Combs 2009

[Ernie Phillips]

Pretty wet here.  Day one done and all Flying Squirrels finsihed.    Rodger Parris' Husky was swept out from under him.  He was not hurt but the Husky is still missing.  Our Penton's are running fine and are preped and ready for day two.



Ernie P.
Chattanooga, TN

[tmc3c]

Thanks for the update!! Ride safe!!



Thomas Carmichael


1970 125 Six Day
1976 250 Hare Scrambler

[Lew Mayer]

MSN Weather has a Flash Flood warning for there. Get yer water wings on.[:0]

Lew Mayer

[Dennis Jones]

It's amazing how well that area can take a lot of rain and still offer good riding. Have fun guys,wish I was there,nursing a bad back.

Dennis Jones

[wfopete]

Awesome ride and great dust control!

I can't say enough for the Razorback Riders club and the guys who stuck it out through two days of one of the most demanding CC's I've been have rode in some time. The brigde back to the campgrounds was washed way which required a major re-route to get folks back from the trail to camp.  As of noon Sunday one of two missing bikes was recovered but the primo Husky was still minnow bait [V] . At least it wasn't Speedy, Roger or Corky the minnows were feasting on.

Plenty of soggy bench racing stories will come of this ride.

Pete Petrick
175 Jackpiner
Slow but Good

[Dwight Rudder]

The club did a great job with the event.  I would love to see the ISDTR there in a year or two. ( in drier weather )
Dwight

[Ernie Phillips]

Day One continued:  77 riders started Saturday's event.  As waters rose, creek crossings became hazardous.  Boulders the size of basketballs were being carried down stream occasionally bumping into unlucky riders.  Speedy had a very close call but escaped unharmed.  A large tree was washed down stream and took out the portable bridge leading to and from start/finish area.  The afternoon special was thrown out due to riders being stranded on wrong side of creek.  The Flying Squirrels started on row #1 and this was an advantage under these conditions.  At the end of a very wet day, we were in 3rd place in initial Team scoring.  However, when the second special was thrown out, we dropped to 7th.

Day Two:  53 riders started Sunday's event.  Rainy and very wet.  Course shortened to 12 miles with only one special at top of mountain.  Special was very tuff single track.  No, it was a very tuff single rut, many times a very deep rut ... full of muddy water.  One time the rut would only be 3 inches deep and you just splash through.  The next time it was 12 inches deep swallowing the bike, knocking the rider's boots off the pegs and out of control.  And, then there were the roots at all angles trying to move the front wheel out from under you.  Some guys were able to go very quickly.   I wasn't.  No MX due to regular MX track under water.  RR attempted to layout course across road on high and well drained pasture but that area was too soggy as well.

Razorback Riders did a fantastic job under difficult condition.  Thanks to all the volunteers who helped out.  Thanks to Teddy for his enthusiasm and never-give-up attitude.  Thanks also to all the riders and support crews who traveled near and far to enjoy these old Vintage Bikes, the great Arkansas outdoors and genuine hospitality of all involved.  


Ernie P.
Chattanooga, TN

[Larry Perkins]

Thanks for the report, Ernie.  

Sounds like a good way to ruin a nice old bike to me.  Or perhaps to lose one like Roger Paris.  Perhaps sometimes vacation time and plane reservations should be less important than rider safety and a good fair event with more ideal circumstances?  This weather was easy to see coming and even a amatuer meterologist could see it was not going to change and the outcome was forseeable.

Sounds like you had some enjoyment though; Ernie, and that is a good thing.

Larry P

[Mick Milakovic]

quote:Originally posted by Lew Mayer

MSN Weather has a Flash Flood warning for there. Get yer water wings on.[:0]

Lew Mayer

Watch for pictures, I think we will have proof of this!

By now most of you know my daughter Ambr.  She went and raced with me at Combs this weekend and to be honest, I was a little worried about her.  Her experience does not include much mud, little elevation change, and NO ROCKS!  I stressed many times, but ultimately she is a champion!  She finished both days, and I had the pleasure to ride Sunday with her because no one in my class returned for compettion.  Instatnt gold for me, all I had to do was finish.  Well, to make a long story short, I rode beheind her on Sunday and was impressed as she plowed through water holes, negotiated the single track special test, climbing hills and rocks without missing a beat!  She's not real fast, but if she can do that she can do anything!  Oh yea, it was a borrowed bike because her's blew up last weekend.  Thank you Mr. Ellis!

Mick

[Larry Perkins]

Way to go Ambr!  Congrats to both of you guys, Mick.  Sorry I did not get to see you guys but not sorry I was dry at home.

Larry P

[firstturn]

Way to go Ambr and Mick.  And thanks Gary for helping Ambr out with a ride.[8D]

Ron Carbaugh

[vmxracer]

thanks guys. i was freaking out watching riders go up that first hill. after i defeated that, i was pumped to get some more! i loved th track. and the mud only made for a better challenge. my only wish is that i would not have been one of the last minutes to go off, so i didn't get caught on the wrong side of the creek. It was great to meet all kinds of new people. and a big thanks goes out to Brian Kirby for working on my 'borrowed bike' for quite some time. Brian- say hi to your mom for me!!

Ambr Milakovic
"Black Beauty"

[brian kirby]

OK, it was wet but the Flying Squirrels were lucky and we were row #1 so we went through the tests before they got really bad. I was the first one through all the tests so I had to snag vines and look for where the new sections of trail went, but on balance it was a big advantage. AHRMA does not recognize overall winners, but I think I had the lowest score for Vintage on Saturday and was second to Tim Hamilton (Mag 250 Husky) on Sunday. I had a clean run all weekend, I didnt fall, didnt get stuck, only hit a few trees (which is rare for me I usually hit all of them) and I didnt even need to adjust my chain.

Ambr did very well even though she had not really ever ridden in anything near the conditions we had. As a matter of fact, there were a lot of more experienced riders that quit half way through Saturday or didnt start Sunday, but she kept going. Despite the weather, rocks, ruts and falling down (a lot I heard) she had a big smile on her face all weekend. I know her Dad was very proud of her, and he had good reason.



The snorkel and the floaties were a joke but I almost needed them a few times.




The Flying Squirrels crossing the bridge




Ambr crossing the bridge




End of the first loop Saturday, the bridge is still there.




Row 1 leaving for the Sunday loop




"Wild Bill" Ryburn starting Sunday with Ambr waiting in the next row. Mick is in the background under the porch of the clubhouse.




"The Bridge" after the tree came down the creek and took it out.

The rest of the pictures my Mom took can be seen at the link below to my Picasa album for Combs.

http://picasaweb.google.com/LillianSwamp/Combs09#

Brian

'73 Berkshire

[Larry Perkins]

Nice pics, Brian.  Thanks and Congrats on your excellent ride!

I have crossed that stream where the bridge is perhaps 2 dozen times over the years between Vintage and Modern racing and never saw it look like the river it is in that picture.  Good thing you got to use the bridge, eh?

Larry P

[brian kirby]

YES, I was very glad the trailer bridge was there especially coming back at the end of the first loop.

Its hard to tell from the angle of the picture, but when we went across Saturday morning the water level was where it usually is, and I had thoughts of going through it. I decided to wimp out and use the bridge, but after the rain really started half way through the first loop the water really rose fast. When we got back from the first loop it was not near the top of the trailer, but it was far too high to even dream of riding through it. My Mom was watching when the bridge washed out, it was not the water, a tree washed loose from the bank of the creek about 30 yds up from the trailer and it is what took the bridge out.

Brian

'73 Berkshire