This last weekend was the first round of regional races to earn a spot in the Loretta Lynn National Race.
My family and I drove to Washougal Washington and I practiced on Saturday and raced one class on Sunday and raced the second class on Monday. Because they expected some rain on Saturday and Sunday they did not prep the track like normal. We did not get any rain but the track got really slick throughout the day.
Sunday I raced Mini Sr 1, I had some great battles with some of the older riders. I was able to finish up the day with the 4th place spot and earn my first ticket to the Loretta Lynn Ranch for Nationals.
On Mondays race the track was totally different. They did not expect any rain and they did a full prep on the track. Because I don’t ever ride in Washington, the morning of the race I had only three laps of practice to get used to the different track. On the first lap I could tell that something was wrong with my bike and I wasn’t able to jump anything. I stayed on the track to look at lines but could not practice at my normal speed.
My Dad was able to fix my breaks and the rotor and everything was ready for the first race of the day. Since I didn’t get much riding in my practice my Dad and I walked around the track and talked about lines. Because it was Memorial Day, I made sure to wear my Red, White and Blue gear.
In the first race I got a good start and heading towards the back of the track I was making a pass for the lead. I railed the outside and hit a kicker that put me on the ground. By the time I got back up I was in 14th place with a lot of work to do in the next four laps. I was on a charge and was able to back it back into third place and missed the pass for second place by .006 seconds. I was lucky I was able to come back close enough to have a chance for my second ticket, and I knew what I had to do to get it.
The second race of the day I had a good start and on the first two laps the front guy and I stretched out a lead and we all stayed consistent to get to the checkered flag. Considering how my day started I was happy to get out of Washington with a second place finish 85 9-12 and another ticket to Loretta Lynn’s.
With my two tickets it is now time to practice for Nationals! See you all in Tennessee!
CROSS 71 - HUNTER CROSS 