HS1 "The Rattler" Hare Scramble

Getting there....

Race number one of the 2008-2009 FTR hare scramble series was way up in north Florida just on the border with Georgia.

 It was too far to go on my own so I scored a ride with my buddies Dave McIntyre and Eric Gray,.

They were both riding the same event so it made sense to share the cost of fuel traveling up there.

We set off Saturday morning in his diesel dually towing a 39ft sleeper behind us, with Hurricane Hanna passing through two days before

  and Ike looming off the coast of south Florida we got real lucky with the conditions when we arrived.

They were almost perfect, slightly dry but damp in the wooded areas.

As we took the bikes out of the camper I noticed my steering head bearing was feeling loose.

we stripped down the front end of my CR250 and found the steering head bearings were almost seized dry and were about to seize solid.

An hour later we had it back together packed with fresh grease and good as new...ish.

Grease is good....

Practice....

Sunday morning I set out on my practice lap, I took it steady and soon realized it was a very tight course with not many places to pass.

Not good news for me as I am not the best at getting a good start.

Some of the course was very wet with deep ruts and a couple of log crossings, I actually finished my practice lap in good spirits.

After a season and a half of racing hare scramble I can get though tight woods pretty quick so I looked forward to the race.

Here we go.....

The opening ceremony....

If I new 25 years ago I would still be racing a motorcycle at 50 I would laugh at the thought.

But there I am sitting on the start row with 14 other 50 pluses waiting for the race to start.

I met a few of my old buddies from the Super Senior B class and then shook a couple of hands in my new "Master B" class.

I lined up my bike on the outside and some young kid asked if he could hold my bike for me for the start...Sure!

As all the riders waited for the 10.30 am start the organizers did the mandatory playing of the American national anthem, The star Spangled banner.

Most English riders would find it strange, almost cheesy that the Americans do this at almost every sporting event they can.

Well you know what , I like it, I'm not American born but I respect anyone that loves their country, and boy these FTR people sure do.

I stood there feeling pretty good to be part of the whole thing.

The Race....

My 2 riding buddies were in the rows in front of me, I watched as they left the line and got pretty good starts.

I went over to my bike and notched it up into 2nd gear ready for the start, I shook the hand of the kid holding my bike took my place.

As the horn blew Iran to my bike as I kicked it it would not go,3 or 4 kicks later it fired up, I pulled away and as I looked up a lady spectator was standing directly in my path.

I  swerved round her and got to the first turn in last place.

I put my head down and pushed on,  about mile marker 2 I tried to go through two trees a little too fast, I clipped both of them and went over the bars.

The bike was laying on its side still running (2-stokes rule)  I remounted working my way up to 5th by the first lap.

Not sure what it was but every bike out there seemed to be a KTM, it was like being at a KTM convention..they were everywhere.

I spent the next lap passing anyone I could until I came up on the leader Robbie Carstons KTM #12,

He was going at a good pace... but not my pace, I passed him in a sandy berm a mile from the finish and took home 1st place.

Got some wood!

I want to give a big thank you to all the event organizers and helpers that put on this race.

Final results....