zookrider62
February 23rd, 2010, 09:51 AM
FRIDAY
6:30PM-Pick up Adams bike. Light inside van went out, decide to load up my bike in the morning.
SATURDAY
7am- Wake up and pack.
8am-Some issues loading up, finally leave.
1:30PM- Arrive! No traffic issues, pretty boring drive.
http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq43/kellyac129/AXsantonio002.jpg
getting into dallas
1:31pm- We check into the hotel and leave to go see the riverwalk and Alamo. My mom decided to come to this race and a lot of Adams family is here also.
http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq43/kellyac129/AXsantonio009.jpg
alamo and Crockett hotel
2PM-Adam gets to my hotel to do some last minute bike work.
6:30PM- We go back to the River-Walk and have dinner with everyone. We go to a favorite restaurant of mine, The County Line BBQ, I am happy.
http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq43/kellyac129/AXsantonio015.jpg
riverwalk
http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq43/kellyac129/AZsantonio007.jpg
love me some ribs from county line, meal of champions!
9:30PM- I watch the Indy supercross, decide not to go out with Adam and Jen (Jen is adams girlfriend)
10pm-sun-Sleep just isn’t coming, im pretty nervous, haven’t had this many friends and family come to a race since I was 15.. Have a dream about not qualifying for race, FU brain.
SUNDAY
6AM- I wake up and pack up my stuff and head to the arena.
6:30AM- I arrive at the Alamodome. This place is giant! It’s also kind of awkward. It looks too big for basketball, but too small for football. Also unique to the Alamodome, the pits are inside the stadium separating the track and pits.
http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq43/kellyac129/AXsantonio004.jpg
alamodome
7:30am- The track is gnarly! The dirt looks crappy and wet, the track has the biggest whoop section yet, it is 5 lanes wide and has a lane running length wise across the other 5 lanes. Also there is a sand section and a miniature wall. Nerves got a little more tweaked.
http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq43/kellyac129/AZsantonio013.jpg
track overview
http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq43/kellyac129/AZsantonio012.jpg
sand leading to miniature wall
7:45am-Adam finally shows up, he doesn’t look good, I’m stoked with my decision to sleep early.
8:30am-Practice is over and im stoked with how Im riding. The track was a total blast, I passed around 6 people and wasn’t passed by anyone. I am extremely confident at this point! I was able to do every jump on the first lap and was able to ride practice without getting winded. Sadly yes, this is an achievement. Adams practice didn’t go as well, his bike died and he spent two laps kicking.
Adam Heat Race- Great start by Adam. His whoop speed is a little off so he loses one spot in the whoops but he has good corner speed so we’ll see if he can make it. He over-jumps the double-double and his bars get knocked all the way down. He also hurt his hand a bit. He appears to be LCQ bound.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2K1nuCrSJ0
My Heat Race- Awesome start, my bike felt like it wouldn’t stop pulling. Headed into the first corner the kid next to me clearly has practiced his head games as he yells at the top of his lungs. Little does he know my brother and my uncle taught me this game years ago, I yell back. I would love to know what the other riders thought was going on. First lap going into the whoops, screamer and I are neck and neck, and then… I stall. Race over.
Adam LCQ- Adam has a decent start and rides a smart smooth race to 3rd. He will transfer to the main. I didnt really get to see this race as I was on the gate
My LCQ- To start off, I would like to note that ive raced probably about 10 arenacrosses in my life. Not once have I been to an LCQ, this is unfamiliar territory. Only 6 people will transfer, fortunately quite a few people don’t show up, so theres only 8 on the gate. As long as I don’t ride like an asshat I should qualify. I super goon and jump the gate about 15 seconds early, what the hell am I doing? I jump it so early that it really doesnt matter. I’m running 4th, the 2 guys in front of me are quite a bit slower then me, im not too worried about getting around them, I don’t see the difference in a 14th gate pick and a 16th. 3rd lap in the guy in front of me stalls in the whoops, as do I. Get it started before him and see some guy on a Honda cutting the track, slightly confused and now im wondering if I qualified.
Adam Main Event- Adam has one of the last gate picks, he chooses full outside. Big traffic jam at the start that he is able to cut underneath. Watching a full gate novice arenacross is a thing of beauty, pure chaos, Adam seems to be avoiding it well. Adam stops, not sure whats going on. He then pushes his bike off the track, assume something fell off his bike.
My Main Event-Fortunately I did qualify for the main. I am second to full outside, stoked! I figure I’ll try Adams idea of sitting on the top of the berm and cutting under while everyone pinballs. Unfortunately the super friendly kid who started next to me goes down in the first turn, im trying to stay as high on the berm as possible as he is running next to me. I start to get into a rhythm and make some passes. My whoops speed is awful so any advantage I have is lost in them. Last lap, im running 3rd, 1st and 2nd are in a class of their own and have waved bye, I’m just trying to maintain. Person on the YZ definetly has the advantage in the whoops. He goes for the pass and is clearly over his head as he squirrels through the whoops into the tuff blox. His tire comes close to my arm, I swear if he takes me out I will throw a world class hissy. I get around him just fine and have a big gap to the person now in third. I take it slow and enjoy the scenery.
MISC Races
I try and watch as many other classes as possible but its sometimes difficult, escpecially this week with having to go through the LCQ. Eppers got the holeshot and led the entire heat race in the expert class, on a 2 stroke even. Not sure what happened to him in the main, as I only caught the end of it, but I guess he had some bad luck. Bretton Engle and Zach Jaynes are clearly on top of the Intermediate class. Brettons whoops speed is slightly behind Zachs, other then that they are pretty close in speed, its fun watching the both of them. Starts have a big impact on their finishing positions. TwoBoysDad's son, Brady, has been contesting the beginner class, unfortunately its not a points class otherwise he would be pretty close to the top. He has gone 2-1 in the rounds he has done. As mentioned in another thread, brothers Doug Davis and Mike Richards are killing it in their respective novice classes. Colt Martin of Lubbock has been racing both novice classes and is a shoe in for the 450 class and has a very realistic shot at the 250 class.
1:30pm- Start the loading up process to head home. Adams rear axle nut is so loose we can move it with our fingers, this might have been why his chain fell off.
2:15pm- Get out on the road headed home, gnarly traffic in Austin. I let mom take over driving around 4 as I get some needed sleep.
7:15pm-Finally make it home!
6:30PM-Pick up Adams bike. Light inside van went out, decide to load up my bike in the morning.
SATURDAY
7am- Wake up and pack.
8am-Some issues loading up, finally leave.
1:30PM- Arrive! No traffic issues, pretty boring drive.
http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq43/kellyac129/AXsantonio002.jpg
getting into dallas
1:31pm- We check into the hotel and leave to go see the riverwalk and Alamo. My mom decided to come to this race and a lot of Adams family is here also.
http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq43/kellyac129/AXsantonio009.jpg
alamo and Crockett hotel
2PM-Adam gets to my hotel to do some last minute bike work.
6:30PM- We go back to the River-Walk and have dinner with everyone. We go to a favorite restaurant of mine, The County Line BBQ, I am happy.
http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq43/kellyac129/AXsantonio015.jpg
riverwalk
http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq43/kellyac129/AZsantonio007.jpg
love me some ribs from county line, meal of champions!
9:30PM- I watch the Indy supercross, decide not to go out with Adam and Jen (Jen is adams girlfriend)
10pm-sun-Sleep just isn’t coming, im pretty nervous, haven’t had this many friends and family come to a race since I was 15.. Have a dream about not qualifying for race, FU brain.
SUNDAY
6AM- I wake up and pack up my stuff and head to the arena.
6:30AM- I arrive at the Alamodome. This place is giant! It’s also kind of awkward. It looks too big for basketball, but too small for football. Also unique to the Alamodome, the pits are inside the stadium separating the track and pits.
http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq43/kellyac129/AXsantonio004.jpg
alamodome
7:30am- The track is gnarly! The dirt looks crappy and wet, the track has the biggest whoop section yet, it is 5 lanes wide and has a lane running length wise across the other 5 lanes. Also there is a sand section and a miniature wall. Nerves got a little more tweaked.
http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq43/kellyac129/AZsantonio013.jpg
track overview
http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq43/kellyac129/AZsantonio012.jpg
sand leading to miniature wall
7:45am-Adam finally shows up, he doesn’t look good, I’m stoked with my decision to sleep early.
8:30am-Practice is over and im stoked with how Im riding. The track was a total blast, I passed around 6 people and wasn’t passed by anyone. I am extremely confident at this point! I was able to do every jump on the first lap and was able to ride practice without getting winded. Sadly yes, this is an achievement. Adams practice didn’t go as well, his bike died and he spent two laps kicking.
Adam Heat Race- Great start by Adam. His whoop speed is a little off so he loses one spot in the whoops but he has good corner speed so we’ll see if he can make it. He over-jumps the double-double and his bars get knocked all the way down. He also hurt his hand a bit. He appears to be LCQ bound.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2K1nuCrSJ0
My Heat Race- Awesome start, my bike felt like it wouldn’t stop pulling. Headed into the first corner the kid next to me clearly has practiced his head games as he yells at the top of his lungs. Little does he know my brother and my uncle taught me this game years ago, I yell back. I would love to know what the other riders thought was going on. First lap going into the whoops, screamer and I are neck and neck, and then… I stall. Race over.
Adam LCQ- Adam has a decent start and rides a smart smooth race to 3rd. He will transfer to the main. I didnt really get to see this race as I was on the gate
My LCQ- To start off, I would like to note that ive raced probably about 10 arenacrosses in my life. Not once have I been to an LCQ, this is unfamiliar territory. Only 6 people will transfer, fortunately quite a few people don’t show up, so theres only 8 on the gate. As long as I don’t ride like an asshat I should qualify. I super goon and jump the gate about 15 seconds early, what the hell am I doing? I jump it so early that it really doesnt matter. I’m running 4th, the 2 guys in front of me are quite a bit slower then me, im not too worried about getting around them, I don’t see the difference in a 14th gate pick and a 16th. 3rd lap in the guy in front of me stalls in the whoops, as do I. Get it started before him and see some guy on a Honda cutting the track, slightly confused and now im wondering if I qualified.
Adam Main Event- Adam has one of the last gate picks, he chooses full outside. Big traffic jam at the start that he is able to cut underneath. Watching a full gate novice arenacross is a thing of beauty, pure chaos, Adam seems to be avoiding it well. Adam stops, not sure whats going on. He then pushes his bike off the track, assume something fell off his bike.
My Main Event-Fortunately I did qualify for the main. I am second to full outside, stoked! I figure I’ll try Adams idea of sitting on the top of the berm and cutting under while everyone pinballs. Unfortunately the super friendly kid who started next to me goes down in the first turn, im trying to stay as high on the berm as possible as he is running next to me. I start to get into a rhythm and make some passes. My whoops speed is awful so any advantage I have is lost in them. Last lap, im running 3rd, 1st and 2nd are in a class of their own and have waved bye, I’m just trying to maintain. Person on the YZ definetly has the advantage in the whoops. He goes for the pass and is clearly over his head as he squirrels through the whoops into the tuff blox. His tire comes close to my arm, I swear if he takes me out I will throw a world class hissy. I get around him just fine and have a big gap to the person now in third. I take it slow and enjoy the scenery.
MISC Races
I try and watch as many other classes as possible but its sometimes difficult, escpecially this week with having to go through the LCQ. Eppers got the holeshot and led the entire heat race in the expert class, on a 2 stroke even. Not sure what happened to him in the main, as I only caught the end of it, but I guess he had some bad luck. Bretton Engle and Zach Jaynes are clearly on top of the Intermediate class. Brettons whoops speed is slightly behind Zachs, other then that they are pretty close in speed, its fun watching the both of them. Starts have a big impact on their finishing positions. TwoBoysDad's son, Brady, has been contesting the beginner class, unfortunately its not a points class otherwise he would be pretty close to the top. He has gone 2-1 in the rounds he has done. As mentioned in another thread, brothers Doug Davis and Mike Richards are killing it in their respective novice classes. Colt Martin of Lubbock has been racing both novice classes and is a shoe in for the 450 class and has a very realistic shot at the 250 class.
1:30pm- Start the loading up process to head home. Adams rear axle nut is so loose we can move it with our fingers, this might have been why his chain fell off.
2:15pm- Get out on the road headed home, gnarly traffic in Austin. I let mom take over driving around 4 as I get some needed sleep.
7:15pm-Finally make it home!