just another BLUR on the BRAIN, it went too fast. Weather outside is raging, 20 mph winds here, up to 100 mph at Donnor summit !

The 09 season was a mixed bag. I raced DH Cat 2, and was at the top end of my age bracket 49 in the 40-49 divisoin, raced against guys 10 years younger than me !

Had a blast as I have for every year I have done this thing ! Made new friends, saw old friends !
Raced in 8 DH races including the USA Cycling Nationals at Sol Vista, crashed on race run in 4 of those, including the USA Cycling Nationals :((

Eight races, 4 crashes, 2 Podiums (both at Northstar) and luckily, no injuries. Bottom line, more crashes than metals, more metals than injuries.

Highlights this year were racing at the Nationals, (always a treat, and the Sol Vista Mtn BIke Park is RAD) Attending the Gene Hamilton Better Ride DH Camp at Northstar, right along with Gregg Minnaar and a real cool finale, atte

I am JONES IN HEAVY, can't sleep can't eat, got DH Racing on the BRAIN !!  Just had my first 1st place finnish of the season, Northstar Race #1, Karpiel !!  Won this one in my debut as the newest DH Reno team member by 0.10 seconds !!!

Go sheck out those new photos.  Special thanks to those sponsors, I will have some great new gear, just in time for the Nationals, and thanks to the folks at DH Reno for making me feel right in DH Hog Heavin.

Catch  you on the trails, or catch me if you can !

Granby, Colorado, Sol Vista, here we come !!!  I qualified by finishing 8th with a Crash at the Santa Ynez Valley Classic, that 20+ mph cross wind off that 10 foot step down really played havoc with everyone.  Rreally stange that a race with roughly 130 DH racers (all catagories) would be a USAC National Qualifyer, and the Sea Otter Classic, with several hundred of the best DH riders in the country did not count as a qualifyer. Oh, well, I will take em as they come.  I am really looking forward to Sol Vista, going to make it a 10 day camping trip with my wife.  I want that Red Stars Jersey this year, missed it by 16 seconds at Mt Snow last year. 

I don't get this sport.  Over the 3 years I have been racing I see a lot of turn over, racers come and racers go.  All my NorCal EVOMO Team buddies have disappeared, either moved, or changed jobs and don't ride, injured, out for the season.  I am just starting to get into my prime of exeprience, every time I race at a location I had been at the year before, my times are signifigantly faster.  The guy that started my in this sport seems to have fallen off the map this year, lost all his MOJO becuase of induries last year.  I am sure the economy has slowed some folks down.  I just don't care, this sport and the people I meet along the way are too great to give up on.

I hope to see some of you at teh Podium at Sol Vista in July.  9 weeks to go, time to turn up the volume on the training !

Thanks to all those AWESOME SPONSORS.  2008 was a lot of fun, ran at Sport DH this year in 5 races, Podium in 4 of those. The only downer on the year was Sea Otter, see other Blog.  finising at 24th of 39 there was also a surprise. 

The big UPPER for the year, Mt Snow Nationals ! PODIUM AGAIN, that is 2 years in a row, this time took 3rd.  The only downside of that is now I have to step it up to Expert, don't know if I am really ready for that.  For now, just cruzin into fall, epic riding conditions here in NorCal that time of year.  Next years race schedule just came out, we will see what happens.  This economy and some personal financial issues, may keep me closer to home.  That would make the wife a lot easier to deal with.

See ya, next year

TJ

more stoked by Riding, when I am not ON THE LINE

My condolenses to the family of Mark Reynolds.  This really hit home, he was in my race class, racing against me.  Pray for his family