USA-All Charity Race, Price Utah August 15-16, 2009

OK, so I've been a complete slacker in getting the site updated. Work has pretty much monopolized my life since August and justifying the time to update the site has been difficult.

It's time for the important things in life, family, kids, and riding.....work sucks.

The Charity race in Price was a lot of fun. Myself (Mike) and my 3 boys (Josh, Kobee, and Benji), and Chad Bailey and his son Karson made the trek to Price for the Saturday desert race. This event was a charity race raising money for the Utah Shared Access Alliance (USA-All) to raise money for the battle in preserving our public lands and riding areas. It was a totally worthy cause and one we were happy to support. It also happened to be a USRA points event.



Benji in the 65 class (Dave Turner Images)

The minis started in the morning and the FAST Racing crew had an awesome showing!! Karson Bailey finished second overall mini Novice, Kobee finished first Schoolboy, and Benji finished first 65B, and second overall 65. Benji's bike was running like crap again and I was praying that he would even make it one loop. He came in off the first loop in second place and held that position for another loop with a bike that would hardly stay on the throttle and required a lot of finesse. The boys all really enjoyed the course and thought the motocross track was cool.

Karson

Kobee

Josh raced his first "big bike" race.....sort of. They had the Mini Experts race with the Amateurs. They had to be the last wave off the start line so unfortunately they were eating dust for most of the first loop, but he was doing great and had worked up to mid-pack after the first loop of the course. After going out on the second loop it seemed to take him a really long time to come in. My intuition was correct and when he finally made it in, he was riding in "spode" mode. Apparently he hit a big g-out on the desert course and rung his bell pretty good and it took him a while to get his composure and get going again. As all racers know, it's difficult to bounce back from a good crash. After some coercion, he decided to go out and finish his race. Josh is learning a lot of life's lessons through the school of hard knocks out on the race course this season and will need to continue to develop that mental maturity and persistence that is a characteristic of all great racers.

Josh loved the EnduroCross section.

I had taken my bike down and was considering racing, but the Experts weren't starting until 4:00 in the afternoon and with Josh's situation, the chewed up and dusty course, and long drive home that night, I wussed out and just packed up and called it a day.

Thanks to all the volunteers who helped to put on such an event. It's a great and worthy cause and one that I hope is repeated next year.

USRA Round 8, Monticello Utah, June 20, 2009

Mike and Chad and the boys made the long haul down to Bull Hollow Raceway in Monticello Utah for the 8th round of the USRA Desert Series. None of us had ever been here or raced here, but it ended up to be a very enjoyable race weekend.

Despite all the incredible rains received by Northern Utah, conditions were dry and dusty. The high elevation offered some relief from the temperatures though.

This was a Hare Scrambles type event, incorporating the MX track and about a 12-13 mile off-road course.



The track is mostly clay, and after watering the track, it was super slimy in spots.

In the Mini Expert class, Josh got out in front of the pack and held the lead for the first 2-3 loops. He slid out in a corner and his good friend Carson Giles got around him. Shortly thereafter, the petcock on Josh's bike turned off and it took him a minute to figure it out. He finally did, and got back in the race and maintained his position for a 2nd place overall. He and Carson had a blast racing.


Karson Bailey had another good finish with a 3rd place overall. Karson is Mr. Consistency. He never looks like he's going super fast, but he really is, and he rarely makes mistakes. His consistency has him in first place in points in his class.


Kobee was riding great and finished first place Schoolboy. He was very excited about his finish and rightfully so.


Benji had a great lead for the first couple of loops in the 65 class. After pitting for gas, his bike sounded like it was running horrible. He managed to finish another loop but said he had to doggy paddle up all the hills and had a hard time keeping his bike running. This cost him a few positions, but he loves riding with his other buddies so much that it made it that much more fun for him.



Due to the Grand Prix style start, the Experts were racing by themselves on the course which required an earlier than normal start (which was nice due to temps). The boys had barely ridden off the track, when Mike was already on the line. They had a two wave Expert start and Mike had to start on the second wave which meant he would be eating dust all day.


After an average start, Mike kept it pinned around the first couple of corners and was in 3rd heading out on to the desert course.




The two guys in front of him took each other out trying to make a pass so Mike took the lead (of the second Expert Wave), and managed to stay there for the majority of the race. He caught and passed some of the first wave. By Loop 2, Boe Bland had caught Mike and as seems to be the tradition this year, the two of them raced side by side for the next 2 Loops.


Boe passed Mike in the pits and he couldn't ever catch up to him, finishing with a 15th place overall for the day and second in class behind Boe.

Firebirds Hare Scramble - USRA Round 7, Cherry Creek Utah, June 6, 2009

A week removed from Idaho City, we were ready to try it again. This time it was the 7th round of the USRA Desert Series and there was a solid contingent of the FAST Racing crew including Mike Knight and sons Josh, Kobee, and Benji. Eric Smith and son Trevor, and additional FAST Racing team members, Karson Bailey, Bridger Langeveld, and Tyler and Colby Ekins.

Bridger's younger brother Skylar Langeveld was racing in the Pee Wee race for his first ever desert race as was Trevor's younger brother Matthew.

Temperatures were nice, but as can be expected in the desert, the course was very dusty.

This was a Hare Scrambles event and the club said they had a great new mini loop put together. According to the boys, this was the best course of the year! Josh managed a second place finish in the Mini Expert division. On a dare, he wore the white and pink gear of a friend, and was styling on the start line:


Karson and Bridger both had great finishes in the Mini Novice division. Karson had a 3rd place finish and Bridger had his best finish of the year with a 6th place Novice finish. We were all proud of both of them (images from Dave Turner Photography).





Kobee and Benji also did great in their respective classes (Schoolboy and 65). Kobee was 2nd Schoolboy and Benji was 2nd overall 65 after having a great battle with his buddies in the 65 class.





Trevor, Tyler, and Colby all finished and had a great time on this really fun course.

Skylar and Matthew raced on the pee wee course and Skyler was so proud of himself for completing his first ever desert pee wee race. Way to go guys!!!!



Mike and Eric were the only Fathers racing in the big bike class. Mike managed a great start on the Expert wave and held a Top 10 position for the majority of the race. Without about 10 miles to go on the second loop, he lost the entire sole of his boot, and ended up losing several positions, but finished with a respectable 12th place overall finish for the day.



The course was a lot of fun despite the dusty conditions. Eric said he enjoyed the course as well and we all felt it was another successful race weekend in the books for the kids and families.

Thanks Firebirds.

Here is some footage from the Firebirds of the Expert and Amateur Start.