FTR hare scramble # 1 report page.

After a month of rain and very little practice we set off for the FTR race held just outside Orlando, FL at a area called "Boggy Creek".

What a great name for the first hare scramble of the year.

We get there.

We arrived Saturday afternoon to be greeted by a huge pit area that was already bustling with riders and quads. According to the FTR there were over 850 riders in attendance that weekend plus there families, dogs, cats, golf carts and assorted pit vehicles....a lot of people.

I cruised the pits looking at other CRF450 Honda bikes and did not see one with a "FMF Q" pipe on it, this was good as my bike ran like a pig with my Q pipe and I did not want to use it if possible.

Sound testing was taking place so I put my stock pipe on and got it tested, wow it passed with a 94db level way under what I thought it would be, so on she stayed.

Practice

Sunday morning we are up at 7.00am,  I cant wait to get out there, practice lap is at 08:30 so I get ready with the helmet cam.

I ride at a nice easy pace, the course is easy and only a couple of deep mud holes, a third of the course is run over Palmetto bushes that have a slippery root that jars your back and can flip you off if your not careful. 20 minutes into my practice the bike stalls and I cant get it started, 15-20 minutes later a guy an an RM250 comes over and starts it for me, My leg is cramping from trying to start it and I feel like I just ran the race already. I go back to the pits to rest and prepare for the race which is now only an hour away.

The start

After a delay of about an hour the start is set to go at 11:30am. I am on row 5 so I get ready and stand by my bike. My wife is holding the bike ready for the dead engine run to your bike start. I watch all 4 rows go before me then its my turn, My row has about 30 riders on it so I want to get away quickly, the starter sounds the horn and I run to my bike, it starts first time but already riders are half way to the first turn (they probably have electric start with recluse clutches) I get to the fist turn in maybe 20th place but After about a mile I'm up to around tenth, but some guys stalls it in a tree and I sit waiting for him to move, Not sure where I am now but ride harder to gain some places. One lap done I come through the checkpoint and the transponder score board shows me in 4th place Nice!.  

I try to take a drink from my camelback drink system but nothing comes out, I feel really hot and during the 2nd lap cannot get any fluid to drink, I slow down and try to fix it, but it is empty! 2 pints of water must have leaked out during the delay, I am now riding real slow my head is aching and I feel sick. I finish lap 2 and pull over to get help from someone on pit row, Some really nice family help me off my bike and pour water over me, I am hot and feel sick, I cannot go back out as I feel like passing out due to overheating. I sit down and try to cool down as best I can. I don't rejoin the race and retire to my camper.

After an hour cooling down in the camper with the AC on full I feel better and re-hydrated again.

Conclusion

I should have ridden more carefully during the practice lap, and double checked my drink system to see if it was full and that it worked.

My bike ran great and so did I for for the most part, it was staying out in the heat and lack of hydration that ruined my day.

I also got very frustrated when I wasn't up front and used up too much energy too quickly making up places.

It wont happen again.

Dave