Muddyboxer > Muddyboxer's Blog Posts > Pikes Peak Quick Summary

August 11, 2008 16:57

Clearly, I wasn’t able to keep up the blog posts during race week. We had to get up each day to be on The Mountain before sun-up so that practice could be maximized during the short time alotted between Sunrise and 8:30 AM. We generally got 6-8 runs in each day. During these practice days, the cool, early morning air and overnight showers left the gravel sections with a lot of traction. Even though it was still challenging terrain, most of us felt pretty good about our performance and showed good progression in reducing our times from one run to the next. Our qualifying run and start order were determined by the last run on Day 1 of practice. Ben & I were to start with Rob Smith (Buell) in the last row of the 1200cc class which was also the last class to make the run up The Mountain. The only vehicles staged to follow us to the top were a pair of smoke belching semi trucks capable of making the run in the 13 minute range. That was mildly intimidating! Race Day arrived on Sunday after a day off which we used to install the fresh Michelin Rain race tires we used and get the bikes polished up and looking good with sponsor decals and such. All the torque settings, tire pressures and fluid levels were closely inspected and Max showed up with race gas for the big day. Race Day turned out to be one heckuva test. We left the hotel at 4AM so we could be in the Pit Area by 5AM. The 1200cc class was supposed to stage approximately by 11:30AM and we had some time to sit, reflect, and mentally prepare for the race while trying to keep out of the hot sun. We were able to see the summit of Pikes Peak from our pit area and had plenty of time to stare at it and process the challenge before us. There was delay after delay as both car and bike competitors met their match during the morning. Med-flight helicopters made several trips and the TV helicopter was constantly circling overhead. Our group was finally told to stage and we made the slow parade to the start line as other bike classes were sent off in groups to make their run. More delays. We staged and then were told to move aside several times to let rescue equipment through. They finally sent us off close to 4PM after standing around in full racing gear in the hot sun all day with all kinds of hubub playing with your confidence. Expressions like “These are the worst road conditions we’ve seen in 12 years” or “This is a record number of red flags for this event” trickled back to us from competitors that had already made the run.

After enduring the grueling trip just making it to the start line, we finally made the grid. Ben & I had agreed ahead of time that I’d let him get the jump off the line since I knew he and his Megamoto would blow me away on the 1st paved section. I figured I’d be able to take the Buell rider, Rob Smith off the line and keep him at bay since I had a better qualifying time than he did. It wasn’t to play out that way once the flag dropped. I watched Ben & Rob slip away and made the mental decision right there to just ride well and keep it safe rather than become another statistic. I hoped I could reel them back in on the gravel sections like I had been doing during the practice days. The paved section was exactly as it was in practice, fast – sweeping turns and good smooth pavement. There was one other little detail playing tricks with my head that kept me from going full tilt in the paved areas. We had seen evidence of the Trophy Trucks cutting the corners and pulling a lot of gravel into the turns. The last thing I wanted to see after committing to a turn was gravel spread side to side. I wondered if this was why there had been so much carnage with the riders earlier in the day. I found clean roads and gassed it out of the corners after entering them somewhat cautiously. The dirt sections, normally where I would be the most comfortable, were nothing like what we experienced during practice. There was no moisture in the surface. Instead, it was like someone had spread marbles over pavement… hard underneath and littered with pebbles. I couldn’t get any confidence from the front end and the comfortable powerslides of practice eluded me. It became an effort to hang on in the turns and try to make up time in the straighter sections. I’m positive that my HP2 was the biggest, tallest, heaviest bike there… thank goodness for horsepower – YEAH!!! I have never been so happy to see a paved section than I was once I made it to the switchbacks in the middle part of the course. I had found this section with it’s sheer drop offs and complete lack of peripheral reference to be rather intimidating during practice and my times showed this, but during the race, I was a happy guy to see that twisted section of pavement. I think I was able to best my practice times through this section. Then comes another 4-5 mile section to the top and it’s all gravel. I felt slow through the corners and did my best to hammer it on the straights. I was still feeling physically strong and managing the altitude well when three turns from the top, I saw bike parts in the road. Then I saw a rider walking down the road towards me and a bike parked a little further up. Immediately I slowed up, prepared to hang it up and felt good about having made it most of the way. As I braked I realized it was Ben and prepared to put my stand down and assist him – all the while wondering how close behind those damn semis were. Ben starts yelling “Go. Go. Go.” I yell back “Are you OK?” “Yes – just go!!!” And I’m off again – only three more turns. I crossed the finish line in 15minutes, 36 seconds. I had hoped to be under the 15 minute mark, but all things considered, I’ve got a mark I know I can beat next year… Did I just say that out loud??? Ben also finished – he crossed the line by pulling on the throttle cable with one hand and steering with the other. An impressive feat at the end of the race and at that altitude. The semis both came across the line sideways a short time later.

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