- Currently 4.5/5 Stars.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Offline 
87 Votes / 16,863 Views |
|
|
|
|
If you read the first two blog entries for Hunter's Quaker State Nationals you know that the tide had taken a turn for the worst and that Sunday wasn't going to be much better. When we awoke Sunday morning we were disappointed to discover that it had rained earlier in the morning. As if things couldn't get any worse right?
Sunday began much like the other races that Hunter entered over the weekend. He started out winning the first heat race, except this time he had to do so by coming from behind and completing the pass for the lead on the final straight-away. Having watched dozens of riders go down on this track and seeing their hopes for a main event qualifier slip away from them I was quick to point out to Hunter that he had better take it easy or he too could end up getting hurt. In hindsight, I think I may have put an even greater level of fear in him. But again, we would have to wait for the mains later in the morning to see how things shaped up. When the mains came around Hunter was not only stiff and sore (1 mud-induced crash and 2 others that were out of his control that resulted in a bruised elbow, roughed up shoulder, jambed pinkie, torn up knee and an upset stomach) but to be quite honest I think he was a little scared by all that had happened to him and all that he saw in the races leading up to his. When the mains finally came around the only thing Hunter could muster was a 3rd place finish.
Just as in life you have to take the good with the bad...
So the good for the Quaker State Nationals in York, PA...
Good
Hunter qualified for the pre-race mains by finishing first in the first heat race
Hunter earned a victory in Friday's pre-race
Hunter qualified for the National #1 main by finishing first in the first heat race
Hunter earned a 2nd place in the mains
Hunter qualified for the National #2 main by finishing first in the first heat race
Hunter earned a 3rd place in the mains
MOM, DAD & SISTER ARE VERY PROUD OF YOU HOLESHOT!!! YOU ARE STILL "THE MAN" AND YOUR WINS ARE COMING BUDDY!!
Bad
All that wasn't good!
|
|
I am not sure who conducted the Rain Dance Saturday morning, but whomever danced the dance got just what they were hoping for. The National #1 race started out with a 2+ hour rain delay that did so much more than just dampen the spirits of the riders and fans in attendance. The track was an absolute mess!!! The track operators and ABA track officials, along with hundreds of other little hands did their best to dry (repair) the track prior to the race, but it was like trying to put a fire out by dousing it with kerosene...the rain continued even in the midst of clean-up.
When the rains finished (read: no longer a down-pour but still raining) the races began. However, the racers would obviously have to deal with a much tougher track than they did the day before. In the first moto of the national #1 Hunter did an outstanding job of navigating the muck and mire and taking the win in Moto #1 (see video on website). It was certainly going to be a long wait between heat #1 and the mains....a very wet one at that, but he was pretty confident that he would score his first national win.
When the mains finally came around it was a complete disaster zone! Despite the intentions of those in charge, the track was as unsafe as any as I had ever seen. Now you might be thinking, "what does he mean by unsafe?". In my opinion, unsafe can be used to describe any track where you could guarantee a crash occurring in nearly EVERY moto that was on the track whether they were novice or pro. The corners were particularly unsafe due to the fact that the red clay was being pulled in to every berm by the riders as their mud-filled tires emptied on the more abrasive asphalt. To give you an idea of what I am talking about you only have to think back to your days in school when you were asked to make a pottery vase in art class. You know the one that ended up looking like a soup bowl instead of a vase. The berms had that same slimy consistency of wet clay...it was nearly impossible to try and broom down the corners because it was also next to impossible to even walk up them without sliding back to the bottom. Likewise, when the riders were coming through you had to leave the track which meant you would end up right back in the same mud you had just swept off. Again this was happening to pros, experts, and the novices alike. Furthermore, the mud was so thick and rutted on the dirt portion of the track that many of the riders, particularly the younger riders, could not even make it to the tops of the hills.
The above scenario sets the stage for the 5 Intermediate mains. Likewise, when you look at the video you will see that the once black asphalt is now coated in an orange clay slime. The boys in Hunter's moto had a rough go right from the drop of the gate. One rider went down in the first turn, Hunter flopped over at the top of the very next step-up, and the third rider made it through unscathed. The bad news for Hunter wasn't that he couldn't have caught the leader, but instead he was unable to get clipped in and was forced to "coast out" the remainder of the race. When all was said and done he ended up with a 2nd place finish on a bike so full of mud that it must have felt like he was riding a pro cruiser! I know Hunter was happy to have earned a 2nd, but clearly he was disappointed by not taking the first. Some things you can control....others are just in the Lord's hands.
|
|
Upon arriving at Bumps-N-Berms we were surprised to see the track had this ski-slope appearance to it. That is to say that upon the completion of your run down off the hill you were faced with an uphill climb back to the staging area. The only difference was the lack of a T-bar or lift to get us up there. Likewise, this was the first track that we have been to that had paved berms, steep sided 180 degree berms. It was certainly going to be a quick run from the top to the bottom.
Once the motos were posted we were glad to see that Hunter had a moto of 5I riders. The pre-race was going to be a total points race for the 3 riders. Both of the young boys were very nice and we certainly had high hopes for Hunter that night. The first moto Hunter finished first by half the distance of the last straight. He was confident and really rode a clean a race. The second moto was nearly a mirror of the first race. In essence, Hunter had the lock on first place, being that it was a total points race. Fortunately, Hunter does not have a "cool-it-gear" on his bike so when he is racing he is racing.
When it was time for the mains the story changes. When the gate dropped all three riders were off and running. However, when Hunter and another rider entered the second turn they were side by side. Hunter was on the outside and the other boy was hugging the very inside lane. This is when it got ugly.... The rider on the inside swept nearly straight up the exit of the berm and left Hunter with NO WHERE to go except OVER THE BERM (see video on website). He not only hit the top of the concrete-capped berm with his left knee, but he did a complete flip in the air before landing on his backside and sliding down the opposite side while his bike remained at the top. TALK ABOUT FRIGHTENING!!! I was videotaping the race from the starting line and the moment he disappeared over the berm I was on the move to get to him completely unsure of where he might have ended up. Needless to say he was scared to death and quite banged up when I did get to him. Special thanks to Debbie at SixSixOne (www.sixsixone.com) for getting us the protective equipment we needed for Hunter this past weekend with such short notice. He was scratched up as it was...I can only imagine how bad it would have been without the Pee-Wee chest-protector, and Comp elbow/forearm guards.
In the end, and due to his earlier efforts in heats 1 & 2, Hunter earned the overall 1st in the pre-race. It was certainly going to be interesting to see how he handled the rest of the weekend after that crash.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|