I have watched a 101 races at Mesquite MX in the past, but I had never taken a machine on the track. I walked the track a few years ago and I was very impressed with the transitions of the jumps and the width of the track. My cousin's son called me a couple of weeks ago and said that he was racing in Mesquite, so my mind started working and I thought maybe this was the time to race. I definitely wanted to get on the track with my cousin's son to mix it up and see what the WORCS race series had taught him. The only problem was that I was sick, sinuses, congested, just ill. The date kept creeping closer and I was still sick. I missed two days of work, but I still couldn't shake it. 11/23/07 I decided to throw down a couple of Nyquil and go for it the next day at the race. I got there before 7:00am, paid to get through the gate and than hurried over to the sign-up spot. Quads were rolling out to the entry spot for the practice, little did I know, but they were going to start at 7:00am. I paid my $30 for the two races, but they needed $5 more because I wasn't a USRA member. I hurried, back to the truck for more dinero and the quads were already on the track. I paid my extra 5, and sped my quad to the track entry, as I arrived, the quads were pulling off-what a let down. I had to practice before the race. I decided to get my money back and call it a day. I loaded up my quad. Mesquite MX runs a tight ship, I was impressed with their operation. Than my cousin and his family showed up. I found out my cousin's son had entered the pro-expert class, another reason why I pulled out of the race, I had signed up for novice. They had some hypers that I could borrow. I thought, I would just put on the hypers and the razr2'a just to see what that bulky desert set-up felt like. I whipped the quad around a little mini-track and it didn't feel half-bad. A 35-year-old guy introduced himself and said that he was 14 races in and that I should give it a try. I looked at the race schedule and my name was erroneously posted for the race. I asked, if I could pay to get in again and the officials said sure. I was in for the second time. I had not even set foot on the new configuration of the track, it was totally reversed from previous years. I decided to hit all of the table tops and smaller doubles 20-30 feet on the first lap.
Race time approached and I was nervous. I lined up, 8 quads across. The 35-old gave me some advice on where to line to avoid a mud hole on the first straight. I was lined on the far right. 1 minute sign, 30 second sign, engines revved we were off, 1st gear start for me to avoid stalling. I hit the first turn 4 quads across. As the inside quads turned I ate a serious dose of roost, my goggles got covered with mud. I backed off the throttle a bit. After the next turn it was into the first set of jumps. I cleared the first and landed a little short on the second. I was in 6th place at this point. Next came some deep whoops than two small doubles, 180 degree turn two small doubles, I was starting to feel stretched, a table top, sweeping turn, uphill, downhill, tight turn, step-down double, 90-degree turn, whoops, two large doubles which I rolled and than starting the track again. I was keeping the front-runners in vision. A stall in front of me led to me picking up a couple of spots, I was in 5th. On the third lap I went in too fast into a turn and I was tired and didn't down-shift which led to a stall and three people passing me. Multiple kicks later and the Honda fired, I was back at it. The front-runner 07 Honda 450R WORCS rider had become stuck, so I passed him. He later passed me on the step-dwon double. I watched him take the jump an education for later. Next came the second large double. He cleared it another visual school. We completed the 4th lap and I was close on his tail. I was so tired I could barely hold on the bars, but the education continued. The race ended and I was 8th out of 9. What did I learn, stamina is the key to racing. The jumps were feasible. Arrive to the race early, shift down in the turns, prepare yourself for roost on the first turn, avoid stalling, and don't over-run turns. I spoke to my cousin's son and we talked about doubling up the whoops and which lines to take.
I spoke with many racers, the majority were teen-agers. A great group.
The second day afforded all riders one sight lap. I arrived before 7:00am and prepared myself for the 7:00am practice lap. I allowed all of the quads to go in front of me. Than I took my time around the track and hit all of the small doubles and table-tops. I stopped on the track and waited for a slow guy in front of me and jumped 2/3's of the downhill double. It felt good and I new that I could clear it in the race. I thought in my mind I have to try the last double. I doubled the whoops, no problem. I rolled the first double, punched the gas through the landing of the first double and than hit the kicker for the second double, I sailed through the air, but I wasn't into it hard enough and my rear tires cased the landing edge. I heard a clunk and my engine sounded a lot different. I rolled slowly off of the track, what had I done? I looked down at my quad and the Pulse Charge head pipe and muffler were not connected. I rode over to my cousin and they said the jump looked pretty good a little bit farther and it would be mine.
Back at the truck, I got the pipe back together and prepared for the race. A couple people commented on my rear shock set-up that it was sitting too low, too much sag. I thought about changing it, but the sight lap had felt good and I did not want to mess with the variables.
At the second race, I came out of the holeshot in 6th place, which quickly turned to 4th place 1/2 of a lap in. I cleared the down-hill double, however on one of those jumps, my hand was ripped off of the handlebars due to being so tired. I cleared the large double, but later found out that I had landed so hard (too much sag), that my swingarm had broken a hole in the bottom of the air box (at that point I thought that I was goin to DNF). I was impressed with the race. I hit a lot of jumps, however I got beaten by the stamina of non-jumpers. I ended up 7th out of 10.
I met a lot of great people at the race and some day I may be back. I will definitely work on cardiovascular before the race. The second race on 11/25/07 which I did not enter ended up with the WORCS rider on a cream-puff ride apparently breaking his ankle and having to be taken to the hospital. He did not have heel-guards and his leg apparently was suck under the tires. The next leader of the race landed the second large double short on his LTR450 and he was bucked over the handlebars and front fenders and had his quad run him over. He cut, his elbow. I spoke to him after the race and he was fine.
Quad racing is expensive!
