Strouble
PR Addict
The Coolest Rider of the Day!
Our motocross season is in full swing now. The second stop of the early MX season for OMA was held at the beautiful MX 213. Practice was cancelled due to the near 2' of rain that came down Thursday and Friday. That was a bit of bummer, but I like the reasoning behind cancelling a Saturday practice to preserve the track for racing on Sunday if need be. I left the house at about 5 a.m. with about an hour and a half drive from North Canton, OH.
The drive is well worth it; easy, and scenic. It was chilly Saturday night which made for some beatuiful scenery for the drive down. Once you hit 70 East, the sun is constantly shining in your face as it rises lighting up the day. The sun rays beamed across the rolling hills waiting for the grass to the respond, just beginning to melt away the frost sending some visible vapor into the air. The trees were eclipsed by the sun as their shadows showed them to be taller than they actualy are but true in revealing the strength of a tree. Sunglasses would have been useful. You can learn a lot about life by examining trees. As I grow into a man, I want to be like a big white oak tree; tall, strong, and straight with deep roots that keep you from falling over and a tree top with branches reaching far and wide, providing shade/protection for comfort to others.
When your dialing the jetting in on an engine, the spark plug is one of the key factors to look at along with how your throttle response is and how smooth the motor performs throughout the rpm range. With the spark plug, you are looking for a nice shade of lightish brown; that means the machine has the correct gas/air ratio to perform at optimum levels. If the spark plug is white then you need more gas, if it is black then you need less gas. MX 213 started holding races last year with OMA. They have come along way in getting their jetting figured out for their operation to be at optimum.
The most important aspect of this race track is Big Ed and his crew being willing to learn and put in the work. The other thing I love most about the crew at this track is that everyone is very friendly. They are a crew of country folk that look at life with contentment and a friendly handshake, but they are also tough and thick skinned. I mean you have to be tough to rise when the rooster crows.
After a long off-season/winter and the death of a key crew member, Ron Ault; the crew of MX 213 was ready to welcome us motocross folk to their homeland. We were waiting to crack the throttle upon some good dirt with the sun finally showing us what it's made of with bright warm beaming rays of joy on race day. Nice days really have a profound effect upon our attitude.
The spectating at this race track has one of the most unique views I have seen. You are perched atop a hill that oversees the entire track lay-out upon the rolling hills. You can also walk down and go through the tunnel entering the infield to get closer to the action. The start is difficult to get the holeshot. The best gates are a few down to the left of the dog house. It is a fairly short run with an off-camber tight left hander with the camber going away from you which allows for slide-outs. Braking and body-positioning are so crucial in this first turn to be able to whack the throttle wide open out of the turn with good traction as you grace the gentle climb to the top of tallest hill roosting across the high-speed right-hand sweepr in front of the grand stands. The crowd loves it!
With 202 entries on this race day (the highest turnout MX 213 has seen) and the sun shining bright...we were ready to race! Early season provides the right opportunity to set the tone for the rest of the season. As of right now the riders meeting has been well attended. This meeting offers a great opportunity to set things straight face to face. One big aspect for this season is switching to timed motos, a new practice format that includes "NO LATE PRACTICE", some gate changes like no hand tools and only one mechanic with the rider on the line. It is also a good time to have a laugh or two as a group and keep our minds focused on safety and competitve racing with good sportsmanship all-around. These early riders meetings are crucial to set things in order, but they are all manditory to attend at each race.
One important topic that will be addressed at our next riders meeting this weekend at Malvern is "working together." This has come to mind especialy when conflict happens. We all know that in life...things just happen; that sometimes is no one's particular fault and sometimes it is; but we don't need to get mad at each other. I know the staff at each track is willing to work through through issues and come up with a reasonable solution. It is ok to be upset when something happens, but how we deal with the situation should be handled in a mature manner. Their is so many things going on and happening at a fast pace for the staff and then you get someone that is arrogant or belligerent when a situation arises instead of just working through it.
All in all, this was a day to embrace in moto-life. The sun reall y does work wonders after a long winter. The sun coupled with a great day of riding kept people smiling and enjoying each others company. The friendhship, comradery, and family feel are more important to me than motocros in itself. Without motocross, we wouldn't have those things in the way that we do at the track. On to Malvern this weekend with another forecast of sunshine and my first ride on my own bike in ten years. I have got the fever, a song in my heart, some spring in my step, and a fluid walk! Moto Life is Worth Living! Brap!
Fast Matt & Jack were both on two-wheels. Matt and I finally made amends over the sad tale of Mr. Goldfish. It's good to be friends!
Ready for Malvern Saturday!
Can you spot the custom engineering?
