Marquette, Michigan
June 15, 2008

The latest round of the National Enduro Series was held in Marquette Michigan. Marquette is located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It’s a long way from Texas so we left out early Friday morning to make it in time. The drive took us 25 hours only stopping for gas and food. We made it there Saturday morning and had time to get a short nap before heading out to the track for tech inspection and registration. After getting registered we met up with our friends Ed and Tina who made the trip over from Pennsylvania. After dinner it was off to bed for some much needed sleep. Sunday morning we headed to the race still not really awake.

The first section of the race was awesome with nice flowing woods sections, black loamy dirt, some mud and sand and a grass track thrown in right at the start. I had really bad arm pump and lost two minutes 2 minutes to most of my competition right away. I should mention that the week leading up to the race I’ve had a tooth infection and was on antibiotics and vicodin. That mixed in with driving 25 hours was already taking its toll on me. I was missing my lines and every once in a while I would catch myself zoning out looking at the flowers. The next couple of sections were a lot of fun, with more high speed stuff and lots of sand. After the gas stop we headed out and found the first rock sections of the day. I had a couple of problems in the rocks and lost another minute or two. Up until this point I was still doing okay. Somewhere around 12^th or so overall. The last section would change all that though. The last test of the day was 8 miles in length and was reserved for the expert and pro riders only. The trail immediately went into big rock piles with little or no traction. To make matters worse, several of the rock walls had mud holes at the bottoms to further elevate the difficulty. Finally there was one section that I couldn’t make it up. It consisted of real loose rocks and I had to try and drag my bike up it. By this point in the day fatigue had set in and my body just shut down. I started to cramp in both legs and both arms and was having hard time breathing. From here to the finish I just coasted trying to make it. In the end I lost 4 minutes in that section. In the end I finished 21^st overall. Not exactly what I was hoping for considering I drove 2900 miles. After the disappointment of not getting any points I’m not sure that I will be making any more of these this year. On another note, thanks to Paul Blount of Highrise Electric for helping me out with this race. I couldn’t have done it without him. Thanks to everyone else for helping keep me positive and all the well wishes.  See you at the races.

Perry Mountain 24 Hour Hare Scramble

Maplesville, Alabama

June 7-8, 2008

The Perry Mountain 24 Hour race is a team Hare Scramble located in central Alabama annually. I rode this event several years ago and had a great time. This year the TJ’s KTM team called and asked me to go so I quickly jumped at the chance. Over the last month I’ve been remodeling the house and haven’t been getting the riding in like I needed. I was just hoping my fitness would carry me through.
The race is run from 10am Sat. to 10am Sun. We left out Friday after work and made it to the motel around midnight. Six fast hours of sleep later we headed to the track to meet up with everyone else. My teammates were Bryan Johnson, Josh Young, Sean O’Leary and Jeff O’Leary. Josh is the fastest starter so he went out first. On the starting line were several National Enduro, National Hare Scramble, and GNCC winners so we had our work cut out for us. Around 12:30 it was my turn to get on the bike, just as the day was getting good and hot. Up until this point I had never ridden this bike or one like it for that matter. I was just hoping not do too terribly and let everyone down. Arm pump started immediately and it was all I could do to get through the rough course. I finally managed to make it back and hand the bike off to Sean without costing too much time or wrecking the bike. I got back on the bike 4 hours later and felt a little better. The course was getting rougher, but at least I was starting to get adjusted to the bike. My arm pump was just as bad though. On my bike I run the Flexx Bars and I guess I’m spoiled by not getting arm pump anymore.  I was having a real problem pushing very hard.  After I got off this time the lights would go on and the night portion would start. There were some problems with the light at first and we lost 10 minutes or so getting it worked out. After that I got some supper and tried to get a little rest. Evidently someone knew exactly when I fell asleep though and decided to put on huge fire works display. After that I got up and waited on my next turn to ride. I hadn’t ridden at night since the last time I was here, but I remember it being a lot of fun. Night riding is almost like riding another course because everything looks different. My turn came around at 12:30am and Jeff handed the bike off to me. He mentioned that the throttle cable stuck, but it seemed okay now. A mile into the dark and it stuck again. After sitting in the dark messing with it I found the problem to be that the cable was falling apart and just barely hanging on. I had to finesse the bike back to the pits and the crew did a great job of changing it out. We lost another 20 minutes though. After that I went out and did another lap and this time the light was giving me problems, kind of like riding with a strobe light. I didn’t have a helmet light so it was a little frustrating to say the least. After I handed the bike off it was time to try and get some sleep. I say try ‘cause at a 24 hr race you never really sleep. 10 minutes here and 20 there, but it never really feels like you get anything. Around 5 I got up and headed back to the pits to wait on my last turn to ride. By this time daylight was coming up and the crew had taken the light off the bike. I felt better this time, just a little tired and groggy. My hands never really did get any better and the blisters were getting worse on both hands. After I finished my laps it was time to shower and get some breakfast. We had been running in 7^th place since the throttle cable problem, but we were slowly catching up. In the end we ran out of time. The team ended up 7^th overall and 5^th in the Elite class. 6^th place was only 2 minutes in front of us and 5^th was only 9 minutes ahead. Without a couple of glitches we could have been up in the top 5 overall for sure.
Two days later and I’m still tired and I’m sure everyone else on the team is feeling the same. Thanks to so many people this week. All of TJ’S KTM guys for staying up all night and taking care of us. Thanks for letting me be a part of it. That’s all for now, I have to get ready for Michigan in 2 days. See you at the races.

Texas State Championship Enduro Series

Nacogdoches, TX

Sunday, May 4, 2008

The last round of the Texas Enduro Series was held at Cycleland Off-road Park. Cycleland is located in Nacogdoches Texas just a few hours away. I’ve been really busy lately with moving and working a lot, but my good friend Wes McKnight was the event chairman so I went to help and support him. I was also the designated time keeper on my row so I had 3 other people depending on me.
Saturday before the race was spent moving so we got up at 4:30 Sunday morning and hurried to the race. King Tieken and Chuck Wojcik were on my row and they helped me get the computer and the score card mounted up. Craig Chedsey was also on the row with me giving me someone to ride with in the faster sections.
The first couple of miles were nice and easy at a slow pace to get warmed up. The first test was in a 24mph section and this would be where the work started. Immediately in the test my bike died almost as if it had run out of gas, but it was full. So after five minutes of looking it over and trying to kick start it I got it to run. Another mile or so later it would die again and I would repeat the process. Finally after the third or fourth time of doing this I found the problem to be a kinked fuel line. Strange since this was the fuel line that had been on the bike since it was new. I guess it got old and broke down. I managed to get back to the pits and change it, but I had already lost 15 minutes. After changing it out I went back out and got back on time with the rest of the guys in my row. The rest of the day I didn’t have any problems, but I wasn’t riding too hard, just having a good time riding with Craig. Thanks to King, Chuck and Craig for coming and trying and Enduro with me. Sorry the course was so tuff. Thanks to Cycleland for putting on a great event. See you at the races.

National Enduro Series Rnd # 4
Fluvanna, TX
Sunday, April 20, 2008 

If one word could describe this race it would be disappointment. Round 4 of the National Enduro series was held this past weekend outside of Lubbock Texas. The area is dry and rocky with big canyons here and there. With no rain yet this year the course was extremely dusty. The best way to explain the terrain would be to think about riding on marbles up and down hills. Needless to say my day didn’t go so well. I rode very conservatively trying not to fall, and my scores were reflecting it. In the second to the last test I was trying to pass a lapper in a dry creek bed which was only wide enough for one bike. My idea of riding up the wall didn’t work out and I landed on him in a big pile. After that I was riding really poorly. I got a little overheated and started making mistakes. In the last test while trying to pass a lapper in the dust I caught a tree limb in the radiator. While still trying to ride I was looking down to see the hole and ran off the trail into an even larger tree. I would crash one more time in this section before it was over. After knocking the hole in the radiator I rode really easy just trying to finish. The last test probably cost me 4 or so positions overall. In the end I finished 16^th overall which to some people might be okay, but to me is terrible. I got beat by several people who never finish ahead of me further irritating me.
Overall the club did a good job with what they had. The ‘A’ only sections of the trail were extremely difficult and the ‘Chuck Norris Hill’ was just plain scary. Now on to the next one. Thanks to Charlie Marshall of Columbus Cycle Shop, Moose racing and Flexx Handlebars. See you at the races.

TSCEC/SERA Enduro
Cravens, LA
Sunday, April 13, 2008

The Louisiana trail riders held the most recent round of the Texas Enduro Series just south of Leesville LA.  The event was co-sanctioned with the Southern Enduro Riders Association making for some stiff competition. I’m not chasing points in either series, but I really like the terrain so I decided to go. Plus after the whooping the SERA guys put on me at the National I was looking for a little redemption. The trails are a mix of tight sandy woods with a lot of roots, to more wide open pine forests. This was my first time-keeping event in a couple of seasons so I was a little rusty. Luckily it would be a mostly restart format.
My riding partner and I headed up early Saturday to make sure and find a Hotel and get the computer all programmed. After the race prep we headed back to Hotel for a good nights sleep. Somewhere in the middle of an awesome dirt-bike dream I was awakened to an animal of some sort running across my bed. Upon further inspection we realized there was a squirrel sharing our room. He wasn’t very big, but we were in a ‘no pets’ room so he had to go. After all the excitement we got up and headed to the track.  

Off the start we rode a couple of miles of beat up 4-wheeler trail, and then it was into the 1^st test. Test 1 was around 10 miles in length and was mostly virgin single track with some fairly tight sections. It was a really good way to start the day and get warmed up. I crashed once, and got lost for 20 or so seconds, but otherwise rode okay. I ended up dropping a 7 and the 2^nd place guy dropped an 8. Evidently he got lost longer than I did. I would go on to win 3 more tests, and get beaten by 5 seconds in another. I finished the day really strong and rode better than I have since before I was hurt 2 months ago. I ended up winning with a 14 and Cliff Ousley was 2^nd with a 15. The 3^rd place rider dropped a 17. Overall the day was great. Some of the test sections may have been the best I’ve ever ridden. The race was a little short due to lack of manpower, but overall the club did a good job. Thanks to everyone for their support. See you at the races.

STORM Hare Scramble

Columbus, TX

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Round 2 of the Storm Hare Scramble series was held this past weekend just outside of Houston in Forest Hill Louisiana. The terrain is what I grew up riding so I had really been looking forward to this race. Unfortunately I tore some ligaments in my ankle at the Georgia round and had been on the couch for the previous three weeks. Luckily the club had set up a nice practice loop and I was able to ride a couple of laps on Saturday to make sure I still knew how. On Sunday morning the trail started out with a nice 3 mile warm up before the first test. The trails were in excellent condition with just the right amount of moisture to really make the sandy, piney woods a lot of fun. The morning loop went well and I was fairly pleased with the way I was riding. Not aggre Columbus TX. This year I’m not chasing points in this series, but I figured it would be good practice. The race was held at Brunes Mill ranch and the course was great! It’s one of those places that your really having a good time the entire day on the bike and then you’re a little sad when it’s over. The track consisted of sand whoops, rocky creek bottoms, tight woods and open fields, a great mix. I went out Saturday and mountain biked the entire course to try and get in a good workout. After that I rode a couple of laps with some friends and headed back into Houston for the night. On Sunday Krystal and I got up early and made it out in time to watch the morning race and cheer on Bill Chedsey. After his race it was time to go. My class was really small this weekend with only 5 or 6 guys, probably due to the fact that Texas has 7 off-road series. Martin Howell was there though, and I knew he would push me. On the start I made sure and got the lead as to not get dusted out or have rocks thrown at me. For the first couple of miles Martin was all over me, but just when I was worried about having to ride that hard for 2 hours he made a bobble and I started to gap him. From there on I charged and just tried to ride mistake free to the finish. I’m pretty happy with my riding right now; I just need to work on my fitness. Towards the end of the race I started to get winded. Overall it was a good weekend. The course was awesome, the spectators were great and I got some really good practice in. Thanks to Columbus Cycle Shop, Moose Racing and Flexx Handlebars for all their hard work. See you at the races.

Lousiana National Enduro
Forest Hill, LA
Sunday, March 16, 2008


Round 3 of the National Enduro Series was held just a couple hours ssive enough, but still at a decent pace. After the first section of the afternoon I really started to get tired. The fatigue ended up costing me a couple of minutes probably with stupid little mistakes like crashing or stalling the bike. I took in around 150 oz of fluids throughout the day, but I was still worn out. I guess all the pop-tarts were taking their toll. In the end I was 11^th overall and 8^th in the Pro class. I’m fairly happy with my results, but I just wish I could have trained a little beforehand. O’well, I had a great time, me and a couple friends got to go on a really awesome trail ride and none of us got hurt. Well, maybe our Ego. The ankle is still a little sore, but hopefully I’ll be ready to go for the next one. Thanks to everyone for their support. See you at the races












Georgia National Enduro
Atlanta, GA
Sunday, February 24, 2008

It’s the end of Feb. now and the season is 2 races old. Unfortunately for me I only competed in 1 of them. The first round of the year was held in South Carolina and I decided too late to enter. By the time I got to it I was outside row 100 so I opted not to go.

Round 2 was held in Georgia an hour outside of Atlanta.  After the problems with pre-entry in South Carolina I entered really early and got a good spot on row 44. After work on Friday I met up with my riding buddies and we headed out for the 14 hour drive.

The Georgia course consisted of tight single track with clay based soil. The area had received several inches of rain during the week making the trails extremely slick.

The 1^st test of the day was and eye opener to the tightness and slipperiness of it all. With temps in the 40’s and starting with out a warm-up couple with trail conditions I got extreme arm pump. I managed to get through without dropping the bike, but my time was terrible. The 2^nd test was a little better, but not much. By the 3^rd test my arm pump was starting to subside, but I wasn’t riding very well. In the next test my day just got worse. About half way through the test I miss-judged a creek crossing. I was carrying too much speed to slow down and go through it, but not really enough to jump it. At the last minute I tried to jump it and came up about 5 feet short. I cased into the opposite side wall coming to a complete stop. The impact jarred my entire body and I knew immediately my ankle was hurt, maybe even broken. Since I was in a test section I tried not to spend too much time crying and got going as quickly as possible. I finished that test and didn’t lose too much time. In the next test I could feel the swelling begin, and by the last test I was in survival mode trying to make sure my foot didn’t touch anything.

In the end Team Texas didn’t fair so well. I finished 27^th overall. Wes McKnight lost his muffler in a test and spent a ton of time getting it fixed. Jeff O’Leary had the flu and used a lot of his time throwing up and finally pulled out. Chuck Wojcik finished 12^th in his class, but admittedly rode terrible and Ed Ponikvar, our Pennsylvania transplant, rode well but just got beat finishing 19^th. Cole Kirkpatrick was the only one of us who finished respectively with a 10^th overall.

It’s now 5 days later and I’m still on the couch with an ice bag on my foot. It’s not broke, but swelled up, purple and hurting like hell. Hopefully with enough rest I’ll be ready for the next one in Louisiana and maybe a little redemption. Thanks to everyone for all the support. See you at the races.

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