This next-to-last round of the Virginia Hare Scrambles Series found us at our club's track. For you ex-motorcrossers this is the old SME track now know as Actiontown MX track. Bobby Sprouse and Ruby still own the land, and yes, he's just as nice as ever; and yes, she's just as ornery as every.

Because of the limited time we had in which to prep the track, our club decided to run the course backwards form the last spring's race, and because the MX track was in good shape for this race, about half of it was incorporated into the race track. For good or bad, this made us run the MX course backwards, which in turn made all the jumps backwards, which probably slowed the speeds down considerably (slow speeds are not a problem for most of us Senior B riders). We threw in some new tight woods sections (the David White influence), which weren't bad, and all-in-all, with the minimal amount of work and time we had, the course turned out pretty nice.

In last spring's race we had one really gnarly downhill with an alternate, slower route around that most of the B's and C's took while the faster riders took the downhill (even I took this downhill because I've always contended there's no hill I can't get down--one way or the other). This race, this hill would be a handful to get up so we cut a new uphill and widened the gnarly hill to provide another line up. These hills were pretty steep and long, with a very short staging area, but traction was perfect and we reasoned anyone with a 200 or larger bike wouldn't have much problem getting up any of the hills (with exception of the rutted-out gnarly one). I arrowed this section of the course so I got some practice time going up on my 125 EXC and did not have a problem.

Those of you that have been following my reports probably know by now that I really, really like my KTM 125EXC. But you also probably have picked up that I've been doubting my ability on this particular bike. The problem is that I'm 40 pounds overweight, 35 years too old, and too lazy to ride a 125 the way it has to be ridden. Anyway, for this race, I made a conscious decision to try to gas it more, get out of turns sooner, and carry as much momentum as possible--until I ran out of energy (this usually happens about half way through the first lap).

This is the first time I've ridden the 125 on a MX track and I was more than a little apprehensive, especially since we were running it backwards. The club let everyone get some practice laps in and man, did it feel good to be back on an MX course! The bike handled really good, it didn't bottom anywhere--even when I flew off the jumps--sometimes getting up to 12 inches of air! As you know, I had the suspension revalved by WER and for the MX track, it feel very good.

At the riders meeting, I was standing around with some of the other Senior B riders and one of them asked me if I was going to try and double the whoops. I told him the only doubling I do these days is at the blackjack table when I double-down! They also announced that we had to ride the hills on the MX course, and couldn't ride around them, as this would be cutting the course. The Senior B riders huddled and decided he didn't mean us.

On the starting line, Bobby (my son) was primed to go. He's ridden this course many, many times and rightly figured no one could beat him into the woods. Just about the time the first wave was getting ready to go, his belt buckle let go (he's got to stop eating so much) and he rushed back to the trailer, got a bunch of racer's tape and wrapped it around his waist to hold his pants up (yet another use for the ever-versatile duct tape). He got back to the starting line in time to go with the rest of the 250 B's. He didn't get the holeshot, but by the third turn, his 250EXC was in the lead and pulling away.

David White was telling me before the race that one of the AA guys was going to cherry pick and ride his class (0-200A) and his tired, old 39-year-butt might get beat. Yeah, right. Dave got the holeshot and also motored away. I guess the AA guy will go back up to the AA class where it's an easier.

Anyway, it's time for our class to go. My race strategy this time was to get as good a start as I could against my younger competitors on their 250s, 300's, and 4-strokes; try to marshal up what's left of my rapidly-fading motocross skills; get into the woods as far up as possible and try to stay on the gas as long as possible. There were about 18 riders in my class, and my goal (once again) is at least a top 10 finish.

Once again, as each class takes off ahead of me, I practice starting the bike in first gear. It starts every time! The starter raises his hat, I count off 10 seconds, except he drops his hat at 8 seconds, but the little EXC starts first kick and I'm into the first corner in fourth place! The guy in front of me is on a Suzuki something, and get this, the second corner, I square off and go to the inside just like I've seen Carmichael do it a thousand times (well, maybe not exactly like RC). Now I'm beside the guy, and as we go over a jump, and I realize, idiot that I am, that I've set myself up for the outside of the next corner! Hey, man, this is my track, I'm feeling good, confident and fast (a relative term), so I simply motor around him on the outside, which is also off-camber, which sets me up for the whoops, which are now fast approaching. Since the whoops are backwards, I basically roll over them, and then get a little air on the last one. Anyway, I set my sights on the first and second place riders, but these are the class leaders--Wally Turnbold and Bobby Wilt (basically tied on points going into the last two rounds) so they are doing some serious dicing ahead of me. I actually pull up on them! I'm stoked! We drop off the official MX track into a grass course (Sam Chalk would be in heaven) which is way cool, fast and fun and head for the woods.

Reality sets in when we hit the woods. I maintain a good, fast (for me) pace, but eventually I get passed by two more riders, which I pass back on the uphill when I make the correct line choice and they don't. They both get me back again and from there on in I ride an uneventful race. I have to admit that this track whips my ass. I made 4 eight-mile laps, the AA guys do five, and I'm the last guy in my class not to be lapped twice. Somewhere three more guys get past me, so I end up in eight place. Which kind of bums me because I don't remember getting passed except that I had to take the alternate at the hill once and maybe they got through the bottle neck ahead of me. And then I realize--EIGHT PLACE!! Yes, that's right, E-I-G-H-T P-L-A-C-E! Eight, skate, and donate! A top ten finish! I sorry I ever doubted you, my beautiful, sweet, most excellent KTM 125EXC! I'm the man! You be the bike!

Bobby has another awesome ride until he hits the hill on lap 4 and crashes big time, which in turn breaks up his chest protector (his third this year--I rode with the same pair of HRP's for 20 years). He uses some of the duct tape holding up his race pants to fix the shoulder pads and continues on, but now he can't keep his pants up, so he ends up DNF'ing once again.

Donald has a good ride but is bummed because he finishes in second place. He said he tried and tried to pass the guy in the lead but just couldn't do it. He crashes on the hill too, and catches a handlebar in the stomach, but he's got a good amount of padding there, and other than a nasty looking scrape, he's OK. I tell him that the girl at the scoring barrel says he finished in first place, so he goes and checks the scores and, sure enough, he's in first place and the guy he was trying to pass was in the class ahead of his! This is a variation of a old Sam Chalk saying, " the fastest you ever go is when you're trying to catch someone who's behind you!"