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Oregon WORC's We raced at the Clarks Branch Ranch about six years ago and remember the race being awesome. Mikey, the WORC's marketing manager, and G Brothers photo man was working on a show called High Octane the will be aired on Speedvidion in couple of weeks, went up a few days earlier and gave us a track report that the course looked epic. The first rains of the year during the last couple of weeks had the facilities in top shape. We arrived about noon on Saturday and took a little look around and liked what we saw. The motocross track look good, but the woods sections really looked good. We signed up for the team race and Shane Watts finally revealed his teammate that he had been keeping a secret all week, he was racing with Jason Raines, just as we suspected. The Pearson brothers didn't make the trip up to Oregon so we thought it was going to be a two team battle. Brian started off for the G Brothers but Wattsy led going into the first turn. David Pearson was also up there on the start and the three of them went at it on the first lap. The course was nine miles long but Shane said he rode ten on the first lap trying to keep Brian and David behind him. The course went up into the hills after the motocross track and had some killer fire roads that we drifted the corners on all the way to the top of the mountain. We ran through some tighter tree sections at the top and then started heading back down the mountain on some really steep long downhill's. Meanwhile I was getting rigged up by the guys from High Octane. At the end of the lap Brian got Shane Watts set up going into the motocross track and took the lead right before the end of the lap. We had a smooth handoff and I went out on the first lap in the lead. Right away I noticed that the backpack the camera was in was a little too tight and wasn't allowing me move my head back as much as I sometimes wanted. Jason Raines was right behind me so I had to get used to it and keep up a good pace. I really liked the track, we were pinnin it most of the time up the fire roads, drifting the corners and missing the bumps, just like back at home. On the downhill's I was having most of the problems with not being able to lift my head as high as I wanted and could see Jason's shadow behind me at times. Near the end of the lap we came back down off of the mountain and got to a big downhill. It was pretty straight so I was going pretty fast down it but as you felt comfortable on it you would grab a little bit of gas and gain some more speed. The hill seemed to go on forever and I boiled the brakes over on it the first time around. We finished the lap up and handed the bikes off again. Brian took off for his second lap but was having problems with a shock so Watts made his way past Brian and opened up about a minute on us. I had the backpack straps loosened a bit during the break so when I got back on the bike I felt much more comfortable. The rest of the race was spent getting used to track and having a lot of fun doing it. Shane and Jason held the same size lead even after I tried to convince Jason he should wait so I could follow him with the camera and give him some exposure. With the second place finish I believe that Brian I wrapped up the Team Title in the WORC's series for the G Brothers. Pro Race Perfect weather greeted us on Sunday morning. On the parade lap we got a chance to see the changes in the course for the Pro Race. Even with the course being shortened to four miles it still seemed long and was much different from the day before. It changed directions right after the motocross track and took a different fireroad up to some fresh single track hills that brought us up to the top of the mountain ridge where we were overlooking two huge valleys on each side of us. We cut into a new off camber grassy single track through the trees and everyone was scouting out lines for the first lap. That led us into a big steep downhill that could be seen off in the distance from the pits. We took another fun trail back up the mountain again, which then dropped down to the grass track section, then back onto the motocross track. At the end of the motocross track there was a rhythm section that we weren't able to do the day before in the team race but it looked like we could double-double it. Shane said he tried it the day before and came up a little short but said if he fully committed that he thought that he could jump it. Brian and I both hit it as hard as we could on the parade lap and both came up painfully short and decided that we wouldn't be trying it during the race. After the parade lap we didn't have much time to top off our bikes, get a quick drink, change goggles, then hurry to the line. Brian had the fourth pick so he went next to the box on the inside. I started between Curt Caselli and Steve Hatch who was next to the starting box on the outside. I got a decent jump off the line but Caselli got a great drive next to me and ended up with the holeshot. I moved to my right since Steve must of spun off the concrete and didn't get out of the hole quick. Brian didn't get a great jump but was able to keep the gas on by moving into open space, then dove into the inside on the first corner. He broke hard on the second corner and squeezed in on the inside passing me and a couple more in the process. A few of corners later Rodney, who was in third, crashed in a narrow corner and two others crashed into him creating a bottleneck. Brian and I weren't far behind and when Brian came up to the pile he found a low spot and rode over a bike. I followed him over and then for the rest of the motocross track exiting it in about tenth place. The fire road leaving the motocross track was fun going wide open up the road which had a few little water bars in it and hitting the crest of a rise we could jump down to the next water bar. Brian was flying and passed Robert Naghton, Peter Russell, Jason Raines, and then Kiedrowski on the off camber section for second behind Caselli who made the best out of the crash behind him and pulled a early little lead. I was moving my way up when Shane Watts came by me hard on the gas. I followed him on the off camber section and we got by a couple guys taking the high line across the off camber. Watts caught up to Brian at the end of the lap and pulled along side him on the corner after the barrels and they had a drag race up the start straight away. Shane made the pass stick and set his sights on Caselli. I was right behind Kiedrowski and Raines on the first lap in sixth place. On the third lap Kiedrowski passed Brian in the field leaving the motocross track. Jason and I were right behind him as we made up a five person pack when Hatch caught us. I tuck to the inside leaving a fast down hill fireroad and Jason went a little hot into the corner leaving me a good place to pass. I got right on Brian and then passed him soon after by taking the inside around a tree on a downhill. On the next lap Hatch caught up to me and we both closed in on Kiedrowski and Caselli. On the next lap I passed Caselli in the same spot I passed Brian on the previous lap. Steve Hatch was still behind me until the field leaving the motocross track where he powered by me doing a wheelie and I look over to see Mikey taking a picture of it. I stayed with him and Kiedrowski until I noticed that my shock had blown and had no rebound in it. The fast and sometimes choppy conditions made me slow down to a safe pace and I knew right away I was going to have to pull in to change it. On that lap Brian and Raines caught back up to me and Brian made a hard pass on me before the tightest steepest hill. Jason got by me at the top of the hill but overcooked the same corner that he did when I passed him on back on the third lap and I snuck back by him on the inside of the corner until he passed me again a short while later. I pulled off into the pits after the lap and told Pitmaster Illinois Troy that I needed a shock. He began to take my shock off while I gassed it up. Rich from Race Tech came over and I told him what was wrong so he went to get me a shock. I changed goggles and got a drink then Rich came up with a shock for me to borrow. They threw it on and I jumped back in the pack in about fifteenth place. I was feeling good on the bike and knew that I was going to have to ride as hard as I could to catch up. The first two I passed were Peter Russell and David Lyke. Meanwhile Brian was having a good race with Raines until going up a hill Jason's front wheel hit Brian's back as they lines crossed up the hill. Brian didn't know anything happened until at the top of the hill he didn't hear Jason's bike any longer. Brian held a solid fourth for the rest of the race. I kept working my way through the field. I passed local d-36 rider Eric Ducray for 10th, Naughton and then Caselli for eighth right before I had to pit for gas my second time. I saw David Pearson, Brian Brown, and Rodney Smith who took spent about six minutes getting going again after the first lap crash not far in front of Caselli, so I knew if I charged hard I may have a chance of catching some of them. I got by Caselli again at the end of the lap and then cut under Brian Brown on the motocross track. Halfway into the last lap I caught up to David Pearson who looked like he was tired and passed him in one of the most fun parts of the track right in front of the TV cameramen. Shane Watts took the victory on the day in a convincing fashion by nearly two minutes in front of Steve Hatch, with WORC's points leader Mike Keidrowski taking final spot on the podium. Brian finished fourth and Rodney Smith caught all the way back up to fifth. I worked my way up to sixth followed by David Peason, Brian Brown, Curt Caselli, and Robert Naughton making up the rest of the top ten. * We did an interview for a feature with High Octane about our travels and the different race series that should be on Speedvision in a couple weeks time. * A couple of notable riders were absent for the race this weekend. Destry Abbott, who was a close second in points, crashed while practicing on Thursday when his bike siezed on the take off of a jump resulting in a badly separated shoulder. Ty Davis had surgery on his foot and won't be attending the race as well as his teammate Russ Pearson who is getting his wrist all healed up. Shane Esponito was also not able to make it. * We got word at the race that Curt Caselli is switching to KTM for next season. He will ride a 250 in the Hare and Hounds and a 520 at most other races. |
