11th Annual Carolinas White Lightning CC

[BlueRidgePathfinder]

11th Annual Carolinas White Lightning Cross Country Classic

Buffalo, SC

March 16 - 17, 2019

[BlueRidgePathfinder]

The staging/camping/start area has been changed to:

2788 Buffalo-West Springs Hwy.
Buffalo, SC 29321

3.6 miles (4 minutes) from previous site.
   
Follow our signs and arrows.

Thanks,

Al Roof

[tooclose racing]

Some of you may have followed this event on FB, but kudos to Al Roof and his support team, AHRMA staff, etc. for putting on this 2 day event AND a great BBQ. Great to see Richard Colahan, Lew Mayer, Mick Milokovic there.

I'm not going to sugarcoat this: this was a really tough, wet, technical track on Saturday, over 6 miles in length with the Experts turning laps at just over 30 minutes and that red southern clay/concrete adding 10 lbs to your bike every lap. Combined with the South Carolina COLD weather, this was a real (head trip) bummer for me after traveling almost 14 hours for what I had hoped would be dry, maybe sandy conditions and temps in the 70s.  I was sitting in the truck with the heat on and basically repeating to myself over and over "You gotta race, you will go fast..". Hilarious in hindsight, but just in case any of you have ever been there...

I actually got the holeshot (Row 4 or 5 Intermediates holeshot mind you) in both of my races on Saturday (actually all of my races both days!), which also kind of freaked me out because with no siting lap  - for which I was truly grateful - but I'm just not the best terrain reader/go fast dude and I was so worried there would be guys up my ass immediately. This was true in first race BUT in 2nd race on Saturday I knew the terrain and it was actually relatively quiet AND I apparently avoided a real **** show behind me with some single track trail crashes that held a lot of folks up.

Good Race 1 ride with about a dozen 60+ Vint Int guys, but took 2nd to a CR125 framed XL175 -great guy, did a lot East Coast enduros in his day.  Fell once - hard, but slow, during Lap 2 and that is when he went by.  On my Bing carb'd Jackpiner, I've lost a lot of time kicking it when it goes over on it's side - but (slow learner that I am) I can get it to fire 3rd or 4th kick if I hold throttle wide open.  Great Race 2 ride (an hour after my ONE HOUR AND FORTY THREE MINUTE first race!)just because I told myself to banzai the first lap, there was a big hold-up behind me, no crashes or stalls, and ONE HOUR AND FORTY TWO MINUTES later, I had won my (small sign-up Historic 200) class.  Interestingly, I was in top third of field in Vint, but barely made top half in PV - damn there are some fast guys.  But who fastest in PV - an Expert on an XR200 who cranked a 1:12 race and was five minutes in front of the next guy.  No ****, Sherlocks...

Classic hotel parking lot rear tire (tube) change on JP that evening in fading light after 10 dollars of quarters at local car wash, Lew Mayer and frickin' Dwight Rudder looking on, offering advice under the bright lights of camera phones.  Guess how exhausted I was when I hit the sack that night?

Sunday was fookin' COLDER, 40 degrees at 8 am in pits, they decide to have mercy - back up Race 1 start till 11:30 AM whil they re-route the "unrideable" portions of the track. Mama-mia.  Maybe 50 degrees at Race 1 start, re-routing makes track somewhat friendlier and many sections have finally gotten tacky instead of "look Ma, no front end traction!" moments.  I'm all about kickin' ass in a smaller 60+ field, and have a strong first lap, but - bam - my friend on his XL175 passes me again on Lap 2 (my racing entourage has basically given me grief about this ever since...). DAMN. Mercifully, Race direction decides that two laps will be the order of the day and we are checkered after an hour.  I just checked AHRMA - he only beat me by 45 seconds to finish in 2nd race, so...there is hope if I can actually get my fat ass in shape!  My Race 2 on the MC5 175 was...uninspired.  I lead for about 10 minutes but have to pull over and let a few by and halfway thru the lap pull over, let a few more by and give up the lead to by best buddy on his 78 IT175, and...frankly...he is gone in 10 more minutes of trail. I got nothing and realize I just need to ride smart, not fall, and finish.  With that in mind, near the end of the 2nd lap, I smack a 1 inch sapling  - in third gear  - on the inside of a field corner and knock myself SILLY (and down)!  It's so stupid i of course have to immediately jump up and look around to see anybody saw this. Yes, there were witnesses...

Four races in two days - wow - I'm sure many of you have done this when you do some of these AHRMA XC nationals - but this was tough, maybe as tough as one of the two day AHRMA "Qualifier" style races. No...it's tougher - because it's four sprint races really.

C'est La Vie.  Hmmm...I wonder if I should try to make the Illinois round.  Gary Ellis would just be delighted if I showed up in his neck of the woods. Alien vs. Predator IV.  Let the trash talking begin...

[Richard Colahan]

Great race report Bob! I agree it was an excellent event...made a bit tougher then they planned by Friday night's rain. My Saturday Vintage race was 3 laps in 2 hours...but actually I was glad Mike Z held the white flag a bit longer then normal so I could get that 3rd lap.
But then again...I was only doing the one race per day...not 2!

My plan was "no falls-no stalls"...and it went to plan regarding the no falls part.
However...there sure was a stall on the 3rd lap when I stuck my Honda in one of the worst mud holes I've been in in over 50 years of racing. The bike would still be there if Mick Milakovic had not come by...looked down at me...took pity...parked his Penton against a tree...and helped me drag it out! Thank you Mick...I owe you one. But I also honestly hope YOU never get stuck like that and I actually have to repay the favor! For both of our sakes...

Richard Colahan
1969 V1225
Upper Black Eddy PA

[tooclose racing]

And great to see you, Richard (p.s. riding his own very clean  - on Friday - XL175 special for this event!)

Just getting ready to take my bikes apart...again... for racing at end of month.

[Mick Milakovic]

Nice report Bob, it was "tough mudder!"

Richard, anytime.  I knew there was a reason to ride that 3rd lap, in spite of the fact I didn't want to!

Finally, click on the link below to see what happens to your boots when you leave them next to the fire for too long, trying to dry out the sweat from the day before:

https://www.facebook.com/355105891770896/photos/a.355105935104225/355107691770716/?type=1&theater

Mick

[BlueRidgePathfinder]

Bob, Thanks for the wonderful ride report.

Mick and Richard, thanks for chiming in too.

I am glad you all had a good time, despite the challenges the elements threw at us.

I must point out, our event was founded by ISDT veteran Greg Holder in 2008, when he recruited the late Thomas Carmichael and me to put on the inaugural Carolinas White Lightning Cross Country at K&S Kartland, Fountain Inn, South Carolina.  Talk about wet!  We ended a six year drought in the Upstate by attracting torrential rains of biblical proportions.  It's a wonder we ever had a 2nd Annual CWLCCC.

As always, Greg works hard to lay out a challenging but enjoyable course.  However, this Winter's record rainfall forced the relocation of the staging area, start, and entire race course to the west side of the property, on high ground, above the overflowing Fair Forest River, just two weeks before the event.  All of this AFTER the previous course had been improved and arrowed.  Greg and property manger Todd MacDonald worked frantically and tirelessly to create what many considered an epic course in record time, with Bobby Richardson and I aiding in clearing, pre-riding and arrowing.

By this time subscribers of Trail Rider Magazine should be receiving their April issue, which includes my article, "White Lightning Defies the Elements".  Those of you who don't subscribe, but are AHRMA members, will be able to read an abbreviated version of the article in the May issue of AHRMA MAG.

A big THANK YOU to all of you who made the trek to our event.

Al