can keep up on what is new.

And they also have hot girls that they do photo shoots with…lol

I’m sexy and I know it…….I work out !

For more information on Moto Efx…..see my post MOTO EFX GRAPHICS

TRICK – OR – TREAT

Halloween was Monday and I am sure you have been wondering what my costume was this year……. well I don’t really know.  I like to try to scare my family so this year I picked an all black costume with a bloody knife.

I even laid on the floor hoping to scare people when they came in the door.

We went trick-or-treating in the Golf Course by my Grandma’s house like we do every year.  My cousins came and my friend Mark and his family and other people.  Over the years it has been like the place everyone meets and anyone is invited.  We ran from house to house and got a ton of candy.  It is fun to go house to house with a big group of friends.

My sister’s back was hurting her so she stayed at Grandma’s and carved a pumpkin.  Pretty cool spiderman with opposite sides cut out.

Halloween is also my cousin Joshua’s birthday……..HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSH!

PUMPKINS AND MORE…..

My family went to the Dell Osso Pumpkin Patch in Lathrop this week.  It was so big and they had so many things to do.  We got lost in the corn maze, went into the haunted castle, shot pumpkins from a cannon, walked on a rope course, and of course picked out pumpkins.

Shooting mini pumpkins out of a cannon.

My friend Mark and I on the tire pyramid

Walking on the rope course.

A WEEK OF PRACTICE

Last week I practiced during the week as usual and planned on racing at Hollister over the weekend.  We left Friday night to camp at Hollister and race on the GP Track.  When I woke up Saturday morning the track looked awesome and I was excited to get out and ride.  Practice went really well and I rode really hard throughout the day.  A lot of my friends were not going to race the next day, and we were a little worried that not many riders would be in my class.  We spent the night Saturday night and waited to see if more riders would show up in my classes on Sunday morning.  When we woke up Sunday morning we decided to go to the 408mx Super Sunday practice day instead of staying to race.  Super Sunday was so fun!  The track was bigger with an additional section added on just for the Super Sunday practice, the track had a BBQ going and all the riders had a feast together, and they finished it off with a raffle (we won a hat and grips).  The practice schedule at 408 was great, I got a lot of time on the track and I was able to practice with some great riders.

 

A RACE AT OATFIELD

Saturday morning we left really early and drove to Turlock to the Oatfield track.  The track usually has a ton a flies and kinda smells funny, but this time it had a million flies and it smelt disgusting!!!!  The track was really good and they had made a couple changes to the layout which was fun.  As always throughout the day the track got really rough and bumpy, but it was good.

Saturday practice went very well, learned the new sections of the track and battled with some of my friends.  After practice we rode bikes, walked the track, and played in the trailers.

Sunday I woke up and it was race day.  I found out that all three of my motos were towards the end of the day and one of my motos was the very last one.  My first class was 85 beginner.  In the first race I got a battled to third and was working hard to get by second place.  For about a lap the second place rider and I went into turns on the inside of each other and coming off side by side.  Going into one turn I took the low line and pinched it to sharp and went down.  As you know when I go down on my 85, I am down until someone comes and helps me.  So lets just say I didn’t end up with a very good finish.  The second race I was able to stay up for the whole race and claim the third place spot.

My next two races were 65 Intermediate and 65 Open.  All four of these races were fun and I had some good battles with some of the other riders.  In my first two races I didn’t get the best starts and had to fight through traffic but was still able to finish in 1st place.  In the second two races I worked on my starts and was able to get the hole shot in both.  I finished one in 1st, but in one I made a mistake at the end of the race and got stuck behind a lapped rider and ended up finishing in second.  Overall it was a good weekend and I rode really hard and even made a few changes that I will be able to take with me to other tracks.

I was wearing my sisters sunglasses all weekend.

HOW COOL AM I ?

A DAY AT THE BEACH

Monday we went to Nick and Elyssa’s house in Monterey and we played on the beach.  The weather was perfect, and it wasn’t very crowded.

We looked for crab in the rocks and fish in the water.

We rode the waves and swam in the water.

After being in the water for a couple hours I got really cold.  I wanted to make a sand castle, but made a little tiny one so I could get out of my wet clothes and go home.

CROSS-COUNTRY

I am trying all kinds of new things this week….first fishing and now a cross-country race.  My Dad asked me if I wanted to try a cross-country race, and I thought I would see what it was like.  When we got there I couldn’t believe how many people were there, it was a huge race.  I got my gear on while my Dad signed me in.  I lined up at a chalk line next to the track and waited for the horn to blow.  When they blew the horn, we had to start our bikes and then take off.  I got my bike started fast and took off, but I didn’t have any idea what to expect.  We took off into the trails and we rode over some rocks and branches and several single track sections.  On my first lap I was trying to figure out the route and how to get around different things on the ground that I am not used to seeing.  My bike kicked over a branch and went to far sideways to save and I fell.  I was not able to get my bike started and the sweeper came by to help and he couldn’t get my bike started either.  After I tried a few more times, it finally started and I was back in the race.

I rode for an hour and the race was over.  It was really hard to know how you finish because so many different classes go at the same time.  I know I didn’t do very well because I fell, but it was really fun to try something new.  It is defiantly a different kind of racing.  My Dad was nervous because he could only see me for a couple of seconds about every twenty minutes.  The whole experience is not what we are used to, but we had a lot of fun.

The next day I decided to go back to what I am used to…..the motocross track.  I went to practice at Hangtown.  Things went much better at practice and I was so excited to be on the motocross track.  My Mom and Dad and both my sisters and Nick all came out to watch me ride.  After practice we went out to lunch and I played with Nick.

TWO WEEK BREAK

Since I have a short summer break, I get a two weeks off in March and the first two weeks in October off.  So when I got back from Dodge…..NO SCHOOL!  YA.

Last week I played with my family and friends.  I spent the night at my Grandpa’s house and we woke up really early to go fishing.  My Grandpa and my Uncle Mike go all the time, but this time I went with them.  I drove the boat while they got all the poles and lines ready.  Grandpa made me hot chocolate and we threw out the lines.  Before long I had a fish on my lines.  It was fighting really hard and it was really fun to play with it.  I finally got it in the boat and the fish was going everywhere…..it even bounced in my cup and spilt my hot chocolate all over the boat.  I laughed so loud it was so funny.

My Uncle Mike took this picture of me on the boat and I taught him how to send picture on his cell phone so my Mom could see my fish.  I brought my fish home and my Mom made it for my Dad and my sister for dinner.  I did taste it but I didn’t like it.

I had a lot of fun…..Thanks Grandpa and Uncle Mike.

More pictures to come of me and Grandpa with the fish.

4 TOP FIVE FINISHES…… AT THE DODGE AMATEUR NATIONALS – DAY 7

Part 7 of 7

DAY SEVEN (Saturday) – 1 RACE AND FINAL TROPHIES

I had my last race early Saturday morning, I was the second race of the day.  I think I wanted to save the best for last.  I was in third place going into my last 50 mod race and I wanted to try to get a second place overall and knew who I had to beat to do that.  When the gate dropped I was gone with a great start and came around the second turn in a close race with the top 7 riders.  Everyone battled and after the first lap I was in third place and working to catch the second place rider.  By the next lap I was able to catch second place and was looking for a safe place to pass him.  Although I was pushing hard, I had to make sure not to fall and lose any spots.  I was able to pass the rider in front of me and take over second place.  I was so excited that I continued to push and was gaining on the first place spot.  I was one lap short of trying a first place pass but was very excited to finish the race in second.

THE FINAL RESULTS ARE IN….

At National events like this race, it is really important to be consistent throughout the week.  Crashing out and having one bad moto will take you out of the top spots.  Even though I fell a few times, I was able to get up quickly and not lose too many spots.  I was so excited to be able to get TOP 5 IN ALL OF MY CLASSES!

50 MOD – 2nd Place Overall

50 STOCK – 3rd Place Overall

65 MOD – 4th Place Overall

65 STOCK – 5th Place Overall

With my second and third place trophy I also got medals and really cool Dodge Jackets.

IT WAS A REALLY FUN WEEK AND I WAS SOOOO HAPPY TO BE A TOP 5 RIDER!

Thank you for being patient with all seven days of riding.  All week we had so many things going on that I wanted to share everything with you guys.  It was hard for me to wait till the end of the week to see how I would finish up also……but it was soooo worth the wait!

DODGE AMATEUR NATIONALS – DAY 6

Part 6 of 7

DAY SIX (Friday) – 3 RACES

Day six was another full day of racing with three races spread throughout the day.

The first race was my 65 Stock.   I battled with some kids and finished up in 7th place.

The second race was 50 Stock and it was another great race with a 4th place finish.

The last race of the day was 65 Mod.  I did fall over in a turn, but was able to get back up and get all but one of my spots back to finish in 7th place.

After my races, I watched the Pro’s race.  They were so fast, it was really cool to watch them ride.  This is a picture of me with Eric McCrummen #104 when he went into the top 5 tent after his race…Good job Eric!

My sponsor, Moto Efx, was at every race to support me and cheer me on.  On Friday they had some girls at their booth and I took some pictures with them.

Thank you Moto Efx for all your support!

TO BE CONTINUED………………

DODGE AMATEUR NATIONALS – DAY 5

Part 5 of 7

DAY FIVE (Thursday) – 2 RACES

I got up early and got ready for my races.  I had two races first thing in the morning and then nothing the rest of the day.

My first race was the 65 Mod race.  I didn’t get the best start but I battled back and forth with some riders and was able to finish the race in 7th place.

The second race was 50 Mod.  I was out of the gate very fast, but I bounced in a rutt down the start and slid back causing my bike to wheelie.  I had to let off the gas to get the bike back on the ground so I could get my feet back on the pegs.  Even with the bad start I was able to fight back to 4th place.

It was another hot day and since I was done racing I stayed in the trailer with the A/C and played Xbox with my friends.

I modeled in the Fashion Show for the BRAAP SHOP.  I wore a Fly hat, shirt and reversible jacket.  I had a lot of fun with my friends and walking in the fashion show.

TO BE CONTINUED…………………..

DODGE AMATEUR NATIONALS – DAY 4

Part 4 of 7

DAY FOUR (Wednesday) – 2 RACES

I was able to sleep in on Wednesday because I didn’t have any races until later in the day.  My Mom made breakfast and I played some board games with my friends and my Mom.

My friend Rodney Smith talked to me about some things to do differently on my starts to help me get out of the gate faster and I was excited to try it.

My first race was 65 Stock.  Thanks to Rodney’s help, I had a great start out of the gate and was able to battle up front in the beginning of the race.  I fell over in a turn and struggled a little to get my bike up because it was stuck in the rice hulls.  Several bikes passed me but I was able to get going again and get several of the riders back for a 6th place finish.

The second race was 50 Stock.  I was out of the gate very fast and was riding in third.  I fell and a few bikes past me but I got up quickly and passed them back and was able to finish the race in 3rd.

This was the hottest day of the week and our generator went out……Those of you who remember, last year at this time our generator went out and the Carnes Family (MAC Industries) rescued us and let us barrow a generator.  The Carnes Family came through again this year and brought us a generator.  It was sooooo nice to get the A/C going!

My Dad washed my bikes and my gear and I went to bed early because I had early motos the next day.

Thanks for the tips Rodney!

Thanks for the generator MAC!

TO BE CONTINUED…………………

DODGE AMATEUR NATIONALS – DAY 3

Part 3 of 7

DAY THREE (Tuesday) - 4 RACES

Today was the start of racing and I was so excited to get started.  I had one race on each of my four bikes.

My first race was 69 Stock and I would be on the line with 33 other riders.  When the gate dropped I got a pretty good start and worked my way to 4th place.  I had two falls during this race, although I got my bike up and going fast I lost several positions.  I was able to finish up the race with an 8th place.

The second race was 50 Stock and even though I was a little late out of the gate, I was able to work my way through and finish in 2nd place.

The third race of the day was 65 Mod.  It was getting really hot and I raced a hard to get a 6th place finish.

The fourth and last race of the day was my 50 Mod and I was able to get another 2nd place finish.

The top 5 finishers of each race have to stop “under the tent” after the race incase there is a protest.  It is really cool to be able to stop under the tent, and I was able to go to the tent twice today.

It was a very long and hot day so I showered and played some Xbox with my friends.  My Dad washed the bikes and made some changes for the next day of racing.

My friends and I had fun riding the mechanical bull.

TO BE CONTINUED…………………

DODGE AMATEUR NATIONALS – DAY 2

Part 2 of 7

DAY TWO (Monday) - PRACTICE DAY

Monday morning I woke up and got ready to get on the track for the first time.  Even thought I will be racing 4 classes on 4 different bikes, I only get two fifteen minute practices on the track.  15 minutes for the 50cc bikes and 15 minutes for the 65cc bikes.

I worked to quickly figure out what jumps I could clear from the inside and which parts of the track I would have to take high lines.  I got my rhythm through the whoops and worked to find the best way through the turns in the deep rice hulls.

Both of my practice sessions were pretty early in the day, but some of the people who I race with practiced again later in the day so I watched their practices to see how the track changed in the afternoon.

All of the practice session were over early so my friends and I played in the rice hulls some more.

Every night they have an activity and I decided to enter my dog Tobi in the costume show.  We always call Tobi the Grinch, so we got some green hair paint and painter her green.  She was soooo cute and did so good on the stage.  Everyone loved The Grinch!

TO BE CONTINUED………….

DODGE AMATEUR NATIONALS – DAY 1

The Dodge Amateur Nationals was this last week!

AMP Motocross along with The Dodge Corporation have hosted the Dodge Amateur Nationals for the past 18 years.  Voted top 5 Amateur Nationals to attend in the United States, this event is held at Prarie City the home of the Hangtown Nationals.  This years event had 42 classes, over 1,100 riders, over 4,500 people and a $15,000 pro purse.

Riders travel from all over to attend this event, places like Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, and Hawaii to name just a few.  At this race, I get a chance to ride with the best riders in my class.  This race is a little different from my usual races because it is a three moto formate.  Each class will race three times, instead of only two, and the overall winners will be determined at the end of the week.

The track is changed for the event and they bring in semi trucks full of “Rice Hulls.”  Rice hulls is the coating that protects the rice during the growing season.  Instead of adding sand to the track, they use these rice hulls because they absorb water and hold it like a sponge.  This helps keep moisture in the track throughout the day, but it is very different from anything we are used to riding on.

OUR WEEK AT DODGE!

DAY ONE (Sunday) - MOVE IN DAY (part 1 of 7)

Last Saturday we loaded up the trailer and my parents and I slept on the side of the road waiting for the gate to open to get into the event.  Because so many people attend this event, it is important to get in early and have a good spot or we will have to do a lot of walking all week.  You never know what time they will open the gate Sunday morning, so people line up on the side of the road and wait.

Sunday morning at about 4:30am my Dad got up and moved our trailer through the gate and got in line to sign in.   We finally got settled inside and we were able to park in row 6 which is not too bad.  My Dad worked on the bikes throughout the day, my Mom stood in line to sign me in and I walked the track and played in the rice holes.

THE FIRST LOT FILLED UP FAST

MY DAD WORKED ON GETTING ALL MY BIKES READY

THE RICE HULLS WERE SOOOOOO DEEP, BUT FUN TO PLAY IN

TO BE CONTINUED…………………

2 DIRT TRACKS AND 2 SAND TRACKS

This week was about different kinds of dirt and sand.  I practiced at four different tracks, two dirt tracks and two sand tracks.  One dirt track was hard packed with huge rutts and the other had loose dirt with rolling rutts.  The two sand tracks were also different, one track had sand sections and the other track was mostly all sand.  It was really fun riding all four days and such different surfaces.

Saturday was over 100 degrees and a lot of the riders went home early after a few rounds of practice.  It was awesome because for the last few hours of the day I had the whole track to myself.

On Sunday we got to the other track early and I was able to be the first bike on the track and make my own lines.  I rode for 30 minutes before other bikes showed up and it was really cool to have the whole track to myself before it got crowded.

It was a really eventful week, and weekend.  Two of the tracks are close to a lake and my friends and I went to cool off after riding all day.

WHILE I WAS ON THE TRACK I COULD SEE THE WATER

I WENT SWIMMING

I PLAYED WITH BUGS

AND OF COURSE RACED MY BIKES

 

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME

It has been one year since I started this blog… and you have officially followed me during my year as a dirt bike rider.

Since this site began I have made 95 posts about my ups and downs of racing and my life.  I want to thank the over 25,000 people who have visited my site as well as everyone that has subscribed to the weekly updates.  It is really exciting to see how many people read what I have written each day from so many different places.

I hope you have enjoyed following me over the last year and look forward to what is to come.

WOW……TIME FLIES SOOOO FAST!

If you have missed any posts over the last year, or even if you have been with me since the beginning, make sure you go back and review some of my older posts.  I thought it would be fun to highlight some of my favorite posts for you……

When I jumped INTO THE GRAND CANYON on our road trip.  When I was CLEARED TO RACE after my bicycle crash last year in Washington.  When I was BANNED FROM RACING.  When I won 10 FIRST PLACE TROPHIES in one weekend.  When I tried to act in joke video WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE MOTOCROSS TRACK?  When I got my 85cc dirt bike and had to USE GAS CANS AS STARTING BLOCKS to race.  When I WON 2 CHAMPIONSHIPS on Fathers Day.  Rode at the RED BULL RIDE DAY .  Got sponsored by MOTO EFX and got new graphics.  Got 1ST PLACE IN WASHINGTON and had RYAN VILLAPOTO sign my 1st place plaque.  and of course HOW I BEGAN RACING

Or some of my videos from CHICO , HOLLISTER , DIXON , OATFIELD – HELMET CAM , HOLLISTER – HELMET CAM , CLUB MOTO , MY ACTING …….don’t laugh!

As you can see it is really hard to pick my favorites……

maybe you should start from the beginning and go through them all.  lol

THREE BIKES = TRIPLE PRACTICE & TRIPLE JUMPS

Last week I practiced in San Jose, Livermore, and Hollister.  Practice went very well and I even rode my 50.  I was able to get a lot of practice time in because I could practice with my 50cc, 65cc, and 85cc bikes.

JUMPING THE TRIPLE ON MY 85

JUMPING THE TRIPLE ON MY 65

JUMPING THE TRIPLE ON MY 50

This weekend was the 10th anniversary of my Great Grandma (Nannie) passing away and we had a family party to honor her.  Even though I never met her, I know that she had a huge part in making our family as great as they are today.  During the party everyone told stories about her and how important she was to our family.  My Great Grandpa is 92 and he had a great time with the whole family together.  Elyssa and Nick came home for the party and I got to play with Nick…..and an extra day of no school. 

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

This last weekend they had a lot of beginner 50 riders and I was thinking back to when I first started racing…..I can’t believe how far I have come!

In May of 2008 I raced my first ever race, well it was not exactly a race…..it was just a lap in a race.  I went to Argyll MX in Dixon to race my bike.  We watched the other kids and I kept looking at all the hills and jumps and I wanted to race, but I was nervous to go on the track.  My Dad told me that if I did just one lap he would give me $20.  That was all it took, but I was so excited about the money I went around for one lap and pulled off the track and had my hand out for the money.  I didn’t finish the race, but I did collect my winnings.

December of 2008 I raced my first full race at Hollister MX track.  This time I was looking for a trophy and wanted to finish the race.  I was able to finish my first official race and get 5th out of 10 riders.

I rode my dirt bike a little more, but I raced Go Karts every weekend.  I did good racing Go Karts, but I really liked the dirt bike.  My Dad tried to take me to ride my dirt bike a couple times a month, when we were not at the Go Kart track.

I learned how to flag incase racing doesn’t pan out….It is always good to have a back up plan.

February 2009 during practice at Club Moto in Livermore, I broke my Tib/Fib in half and some bones in my foot.  1 wheelchair, 2 crutches, 4 casts, 1 walkingboot, and 7 months later I was able to walk again, then a couple of months of rehab.  My parents wanted me to quite riding dirt bikes and bought me a new Go Kart.  I told them “What am I going to do with that….I’m a dirt bike rider.”  I slowly got back on my dirt bike and started to practice to get my leg back into shape.

The end of 2009 I officially stopped racing my Go Kart and worked on getting better on my dirt bike.  I started out the 2010 racing year as a dirt bike racer and ran several series and raced at many different tracks.

• 2010 CMC Trans Cal MX Series (7 races) 3 First Place Championships
• 2010 Argyll Night Series (8 races) 2 Second Place Finishes
• 2010 CMC Spring Classic MX Series (8 races) 3 First Place Championships
• CMC Golden State Muscle Milk Series (6 races) First Place and Third Place
• 2010 Washougal, WA National Race – Second Place and Sixth Place
• 2010 Dodge Amateur Nationals – Fifth Place, Sixth Place and Seventh Place

At the End of 2010 I started this website so you have been keeping up with the 2011 dirt bike season….here is a re-cap:

• E-Street Hangtown Race – 3 First Place Finishes
• 2011 Oatfield Monster Energy Road To Mammoth Qualifier – 2 First Place Finishes
• 2011 Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National Area Qualifier – First Place and Fourth Place
• 2011 CMC Spring Classic (7 races) 2 First Place Championships
• 2011 Hollister Hills Memorial Day MX Championship – 3 First Place Finishes and 1 Third Place Finish
• 2011 Washougal, WA National Race – First Place and Fourth Place
• 2011 408MX Summer Series (5 races) 2 First Place Championships
• 2011 AMP Oatfield Race – Second Place and Fourth Place

To be continued……

OATFIELD MX RACE IN TURLOCK

My family went to Turlock on Friday night to race at Oatfield MX Track.  We got to the track late and went right to bed.  When we woke up Saturday morning I was ready to practice.

Although I have raced at Oatfield before, they don’t have many races or practices there and we don’t often get to ride on the track.  It has been a long time since I was last at the track and it was really awesome, the track conditions are a little different from what I am used to.  It was a really good practice weekend for me on several different kinds of track conditions in one place.  In the morning the track was super wet with deep sand.  The track dried out and was super dusty and slick.  As the track dried it got really rough with huge bumps  all over the track.  When the water truck wet the track, it was still rough and now the sand was wet again.  Because it was about 100 degrees it would dry quickly and again become slick and dry.

65cc race I got 5th out of 17 riders (1st place in my class) and in the second race I got 6th out of 22 riders (2nd place in my class)

85cc race I finished 8th out of 16 in the first race and 3rd out of 16 in the second race. (4th place overall)

During practice on Saturday I fell over the back of the step up.  I was clearing the step up but this time I got a little sideways and landed wrong and crashed.  I bite two holes in my tongue that made it look like snake fangs…..I guess I need to make sure I don’t stick out my tongue when I am racing. 

Race day was really long because they had 21 motos, over 300 riders and 100 degree heat.  The weekend was really good practice for me, I had a lot of really fast riders in my classes and riding with the older kids really pushed me.

MEET MOTO-CROSS

Last weekend I got a little kitten!  I named him MOTO (Get it…Moto Cross) and he is soooo cute!  It has been fun playing with him and he loves to be pet all the time.  Moto has been getting used to my family and he even sleeps in my bed with me all night.  Moto has been playing with all his toys and gets along good with our dog Tobi.

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

This last week we traveled around to several tracks to work on many different things. We practices at Club Moto in Livermore, 408MX in San Jose and Hollister GP Track in Hollister.  All three tracks have different soil and I was able to practice different styles of riding.

Club Moto:  Soft dirt that is loose.  The track has many tight turns and you can practice up and down hills.

408MX:  Hard packed dirt that is tight with many rhythm sections.  Great chance to practice jumps and rutts

Hollister GP:  Sand track that is very open and fast with a few hills including the elevator shaft.  Practice high speed turns and getting in and out of turns that are really rough.

THE RACE IS OVER (2 X Champ)

Saturday was the last round of the 408mx Summer Series and at the end of the night the Series Champions were crowned.

The day started with practice and I was riding really well during the day.  We had a short break then it was time to start racing.  The night started out a little rough…..  In my first 65 race I had a bad start and had to fight through traffic to race my way to the front, and after a couple laps I was able to take the lead.  While I was in the lead I went over the back triple and as I rounded the turn toward the finish line I hit a large rock on the track and my bike went crazy and I flipped.  I finished up the race in third place, I was pretty sore and I hurt my shoulder, but I was OK.  The second 65 race of the night ended much better and I came in first.  With the way all the other riders finished for the night, I went third and first and ended the night with a 1st overall.

The 85 races for the night were also a little difficult.  They moved the 85 race to the last race of the night, and by the time I hit the track it was pretty rough.  I raced really well, but it was difficult to compete with the big wheel 150cc bikes in my class.  I raced really hard and finished a very close third to the two big wheel bikes in my class.  They were both really exciting races and everyone was fighting hard.

Between the first and second round of racing, the moon started to come out and everyone was treated to a BBQ.  The food was great and it was really fun to sit with everyone and hangout a little.  At the end of the night the series awards were given out and I was a TWO TIME 408MX SUMMER SERIES CHAMPION!  I was able to come in 1st in both of the classes that I raced the full series.  (I did race more classes throughout the series when fast racers showed up, but only raced two classes for the entire series.)

It was really cool to race under the lights this summer… Thanks 408MX

I want to give an extra thanks to Moto Efx Graphics for making my bike look amazing under the lights.

A final thanks to my family for coming to my races and practices all the time!

P.S.  Even though the title says “The Race Is Over,” it is only over at that track.  See you at the next race!

HOT AUGUST NIGHTS

Last weekend was very hot and very busy……   Saturday I raced (read more at 408MX Sprint IMS Race) and had a lot of fun riding and watching the pro’s.   In the last race of the night my friend Dom fell and broke his collar bone.  It was a really hard crash and I was so sad to see him get hurt.  Get better soon!

Sunday my Mom took my sister and I back to San Jose to see Dom and make sure he was doing ok.  After we saw him my Mom took me to the Fair that was right next to the race track.  We played with the animals and rode some rides and had a lot of fun.

THANK YOU MOTO EFX

The guys at Moto Efx finished my graphics and they look AMAZING!  The combination of the blue and the pink (my favorite) looks so cool.  My bike looked awesome under the lights at the San Jose night race on Saturday and I am sure the graphics helped me race to a double win.   See more information from the race at 408MX SPRINT IMS RACE.

THANKS MOTO EFX

408MX SPRINT IMS RACE

This last Saturday was the Sprint IMS race at 408MX.  With a 5K pro purse up for grabs, they had a ton of great riders like Eric McCrummen, Kyle Partridge, Drew Gosselaar, Tommy Weeck, Jimmy Albertson, Casey Hinson, PrestonMull, Dennis Stapleton, Kyle Tigert, Ricky Rinauro, Dillon Alexander, Chris Gosselaar, and so many more.  The stands were packed because of all the great pro riders and because the County Fair was next door at the fairgrounds.

After the riders raced for the qualifying order, they were put into brackets and two riders at a time raced head to head in a lap and a half lap shoot out.  The winner of each race transferred to the next until the final two raced for the big money.  With the quick sprint to the finish, little mistakes meant that anyone could win and we saw some great battles.  Congrats to Jimmy Albertson who came in 1st, Kyle Partridge 2nd, Tommy Weeck 3rd, and Eric McCrummen 4th.  All the riders put on a great show and the event was done really great!

WATCHING THE PRO’S AND WAITING FOR MY TURN TO RACE

I also had really great battles this weekend!  On my 65 bike I battled from start to finish with my friend and we had a lot of fun.  We were the first moto of the night and the track was really wet.  Going around he first turn of the first race all of us slid out and had to slow to stay up.  I was able to pull out the hole shot and stay in the lead to the finish.  In the second race I came off the line in second and had to battle hard to work my way to the front and was able to finish both races in 1st place.

On my 85 race I again had to race the 150cc bikes and they were able to get out front right at the start and I had my work cut out for me in both races to try to catch the bigger bikes.  I caught up to them and had to work really hard to try to find a way to get by them.  In both races we had really good battles and I was able to make the passes and take the lead for both 1st place finishes.

A PICTURE OF ME WITH BOTH MY 1ST PLACE TROPHIES AND A HAT I WON FOR MY HOLE SHOT

1ST DAY OF THIRD GRADE

Today was the 1st day of the third grade.  Just like every year, my Mom had to take a picture of us before we left for school.  I hope this school year will be fun!

THIRD GRADE 2011-2012

SECOND GRADE 2010-2011

FIRST GRADE 2009-2010

KINDERGARTEN 2008-2009

SATURDAY RACE UPDATE

Saturday I went to 408MX and practiced a little in the morning and then raced the night race.  Practice went really well, I found some fast lines and had fun riding with my friends. 

In both of my 65 races I got the hole shot and was able to stay out front for the whole race and finish in 1st.   It was really fun to get out front and ride my race without having to battle through any traffic and stay in front.

In my 85 race I had a few more challenges.  They combined the 85cc bikes and the 150cc bikes in the same race.  At the start one of the other bikes hit me and came into my lane and I had to let off the gas to avoid going down.  Around the first few turns I worked my way up to fourth and had two of the 15occ bikes in front of me.  I was able to pass the first one jumping over one of the triples and work on catching the next bike.  A lap and a half later I was right behind the next 150cc and working hard to make a pass.  I was faster than him, but it was really hard to make a pass.  His bike was faster in the straight lines, and I was faster in the turns and we battled back and forth.  I again used the same triple to jump over him and going into the turn after the jump he slid over into me and I got pushed over the burm and took a really hard crash.  With my back hurting and my bike a mess, I was not able to finish the race.

My Dad was able to get my bike fixed enough for me to race in the second 85cc race.  I had a much better start, but was still behind the two 150cc bikes.  I got right around the first bike, but then found myself right behind the same bike that I crashed with earlier.  I chased him down and stayed really close to him waiting for a good time to pass.  Coming around for the next lap, he doubled the finish line jump and I tripled over the top of him and was able to get in front of him.  It was such a great battle to try to find a way around him and be able to make the pass.

I ended the night with a 1st place trophy and some cool hole shot awards including an awesome Fox hat.

UNCLE 71

I’m going to be an Uncle!  My sister Elyssa and her husband Nick are going to have a baby.  They told my that I am going to be Uncle Hunter and I told them that the baby will have to call me “Uncle 71.” 

On Saturday we went with Elyssa and Nick to find out if the baby was going to be a boy or a girl.  I was hoping for a boy so I could teach him how to ride a dirt bike and play Xbox with me.

Before we went we all made a guess what we thought it was going to be.  I of course guessed both so I was sure to be right…..I don’t like to loose anything!

Soooooo IT’S A GIRL!  Which means instead of playing Xbox, I think I will have fun teasing her when she gets older.  lol

CONGRATS TO ELYSSA AND NICK!

GOING BACK TO CALI (5 of 5)

Right after the race was over we loaded up the truck and trailer to head back to Cali.  My Dad and Mom drove all night and we got back to our house at 5am.  We slept for 3 hours and spent the rest of the day cleaning the trailer and the bikes.  It was such a fun week!

CAMPING

RACING

PLAYING

THE PRO’S

THANK YOU HAILEY FOR CHEERING ME ON

THANK YOU DAD FOR ALL THE WORK ON MY BIKES

SOOOOO TIRED

GOODBYE WASHINGTON

65 RACE ON WASHOUGAL PRO TRACK (4 of 5)

For the first time in 40 years, the second day of the amateur race was ran on the “official” pro track.  Usually the back section of the pro track is not raced on by the armatures and a different starting gate is used for each race.  Because of the rain delay, they decided to “make it up” by letting everyone race the whole track.  I was so excited to try some of the lines I watched the pro’s race the day before.

30 KTM 65 bikes signed up to race the armature race on Sunday and  I had two pretty consistent races.  After passing for third I was taken out coming down the hill, I was able to get up and going fast enough to stay up front.  In both races, I was able to start in the front of the pack and battle for the front spots.  I was able to finish one race in 3rd and one in 4th for a 4th place overall finish.

Below are a few pictures from practice and the races:

The pro start has a huge sweeping turn that wraps around and goes straight into horsepower hill

This picture of horsepower hill was taken in practice.  You can see that several riders had a problem at the top of the hill and I had to dodge people down at the top.

After horsepower hill the track wraps around and drops back down into the middle

A few sweeping turns and a couple of larger jumps

A few more jumps leading towards the back pro section of the track

After several up hill jumps and winding left and right, it was back down the hill and out of the trees

A right turn and into a long section of large whoops

At the end of the whoops is the finish line…

or the track continues through more turns, a few step ups, a rhythm section and back around to the start

The track was really long and soooo fun!

WASHOUGAL PRO DAY (3 of 5)

Saturday was the Lucas Oil Motocross Washougal National race.  We got up early to watch practice, walked through the pits some more, and watched the races.  It was so fun to watch the pro’s and see what lines they were taking and I got some ideas for my race the next day.

We had a great spot to watch the races, and for the second race I managed to work my way into the Rockstar-Makita-Suzuki VIP tent.  It was the perfect spot to watch the race and I could watch the TV to see the parts of the track that were really far way.

FINALLY TIME TO RACE (2 of 5)

Friday morning we woke up and the sun was shining in Washougal Washington.  8am we started practice and the track was really muddy from the rain the night before.  I was racing my 50cc King Cobra and the track was so much fun!  After practice I had just over an hour till my race so I played xbox with my friends until it was my turn to race.

The Washougal Amateur National event had over 900 entries, and 32 of them were 50cc dirt bikes.

In the first race I slid into a rutt in the start and come out in about 4th place.  I worked my way to the front and was in the lead by the second lap.  On the last lap a lapped rider fell into me and knocked me off the track.   I was able to get my bike back on the track and going and finish the race in 2nd place.

In the second race I got the hole shot and stayed in the lead the whole race to win.  I got the 1st place overall win!

It was really cool to race because throughout the day some of the pro’s and their crew would come out to watch us race.

Since Ryan Villapoto is from Washington, the plaques we won had him on them.  I took my plaque into the pits and had Ryan sign my 1st place plaque and take a picture with me.

ME AND RV2

RACING ROAD TRIP (1 of 5)

Monday we loaded up the truck and trailer and headed toward Washougal Washington for an Amateur National Race.  We drove for about 10 hours and meet up with our friends in Oregon at Albany Raceway.  As soon as we got into Oregon it started raining and continued raining the whole night.  We went to sleep and when we got up in the morning it was beautiful outside.  We walked around the race facility and saw that most of the track and the entire starting gate was under water.  We loaded up and continued on our trip about two hours into Washougal Washington.

The goal is to get to the field early enough to get into line to entire the park.  The place is huge and not having a good camping spot would mean a ton of walking to and from the track.  We got to the field just after lunch and we were about 9th in line.  Trailers continued to load up the field all afternoon and into the night.  At 10:00 in the morning the grounds were open and we went in to claim our camping sites.  All of our friends took over a great section close to the track, we set up camp and headed up to get a look at the track.

Thursday morning was race time!  We got up early and began practice at 7am.  As practice started, so did the rain!  We got through the entire practice schedule and tried to start the races, but the rain was getting worse.  The race had to be cancelled and moved to Sunday, and it continued to rain until late in the evening.  We all huddled under our awnings and wondered if we would be able to race the next day……….

3 CLASSES IN ONE NIGHT

This weekend I raced all three of my dirt bikes at the 408MX night race.  I raced my 50cc, 65cc, and 85cc dirt bikes.

50cc:  On both my 50 races I got good starts and raced hard to stay out front and finish both races in 1st place.

65cc:  On my first 65 race I also had a really good race and finished 1st.  At the end of the race I had a bike problem and I wasn’t going to be able to compete in the second race.  My friend Dustin #00 let me barrow his bike for the second race.  We all have a lot of money invested in our dirt bikes, and it was very cool that Dustin and his family was OK with me riding on his bike.  We didn’t have any time to tape over the numbers, so the score keepers had to score us off the numbers on the back of our chest protectors. lol  I had an OK start and within a few turns I was able to get the hang of the new bike and battle up to the front.  I was able to finish the race in 1st and took the 1st place overall.

85cc:  In my first 85 race I had a really hard battle and was able to finish the race in 1st place.  During the second race I was in the lead and slid out on the last lap.  I was able to finish the race in 3rd place and got a 2nd place overall.

After the race was over my friend Justin and I thought it would be funny to battle each other on the top of the potium….then a few silly faces.

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE RENTERIA FAMILY FOR THE USE OF THE BIKE!!!!!!!!!!

GOD MADE DIRT, AND DIRT DON’T HURT – YA RIGHT!

When I am flying through the air and land flat on my back…..THE DIRT REALLY HURTS!

This week during practice I was having some really good sessions, but just before the end of the night I tucked the front tire and got thrown into the air.  The next day when I dropped something on the floor my Mom said “God made dirt, and dirt don’t hurt.”  I reminded her about all the times I have fallen on my dirt bike and told her it hurts really bad.  lol

I know that anyone that has fallen on a dirt bike will agree that maybe God did make dirt, but dirt DOES hurt!  Thought I would share just of few caught in the act pics just for fun.

NOT MY BEST MOMENTS….BUT YOU CAN’T TALK ABOUT THE GOOD WITHOUT MENTIONING THE BAD  -RIGHT?

MY NEW MOTOEFX GRAPHICS

MotoEfx has some really different cool designs for their dirt bike graphics, I just got mine on my bike and they look amazing! 

I have been looking for something different, fresh, and new and they totally nailed it.

The guys at MotoEfx have been doing wraps for the last 5 years and now have an awesome Motocross and ATV line.  They are totally easy to work with and gave me exactly what I was looking for.  There designs are top-notch and they use the highest quality materials.  Make sure you check them out……if you are looking for new graphics right now or not, you have to check out some of their pictures – they do great work!

They are a one-stop-shop!  It is great having two companies in one….MotoEfx does graphics for Motocross, ATV’s, Race Cars, Boats, Jet Skis, Race Cars, Go Karts, etc.  The sister company Wrapped Graphics, can get you to the event in style.  They do everything from small lettering to complete wraps, banners, signs, window graphics, wall graphics, floor decals, stickers and more.

Make sure you check them out on Facebook to stay in touch with the new designs they have coming.

Contact MotoEfx At:

Phone: (209) 649-5394

Fax: (209) 744-8149

www.motoeffects.com

www.wrappedgraphics.com

THANKS LARRY AND JOSH…..YOU GUYS ROCK !

408MX NIGHT RACE

Saturday was boys day for my Dad and I.  My Mom and my sister had plans, so my Dad and I went to a night race at 408MX in San Jose.

On my 1st 65 race I was in first when I fell over in a turn.  I was able to get back up and I fought my way all the way back to the front and was able to finish in 1st.  On the 2nd 65 race I was also doing really good and then my brakes went out.   I tried to race without brakes, but I couldn’t get slowed down enough to make the turns.  I wasn’t able to finish the race.

Both of my 85 races were also totally fun.  The 85 race was the best ever……I cleared the finish line triple over the top of another rider that doubled the jump, to take the lead.  It was so crazy that I could hear the crowed cheering and the announcer yelling while I was on the track.   I was able to work my way to the lead and finish 1st in both races.

FIRST TIME AT LAS BANOS

Saturday night we decided to go to Los Banos for the night race, when we got to the track it was over 100 degrees outside.

The track was like nothing I ever rode before and I was excited to see what it was like.  I wrote before about supercross-vs-motocross….. I do motocross and the track at Los Banos is supercross.

The track looked really different with a lot of rhythm sections.  It was a little hard to figure out how to go through the rhythm sections the fastest way with only 5 laps of practice…..then it was time to start the races.

At this track we have to put transponders on our bikes and they record lap times.  Practice went pretty good!  On my 65 I was the 2nd fastest bike and on my 50 I was the fastest bike on the track.

When the races started I did good on my 50 but had a bunch of bad luck on my 65.

Both of my 50 races I got the hole shot and was able to stay out front for the wins.  I had not practiced on my 50 in a few months and it was fun to ride it again.

My 65 races were both kinda a mess.  I had a really good start in the first race, I was in second and gaining on first when I made a mistake and fell down.  I got back up and was racing back to the front through traffic.  I was right behind second place going around a large sweeper turn and the rider in front of me went down…..I had no place to go and crashed right into him and flew over the front of my bike.  In the second race I had a good start again and was again in second place when I slide out in one of the turns.  I got back up and again had to fight through traffic back to the front.  As I was passing a rider on the outside of a turn, he drove straight and him and I both crashed over the top of the burm.

After all the regular races they had the Top Gun main event.  This was a race with some really fast riders all working toward the $1100 purse.  The riders started staggered around the track with the fastest riders about a lap down.  It was a really fun race to watch and congrats to Jessy Nelson for coming from behind to win.

CAUGHT IN THE ACT

Jessica Rankin is a photographer that has been taking a lot of pictures at some of the different race tracks.  She has caught a lot of great shots of my friends and I.  Her pictures are really good quality and very inexpensive.

Jessica is a sports and lifestyle photographer out of Martinez, CA. and does many different kinds of pictures.  She gets amazing shots and does just about anything sports, portraits, landscapes, etc.

Her contact information is below……make sure if you need some pictures, you give her a call.

And check out her sites, she might have already caught you on film!

Jessica Rankin contact information:

Email:   Jessicarankinphoto@yahoo.com

Phone:  925-383-2116

website for motocross is: http://jessicarankinphotography.smugmug.com

Facebook page for photography is: http://www.facebook.com/JessicaRankinPhotography

THANK YOU JESSICA FOR ALL THE GREAT PICTURES!

MY RED BULL RIDE DAY

Wednesday at 408MX was Red Bull Ride Day and it was an adventure from start to finish.  We decided to go to 408MX to practice Tuesday night and then stay the night to watch the show put on by Red Bull during the day, and then practice again on Wednesday night.  The weather said barely any rain in San Jose, but half way to the track it started pouring and never stopped.

When we arrived Tuesday afternoon they already had a few of the Red Bull and a Fox trailers at the track.  It was kinda cool to feel like a pro arriving at the “location” with the big rigs the night before the event.  Since we were not going to be able to practice, we went and got some dinner then watched a movie and went to bed.

We woke up to Red Bull playing music and putting up their tents.  They had a huge tent with a lounge under it, a ton of bikes, food, and of course all the Red Bull you could want.

While they were setting up I got to lay in the lounge, sit on some of their bikes, talk to people from Red Bull, Fox, KTM, Motion Pro, etc.  And look how cool my bike looks in front of one of the KTM trucks.

The ride for the invited riders started around 10 and it was really fun to watch those guys rip.  The track started out very wet, but came in pretty fast.  It was fun to watch RONNIE RENNER, JESSY NELSON, and some of the guys that I know personally like, Dom Garman, Will Longo, Jeff Pestana, and Gary Plaatje.  Everyone was really fast, but Jessy Nelson……AMAZING!

After watching them ride all morning, it was finally time for the open ride day.  There had to be about 300 riders that showed up for the event, the place was packed.

They had set up banners and signs all over the track and a Red Bull tunnel to ride under.

This is how deep the ruts were that they left us……most of the time it was faster to rail around the outside, but I had to try the ruts they were using.  It was pretty cool.

I like this picture because you can see one of the Red Bull and Fox trucks and one of the Red Bull tents in the background.

It was a fun day, but by the end I was so tired.  A couple final pictures acting silly with my friends and one with Jessy Nelson, some free gifts from Ronnie Renner, Fox, Motion Pro, Red Bull, etc and we were on our way home.

THANKS 408MX AND RED BULL !

4 WINS & 2 CHAMPIONSHIPS ON FATHER’S DAY

Sunday was Father’s Day and I want to thank my Dad for spending his day at the race track and helping me to race.  Both of my sisters were there and we had a lot of fun hanging out with Dad at the track.

My Dad worked hard all week to fix my 65′s after I destroying one bike at the last San Jose race the week before and the other one had problems during the week at practice.  Saturday when I went out for practice the bikes all worked great…..Thank You Dad!

This weekend was the last race of the CMC Series.  I was able to get some good starts and finish out front in both my 65 and 85 classes and finished all four races in 1st place.  After 7 rounds of races, at different tracks each weekend, I was able to maintain my lead and win the Championship in both classes.

I got 2 Series Championship Trophies and a couple FREE tires for my bikes, and some other fun prizes.

Now that the race series is over it is time to travel to different tracks to practice during the week and on long weekends.  It is time to get ready to race in Washington and at the Dodge Amateur Nationals….wish me luck!

TOP 10 REASONS MY DAD IS THE BEST

Sunday is Father’s Day and I want to say THANK YOU to my Dad for all he does for me.

THE TOP 10 REASONS MY DAD IS THE BEST ARE:

1. He always acts silly with me
2. He plays Xbox with me even when he gets mad he doesn’t win
3. He works on my dirt bikes
4. He takes me dirt bike riding
5. He helps me tease my Mom and my sister
6. He takes me swimming
7. He wrestles with me
8. He buys me toys
9. He takes me on bike rides
10. He is proud of me for doing good in school

DIRT BIKES AND FRIENDS AT 408

This weekend I had a race at 408 MX in San Jose.  We got to the track early Friday night and got a great spot right at the finish line.  All of my friends would come and go throughout the day and sit in the back of my trailer to watch the races.  When the action was over we all went inside the trailer and took turns playing xbox.  We also had fun riding the pit bikes, racing on our bicycles and playing with water guns.

Saturday practices went really well and I worked on clearing some of the big jumps at the track.  I stayed consistent and continued to improve on my lap times.  I really like riding at 408 had a lot of fun on the track.

Sunday I finished 1st on my 85 and was not able to finish my last 65 race.  I took a really hard fall over one of the triples and I hurt both myself and my bike.  I pulled a muscle in my neck that made it really painful to move my head from side to side.  On my bike my handlebars, rear shock, levers, and more was destroyed….not a good way to end the weekend. 

14 RACES IN ONE WEEKEND…50, 65 & 85

This weekend I raced at the Hollister Hills Memorial Day MX Championship.  This is a three day format with practice on Saturday, a full round of racing on Sunday and another full round of racing on Monday.

This race is really fun because we get to see a lot of new riders that show up to race the big event and we get to ride more and camp for another day.  I raced in my normal 3 classes on Sunday (65 Novice, 65 Open, and 85 Beginner).  We had so many riders that I decided to race in 4 classes on Monday (50 Open, 65 Novice, 65 Open, and 85 Beginner)  That is a total of 14 races for the weekend.

Because of all the riders and having so many motos each day, the track was really tough both days.  In the morning it was really sandy/muddy and deep, and by the end of the day it was really dry with a ton of acceleration bumps and breaking bumps.  I had to stand up and stay on the gas to ride through it all….I love riding on big fast tracks like we had this weekend.

I finished 1st in my 65 Nov race and then had a problem with the pipe on my bike.  My Dad was able to switch the pipe from my other bike, but I lost some speed with the new pipe.  I had to really ride extra hard and keep my speed up as much as possible.

In the 65 Open race I finished a close 3rd to two very fast older riders.  It was really fun to be able to battle with them and push myself during the race.

Getting ready to start one of the 65 races

In the 85 race I pulled out a couple of 1st place finishes and also had my tire slide out in the deep sand in one turn.

Going down the 6 story elevator shaft in one of my 85 races

In my 50 race I had a lot of fun riding with my friends and getting back on my 50.  I rode really good and finished 1st.

In my 50 race I start on the wrong side of the gate from all the other riders.

I had a few of my friends that wanted to cheer me on and I didn’t want them to bother the other riders.

I won some big trophies, hats, riding gloves, and other cool prizes for winning.  Camping was a lot of fun!  I played Xbox, watched movies and rode bikes with all of my friends.

I can’t wait till the next race!

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

PRO’S, PRACTICE, & PLAYING

This weekend was super fun!  Saturday I went with my friend Justin and his Dad to see the pro’s race the first outdoor race at Hangtown in Sacramento.  I ride a lot on that track and it was so fun to see my favorite riders on one of my home tracks.

Sunday I woke up early and we picked up Justin to go riding at 408MX in San Jose.  Practice was sooo great!  I was riding really fast and clearing some really big jumps.

When we were done with practice…..My Dad and Mom took us to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk to ride some rides.  Justin and I ran from one ride to another.  It wasn’t very crowded, we ran around for 4 hours and we had so much fun.

IT WAS SUCH A GREAT WEEKEND!

2011 MOTOCROSS OUTDOOR TV SCHEDULE

Now that one of the best supercross seasons is over….it is time to turn to the outdoor series.  

Don’t miss what happens in the 2011 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship:

 May 21 Hangtown Motocross Classic – Rancho Cordova, CA   

• Fuel TV      05/21   4:00pmET - 1:00pm Pacific    450/250 Moto 1
• Speed TV  05/22  11:00amET - 8:00am Pacific    450 Moto 2  
• Speed TV  05/22  12:00pmET- 9:00am Pacific    250 Moto 2

May 28 Freestone Raceway – Wortham, TX

• Fuel TV     05/28  2:00pmET - 11:00am Pacific   450/250 Moto 1
• Speed TV 05/28 10:00pmET - 7:00pm Pacific   450 Moto 2
• Speed TV 05/28 11:00pmET -  8:00pm Pacific   250 Moto 2

June 11 Highpoint Raceway   – Mt. Morris, PA

• Fuel TV     06/11    1:00pmET - 10:00am Pacific     450/250 Moto 1
• Speed TV 06/11  10:00pm ET -  7:00pm Pacific    250 Moto 2
• NBC            06/12    4:00pm ET –  1:00pm Pacific    450 Moto 2

June 18 Budds Creek Raceway – Mechanicsville, MD 

• Fuel TV     06/18   1:00pmET - 10:00am Pacific   450/250 Moto 1
• Speed TV 06/18 10:00pmET -   7:00pm Pacific   450 Moto 2
• Speed TV 06/18 11:00pm ET -   8:00pm Pacific   250 Moto 2

June 25  Thunder Valley Raceway - Lakewood, CO

• Fuel TV     06/25  3:00pm ET – 12:00pm Pacific    450/250 Moto 1
• Speed TV 06/25 11:30pmET -    8:30pm Pacific    450 Moto 2
• Speed TV 06/26  2:00pm ET -  11:00am Pacific    250 Moto 2

July 2   Redbud Raceway - Buchanan, MI

• Fuel TV     07/02   1:00pmET - 10:00am Pacific   450/250 Moto 1
• NBC            07/02   5:00pmET -   2:00pm Pacific   450 Moto 2
• Speed TV 07/02 10:00pm ET -  7:00pm Pacific   250 Moto 2

July 16   Spring Creek Raceway - Millville, MN

• Fuel TV     07/16  2:00pm ET – 11:00am Pacific   450/250 Moto 1
• Speed TV 07/16 11:00pmET -   8:00pm Pacific   450 Moto 2
• Speed TV 07/17  6:00pm ET -   3:00pm Pacific   250 Moto 2

July 23  Washougal MX Raceway - Washougal, WA

• Fuel TV     07/23 4:00pm ET – 1:00pm Pacific   450/250 Moto 1
• Speed TV 07/23 7:00pm ET – 4:00pm Pacific   450 Moto 2
• Speed TV 07/23 8:00pm ET – 5:00pm Pacific   250 Moto 2

Aug 13   Unadilla Raceway - New Berlin, NY

• Fuel TV     08/13 12:30pm ET -   9:30am  Pacific   450/250 Moto 1
• NBC            08/13 3:00pm   ET – 12:00pm Pacific   450 Moto 2
• Speed TV 08/13 9:00pm   ET -   6:00pm  Pacific   250 Moto 2

Aug 27   Southwick MX Raceway - Southwick, MA

• Fuel TV     08/27   1:00pm ET – 10:00am Pacific    450/250 Moto 1
• Speed TV 08/27 10:00pm ET -   7:00pm Pacific   450 Moto 2
• Speed TV 08/27 11:00pm ET -    8:00pm Pacific   250 Moto 2

Sept 3  Steel City Raceway - Delmont, PA

• Fuel TV     09/03 1:00pm ET – 10:00am Pacific   450/250 Moto 1
• Speed TV 09/03 8:00pm ET -    5:00pm Pacific   450 Moto 2
• Speed TV 09/03 9:00pm ET -    6:00pm Pacific   250 Moto 2

Sept 10  Pala MX Raceway – Pala, CA

• Fuel TV     09/10 4:00pm ET – 1:00pm Pacific   450/250 Moto 1
• Speed TV 09/10 7:00pm ET – 4:00pm Pacific   450 Moto 2
• Speed TV 09/10 8:00pm ET – 5:00pm Pacific   250 Moto 2

-Check you local listing, schedule is subject to change.

Make sure you set your DVR to record all the action…If you get a chance to see the Pro’s race live, make sure you do it!  I love watching the races, meeting the riders, getting FREE stuff, and hanging with friends.

WORKING IN THE RAIN

If my bike breaks down I give my Dad a hard time…..I call him a saboteur!  lol  So now my Dad makes me do some of the work. 

Since it has been raining and I can’t go riding this week my Dad and I replaced the top end of the motor on my 65.  I took the top end off, cleaned all the surfaces, put on new gaskets, a new piston, and put it back together.  It was really cool to take the motor apart and then have is start right up after I put it back together. 

RAINED OUT

This weekend we were RAINED OUT…… We were supposed to have a race at 408MX this weekend, but it was cancelled because of the expected rain. 

All week I was excited about the race at 408 and I was very sad that it was cancelled.  

Wednesday was my Mom’s Birthday and the family had cake for her. 

My Mom loved having the family all together, so I did not go to practice. 

 

On Thursday My Dad and I went to 408MX in San Jose.  It had been a long time since I had been to that track, so it was fun to work on the turns, jumps, and whoops. 

On Saturday we decided to go to Hollister Hills MX track to practice.  Practice was fun!  The track was really sandy and I had to remember to ride my bike a little different than I usually do.  I don’t ride on thick sand very often, so it was really good practice.  Hollister has some really big table top jumps, about 70ft.  My friend and I were on our 65′s jumping one of the jumps at the same time, and his tire hit mine in the air and I went flying.  It was a hard fall from pretty high up, but I was ok. 

I also like riding at Hollister because they have “The Elevator Shaft.”  It is so fast and fun!

 .  I love going down the elevator shaft and jumping out the other side.

 

TO THE WORLDS BEST MOM…

My Mom is the best….  she takes care of my sisters and me and is always there when we need her.  When I go to school, she makes my lunch and when I go racing she makes sure all my gear is ready.  My Mom works in my classroom at school each week and she plays dirt bikes with me after I finish my homework.  She is not very good at video games, but she plays with me anyway.  When I get hurt, she always makes me feel better and she always makes me laugh.

My Mom loves family pictures…..So my Dad and I found a few family pictures from the last couple of years that I know she loves.

CRASH CAUGHT ON CAMERA…AND FILM

I wrote earlier about WINNING THE HARD WAY when I raced at MMX in Marysville.  My friend Zach #19 and his family sent me the pictures and the video below of the crash I had on my 85.   Although I got a couple of bruises….I think it looks a little worse than it was.

After this fall, I got back on my bike and was able to chase everyone down to get back to the lead.

riding through the UP’S and DOWN’S

This last weekend I raced at Argyll MX in Dixon. 

 Practice on Saturday was a mess!  The wind was blowing so hard that is was difficult to see through the dust.  My allergies were really bad and the wind made it harder to jump and dried out the track sooooo bad.  The whole day was a mess.

Although Sunday was much better, it was still really bad.  My allergies were still bad and the track was not much better.  I tried to stay in the trailer all weekend, but my eyes were red and scratchy and my head was really congested.  Although they tried to water the track often, it stayed really dry all day and very slick.

When it came time to race, I road really fast but maybe a little to fast for the track conditions.  My bike slide out several times in the races and I was UP and Down several times in each race.  When I was up I was able to work through traffic and get to the lead, but I then fell and had to work back through the other riders again.  My biggest problem is that I can’t reach the ground on my bike so I can’t start it when I fall down.  Of course I fell each time at the farthest spot away from my Dad and getting my bike started took a long time.

On my 65cc bike I fell in both races but was still able to get 1st.  On my 85cc bike I was able to stay up for the whole first race but fell twice in the second race.  Out of 9 bikes I finished in 4th.

Below is a video of me in my first 85cc race….. you can see the track conditions, and in this race I was able to stay up for all 4 laps of racing.  YA

WINNING THE HARD WAY

I had a race at MMX in Marysville this last weekend. 

I love this track and always do well at MMX, but this weekend I did it the hard way….. MAKING A PASS ON MY 85 

Saturday I took a hard fall on my 65 during the first round of practice.  Going over a jump I went into the air and I landed hard on my back.  I hurt my back and got the wind knocked out of me, but thanks to all of my safety gear I was OK.  I took the rest of the day off to rest my back and didn’t get any practice.

I woke up Sunday and was still sore, but I wanted to race.  By the time I got going, I missed a practice and it was time to go racing.  I was not 100% and I wasn’t able to practice with all the other kids, but I was ready to give it my all. 

The first race was on my 65 and I was able to get the hole shot, but I went down in the whoop’s.  I was able to get up and get back to the lead and win the race.

The second race was the 85 race and I didn’t get the best start in that race.  I passed a couple bikes and when I was trying to pass another rider over a jump I crashed.  I went down hard but was able to get back up and race through traffic back to second place.

In the last races I was finally found my groove and was riding better.  I got good starts and raced up front the rest of the day.

WAITING FOR MY NEXT RACE

GOT GAS? ….I NEED STARTING BLOCKS

I HAD TO USE 5 GALLON GAS CANS AS MY STARTING BLOCKS!

A friend of my Dad’s let us use his Yamaha 85cc dirt bike.  My Dad picked it up Friday night and I rode it a couple of times Saturday at Club Moto in Livermore.  I love the bike, it is sooooo fun to ride.  On the last practice Saturday I was going over a jump and the chain broke off, the rear wheel locked up and I took a hard fall.  I was fine and I wanted to get back on the bike.

Sunday morning I talked my Mom and Dad into letting me try to race the bike.  As you can see by the picture I had to use gas cans as starting blocks and the other kids in my class were tall enough to hold up their bikes with no blocks.

I WAS THE SMALLEST KID OF ALL 8 RIDERS, NO ONE ELSE NEEDED BLOCKS!

In the first race, I rolled the clutch waiting for the gate to drop so I didn’t have a really good start.  I was in 7th place around the second turn and I worked hard to chase down the bikes in front of me.  I made a lot of passes and was chasing down the leader and was able to finish the race in 2nd place…..not bad for my second time on the bike. 

The second race I had a better start, I got the hole shot and stayed out front the whole race.  I finished the race in 1st place and finished the day with a 1st place overall finish.

My Mom got mad at me because when I got the checkered flag I did a “no footer” over the finish line….I thought it was funny, but she didn’t.  lol

I also raced my KTM 65cc dirt bike and finished both of those races in 1st place.

1ST PLACE……LORETTA LYNN’S AMATEUR NATIONAL MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP AREA QUALIFIER RACE

 The world’s largest and most prestigious amateur motocross racing program is the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Tennessee.  The national qualifying program consists of 52 Area Qualifiers, and 12 Regional Championships, hosted at select motocross facilities across the country. The qualifying system all leads up to the National Final, the first week of August, hosted annually at the historic Loretta Lynn’s Ranch.  Nearly 25,000 racers attempt to qualify in 33 classes for the 1,400 available positions at the Nationals.  This National event serves as a launch pad for some of the biggest names in professional motocross and supercross, including Ricky Carmichael, James Stewart, Ryan Villopoto, and Ryan Dungey.

This last week was one of the area qualifier races in Marysville and riders travel from other states in hope to qualify for the Loretta Lynn race.  

Thursday night, March 31st, we loaded up the trailer and headed to Marysville for a shot at qualifying for this race.  We arrived late and went straight to bed to get rest for the Friday practice.  When I woke up Friday morning, April 1st, I told my Dad that I was not feeling well and I thought that I had the flu so we should go home…….APRIL FOOL’S!  I was excited to practice and see what other racers would be at the event.  Practice went well all day Friday and I was able to play with my friends Friday night and rest for the big Saturday race.

First Race 50cc:  I had a really good start and got the Hole Shot.  On the second lap I had a really hard fall and had a hard time getting my bike re-started.  By the time I got my bike going, I was really far behind and road like crazy to try to catch up with the other riders that had passed me.  With only two turns left in the race, I was able to pass the last bike and I was able to finish in 1st Place.  (Ya….that was a close one!)

Second Race 65cc:  My 65cc race was right after the previous 50cc race and I was soooooo tired and a little wounded.  We had several riders from other areas that were really fast, and they combined the younger and older kids together to make for a really large race.  I didn’t get the best start because I got pushed out by another rider.  I was in the middle of the pack and was able to work past a few riders.  I fell over in the deep sand section and lost a couple of spots, but I was able to get my bike up pretty quickly.  I had to ride hard again to work my way back up to 5th place.  

Third Race 50cc:  I had a long break before my third race, so I was well rested and ready to go.  I was able to get the hole shot again and I stayed up this time for another 1st place finish (I finished 1st overall and qualified for Loretta Lynn’s)

Fourth Race 65cc:  For the second 65cc race I had a bumpy start off the gate and again had to work my way through traffic.  I was able to muscle my bike through the sand section better in this race, but definitely don’t have the same strength that the older kids showed going through the sand.  I was able to work through the bikes and finished in 4th place. (I finished 4th overall and qualified for Loretta Lynn’s)

It was a great weekend and I was so excited to do so well at my first Loretta Lynn’s qualifier!

I got a #1 number plate/plaque for winning….it is way cool!

QUALIFIED 1st FOR THE MONSTER ENERGY ROAD TO MAMMOTH RACE

It has been raining a lot on and off and I have not been able to ride.  A couple of weeks ago we had a small break in the rain and I was able to race in the Monster Energy Road to Mammoth Qualifier race at Oatfield Raceway.  The sun was out and the track started out really good.  By the end of the afternoon the track got really rough and bumpy. 

It was really fun to be back at the race track and racing with a lot of my friends.  There was a lot of riders at the event because it was a qualifying race and the weather was perfect.  I was able to qualify 1st in both of my 50cc classes and 2nd in my 65cc class.  With the great finishes I had, I was able to qualify for the Road to Mammoth Race that is heald June 16 – 26th.

The Road to Mammoth race began in 1968 when Don Rake and some friends decided to put on a motocross race in Mammoth Lakes, California.  They built a world-class track 8,000 feet up in the Sierra Nevada Mountain range.  It is the oldest continuous running motocross event in the USA.  The track has changed a little over the years, but is brings in many great riders every year.  Riders like Ricky Carmichael, Jeremy McGrath, Rick Johnson, Johnny O’Mara, Broc Glover, Donny Schmitt, Steve Lamson, Gary Jones, Kevin Windham, David Bailey, Jeff Ward, Ron Lechien, Bob Hannah, James Stewart, Mike Bell, Donny Hansen and many more.

It has become one of the major amateur events in the country and a great event to see riders of tomorrow racing at Mammoth today.