Big Springs Sun/Mon 29/30

[Stu]

Harv,

You racing the Monday hare scramble? I will be in the Best of KS race the day before (Sun) and then the hare scramble on Monday. A glutton for punishing rides, just like Troy. It could be very muddy and wet. If so I will not be at my normal race pace. However, Troy will be blazingly fast in the slop. What a guy!

Stu

[Harvey Mushman]

Stu, our plans are to do both the BOK and the points race the next day. With all the rain this week and what I see in the forecast for next week not only could it be real muddy, but having two events back to back, the track could be really destroyed for the points race, especially the MX section. I wish they'd run the points race first. I've been working 70+ hours a week on a new ERP system implementation at work for the last month. Right now I'm not certain I have enough energy to even do a practice lap........

-Harv
#1017

[Stu]

Harv,

You mean I finally have an opportunity to keep up with you?

Troy would destroy us both you know, if he would enter. Troy? The gauntlet is down. Do I have to fluff your adam's apple with my mx glove? Choose your weapon, Troy. 2 or 4-stroke.

Stu

[troy]

Troy would destroy us both you know, if he would enter. Troy? The gauntlet is down. Do I have to fluff your adam's apple with my mx glove? Choose your weapon, Troy. 2 or 4-stroke.

Stu must have gotten into the pain pills again. I had to stop trying to follow Stu at Milford during a trail ride because I was going to kill myself at his pace. It wasn't even a race.

[Harvey Mushman]

I rode out to the track Sunday afternoon on the 450 and nosed around abit. If it remains reasonably dry between now and then it will be an fun weekend. I heard they're gonna have trophy girls to drop the 30 second boards for each class with a shotgun start. Hopefully they got 'em at Baby Dolls and not Walmart........

-Harv
#1017

[Stu]

Harv,

The girls are from the retirement home.

Troy,

I expect to see you on the starting line, you sneaky fast dude you.

Stu

[Stu]

Total mud fest. Rains will probably keep up until they drop the flag. Track will be destroyed. The flat areas will be mud soup.

Troy will be there. Will you, Harv?

Stu

[Harvey Mushman]

Stu, one of the course workers posted this on the FMHS site yesterday about 4;30 pm. If we can dodge the 40% rain chance for today, Sunday and Monday look good. Hell, you know as kids you always liked to play in the mud. I read over on BTK that some KLR guys are going to come ride the points race ....... -Harv

Today, I have been working at the Big Springs race site, specifically on the Hare Scrambles course, and thought a condition update might be useful. There has been some periodic light drizzle, but no sustained rain this morning. The course is damp, but not water logged muddy. There are some basketball-sized puddles in some corners, and in old ruts, but no larger areas of standing water. The only marshy area I saw is on a straight that is over 12 feet wide, so lots of places to get around. The four creek crossings have bridges (2) or firmer rocky bases (2) and should cause no one any issues. The creeks only have a small trickle of flowing water. The hare scramble course is in good condition overall, nicely trimmed and relatively wide. As it is right now, it would be quite nice after some practice to break it in.

The mini track and short track are complete and were graded some time ago, so they are damp, but look great. If you kick the soil it is tacky just 1/2 inch below the surface. The short track is cut into a bowl shape higher up on the main ridge so any past precipitation has moved off the graded race portion and into the infield.

The motocross track has been upgraded on the southern half with the jumps and landings made more gentle and safe. The track is wet with some soft spots at the base of the jumps, but no standing or running water that I could see. It has yet to have its final pre-race prep, which is scheduled for tomorrow.

The temporary mini-track lights are on site, the new sand pits are in place, lots of nice camp sites with rock-lined campfire pits are ready, everything is nicely mowed, and a new wide double gate is ready to meet all the racers. Baring a dramatic down-turn in the weather, I expect that we FMHSC racers will have a great site for two days of off-road events.

Mark Hodges
Lawrence, Kansas

[Harvey Mushman]

BOK has been postponed due to rain last night. Points race is still on for tomorrow.

-Harv

[Stu]

National weather service says that area got .45" of rain last night which is not exactly light. We had a heavy 10 minute rain last night in Lawrence but the total was reported as .01". I can see why the BOK was postponed.

Tomorrow's hare scramble will be slick in some spots and tack up in others. I walked about a mile of the track last night looking it over. The points race will still be a challenge.

Stu

[Stu]

The race at BS was challenging and fun! Some of the mud cleared up, some just got deeper and nastier. A couple of creek crossings deteriorated, one near the spectator area and one in the woods with an off-camber, root infested and rocky exit that sent me into the bushes once. The uphill side was fast and dry. The course did tire me out by the end. I liked the sand traps in the spectator area.

I did see one KLR on the practice run stuck in the bushes and one on the starting line but never on the course. Harv, how did they (or he) do?

Stu

[Harvey Mushman]

I admire the one KLR guy I saw on the course, (pulled over to the side letting people by) for giving it a try on a machine that was never intended to do that sort of thing. I finally took first in class in an FM event. My race report is over on the FM site. It was a great day to be in the woods.

-Harv
#1017