The Great Lakes Grand Prix was held on October 10/11 by Baja Acres, a downstate Michigan motorcross organization that was trying to promote one of their events up north. It was held at the Otsego Club, which is an exclusive golf and ski resort. I don't think there has been a motocross/grand prix type event held on a ski hill in Michigan, or probably very few places in the states for that matter. The course was about 3.5 miles long and utilized some of the Otsego Club's ski hills (picture of the course below). I think it was a huge success and sounds like they will do it again. Here's a write up from Baja Acres about the event: http://bajaacres.com/events/glmx-grand-prix-at-otsego-club/ When we first heard about this event we were just going to spectate, but somewhere along the line my husband Mark decided he wanted to compete in it and what's good for the goose is good for the big fat chicken right??? We show up at the Otsego Club bright and early Saturday morning, temps were about 35 degrees, but it was clear and eventually warmed up a little before it started raining and snowing in the afternoon. I figured I had the best chance of survival and not get run over if I ran with the Schoolboy class and Women's Sr. class that started at 10:50 am. As a 46 year old chick who has been a casual trail rider for about 10 years and who’s only competition has been a couple Family Enduros, I was just slightly unprepared for what was in store Saturday. I somehow thought this was more of an enduro type event and I think my first clue that I was in trouble was the fact that I was one of two orange bikes running at 10:50 am, I was riding the only bike with bark busters and a kickstand …and was the only one wearing a Camelbak. Uh ohhh.... On the site lap I stalled half way up one of the steepest hills and wasted about 80% of my energy just getting started and going again.:foul: Was so winded and going so slow that by the time I made it around to the start, my class was just taking off for the first race lap and the flagman was waiving me to keep going. I was seeing black dots swimming before my eyes, my motor skills and coordination were shaky, and I thought about quitting, but knew I would obsess about it for years if I let myself do that. Went into survival mode and limped through the three race lapse and completed them. Passed three of the teenage girls in my class who had crashed, but they all passed me back at some point due to my awesome MX skills... I hate sand with a passion and am lucky enough to live near and ride the Tomahawk trails (http://vvmapping.com/trails/tomahawk.html) which probably have the least amount of sand in the LP, so my sand riding skills stink and those left hand corners that go straight up the sandy ski hills were a killer for me but I decided I’d rather be run over by a herd of quadtards than stall on those GD hills again and managed to get up all of them without stalling/crashing. It’s amazing what a healthy dose of fear can do for your motivation!!! Started getting lapped by the faster kids and after letting them by me I would tuck in behind them and follow their lines. This actually helped me a lot since I didn't know what in the heck I was doing and felt like a fish out of water. Got roosted several times and ate several sand sandwiches with a few sides of sand and a sand milkshake…even found sand in my ears later on! Saw the flagman waiving the checkered flag, asked if we were done, and when he nodded yes I was excited…I had survived! Rode the golf cart path back to the parking lot, got off my bike, got down on my hands and knees and kissed the pavement! I’ve been riding my husband’s KTM200 for about a month and a half and aside from it being just a little too tall, the bike performed awesome and all the mistakes made were rider related, not due to the bike. Rode the dog snot out of the 200 and finally blew all the spooge out that has been accumulating from me putting around on it while I’ve slowly gotten used to it this past month or so. So what did I learn? I don’t think much of MX or Grand Prix, or whatever that was...it's all French to me and smells funny. But I do have a newfound respect for the endurance these riders have. Woods riding is much more comfortable to me and I think enduros are much more my style. I still hate sand with a passion, but had to face my demons or die, so it was kind of like shock therapy and got me over my paranoia of riding sand lol! My husband thought it was hilarious that I was so traumatized by the sand and has been telling me for years I need to get better at riding in it...guess I should listen to him once in a while eh? When it was all said and done, I had a blast and the whole environment was so cool and so picturesque. Riding up and down a ski hill on your dirt bike is not something you get to do very often. I would do this event again in a heartbeat!!! Write up in RiderX about the event with some video footage: http://www.racerxonline.com/article/great-lakes-grand-prix-report.aspx Some event photos of me (don't laugh ) http://ssi.dotphoto.com/CPViewAlbum.asp?AID=6001674&IID=225904116&Page=1 Some event photos of my husband since he was on the ONLY Husky in the entire event: http://ssi.dotphoto.com/CPViewAlbum.asp?AID=6001677&IID=225904116&Page=1 and some random pictures: Thanks for reading!
Thanks for the write up. Looks like fun. Glad to hear you started to conquer the sand. Might as well Michigan is full of it.
Looks like quite an adventure in a really pretty setting. Excellent account of your day. I hadn't raced in years and years (and years), when I decided to ride the Elsinore Grand Prix in 2003. Back in the day, I enjoyed GP better than anything and was also very good at it, but after a twenty year layoff things had changed more than I would ever know. I entered as an intermediate, but as soon as the flag dropped I knew that I was in trouble. I spent most of the race trying not to get run over by little girls on mini bikes and being lapped by nearly everybody but the flagmen. So, your write up brings a small smile of recognition to my face. And I hate sand, too.
^ glad I made you smile! My goal was to survive and complete all the lapse, but it still stinks getting lapped by all the teeny boppers! I'm a glutton for punishment though, so I'm sure I'll do it again! Sort of like a cleansing, makes you appreciate the little things, like living to see another day!
Hey Stacey! Wow, does that look like a fun time! I'm glad you and Mark were able to race it. I can't believe how many names I recognize in the results. Guys I raced enduro's with years ago, and now their childrens' names are listed! Ahhh! Sand is your friend, learn to embrace it. Literally, after you go over the bars. Have you seen the Trip to the Tip thread here on CH? I'm taking the 310 to Baja.
Sand is your friend my arse! It's my arch enemy and I shall decimate it (do I sound tough???) I did check out the Trip to the Tip thread; looks very interesting and it's on our bucket list. Not this year though unfortunately. You all better watch your bikes like hawks down there. A bunch of beautiful Huskys will be an attactive nusance for the dirtbags down there...
