 Kyle Miller's Saddleback Race Report (2008)  Race Report:
Kentucky Off Road Hare Scrambles Series (KORHS) - Round 5 By: Kyle Miller After racing as hard as you can manage for five years, you kind of start to get a routine on how to get all your stuff together in time and it gets easier as the season goes on. After round one my partner and I saddled up went to North Vernon, Indiana, to the well known -The Cycle Shed- and came home with two shiny new KTMs, a 450 XC, and a 250SX for me. I got my bike set up; spot on, and couldn’t be happier with it. This was going to be the weapon I needed to aid in my off road battles to come. After several races before Saddleback, I’ve been practicing and learning what all the new scoots can do. Anything you got the huervos for, is what they can do. So we got plenty of “bike” this year and that gives me lots of confidence. After having a late night pool party Friday night, my spirits where a little low Saturday morning and there is always lots to do; like drink nine gallons of water just so I can survive the first lap on Sunday in the heat. Luckily I was already pretty close to race ready; just slap on those new Johnny Signs Cycle Shed graphics which still look like new and load her up. At this time I just realized that at some point late Friday night my Pro motocross buddy, Withrow had talked me in to stepping up to the next class, Heavy A! Yikes! Well I guess he’s right and he has taught me a lot through the years. I knew that I was somewhere in between a fast B guy and a slow A guy, so I’m gonna do it and see if I can learn anything. It’s a proven fact that the only way to get faster is to ride with faster, more skilled riders. Good Plan Right? Right. O.K., so it’s Sunday morning. Time to go racing. We had a three-vehicle convoy on the way up through the beautiful hills and farmland of northern Kentucky and the weather was looking to be even better. When my fiancé’ Brianne and I got there, I first signed up and managed to make myself check the Heavy A box on the form. That was hopefully the hardest part. Not. We went on to check out the anticipated infamous Enduro X section that looked super cool and totally doable. I thought got to have one of those in the back yard. Back to the truck to get ready. It’s nice to have so many people come along because everything was already set up and that lets me save energy for racing. My professional pit man Mark gets more excited about racing than I do and that helps me alot. All geared up Johnny and I head to the line, warm up the bikes, and settle in. As if being on the front row wasn’t cool enough, I was parked next door to Paul Whibley. I look down the line like always and count how many riders. There were eight of us ready to do battle. Green flag time in teeeeeen seconds. The flag drops, bike starts well, got about fourth into the woods. Everyone was single file just cruising along. My goal was just to hang with these guys as long as I could and not do anything stupid. Then I realized that Whibley was behind me and he would be wanting by any second. So about a quarter mile in, Paul comes around me going down hill with amazing speed and finesse. I had no problem with that. I settle back into race mode and stick with the rest of the pack just hanging in there. I caught up to Terry and decided to just chase him around and have fun as I’ve raced with him in the B class before and he was carrying good speed and picking good lines too. We battle for a lap or two when we get caught by some other fast guys that push me past Terry then past me so I give chase as hard as I can. When I came around the check on the third lap, I was surprised to see that I was in third place. That gave me a big boost of energy that helped me push harder. All systems checked good, so I waved off my pit crew jumped some real big lawn mower tires and headed back into the dusty woods. I felt good, was happy with third and didn’t want to risk loosing a position while pitting; so I push on lap after lap trying to get a good overall position. On the last lap still in third and feeling good, I drop over a hill to be surprised with a KTM piloted by Ryan Prince, he fires up and takes off, so I give chase. He sets a very fast pace that’s close to over my head but I keep the gas on hard. We blast trough the rocks and hills passing nearly 30 other bikes, I was having a great time. My bike was running great I was still strong and was giving it all I had when my bike gives me that dreaded sound we’ve all heard Bwaaa! Bwaa! Bwa! That’s right out of gas. Such an amateur mistake on my part I was a little perturbed at myself to say the least. I take off my helmet lay my bike down and walk to the top of the hill to see what to do about this situation. When I get to the top I sadly watch 4th and 5th place guys go by. I give them the thumbs up and not for them to stop. Wondering what to do; help arrives and miraculously some gas jumps into my bike. Thanks man I owe you one. I ride out from the barn to the pits yelling “Fuel!” to my pit man. He gives my bike a good enough drink to finish the lap and I take off back to the barn and re enter the race. I only caught one more rider and only really lost about 12 min. A lot more than a 1 min. pit stop, but I was having too much fun to stop. Oh well. Mission accomplished. Learned a lot; didn’t crash myself, and had a blast while doing it and that’s why we do it. |