Cato MX in Upstate NY 4-30 - A very short report

[tooclose racing]

A funny thing happened on the way to the checkered flag in my first PV moto on the MC5:




I've actually been silently stewing in my own ka-ka on this one, but G. Ellis leaned on me tonight and said that if I didn't come clean, then he would have to go public.

So here goes - there apparently was one bolt that I didn't check the tightness on - the front one on the rear brake stay arm/chain guide.  Backed out on the last lap of my FIRST moto, the plate rotated around and - amazingly - the plate's raised brake shaft casting bent one of arms like it was Play-Do.  Needless to say, getting the axle out was a b---ch!

Gary E put a swingarm in the mail tonight, I'll mount it up Friday and head down to the Irish Valley XC on Saturday afternoon in PA.

Suddenly I was pretty much a spectator for the rest of the day.  At an AMAZING track. This track was sooo much fun.  The promoter and his team were just super.  SKIRACER brought his MC5, but has his own problems with what he thought was his electronics.  Lorne Wescott brought the MX-6 400 that he is still trying to sell.  Check out the website "homage" to our vintage event, complete with videos and photos:

http://www.cato-mx.com/MOTO-PHOTOS.html

For one of the last motos of the day, I fired up the 125 SD - which I didn't plan on riding and hadn't even tested this season yet.  Well  - it wasn't carburating correctly and kept running out of gas.  Run the video in the above link to the 5:51 and WITNESS my humiliation.  Haven't gotten to the bottom of this one yet.  Cripes.

Billy Burn, Tim Ferguson, and John Frackelton showed up to school the motocross crowd on how XC riders Do It.  Instead of the racing the trickest Hodaka 175 in the country, Billy chose to race the trickest Hodaka 250 in the country.  Here's the 175:




I immediately cornered him at sign-up to get the lowdown on his C2 results at the Mexico 6 Days.  I knew he had experienced a 3 minute penalty on Day 1 and spent the next 4.5 days catching back up to finish just behind Fredette.  Great story, but without the penalty he would have finished 9th in C2, top 25 in in E2, and probably gotten The Gold.  

Dan Killian (Thrownchain) and friends showed up for spiritual support, but soon were looking around for a beer cooler. I don't blame them!  Dennis Foley was a no-show.  

So..that's it from the North Coast. For now. But...I'll Be Baaack!

[Tom Murphy]

Tooclose, that's good garage art there, hang that trophy on the wall:(. Better luck this weekend!  Tom

Tom Murphy
'73 250 Hare Scrambler
'74 125 six day
'81 RM125
'82 RM250

[tofriedel]

Bob,Bob,Bob,

Did your forget my advice about maintainence on old motorcycles (new ones to) check everyting to insure it is correct, then check it again.  If you follow this advice, your chances of winning are substancially higher.

By the way have you hired Gary to prep your bikes and go to the races with you?  It might be cheaper than breaking bikes.  LOL

Good luck with your future races and give my regards to your wife.  Amazing what she has to put up with.

Tony

[Mark P]

Bob
I really miss your race reports and reading about your adventures. Have you raced against your arch-nemisis on the highly modified Can-Am recently?