Hey Everyone!

I got back from Hangtown last night..... I`m so tired! I had an even better time than I thought I was going to and actually came home with a trophy!

I woke up on Friday morning to some awesome overcast weather. It rained a little during the night so it was fairly cool outside - perfect for racing!

Practice was a mess; a lot of sections were super muddy and people were crashing everywhere! Even I took a soil sample after landing a jump in about 8 inches of mud. I rode off the track looking like I went to a mud wrestling match....

First moto things went pretty well for me. I didn`t get that great of a start but I passed a decent amount of my class in the first half lap. Some traffic slowed me down but I eventually worked my way into second place. I was trying to close the gap between me and first, but I didn`t have enough time because our race was only four laps. I think we may have even passed some of the slow B class riders that started the gate before us, but it was hard to tell because there were so many riders on the track.

Second moto I was stoked. I knew that if I got a good start and kept it on two wheels, first place was mine! The gate dropped and I managed to get around the first turn in 5th, passed a few more riders in the third turn, and snagged second hanging it out on the first downhill. I was no more than two bike lengths behind first place and I knew I had everything in place to go for the win. Then my bike started to bog....oh no! My gas! In all my excitedness I somehow managed to not turn my gas on! I was soooooooo mad at myself! What a stupid mistake to make! My bike stalled in the next corner and I feverishly reached down and turned my gas on and started kicking my bike over as fast as I could. It didn`t matter, everyone in my class putted by me while I tried to start my bike. I was now in dead last. My mom thought that I was going to give up when she saw what happened, but no way! I`ve seen what Bubba and Carmichael can do from last place! After what seemed like an eternity, but was probably less than 30 seconds, my bike fired up and I took off. I couldn`t believe I let a possible win slip through my fingers! I took off from that corner bound and determined to at least get a podium finish. I was so focused and determined to make up for my mistake. If I couldn`t get the win or even second or third, I wanted to put in a damn good ride that I could be proud of regardlss of how I finished. Let me tell you, it wasn`t easy. Just as I was about to finish my first lap, another rider ran into me in the whoop section and I went down. Fortunately, my bike stayed running and I picked it up and had to pass people I had just got around. I rode as fast as I could without ever feeling out of control, although there were a few times where I thought it was going to be all over with a trip over the bars. I held it together til the checkered flag having no idea what place I was in or who was in front of me- I just rode as fast as I could.

It seemed like it took forever for the results to be posted. I was hopeful and sad at the same time; hopefully I did well enough to still maybe take third, but I really felt disappointed in myself for making a stupid mistake. One thing I was proud of though, I took my riding to a whole new level that I had never experienced before. I never really knew I was capable of riding like I did. I`m really excited because I see a huge progression ahead of me; I got a huge boost of confidence and I know I`m capable of pushing my limits and going faster than I thought I could. I can`t really explain it, but hopefully in a couple months I will be able to show everyone what I`m talking about on the track.

To make a long story short, I ended up working really hard to go 2-2 for second place. More importantly, I learned something about myself and what I need to do to get myself riding to my full potential. All I can say is, I`m really excited about my moto-epiphany, and I can`t wait until Mammoth! Oh yeah, and since I got second, I got to ride in the Trophy Dash for the C class, where I was able to beat the chick that got first! Sweet!