I've raced 2 weeks in row and might make it 3 at the NY GNCC this coming Sunday. I did the AMA D4 Sprint Enduro a week ago and then the WNYOA HS this past Sunday. The TE125 is working well, but you really have to be on your game! After the Sprint Enduro.... Racing the HS.... I do stand!
Sprint Enduro and Hare Scrambles are two different animals Ray, so you ride them differently.... At least at my speed. Sprint Enduro is hammer down and ride the test (about 5 miles) as fast as you can. When you check out of the section, you get a pause before you check in for the next section. Our last one had two sections, which you repeat.... One was more an enduro test and the other was a more cross test. In the pause, you can change settings, get a drink, think about the section. You're only timed in the section, but you do have to complete the requisite number of sections within a time schedule. Hare Scrambles is a whole different animal around here.... 2-3 hours of straight racing, on 8-12 mile loop and terrain/speed can really vary in the loop. You have to pace yourself, learn the loop and try to pick your pace up in subsequent laps. You are doing a lot of passing and being passed, during the race. I had enough fuel and my drink pack, so I never pitted in 2+ hours. I had a few stalls and minor crashes, so I wanted to make up some time. I rode much better at the Sprint Enduro and I really prefer any of the enduro formats, to Hare Scrambles. I will say that Hare Scrambles are good seat time, to improve my "Race Mode"!
I rode the D4 Sprint Enduro today. A very technical test section, that didn't get all that much easier on successive rides. It had sweet grass track, awesome woods sections, technical hill climbs/down hills and natural endurocross section, in an area of blow downs. A nicer format than a Hare Scrambles, in a small venue.
Edit of the test section, at the Crazy Grouse. Vid doesn't do justice to how steep and off camber it is... View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QW78N4lhpYo
Only seen the first 5 minutes, but I gotta say you are a born racer ... That grass stuff looked especially slick to me and never was a fan of the wet leaves stuff in the woods ....
Ray, This is what we ride pretty much everyday and if it ever dries out... it gets slicker yet! Not many chocolate cake traction moments here. This is what it looked like leaving home that day....
PS and yes if I were riding/racing in that neck of the woods I would use full wrap hand guards......those trees .....
Trend is heading towards moto hand guards at the top level.... Ben Smith won the overall Sunday, running them. Kaliub Russell is running them now at National Enduros, where as before he'd run flag style at GNCC, ISDE, but full wrap at NEPG and Rich Lafferty just posted this vid.... View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW0Ki2WxNQA
using ARC Memlon levers (stupidly unbreakable) with Husky parts blue anodized nylon insert slipper clamps so no more Teflon tape with my husky parts (KTM) "flag" type handguards. Those EE open end ones appear more stiff than my husky parts oem flags. and I use the motion pro Titan tube throttle (Its insane in it ability to endure damage and still slides good). I may consider those EE ones in the future. thanks for posting Norm.
Nice. Racing keeps ya young. And it's good to put a face to the man. I just realized why you use this emoticon so much!. It really IS you!!! Have fun and keep rippin'!
Rob everytime I think of you I think of that picture of you with something GNARLY poking out of your arm and you getting ready to gnaw it out or something! Love seeing faces with the forum personalities!
