Hare and Hound Race Yesterday!

After years of desert riding and endless fire-side conversations about racing, my two younger brothers and a family friend decided to enter their very first desert race.  With nervous voices and butterflies in their stomachs, we drove out to the Spangler Hills to enter in the Jackrabbits' Hare and Hound for District 37.

We left our house at 4:00am Sunday morning to register and hopefully pre-run any part of their course.  We pulled up to the sign-in tent around 7:00am where they got their numbers (287, 288, and 289) and their clear "beginner" AMA Desert sticker.  My two brothers (Corey and Casey) were the odd numbers and they had to go through sound test; this was no problem with their almost completely stock bikes (Corey on a CRF450X and Casey on an XR400).  Actually, I think the guys testing even snickered a little bit seeing these two guys with the beginner stickers and eyes as wide as pancakes pull into the test area.



With the sound test over, Casey and our friend Tom (also on a 450X) got to pre-run their bomb run, while Corey had to tighten his spokes.  The boys had decided to register for the beginner class since they have never raced, which meant they would race the single 40 mile red loop instead of the "expert" double 35 mile loop totaling 70 miles.  After they were done pre-running, my dad, step sister, and I walked to the starting line for the Red Loop; a small white chalk line stretched across the desert floor for 100yds or more.  Pink day glow ribbons dotted the bushes guiding riders down the bomb to the funnel where the course would narrow.



At 9:45, the boys lined up in the second wave.  The first wave would be the Experts and Intermediate racers, the second, Beginner and Novice, the third, quads and side hacks.  My brothers were so nervous; they were quiet, focused, and jittery.  Casey was constantly starting and restarting his bike to make sure it was warm enough to start on the first kick.  It seemed like there were 100 riders lined up in the first row...either way you looked it was bikes forever.  At 10:00, the flag dropped and the first wave took off towards the smoke bomb.  


My brothers pulled forward....everyone's engines were wailing.  Dads held up their kid's bikes so they could kick start, families waited with cameras in hand.  at 10:13 the flag went back up and the noise stopped.  Everyone killed their engines and it was dead silent.  Down the line there were even more riders than the first wave and no one was moving, no one was making a sound.  At 10:15 the flag dropped and an enormous sound erupted as they all took off.  Casey got off the line on a second kick, Corey and Tom both had e-start.  They all got a great start and were ahead of the pack when we last saw them.



My sister and dad and I ran back to the van to jump in and go wait for them at a road crossing.  We expected to wait a little bit for them to come through, but within 6 minutes of us being there, Casey came through.  30 seconds behind him was Tom.  A minute and a half behind him was Corey.  They were making excellent time.  We jumped back in the van to race to the finish to see them come in.


At the finish, Tom came in first out of the three of them...33rd total.  Casey came in shortly after, making it 36th on the board.  Corey came in not too long after that at 50th on the board.  Some how they had managed to pass almost everyone off the line with them, and more than half of everyone in the first wave too.  I'm not completely sure of their class standings because of the different break downs within the difficulty levels, but it looks like they got 5th, 6th, and 7th.  Not bad for their first race ever. They did excellent, and I'm so proud  Looks like they won't be registering for beginners again.  haha.




 
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"Only the desert has a fascination to ride alone in the sun in the forever unpossessed country away from man. That is a great temptation."
--D.H. Lawrence

thanks sully!where are da pictures?
DavidS  
i take a lot of pride in what i am

___________________
ride: 02yz426
local: north east Oregon

terrain type woods with lots of roots & rocks

Sounds like loads of fun, thanks for sharing your story.  
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Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

I didn't have time to upload them...i'll get them up when i get home tonight.  
.................................

"Only the desert has a fascination to ride alone in the sun in the forever unpossessed country away from man. That is a great temptation."
--D.H. Lawrence

k thanks sully!
DavidS  
i take a lot of pride in what i am

___________________
ride: 02yz426
local: north east Oregon

terrain type woods with lots of roots & rocks

Nice write up! Sounded really fun!  
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The King Of Crumpets - Crumpet Boy!

- 1991 RM125

Tell them congrats and great job.  Did you video the start that sounds like a site to see?  
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"Every time I start thinking the world is all bad, then I start seeing some people out there having fun on motorcycles. It makes me take another look." -Steve McQueen

congrats to them. U didn't race?  

I didn't race....I was nervous and didn't have the cash...plus, I don't know how well I would have faired in 40 miles of whoops on my 230...hahaha


I didn't get a video, I was busy watching....but pics are up in the original post now.  
.................................

"Only the desert has a fascination to ride alone in the sun in the forever unpossessed country away from man. That is a great temptation."
--D.H. Lawrence

i want to try it ure should try it court i think the 230 could handle it with cr 85 suspensoin  
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live fast ride hard
NOR*CAL
YZ 250

Awesome story Csully........cool pics to-boot!  
My sponsorships Winners do it in the Corners!

yzrider2:
i want to try it ure should try it court i think the 230 could handle it with cr 85 suspensoin

I know it COULD handle it....but not like a big bike....I would have needed a bigger bike to be even remotely competitive, and I think my arms would have fallen off before the finish on my 230....it really doesn't like whoops, even with the suspension redone.

plus, i'm just not that fast. hahaha  
.................................

"Only the desert has a fascination to ride alone in the sun in the forever unpossessed country away from man. That is a great temptation."
--D.H. Lawrence

mxracer199:
Awesome story Csully........cool pics to-boot!

Thank you!  
.................................

"Only the desert has a fascination to ride alone in the sun in the forever unpossessed country away from man. That is a great temptation."
--D.H. Lawrence

good pics sully!!
DavidS  
i take a lot of pride in what i am

___________________
ride: 02yz426
local: north east Oregon

terrain type woods with lots of roots & rocks

cool write up, Court.  I bet those boys are still sharing race details!  Thanks for sharing.  If you want to see a video of a race start, go here: http://www.ruts.org/movies.htm
and click on any of the starts.  It's really dusty if you don't get out there in the lead...  
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NW Montana
Where the pavement ends and the fun begins  
2005 KTM300exc