Submitted Race Reports
Nov 7th MOVMX Season Finale Report from Greenwood Missouri
Submitted by Hollywood Mark Jarecki #45Q
Whoduh thunk the outcome and race day Nov. 7th 2004 at Greenwood would have turned out the way it did. You couldn't have begun to predict this one. Before I begin I hope someone adds all the other pertinent info, as this is only my slant on the weekend as I'm bushed and a bit sore today. Greenwood has become my favorite track. It's also our closest venue, a mere 4 hour drive north. We leave early Saturday morning and arrive at the track around noon. Curtis and a few others are preparing this mostly natural terrain track. It was a beautiful sunny day and I didn't mind laying down a couple of miles of white surveyors tape, <g> plus this gave me the edge I needed to become familiar with this layout. I knew where every soft spot was, every root, every kicker, I was One with the soil, Cool. By 4 or 5 we were at the Motel, had a couple of beverages and ordered our customary pre-race pizza, I was out by 9:00 and up at 5 A.M. I feel great. RACE DAY...When Tena and I arrived at 7ish, Randy, Muck, Dave, and Austin, Bob Garner were present. It was 38 degrees in KC but warmed to nearly 70 by mid-afternoon with plenty of sun. Soon Andy and Drew arrived followed by Tim Carpenter and Andy's brother. Practice was good, the track is wet but not muddy and improved all day.
Later, during practice, we see Andy pushing bike number one back to the pits. It's done. Andy has to go to his back-up bike. Everyone else seems to have no mechanicals. Race 2, Austin pulls in a sweet 2nd place but comes in with a flat front tire. Soon race 4 is underway with Randy, Muck, Tim and all the others. I'm leaned up against the fence watching the two fasties, (Randy and Muck), when I realize I'm in race 5. Yikes! I hurry and am the last one on the line. No time to choose a good spot at the gate this time. The flag drops and we're off. I get my usual middle of the pack start and have to work to catch up thru traffic. I follow a 250 dodging a huge roost for a full lap. This is no fun, I got to pass and soon I thought. I looked up and saw Andy in the next turn. I set my sights on closing in and somehow I get by. I rode like Andy was right on my tail concentrating on being up on the pegs more and over the bars thru the chop, then sliding up on the tank in the tightest turns, and accelerating hard out of each turn, But, as I cross the finish line a few laps later, I hear my SC groan with a likely crank or rod failure. We don't know. Phil helped me determine my ride was dead for the day. Someone said I had an 11 second lead, I'm not sure. Randy suggests I ride his heavily ported super 100cc bike in my second moto. I take her for a familiarity ride in the pasture and find she feels A LOT like my SC. Cool. I feel like I'm on the same horse.
Randy still has his second moto to race and I'm hoping she holds together as Randy and Muck will no doubt wring it out. As Phil stated we do the hot swap on the line in Moto 2 and Randy tells me something like the clutch is slipping and then the bike dies. After a push start she fires up but as I leave the gate dead last and make a few turns I'm thinking it's not the clutch. She might be lean. Not good. I continue and ride her like I would mine and after catching Andy and a few others my lead is short lived, I hear it go and try and save the inevitable. (Hope it's not bad Randy). I pull off the track and I see Andy go by grinning ear to ear giving me the thumbs up... Ha, ha. It made me laugh seeing his huge grin. No doubt Andy will now win moto 2. Randy and I push this bike across the finish line to be scored and my day is done. And what a day it was. As it turns out our point leader Tom Fox couldn't make the race. I led Andy by 1 point. Even after all this I assumed the win would go to Andy, him finishing 2 and 1 where I finished 1 and 2, however we had scored exactly the same points for the day. Wow. How close is that. And as I stated earlier, you couldn't have predicted this day. Randy and Muck rode like they were on fire, Andy is always a threat, Dave rode really well, Austin finished 2 and 2 I think, Tim and Bob rode well too, all in their respected classes. Saying our goodbyes was bittersweet, yes the season is indeed over.
Thanks everyone for a year I'll never forget. Thanks Andy, Randy, for being my pals and loaning me a ride in times of need. Thanks Phil for wrenching for me Sunday. Thanks Muck, Dave, Tom, Tim, and Bob for being great racing buddies. Thanks Curtis and crew for having MOVMX, and of course Paul Stannard and Roger Lippiate for my parts and motor work. I hope I'm not leaving anyone out, this group is indeed the best. Randy or Andy please Phil in the blanks and official finishes. There are no doubt other highlights I'm leaving out. Life is good, Thanks Ya'll, Sorry so long.
Hollywood 45Q
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