I get off the line at about 0730, going good. Like the course so far, then get passed by a few quad experts by mile 6 or so. I get into a long straight away and just flying, I looked out ahead and went its freaking really dusty up ahead. So I am doing like 70 or so into the first silt bed and go hole sheit fu(k i better slow down so I don't get hurt. The silt before the first pit was the worst and was 3/4th's the way up my bike. I get to pit 1 and pull in and before I could say I have time I was gone, bite to eat and fuel gone in a min or so.
The ride to pit 2 was freaking great. Going through the Mtn's and stuff was great. Get out of the Mtn's and hit silt right before the pit, thinking to myself is this silt sheit ever going to end, there were like sections up to this point that were like 5-10 miles of nothing but silt. Doing D37 bomb runs off to the sides was scary because even over there it was silt with bushes. I get to pit 2 and got hardly any front break. They get it working and I am off. Right after pit 2 I see a quad down and the rear of the bike was trashed, there were a few riders with him and a BITD Official on the way, looked like a broken bone of some sort. It was fun from 2 to 3. Get into Pit 3 and telling them I got no front break at all. Patty gives me a power bar of some sort that was great and some water, Chris is telling everyone working on my bike what to do and even comes over to show the one guy how to change the air filter on my bike. Turns out I had a ton of silt in my front break and caused it to heat up, they get it all fixed and I am off. Shortly after telling my dad over the radio to call my brother and wish him Happy Birthday and tell him this race is for him I eat it in the first silt bed after pit 3. Went down between 20 and 30 and my left hip slammed into the berm of the silt and tore my right strap off my water pack. I get back up and fix my water pack and get back on the way. I eat it a few more times in the silt on the way to 4. I get to 4 and my front break is gone again and my throttle is sticking because of all the falls. Plumrdy and crew gets the bike working again tightening the front end up because it came lose some where along the way from 3 to 4. I leave and don't really remember much between 4 and 5, other than I was having fun and I am sure there was more silt. I get to 5 and my front break is gone again, they fix some more stuff and tighten up the front end again. I leave 5 and was told the TT's and Class 1's are coming. Shortly there after Baldwin passes me doing at least 110, I was like 100 feet off the course because I saw him coming. From there on it was get out of any silt and out of their way when I knew they were back there. I get to 6 and have new wheels put on. Turns out my front bearings are gone in my wheel due to it coming lose, and now a new front axle. 259 miles or so a short break and I am off. I get to 7 get gas and gone. Its now about like 430 or 5 something like that. I get to 8 they get my light on and I go I am done. I dad tells me then lets load the bike up, I tell him I am not quitting. He tells me I better get my fu(king ***** back on the bike and get to going. So I leave 8 get going through the rocks and finally go yes no more silt. Yeah I was wrong. I was going about 45 to 50 and do the same thing as my first fall. This time I go I am done that's it I am going to get really hurt if I keep going. Up ahead I see the Ez Lube Class 1 Truggy. I get to them watch them change a axle hub and cv joints. I ask them the fastest way to pit 9. They tell me up ahead about 2 miles or so is a crossing tell the official there that your done and just want to get to pit 9. I make it there and tell the guy what's up. He lets my go down the nice fire road and I am just pinned. I get to pit 9 and at the time I did not know it but I pulled into the MARS pit. I go are you guys my pit I need gas and something to eat and some clear goggles. They look at me and go, your the KxKid aren't you? I am like thats what the bike says don't it? We laugh a little and they tell me I am going to finish. They had me a redbull and some clear goggles and I go to get on my bike to head to the KTM pit and go wheres my helmet? We all laugh again. They hand it to me and I am off. I get to KTM tell them what's going on and ask them like I asked the MARS guys if there were any check points between the road crossing and the pit, they were both like no. I am off to 10. The MARS guys told me that it was easy and there was no silt. And I believed them. Shortly before you get into pit 10 there is like a 3 mile or so section of silt. I eat it again. I pull into 10 and go I am done, tired and thinking tress are TT's and Class 1's. Thats when everyone that was there was like you are done where's your dad at. They call 11 and tell them what's up. All in all I had freaking a ton of fun, a huge learning experience and not possible if it was not for Chris and Patty, if you 2 had not done the pit support I would not have been able to do the race. Thanks guys and everyone you had working at the pits, class A service at all of em.
Took me 14 and a half hours to go 381 miles. Yeah you can give me sheit for not finishing, but many of you thought I was not going to make it that far. I would have gone on to finish but when I heard there was more silt and mixed with rocks I said nope I really want to go to work on Monday.
It was great meeting Patty and Chris and you 2 were a lot of help. Hope you can do this kind of stuff at some more races. Thanks again.
I want to tank all my sponsors my Mom my Dad, my Brother even though he kinda hates me for racing on his 21st, but he forgave me real quick when I gave him a 100 and said happy birthday when I got home after the 10 and a half hour drive yesterday.
I saw that the guys at some of the pits were taking pictures Patty, would I be able to get some??? and also my dad left a 5 gallon vp jug and binoculars at pit 11 know anything about that???
My thoughts and prayers go out for Anthony, I heard all kinds of things Saturday at the pool and being a EMT I knew what was going on. I wish him the best for him and his family and he'll pull through. And Josh and his family are in my prayers and thoughts as well. See you 2 out there next year.