mud? stories

[Mike Lenz]

My first race was on a 1970 125 Penton, the 1971 Prophetstown IL enduro. It was the story of the tortoise and the hare, the hare being me and the tortoise being my dad (well dad wasnt exactly a tortoise but lets just say I was faster). At 14 years old I didnt exactly have my preventative maintenance down pat. My dad kept catching up to me when things like my exhaust fell off (he put it back on with his belt!) or my chain came off, or I ran out of gas,ect,ect. Or when I got stuck in the mud. One place I got stuck was where the course ran along the Rock river, which had been over its banks and the course until just days before the event. I got stuck again and threw my chain. After a while here comes dad to the rescue. As we struggled trying to get the bike out so we could get the chain back on, my dad said to me "you know it seems even muddier here than everywhere else!" Just then we heard water comming down the hill straight for us, looked up to see it was someones septic pump turning on...us. Ah what good fun a clean living father and son relationship will get you!

[robbersroost1]

Mike,   Now I know why you switched to motocross racing. Great story. Ten years later on a KDX 175 at the Macomb IL. enduro I spent so much time upside down, I ran out of gas. Had to hitch hike back to start, almost all were gone, but a few club members. They forced me to sit down and drink beer and eat brats, while they went out and retreived my bike. Don't get much better than that!

Terry Laible

[Rocket]

Mike
I was the club referee for the P-town club for several years, not in 71 though, still in the service.  I do know exactly where you are talking about with the septic tank pumping to the river, some things never change!!
Rocket

[John Ehrhart]

That's about when I started riding enduros--and all my Illinois memories involve mud.
That's also when I got sick of being passed by Pentons on my AT1 and when I got to Arizona for college, I got my Jackpiner.
Then, after college, I landed at home with my GS6 400, and like I had no memory, ran the enduro (don't recall the name) which ran near Cherry Valley. MUD, MUD, MUD. Did I mention mud? I'll have to post a pix of me at the finish some time. At least with all that power I didn't get stuck! For once.

1969 Husqvarna 400 Cross
1974 Monark
1975 Jackpiner
1978 GS6 400
1981 250 MX

[Mike Lenz]

Boy the world is a small place if we both know of the same sewer pipe! Thats too much!! Bet the health dept has that thing pluged up by now though! And Terry FORCED to drink beer...right. One other thought, from the same enduro I believe. Anyone out there been racing an Enduro back in the day on a standard dirt bike, like my 125 six day, and been passed by an 8 speed Husky going wide open down a gravel road? That was one of the scarest things that ever happened to me! Of course it happened to be my cousin ED Lenz and of course he missed me by about an inch. How fast did those things go? I about died from heart failure and a stoning!!

[firstturn]

Mike,
  I don't know how fast the 8 speed would run, but I bet Jake Fischer could tell us...How about it JAKE?

Ron Carbaugh

[HeinzRaidel]

I feel slighted here.  A heading titled "mud" and no southeast Ohio people respond?  I always thought we invented it.  I'm too young to remember Jake Fischer blasting gravel roads, (Scott Ely and Larry Roseler were the mid to late 70's champs there) but I do remember standing on a powerline at Little Burr '72 or '73 as a really young kid and helping my brother pull about 300 bikes up it.  (Little Burr in those days was one long mud rut when it rained) One of the few riders to make it without a pull was Jake.  He hit the bottom at least a gear higher than anyone else and just roosted.  In ensueing years I've went over the bars way too many  times trying to hit hills as hard as Jake did that day.

[TGTech]

Heinz,

I completely concur! Southeast Ohio has at least an equal stake in this forum. I must admit that I never experienced some of the worst to be found down there, but I've heard plenty of stories, not the least of which was the '69 Burr, when J.P. was the only finisher.

Dane

[BrianTaylor]

Dane , Heinz I agree Burr was definatly bad... I somewhat remember 70 or 71 Burr was my first enduro  rained all day before we started. Left starting line at Zaleski ( sp ) of course pouring rain went a couple of hundred yards up the trail and turned straight up this long muddy rut , up and up and up .... bikes, mud all over the place. A torrent of water was actually coming down the ruts on that long climb...13 miles out first check and houred out . I was so thirsty after sloging thru that mess that the first ditch I came across after that check I got down and drank out of it like a dog ..... boy that was my welcome to Ohio mud ..... should have stayed home in Canada LOL Brian T

Brian Taylor

[firstturn]

Dane,
  Thanks for the reminder of the '69 Enduro when J.P. was the only finisher.  I think sometimes people over look the fact that John not only ran a company that turned out motorcyles that were creating a new direction, i.e. small lightweight and dependable, that could win overall, but he was a iron man when it came to enduring pain and the elements.

HeinsRaidel,
  Thank you for the comments about Jake Fischer hitting the hill and making it up.  I sometimes wish people could really imagine how great of a racer Jake was and like so many others trying to raise a family and run a business and still keep people honest at the race track.  Truely one of the Greats and someone who also could ride injured and finish.

Ron Carbaugh