Thunder Ridge MX AHRMA NE Aug 16

[tooclose racing]

Well, time to clean the air filter, tighten and lube everything up, and get the Six Day ready for tomorrow.  Anybody else heading to New Berlin, NY this weekend?

What a beautiful thing when the driving time to a race is about 1.5 hours.  Since my last race (Broome National VMX), I've mounted up an FMF Powercore and thrown on some shorter power levers to give them them a try. Yes I know..the levers may not really be in "spirit" of things...but gentlemen - it's a war out there!  I am curious about their feel - but I'll be doing a couple of CCs in the Fall where I think they will help out just a tiny bit when it comes to avoiding the trees. [B)]

FOR THIS RACE...I have tightened down the hose clamps on my 28 mm Mikuni mount-up with a socket head instead of just a flat head (duh..)and pulled a piece of inner tube around the carb cap to provide a little more "insulation" from it's inevitable interference with the stock exhaust.  I'm running just a little rich with my 165 Main, but something tells me that's not necessarily a bad thing.  

My work out schedule has just sucked - I'm no Ernie Phillips for chrissakes (Ernie  - is it just me, or have you cut some serious POUNDS this year? You look like an Ironman in those Ohio VMX photos - []). I'm averaging about one or two hours trail riding on a mountain bike each week.  But its just totally different on the MX track.  I've practiced once on local sand track (Moto-Masters in Mexico, NY) with my daughter - they have a $20/person Wednesday night practice.  Conclusion - I am very fast...for two laps.  

I'll send in the post-race "autopsy" next week!

[Ernie Phillips]

Bob,  Hang on tight – to the handlebars and the carb!  We have 2 bikes running 28mm Mikuni's with hose clamp/rubber hose manifold.  On the Six-Day, no problems.  On the Berkshire, it keeps sliding back.  Luckily it still sealed enough to allow the engine to run.  We did a race-day rig at Mid-Ohio with a bungee cord (yikes) to help keep things together.  So... pay attention to that carb mount – don't want to hear about no carb fallin' off.

Just as there is a huge difference in rider skill within the AHRMA crowd, there is a corresponding huge difference in rider physical condition.  Improving race day performance is all about motivation to do the off-track conditioning which takes time and effort.  Getting my butt kicked more than once and by riders with less skill and inferior bikes ... that's what got me motivated.   The secret to success:  Hindu Squats and boiled okra.  (Do the squats and stay away from the okra.)

Good luck!!  -EP


Ernie P.
Chattanooga, TN

[brian kirby]

For the record, I like fried okra, but boiled is nasty.

Brian

'73 Berkshire

[tooclose racing]

Well I held on...and had fun.  Our event had a small, but enthusiastic turnout and about 8 bikes lined up for 125 race.  Alex Moroz (AHRMA NE ) doesn't actally run the AHRMA classes for this non-points paying event, going with pre-75 and post 75 for 125s and 250/Open, along with the age classes.  Oh..and an emphasis on family!  It's a great location - up on a Ridge, imagine that - with a great view of the Leatherstocking country. The course had some fun elevation changes to it and at least one jump that had me thinking..."I have not flown this high, or this far...this year!". Those 35mm Cerianis (obtained thru this POG message board!) just took it all in without a complaint.

Bike ran great and I was able to beat everybody but an 18 year old running a really nice 76 or 77 YZ125.  He got away from me both motos.  Once again, I raced a lot smarter in the second moto than the first and was a lot easier on myself as a result. The Six Day ran just fine and the carb stayed tight (for the most part...).  

Thunder Ridge actually has two tracks (side by side) and the "practice" track was open, which allowed me to do some riding between motos with my 16 yr old and her TTR.  Of course, she thinks I'm ready to go as soon as I pull in from my race.  I almost let her sign up for the Youth race, but she didn't get any practice time on the race course, so I invoked my Veto power.  We still had fun running the practice track.  

Wife was happy because we drove thru an Antique Dealer show in Madison, NY on the way to the race. A LARGE show.  Racing was done by 2:00 pm and she had a big smile on her face in anticipation of the inevitable "drive-by and stop-n-shop" on the way back. We did!

[Ernie Phillips]

Fantastic!  Isn't racing much more fun when you don't have to rebuild the bike between motos?  Those dang 18 year olds ... too much energy for their own good.  Sounds like a wonderful outing and I know all about those antique dealers [8D]

Ernie P.
Chattanooga, TN