Monday, April 27, 2009

SIMX Forum Problems

Got some emails, calls about users being unable to log into the forums today. I made a few emails to my provider and found out there was a problem with my user name as simx_racing.

It seems they updated all their software recently and Internet Explorer does not like underscores in a user names for some reason?

Any way the new link to the forums is now... please feel free to pass along this information.

http://simx-racing.websitetoolbox.com/

In your favorites, links, etc... you can just edit out the underscore and replace it with a dash, or click the above link and just remake a bookmark.

I apologize for the inconvenience!

LSMX Race Report!

Made it back from Sturgis, Kentucky this weekend. We had went down on Saturday to try out the newly re-vamped LSMX course. Bourke has spent the last couple of weeks reversing the flow of the track, re-shaping jumps and adding a couple of new jumps here and there. Everyone I spoke with really likes the changes. Kody said the track really flows much better in the reverse direction and all of the jumps are pretty safe. We'd have to give Ol' Bourke a thumbs up!

Kind of a sparse turn out though. Racing in this area is really kind of hit and miss it seems. I'd estimate LSMX may of had 120 riders, just my rough guess. Kody was talking with Dilan Black, who said Backwoods had over 150 riders, which is a pretty good turn out for any track in today's economy.

Kody had told me on the way down to Sturgis that Dilan had broken his wrist practicing Friday down at Thunder Valley MX for the LLQ they had this weekend. He is hoping to be out of the cast before the Millville North Central regional coming up here shortly. Here's to a quick recovery, Dilan!

Sunday's racing action at Sturgis was pretty good with several cool battles on the track. Davis Uphoff was on hand and put in some very impressive rides. Davis has really been putting in the effort and it is showing in his results as well. His cornering skills are phenomenal right and several folks were talking about the #188 kid from Illinois. Good job Davis and keep up all that training!

I believe Davis won two classes, but I'm not certain (as always!!!), but I'll have official results soon. The Boyd's and Weger's rounded out the Illini MX squad and Derek and Bryce looked awesome as usual. I talked with Bryce a little and he said he was still a little sore from his get off last week at Crossroads, but don't think it slow him down this weekend at LSMX. It didn't either, he was his usual smooth self. Derek was riding well also, when I saw him and he even took time to give me a wave while I was shooting pics!

Kurt Kissinger had a 2nd overall in the 85 Jr. class and a 5th in the Supermini class.

Kody and Jack ran in 250A and 450 A respectively, with both ending up with the overalls. Jack had to work pretty hard to overcome the super smooth Jason Stills. Jason won the first moto, but Ol' Jack brought it moto 2 for the overall. They ran both 250 and 450 together and Kody had the jump on Jack for about 3 laps. He couldn't quite catch Jason, but got close enough to suffer the roost wrath from Stiles' 450. Jack came over after moto 1, and he too looked like Jason had been shooting at the boys with a paintball gun! Kody ended up with the overall in 250A and Jack won the 450 class, despite Jason's hard fought battle.

Ben "B-Money" Butler took third overall in the 50 7/8 class. Ben made a sweet pass in moto1 to take over 2nd place. Ben made it stick and even pulled away, before getting a little buck wild through the new LSMX rollers. Ben took a good hit, but managed to get up and finish.

Trent "T-Unit" McEllhiney brought home a little cash in the +25 class. He finished 2nd over in the class and rode very well his first time out in 2009. Trent has also become know as the "Martha Stewart" of the MX world. He brought out some exquisitely formed hamburger patties for the Butler Racing grill. He also brough along a delectable potato dish (T-Units Track Taters) and surprised us all with some homemade blueberry muffins for breakfast the next day.

Team MXF quad racer David Wisoztkey was in action this weekend also, but I didn't see how he did. He took a pretty good spill on the new 80' triple Saturday, but I'm pretty sure he was racing Sunday.

Spent some time talking with Pro Quad Star; Zac Willett Saturday as well. He came down for a little practice in preparing for t
he upcoming Super Moto season. Zac looked as good as ever out on the motocross track and said he misses moto from time to time. I'd like to think moto is extreme conditioning for anything life throws your way and Zac, who is a pretty extreme dude, just soaks it all up. I've known Zac and his Dad, Dave for several years now and regardless of where I've seen them, they alsways take the time to stop and chat. Good people doing good things! I'll be posting updates on ZW47's season this year here at the moto-x-foto blog, so check back often! For more scoop on Willett you can check out his site at http://zacwillett.com While you're there check out some of his sweet shirt designs in the store!

That's it for now kids, but I'll add some pics and anything else, or anyone else I've forgotten later tonight!

Almost forgot...here is a link to all my LSMX pictures from this weekend!

Friday, April 24, 2009

Sturgis bound!

Going to be heading down to LSMX this weekend. Sounds like Bourke has been busy re-working the track! Sturgis has always had the best dirt of any track around here in my opinion, but you know what they say about opinions?

They've always done a great job with track prep and I've always had fun camping down that way as well.

If you're heading down to Sturgis this weekend look me up, I've got a fresh supply of mfx.com stickers and be sure to check out my new TNT-FX Custom Graphics banner!

Monday, April 20, 2009

Real "Mini Dads"

Friday was practice day at the Crossroads MX Loretta Lynn Qualifier. Now I've been going to these things for almost 10 years and seen a lot things. At Lowes along time ago I seen a Dad grab his boy boy by the front of the helmet and scream at him what he was doing wrong. This was of course after the kid crossed the finish line in 2nd place at a LL Regional! I've had water put in our gas, seen air filters with holes put in them, so nothing really surprises me much anymore at any thing with Loretta Lynn's attached to it other than her music!

Much to my surprise Friday I was hanging out along the fence taking some photos in one particular corner. There was break in the practice and I noticed a Dad sitting his rider down on a hay bale. My first thought was, here we go, time for this kid to get his butt chewed. Now, I'm a pretty laid back type of guy, but I have cussed a few mini Dads in my time over the above mentioned antics and thought, I hope this goes well.

Well this Dad actually had a conversation with his son. He never yelled, grabbed the kid or any of the other "mini Dad" atrocities. I watched for a few seconds and thought, this guy has it figured out. This is what racing is supposed to be!

They later walked a short distance and Dad was pointing to some corners and the boy was intently listening and asking questions. Again Dad surprised me with a stick. No not to beat some cornering technique into Junior, but to draw a diagram in the dirt! It was truly amazing!

Then here comes another Dad and young rider holding hands walking
this section of the track, again talking about the up coming table top, ruts and where they thought would be a good line. I thought what in the world is going on here in Central Illinois!

Have "mini-Dads" changed from years gone past? Are we truly a kinder, more gentler motocross community.

Well it was short lived, I stayed there a while shooting more photos, when behind me I heard some idiot screaming at his kid about what he was doing wrong, blah, blah, blah...

If anybody out there recognizes these fine gentleman, please have them contact me. I'd love to forward these great shots to them!

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Crossroads LLQ

Well just got back in from Crossroads MX up in Mason, IL from their qualifier. Things ran pretty smoothly for Ray & Nadine this weekend, but Mother Nature made the rules on Sunday. I was awaken at about 1 AM to some serious rain coming down. It pretty much continued to around 9AM. Right around 9, they decide they would run a 1 moto format today with 1 lap! The track was pretty bad and I didn't really hear anyone complaining about their decision either.

There were a handful of classes with 8 participants entered so they gave each group a vote to run or draw straws. One poor soul out of all those classes voted to race. It was the +35 class and he was jokingly cussed at, his fellow racers was wanting his number, several take out moves were announce publicly and I believe I even heard rumor of getting the poor guy down and dragging him around the track behind a Rhino! Of course they were all joking, I think, but out of the 5 in the class only 4 made it to the line! Hmmh?

I lost track, again of who did what in their classes, so these aren't guaranteed! Full results will be posted at MX Sports in a day or two, so you can check them out there!

Team MXF had a great weekend with several riders getting to the next level which is Spring Creek in Millville MN for the amateur side and Sunset Ridge in Walnut, IL for the youths.

I'll tackle the amateur side first. Kody Hamer saw his first action of the year in the 250 A class. Kody finished 6th overall out of the qualifying riders and 8th overall for the class. Kody was the only rider on a four stroke in his class. I remembered hearing the sweet braaap sounds of the smokers and then realized we'd brought a knife to the gunfight on the big wide open Crossroads course!

Cody and Dilan Black ran 250C stock and 250 B Stock respectively on Saturday and did have much luck if I remember right. Seems like crashes hampered the BBRacing duo on Saturday. Saw Logan Mattingly aboard a RM 250 smoker and he looked great and said he really loved the two stroke.

Derek Boyd was was in action as well. Derek had a 5th I think in 250C stock, and won the 250C Mod class in the mud! He also had a 8th in 450C.
















Seems like I'm missing people, but I'll jump over to the youths for awhile. Ben "B-Money" Butler had his first ever trip to a LLQ and did quite well for his first time out. Ben and his #7 Cobra rode out the day with a 26/20 for 22nd overall out of 36 screamin' fiddy's! Spent time talking to Ben and Dad, Tony and they seemed real pleased with the experience Ben got racing with nearly a full gate and some very fast competition.

Brett Gourley was tearing it up in the 65 7/9 Stock class. I'm pretty sure he was 3rd in moto 1 and 5th in moto 2, but I know he qualified to move on. Brandon smoked the field by putting on an exhibition of his skills in the 65 10/11 stock class with a 1/1. In the 85 10/11 class he won his first moto, by a bunch, but was protested for jumping on a caution flag, which he did, but so did pretty much the entire field! Anyway, he was docked 2 spots for 3rd. In moto 2 he was taken down in the first turn, by, well, lets just say it was someone involved in the first moto out come and came from dead last to 7th with a flat rear tire. He made it in to the top 8 and will move on, but the situation could have been handled differently.


#22 Bryce Weger took a pretty big hit in his moto and was a little bruised and dirty, but he'll be back soon enough. Davis Uphoff was in action Saturday as well and needed better starts, but still rode very well in some of the most stacked classes of the weekend. Davis finished 5th overall in the 85 12/13 Mod class and 12th in Super Mini 1.

Jessica Litherland pulled off a 1/1 overall in the girls class aboard her KTM super mini.

Sunday was crazy at best with the mud big conditions. Kody was signed up in the 250A/ProSport class along with 4 other brave souls. His class was one on those that voted not to race and draw straws. Each rider chose an onion skin and the first one pulled was Kody's, thanks to Jordan Durham! So he officially was the winner. Everyone at camp was teasing him that all his early training was paying off for him! Anyway, we'll hopefully be heading to Millville here in a month or two! The Black Brothers weren't as lucky and had to ride for their Millville spots. Cody finished 6th in 250C Mod and brother Dilan put in a sweet mud ride of 2nd in 250B mod. Broc Gourley ran both the schoolboy classes on the 125 and just missed the top 8 in his first race, but finished 7th I think in the last class. Derek Rankin finished 7th overall in the 450C class this morning as well.

Brandon Gourley won the 65 Mod class, brother Brett decided to set out the mud fest in the same class.

All in all it was a great weekend. Friday practice went great and Saturday's program ran pretty well as far as I was concerned. We all had a great time Saturday night around the fire laughing at all of the stories!

I'll add some photos tonight!