Marty Michels' Big Hill Race Report (2007)
Race Report: Kentucky
Off Road Hare Scrambles Series (KORHS) - Round 9
Rider: Marty Michels - Bike 4th Place
Bike: 07 KTM 450
I am sure everyone has heard the news and weather
reports over the past couple of weeks. The northern part of the
Midwest has been experiencing flooding and the southern states have
gotten a decent amount of rainfall, but the bluegrass state is hurting
for rain. This lack of rainfall played a big role in the latest
round of the KORHS Series this past weekend at Big Hill. I think
everyone’s air filter and Kleenex usage after this race pretty
much tell the story.
All summer, the key has been
to get good starts because of the extremely dry conditions. I am not saying
that the start makes or breaks your day, but it definitely helps in the dust. I
got a really good jump when the green flag was waved which is amazing because
half the guys in the front row were on 2-smokers, which are known for being quicker
off the starters than my trusty ole’ KTM 450 XC.
Broc Sims edged me out to the
woods, which I was cool with because I was in second, probably the best place
to be on the first lap at this venue. I forgot to mention that aside
from my complaining about the dust, this place is littered with rocks. So
. . . second was not so bad after all.
I followed Broc for about half
the lap when he got hung up on a log. This allowed me to maneuver past him and
try to kick up as much dust as possible. I knew that it was not going to
be long before I had Whibs breathing down my back tire along with whoever else
was hovering in his dust. It took me a little while to get my composure
because it has been so long since I had lead a race .I kinda didn’t know
what to do. After another ½ mile, I settled down and just wanted
to ride my race and let things unfold. Then about a mile from the finish
I did not hear anyone behind me. Who-hoo. It was such a great feeling
coming around at the end of the first lap leading with everyone cheering, but
that guy riding that Honda just would not let me bask in too much of my own glory.
Paul finally caught up to me
when we got to the first tricky hill. I zigged and he zagged and it was
a full on elbow to elbow race to the top in the 2 feet of silt that had already
developed on the hill. He just edged me when we got to the top, but I was
not ready to just let him have it. Whibs continued to blow up corners and
I think I saw him dragging his feet at one time, but the jury is still out on
that!! Following Paul and trying to race with him is a job in itself, then
throw in rocks and blinding dust. Needless to say I could not even stay
within twenty yards of the Kiwi.
After the dust and rock sandwich
Paul served me, I continued to ride at a good comfortable pace until about the
fourth or fifth lap when I got hung up on the last silt hill not far from the
finish with about thirty other guys. It was my own fault because that is
where Chase and Loupie got me. That mistake may have cost me second place
because at that point in the race the dust was so bad that even if you came close
to catching people the dust in the woods, you really had to take big chances
to get close to them. You can either make it work for you or it can work
against you. This was not a race track for taking big chances in the blinding
dust because there were so many other things that were underneath the foot of
powder that covered the course.
I continued my pursuit of those
guys in front of me until the end because I knew that Al was still back there
somewhere, even though he was not feeling too hot before the event got started. I
cruised home in fourth with lungs full of Kentucky dust. I guess I know
now how people that smoke 2 packs of cigarettes a day feel!
Thanks to everyone in the KORHS
camp for putting on another great event. Congrats to Paul, Chase, and Loupie. I
would also like to congratulate Joe Halcomb on another fine ride as well as my
sponsors from Caywood’s Lawn: Jim and Josh for going 1 and 2 in their class
in the quad race.
Take care!!
Sponsors: Maxxis Tires, Rex’s Cycle Shop, House of Housepower,
Cannon Race Craft, Caywoodslawn.com, All-Finish Concrete, Dirtricks.com, Tireballs,
No-Toil, Wastingtimefilms.com, Answer, Berik, Scott, SRC, Enduro Eng., Devol
Eng., Tag Metals, Decal Works, Clarke mfg., Faast Company
Marty Michels
Thanks
to my sponsors:
Maxxis Tires, Rex's Cycle Shop, House of Horsepower, Cannon
Race Craft, Caywoodslawn.com, All-Finish Concrete, Dirtricks.com, Tireballs,
No-Toil, Wastingtimefilms.com, Answer, Berik, Scott, SRC, Enduro Eng., Devol
Eng., Tag Metals, Decal Works, Clarke mfg., Faast Company. |