The View From "C" Class - 2010 NCHSA Series

[nobrakes]

Originally Posted by IT 400

Are we having fun yet??? YOU BETCHA' WE ARE!!! great report, looking forward to the video...+1 on TeeDub always a treat, ridin', racin' or just chillin' and eatin'...

Thanks IT! TW may be new to hare scrambles, but he's not new to racing and this was not his first rodeo. He was as cool as a cucumber in the pit. The rest of us were getting nervous twitches and chattering nonsense, meanwhile TW's lounging back on the camp chair, feet up, hat pulled down over his eyes taking a nap.

Video should be up an an hour or two, it's uploading now.

[Tarheel Wheeler]

NB, Thanks for the compliments, but I think you're strechin the truth ref my ridin abilities. None the less, I had a great time hangin and ridin with you and the guys at whatever rock place that was!

Separated shoulder and banged up knee put me in preserve mode after the second lap. Way to much risk in my book to go fast on that track and try and make it to work today. Been livin on Motrin since I got back to the house last night.

Took 1.5 hours to clean the bike and gear up tonight. Can't wait to see the video.

Thanks again for the hospitality and adventure.

Been thinkin...fast afternoon guys start at the front and don't have to deal with the bottlenecks that us scrubs in the back do, so you can't really compare times on an open track like they have to the times resulting from parking lot situations like we deal with at the back. Guess I'll just have to have a birthday and move up to 50+.

[ncTRAILBOSS]

I'm proud to say that I ride with NB and TEEDUB!!

[nobrakes]

Mandatory pics to prove it happened.

The Pirelli guys are always there, and they stay busy. I think they only charge $10 to swap a tire - man, you can't beat that. I wonder if they will do one with TireBalls? Totally worth it!





The view of the start area from behind, coming from the pit area. The rows will launch toward the woods in front, make a sharp 180, and head back in the other direction. This is the morning race lining up, Pro, AA, A, and fast B's:




From the front:






Big panoramic from the front, looking backwards down the start, the riders will be coming directly toward me in this shot, making a 180 left hand turn and shooting down a progressively narrowing path before entering the trees:




Some of the Pro/AA rows starting:






Just before entering the woods, there was nice little kicker. I don't know why any of the real photographers didn't set up here, if someone would get some shots of me doing this, I'd be on them like white on rice. A shot like that is better than a trophy, as far as I'm concerned:




Post race, bike is nice and dirty, but not too bad. Not "Devil's Ridge" dirty. The trials tire did really well, I was impressed. Even in the place I was most concerned, the greasy thick wet clay with hard clay underneath, the kind of surface you need crampons on to actually walk without slipping and sliding all over the place, it didn't exactly "hook up," but what it never did was leave me with no traction. It wasn't stellar in that, but it always found *some* traction no matter what, and as long as I was easy on the gas, it made its way up all of the gnarliest hills, albeit a little more slowly than I would have liked, but it made it. And everywhere else, it was pretty amazing - better than any other tire I've ever used, it did best in the rocks and roots, wet or dry, and didn't suffer anywhere else. Great tire.




Loaded up for the trip back home:




But not before we stop by the scoring shack, and pick up TW's hardware. Nice trophy, dude! Well done.

[nobrakes]

Originally Posted by Tarheel Wheeler

Been thinkin...fast afternoon guys start at the front and don't have to deal with the bottlenecks that us scrubs in the back do, so you can't really compare times on an open track like they have to the times resulting from parking lot situations like we deal with at the back. Guess I'll just have to have a birthday and move up to 50+.

I don't know, man. Guys starting on Row 9, my row, and only one row in front of yours, finishing 24th overall. Those guys are the real deal!

Either way, though, like you said, the bottlenecks are no fun at all, and they guys starting in the back get the worst of it for sure. It definitely would be easier not to have to deal with all that.

[Tarheel Wheeler]

Originally Posted by nobrakes

I don't know, man. Guys starting on Row 9, my row, and only one row in front of yours, finishing 24th overall. Those guys are the real deal!

Either way, though, like you said, the bottlenecks are no fun at all, and they guys starting in the back get the worst of it for sure. It definitely would be easier not to have to deal with all that.

Sounds to me like you got some serious sand baggers in your class if that's the case.

None of the bottlenecks were really hard...just no way around em when they all clogged up with guys trying to start their bikes in the middle of the trail after stalling em. Amazing how many people forget how to feather a clutch...it's a lost art I tell ya.

[nobrakes]

Originally Posted by Tarheel Wheeler

Sounds to me like you got some serious sand baggers in your class if that's the case.

None of the bottlenecks were really hard...just no way around em when they all clogged up with guys trying to start their bikes in the middle of the trail after stalling em. Amazing how many people forget how to feather a clutch...it's a lost art I tell ya.

I compared the times of the front runners in my class to those of SEN B which would be the next class progression, and the fastest in my class would have finished 8th in SEN B, or just slightly in the back half. So ... I wouldn't necessarily call that sandbagging. It's all relative, though.

Regardless, my point was that the skill levels are pretty high up front. Although, the whole spectrum is well represented.

Would be great to have some options for alternate lines in the bottleneck areas, though. But I guess that's why they become bottlenecks in the first place. Starting in the first few rows would miss most of them. The only way for me to do that, is to improve enough to move up to SEN B. I've got a lot of work to do before I can do that.

[IT 400]

Just before entering the woods, there was nice little kicker. I don't know why any of the real photographers didn't set up here, if someone would get some shots of me doing this, I'd be on them like white on rice. A shot like that is better than a trophy, as far as I'm concerned:



I've said it before, that's the difference between a RACER with a camera and someone with a camera at the races...There is a neat interview with Dan Mahoney(sp), he talks about his race experience and his relationship with riders that put him in the right spots to anticipate and catch "THE SHOT"...

[Tarheel Wheeler]

Originally Posted by nobrakes

I compared the times of the front runners in my class to those of SEN B which would be the next class progression, and the fastest in my class would have finished 8th in SEN B, or just slightly in the back half. So ... I wouldn't necessarily call that sandbagging. It's all relative, though.

Regardless, my point was that the skill levels are pretty high up front. Although, the whole spectrum is well represented.

Would be great to have some options for alternate lines in the bottleneck areas, though. But I guess that's why they become bottlenecks in the first place. Starting in the first few rows would miss most of them. The only way for me to do that, is to improve enough to move up to SEN B. I've got a lot of work to do before I can do that.

Moving up to the next class will be tough for sure. I've got a long way to go as well if I want to move up. Thinkin about it, I kind of like the view from the back...except for the two smoke exhaust. Man was it thick in the woods...almost got sick breathing that stuff.

I'm just jokin about the baggers...Lot's of really good riders in all classes.

[nobrakes]

Here's my whole first lap from Flat Rock - again, uncut, raw, unaltered, all my goof-ups. I thought it was a pretty tough course, very slick in places. As I mentioned, my goggles fogged badly at that bottleneck and I was never able to get them to clear and couldn't see anything, so after I cleared the bottleneck, I pulled them down and rode the rest of the race after that without goggles. If you watch closely, you can see TW slip by me as I was stopped and messing with my goggles just after the bottleneck. I think three bikes went buy, he's on the KTM, the 2nd one I think.

Again, this was my first go at using a trials tire. I was a bit worried about running a trials tire in the mud, but I must admit that it never left me without traction. It was a little slower getting up some of the greasy slick hills than I think a knobby would have been, but it always found traction, and I just had to go easy does it on those slick muddy areas. Giving it more gas wasn't netting any more traction or resulting in getting up those slick hills any faster. But if I was easy on the gas, it always grabbed something to kept going. But it really excelled and was superior to a knobby in some other areas. That's my opinion, from the back half of C class, which is probably not worth a lot. :-)

You'll note that I spent the first half of the first lap trying to get around a slightly slower guy in front of me, who was also in my class. Unfortunately, I was not quite fast or skilled enough to pass quickly or cleanly, and I think we were holding up a few faster guys behind us. All the while, I kept thinking I was going to get him "any second now," but unfortunately it took a little longer than I had anticipated.

Link to the video if the embedded code doesn't work: http://www.vimeo.com/11824577

2010 NCHSA Rd 4 - Flat Rock Hare Scramble from bsd512 on Vimeo.

This is the start and the first lap of the 2010 NCHSA Round 4 Hare Scramble - Flat Rock. It was pretty wet, the course was slick, rocky, lots of roots, and pretty tough. It was a lot of fun, though, I had a great time.

[hobie1dog]

Just watched your video...dude...you've got to get the Haber Eliminator fan for your goggles. I bet that soured your whole first lap not being able to see the terrain worth a crap.

Thanks for posting it up. You're gonna make me end up trying one of these events before it's over.

[nobrakes]

I ordered the Haber Eliminator! I ordered it last night. The fogged goggles were pretty miserable, and I sure wasn't too keen on riding without goggles, but I did it anyway, and was constantly watching out for roost and other stuff that was just waiting to poke my eyes out. That wasn't fun either.

Glad you liked it. If you get a chance to do a few of these, I highly recommend them. Pretty much a guaranteed good time.

[Tarheel Wheeler]

Great video of the 1st lap last weekend NB. Amazing how the camera flattens everything out and makes it look dry.

That Rekluse definitely paid for itself at Flat Rock. Great ridin by you as well.

[nobrakes]

Originally Posted by Tarheel Wheeler

Great video of the 1st lap last weekend NB. Amazing how the camera flattens everything out and makes it look dry.

That Rekluse definitely paid for itself at Flat Rock. Great ridin by you as well.

Thanks, I appreciate it. Yes the Rekluse is the ultimate, if I could do only one mod to my bike, that would be it.

The camera definitely flattens and smooths out the terrain. After watching the video, some people asked me if there were any climbs at the Brushy race and why did I "just stop" between those two trees at Mountain Challenge in the section where everyone was falling down and straining to hold up their bikes on what appeared to be level ground.

[eatpasta]

finally got a chance to watch yer lap and this course looks like way more fun than some of the others you have posted. Looks like it had more different kinds of tracks and not just single track through tight trees. Some crazy mud and hillclimbs though! I was yelling for you to pass the Suzuki guy at the beginning for about 10 minutes.... then you passed him.

how does that trails tire work in the mud? ? and what goggles do you have that keep fogging that badly? The only time i have ever had that problem is in traffic!