Sunday’s lesson came in the form of a rain storm. Everything we had practiced seemed doomed to be irrelevant. Saturday was dry and fast, Sunday threatened to be fast and slick. Even if you stuck your line, it seemed that you’d quickly go down. However, the riders who won, ran the same race in the wet as they had practiced in the dry. The word is that Bart McDaniel’s time from the qualifying when it had just begun to rain, was the same for the finals when the course was drenched. So, the lesson is, “Ride the rain just like you ride the dry.” For Video, Photos, and More Story
This Video From Miles Sullivan
This Gallery From Carl Warren:
Bart McDaniel took the pro race with Lars Sternberg and Curtis Keene of Decine/Team America in 2nd and 3rd. Derrick Chambers and Kieran Bennett were 4th and 5th. Katie Holden and Joy Mutoli were the pro women podium. The Semi-Pro podium was Nick Tuttle, Bo McGee, and Mountain Man Keith Thompson. Brian Guse with a pro time, bested Even Gilsdorf and the newcommer Andrew Widman in Junior X. Andrew first raced in Beginner at the start of this year, now he’s getting on the podium in Junior X. He’s a product of Simon Lawton’s Fluidride Race Camps. Great future!
For more photos and text…
The new top of the Pro/Ex line, King Diamond, was “Steep and Deep.” That is loam not snow for all you skiers and riders. It started out freshies and then the ruts came as it got faster. In my opinion, except for a few roots, King Diamond was perfect in the rain. Although, the rain made the more open and familiar parts of the older trails like Motoguzi a bit tricky.Some of those corners looked like they’d been slimmed, but in all I found them to be tacky.
This Video From Andy VoightÂ
This was the last of the three PA races for this year. Over 200 hundred racers showed up. This included some top pros from the national and world cup circuits. SO, when Bart McDaniel won one for the old guys, and the those of us who dream of being great, well, that was just about the greatest moment of the year for most of us. Thanks a lot Bart for showing us all that we can do it as long as we have the heart and train properly.
The photos are all taken by my wife Dawn. She did a good job for a non-pro considering the difficult light and weather situation. Thanks again, babe.
See you all at Hood in two weeks.
Mark Brent
Dirt Digler
mark brent