Big Six - round three resultz / Hilltoppers GP, 29 Palms, CA

[chris m. johnson]

Hilltoppers Wild West Grand Prix / Saturday April 2nd / Twenty-Nine Palms, CA

Again, for the third GP of the year, the weather Gods again blessed us with nice weather (a little too nice that it dried the course out too much) so there was close to two hour delay before the Quad/sidecar race to add new moisture.

We had seven teams show and off the start was EML/MTH mounted Mike Burns Jr. & Matt Sidoti (Z-1) battling for the holeshot with the 650 EML/Hon of Mark McDade & Bob Morgan (Z-2), Paul and myself (Z-4), then David Krohn & Garry Cass (Z-3) on the 685 EML/Zabel, then the 500 KTM team of Morgan Pierce and Janette Player (Z-7) with Joaquin Sura & Scott McDade (Z-11 / 530 CR/EML/Hon) and Glenn (Skippy) McClellan and Cody (Z-10 / 685 EML/ZABEL) taking up the tail end on their first sidecar race together.

It wasn’t one minute and we all caught up with the quads for a major dust and pass-fest going up the mountain over looking the valley. After a - bout with several quads, Paul and I slipped by Burns / Sidoti and Krohn / Cass and were then pounding on the back door of McDade / Morgan for the next several miles with Mike / Matt right on our heals while we were all still passing many-many quads until a flat rear tire ended our campaign for the lead and Burns / Sidoti then pushed McDade / Morgan until the end of the first eightand a half (8.5) mile lap where Mark & Bob attained a flat (chair side), from then on, it was smooth sailing for the 04 Grand Prix Champions, Burns / Sidoti.

McDade and Morgan did try to catch back up to Burns / Sidoti but due to that chair flat just could not keep up the pace. Paul and myself then moved farther and farther back with Joaquin Sura and Scott McDade passing us on lap two and Pierce / Player (their second race) moved into a comfortable six spot until lap three to where~~~~.

The day before, Gary Cass of Krohn & Cass got stung by a bee and experienced Anaphylaxis shock and was administered Benadryl but was still able to make his Senior expert solo race on race two of Saturday. By the time our sidecar race took place (3:00 PM), he was beat-up and the bee sting from the day prior took its toll and had to pull off after lap three for a DNF. We went for a total of 28 miles for this one hour long GP.

Unofficial resultz:

1). Burns / Sidoti – 633 EML/MTH (4-laps)

2). McDade / Morgan – 650 EML/XR-Hon (4-laps)

3). Sura / McDade – 530 EML/Hon (4-laps)

4). Johnson / Stimson – 530 EML/Hon (4-laps)

5). McCLellan / Cody & ? – 685 EML/Zabel (4-laps)

6). Pierce / Player – 500 KTM (3-laps)

7). Krohn / Cass – 685 EML/Zabel (DNF) (3-laps)

Next event – ROVERS desert race, April 10. 2005 / Lucerne Valley – Cougar Buttes

[Thorina]

[bsachris]

Chris J -
Good turnout!

Can you comment on the DQ of the McClellan team, or was it just one of those things?

What you do in the desert sounds SO grueling - how do you guys get through the dusty cluster of Quads without killing yourselves? I only rode with a lot of bikes in a desert thing once (one of the LAtoB2V rides) and figured out quickly to get in front of the dust storm or prepare to die. I can't imagine having to do that kind of manoever with a sidecar attached!

thanks
chris W.

[chris m. johnson]

Howdie Chris,

First off, the official results did not DQ the McClellan team for the rider switch after the first 8.5 mile lap / so I guess the fifth place still stands unless someone lays a protest.

Our GPs go for an hour long with the first leader (lead quad) to cross the finish taking the checkered flag. They mostly comprise of offroad sections with some access roads, MX and sometimes an asphalt straightaway to add some more speed. Twenty-nine Palms (four laps of 8.5 miles + 2) has pretty fast offroad sections with very little MX (36 miles in 1-hour), but coming up in June at the Shamrocks GP @ LACR, it will be 90% MX.

As you can see, Paul and I are the only team to race the desert races in the AMA District-37, but GP points do count toward the desert overall so both Mike Burns and Mark McDade are signed up for desert too, hoping to come out for some European scrambles (a 75 minute desert GP) by the end of the year to add to their GP points.

About the dust, this last event was by far the worst we have seen in a very long time with over 65 quads in our race. When we do regular desert races though, our starting line is pretty dust free and fast as can be. We (Paul and I) are racing the Rovers Desert Scrambles this weekend in Lucerne Valley, but we only have to do one of the two loops (38 miles + a 5 mile bomb run at the start) - you should come and try some of these events for a challenge !!!

How was Texas and how did you do ???
Take care and look forward in seeing you at Honey lake and send our best to the Man !!! - CHEERS from So.Cal - Chris J.

[bsachris]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the GP vs desert info - either way, you guys are tough!

I didn't make it to Texas, but they had 5 teams entered. My Wasp/Yam got put through the paces by a couple of different teams, but I see its still intact so it must have stayed mostly right side up! I guess Al will be posting results sometime soon, after he recovers from the long trip.

See ya later in the season - I'm going to have to skip Honey Lake too, but this time will keep my Wasp here for safekeeping
Chris

[Thorina]

[chris m. johnson]

We all know there was passenger switch on Z-10 / and they were scored ahead of you and Skidders, so with proper protest, I am sure it can be resolved.

The biggest problem in switching different people on the rigs is not the endurance portion, but the libility in the sign-up. As long as both driver and passenger start, race and finish on the same rig, it will be complete (there is nothing stated about the driver and passenger switching positions during the race though).

We all know were you and the SKIDDERS finished, and you are still ahead of Skippy in the points for the bragging rights.

HEHEHE - Chris
(OH, good job Saturday too / I was cracking up when you guys were behind us)