KFCX '09 #2

I raced in Klamath Falls again on Sunday. I've been putting off posting about it while I waited to see if I could find some photos. I didn't find any of Vern or I but I found some that showed parts of the course. Speaking of Vern, I beat him this week. I don't want to gloat about it because Vern is a good friend and a fierce competitor but, having said that, I SMOKED him. I had decided that I really needed to figure out how to ride the sand pit because that is where I caught up to him each lap at the last race. Vern and I discussed the sand pit and decided that the left side looked ridable. The tape was a little wide of the pit so at about half way through you could try to bounce out onto the grass.
This shows the sand pit. It is the right side and from the clouds it is the first race. The weather was much nicer this week.















I decided that I needed to go through it ahead of Vern on the first lap so I passed him on a 180° turn prior to the pit. I hit the sand pit going pretty fast and was able to coast to a spot where I could exit on the left side onto the grass. That didn't work every lap but, when it didn't I was able to pedal out to the end. Then when I got to the uphill pavement section I pounded it. I hit it hard. I had noticed, in earlier races, that if I let Vern stay ahead of me for very long he seemed to draw on some inner power to keep ahead of me. Anyway, Vern had trouble with the pit and I didn't. After a few laps I was far enough ahead that I could back off a little on the uphill.
Here's a photo showing the steps after the uphill section. Actually there is a short downhill before the steps that allows for a little recovery.















On the next to last lap Steve Law passed me. I thought that he was lapping me but he said "Now I'm on the same lap as you". He had flatted earlier. If I hadn't backed off maybe I could have beaten him. That would've been sweet.
This weekend starts the Southern Oregon Outlaw series in Yreka, CA.