Hickory Airport - Mideast Harescramble 11/19
Posted: 01:20 am Feb 11 2018
Once again.... got behind on some race reports so just posting up the last couple from the end of 2017. This was from Nov 19th at the Hickory Airport.... it was the last Mideast race for the year. And much like the last NCHSA race just before this one, it was paaacckkkeeeeddd
Starting line.... almost ready to roll. Can see the green tractor there at the left rear of the pack. I didn't even know which row was which, there were so many riders, and running out of space, had formed multiple row lines. The guys behind me were in the same class, and then the trail riders group were behind them. We had 56 riders in sportsman C..... 224 total in the morning race I don't remember exactly how long the track was, but I'm pretty sure it was right around 7-7.5 miles
1119171058_HDR by Jared Penttinen, on Flickr
The start...... it was a mess, lol. Can see me lurking back there behind #87
FB_IMG_1512439179654 by Jared Penttinen, on Flickr
FB_IMG_1512439173125 by Jared Penttinen, on Flickr
My buddy Alan (guy I work with) usually does the morning race with me.... but this one he decided to run the afternoon race instead. So he got some video from the starts and then a little bit in the woods too. This is all the starts.... I'm in Sportsman C, which is the 2nd from last row, which starts at 5:25. He mistook another guy on a Kawi for me and panned over thinking it was me, but I actually go by a couple seconds later, haha (only bike with a tag)
[youtube][/youtube]
Then he got me in the woods a couple times too.... just briefly. Long video so I have it start where I passed by. Feel free to watch the rest though, lol. 26:39 if it doesn't automatically go there
[youtube][/youtube]
And again here (if it doesn't go to the next spot automatically, which it might not since it's part of the same video.... it's at 46:06)
[youtube][/youtube]
And again, lol. 9:15 here
[youtube][/youtube]
All the actual photographers were MIA at this race for some reason. The usual lady that does it, who's son races, ended up doing a different race with another org this particular day, so they weren't able to make it. So didn't get much of any pics in the woods. I do have a couple screen shots from my video though..... the first lap this was an absolute bottleneck from hell. Real tight area to begin with, and nobody could seem to make it up this hill. It was a wall to the left, and a drop off to the right, so there was more or less nowhere to go and get around. After sitting there long enough for my bike to start getting hot enough to make me worry, a bunch of us finally started blazing our own trail through the brush wherever we could find a spot to wiggle through. Finally made it up
Screenshot_2017-11-19-16-36-42 by Jared Penttinen, on Flickr
Screenshot_2017-11-19-16-38-31 by Jared Penttinen, on Flickr
And finally my own video, haha..... It was soooo freaking crowded out there, I wasn't even trying to go fast... I was just trying not to die, lol. I'm always kinda apprehensive on the first lap anyways, especially a track I've never been to before and don't know.... like to kinda learn it first. Very unpredictable track, as it was nice and dry in some spots with great traction, and then all of a sudden it was wet, slick, greasy red clay mud in others. I just haven't built up the confidence to try and go fast in the mud just yet..... definitely something I need to work on. I'll point out a few cliff notes in the video, since I doubt anybody wants to watch the whole thing..... after the zoo of the start of course, 5:30, dude comes flying around be on the left (wearing next to no gear other than a helmet), and shortly after totally takes out the dude in front of me when he plowed right into him. Nothing too exciting after that for a little bit, until 20:25.... the first of several big bottlenecks. It was a slick muddy, rooty hill climb. Not super steep, but kinda off camber in spots as well as uphill, so it was a little tricky with the mud. The green tractor went right up it but a lot of people were struggling. After getting to the top, it went back down a little rocky area, though I went to the left and went around it (I actually didn't know it was there until after..... you couldn't see anything there from the top). Then shortly after that was the REALLY bad bottleneck at 22:20. This is where the screenshots from up above came from, where we just had to blaze our way through. I sped it up for a lot of the time we were just sitting there. It was awful, but there were just so many people and nowhere to go. Finally got up it though..... then 30:35 I had just a stupid little slide out drop on a slick corner. Then 31:35 is those same 2 hills again, in one of the following laps.... I can't remember which one, I think it was the 2nd. Much better without the huge bottleneck that time around, lol
[youtube][/youtube]
And if anybody missed it in the main video.... here's that first mudd hill again. Not gonna lie I was kinda proud of myself there, lol. Passed at least 21 bikes in less than a minute
[youtube][/youtube]
I ended up doing 4 laps and finishing 35th out of 56 in Sportsman C. Not great, but not last either
1119171451c_HDR by Jared Penttinen, on Flickr
Overall finished 160th out of 224
1119171451a_HDR by Jared Penttinen, on Flickr
There were quite a few DNF's
1119171451b_HDR by Jared Penttinen, on Flickr
Got home.... she was a dirty girl. And that red clay is like cement (especially when it's dry by the time you get home). Not to mention it stains everything red too
1121171229_HDR by Jared Penttinen, on Flickr
Pressure washer always required for red clay, lol
1121171245_HDR by Jared Penttinen, on Flickr
Aaaannnddd clean again. I finally found something to take the stains off the white number plates and get them looking good again...I was happy! haha
1121171336_HDR by Jared Penttinen, on Flickr
That's all for this one..... it was a rough one but still had a good time
Starting line.... almost ready to roll. Can see the green tractor there at the left rear of the pack. I didn't even know which row was which, there were so many riders, and running out of space, had formed multiple row lines. The guys behind me were in the same class, and then the trail riders group were behind them. We had 56 riders in sportsman C..... 224 total in the morning race I don't remember exactly how long the track was, but I'm pretty sure it was right around 7-7.5 miles
1119171058_HDR by Jared Penttinen, on Flickr
The start...... it was a mess, lol. Can see me lurking back there behind #87
FB_IMG_1512439179654 by Jared Penttinen, on Flickr
FB_IMG_1512439173125 by Jared Penttinen, on Flickr
My buddy Alan (guy I work with) usually does the morning race with me.... but this one he decided to run the afternoon race instead. So he got some video from the starts and then a little bit in the woods too. This is all the starts.... I'm in Sportsman C, which is the 2nd from last row, which starts at 5:25. He mistook another guy on a Kawi for me and panned over thinking it was me, but I actually go by a couple seconds later, haha (only bike with a tag)
[youtube][/youtube]
Then he got me in the woods a couple times too.... just briefly. Long video so I have it start where I passed by. Feel free to watch the rest though, lol. 26:39 if it doesn't automatically go there
[youtube][/youtube]
And again here (if it doesn't go to the next spot automatically, which it might not since it's part of the same video.... it's at 46:06)
[youtube][/youtube]
And again, lol. 9:15 here
[youtube][/youtube]
All the actual photographers were MIA at this race for some reason. The usual lady that does it, who's son races, ended up doing a different race with another org this particular day, so they weren't able to make it. So didn't get much of any pics in the woods. I do have a couple screen shots from my video though..... the first lap this was an absolute bottleneck from hell. Real tight area to begin with, and nobody could seem to make it up this hill. It was a wall to the left, and a drop off to the right, so there was more or less nowhere to go and get around. After sitting there long enough for my bike to start getting hot enough to make me worry, a bunch of us finally started blazing our own trail through the brush wherever we could find a spot to wiggle through. Finally made it up
Screenshot_2017-11-19-16-36-42 by Jared Penttinen, on Flickr
Screenshot_2017-11-19-16-38-31 by Jared Penttinen, on Flickr
And finally my own video, haha..... It was soooo freaking crowded out there, I wasn't even trying to go fast... I was just trying not to die, lol. I'm always kinda apprehensive on the first lap anyways, especially a track I've never been to before and don't know.... like to kinda learn it first. Very unpredictable track, as it was nice and dry in some spots with great traction, and then all of a sudden it was wet, slick, greasy red clay mud in others. I just haven't built up the confidence to try and go fast in the mud just yet..... definitely something I need to work on. I'll point out a few cliff notes in the video, since I doubt anybody wants to watch the whole thing..... after the zoo of the start of course, 5:30, dude comes flying around be on the left (wearing next to no gear other than a helmet), and shortly after totally takes out the dude in front of me when he plowed right into him. Nothing too exciting after that for a little bit, until 20:25.... the first of several big bottlenecks. It was a slick muddy, rooty hill climb. Not super steep, but kinda off camber in spots as well as uphill, so it was a little tricky with the mud. The green tractor went right up it but a lot of people were struggling. After getting to the top, it went back down a little rocky area, though I went to the left and went around it (I actually didn't know it was there until after..... you couldn't see anything there from the top). Then shortly after that was the REALLY bad bottleneck at 22:20. This is where the screenshots from up above came from, where we just had to blaze our way through. I sped it up for a lot of the time we were just sitting there. It was awful, but there were just so many people and nowhere to go. Finally got up it though..... then 30:35 I had just a stupid little slide out drop on a slick corner. Then 31:35 is those same 2 hills again, in one of the following laps.... I can't remember which one, I think it was the 2nd. Much better without the huge bottleneck that time around, lol
[youtube][/youtube]
And if anybody missed it in the main video.... here's that first mudd hill again. Not gonna lie I was kinda proud of myself there, lol. Passed at least 21 bikes in less than a minute
[youtube][/youtube]
I ended up doing 4 laps and finishing 35th out of 56 in Sportsman C. Not great, but not last either
1119171451c_HDR by Jared Penttinen, on Flickr
Overall finished 160th out of 224
1119171451a_HDR by Jared Penttinen, on Flickr
There were quite a few DNF's
1119171451b_HDR by Jared Penttinen, on Flickr
Got home.... she was a dirty girl. And that red clay is like cement (especially when it's dry by the time you get home). Not to mention it stains everything red too
1121171229_HDR by Jared Penttinen, on Flickr
Pressure washer always required for red clay, lol
1121171245_HDR by Jared Penttinen, on Flickr
Aaaannnddd clean again. I finally found something to take the stains off the white number plates and get them looking good again...I was happy! haha
1121171336_HDR by Jared Penttinen, on Flickr
That's all for this one..... it was a rough one but still had a good time