McMinnville, OR, March 25 & 26, 2006
As with all the other gallery sections, please click on any image to see a larger version. This was the first supermoto race of the year and was held at the McKinnville fairgrounds on their go-kart track. Because of some good rains, they did not run any of the dirt section, just the pavement. My buddy Jeff and I ran three classes: Mini-Motard, Novice and 85cc Trophy. Our arsenal included Jeff's TTR125 (that is hopped up to about a 140 and got all kinds of cool stuff done to it. Click here to see more about the bike), my dead stock XR100 and then my TT500 flat track racer. 

We met up with some other friends there. First there was T-Bone (Click here to meet T-Bone) and Bob Reinen (owner of CycleBuy, one of the series sponsors).

We were all there for practice on Saturday and then the races on Sunday. Rains came and went both days, but there was enough dry pavement to eek out some real fun for a beginner like me. Saturday Ron West, one of the promoters, offered me a ride on his KTM SMR 450. That was FUN! WOW! TT500 actually ran very strong and was a lot of fun to flog through right hand turns for a change. I got to ride four bikes this day: my XR100, the TT500 flat tracker, and then Jeff's moto missile TTR125(+) and the big KTM. The little TTR was just a rocket! The wide sticky road racing rain tires were just like glue. The bike with the new carb is running really strong too and it was just a hoot to ride. That front disc is another cool thing compared to the old drum (brake that is!!!) on the XR.

Sunday we showed up for racing. Like I said, we entered Mini-Motard, Novice and 85cc Trophy classes. Jeff rode his TTR in all three, while I was going to ride the XR in both mini classes and then the TT500 in the Novice class. Here is the play by play as best as I can remember!

Heat Races
Mini-Motard: I was gated very last on the grid and launched with a good second gear start. Out of 10, I was about halfway through the field after the first two turns. The only guys in front of me were T-Bone, Jeff and Ron Gavin (sp?) all on hopped up machines that I had no hope of staying with. So I just put my head down and tried not to lose too much space. About halfway, the number 66 of Mr. Russell came by me (see picture below) and I could not hang with his bigger bike either. The others were long gone and I was just hanging safely in my spot. Finished fifth in the heat race. 

Novice: This was the next race after the mini-motard and I had to run back to the pits to get the TT500 fired up and ready to go! Sheesh! Barely made it to the line in time. Again, gated at the very end of the group. Got another good start and was about halfway through the field of 14 going onto the back straight. Then just started slowly moving up until I was about fourth when she started to sputter. So I rolled off thinking I would just hold my spot, but she started to sputter worse and worse, so I pulled off. (truth be known, I was going to add fuel before the race, but did not have time and think it was running out of gas!) As I pulled off Ron West again offered me his bike for the main event! WOW! Sure Uncle Ron! (Click here to see Ron's supermoto website.)

Trophy 85: They recruited some of us other small guys to round out the class from just the three that had actually entered! Jeff was one of the original sign-ups and was disappointed he was not going to cherry pick this class. Anyway, it was a quick, uneventful race, Jeff first, somebody, somebody and then me in fourth. Just no way to hang with these guys on their hopped up little monsters!

Main Events coverage continues below the images.

Mr. Russell just passed me and I am working my butt off to get back by him, but it won't happen. Can't beat a CRF150 on an XR100.	Start of the Novice class heat race. I am the number 45 guy in the middle. Going into the first corner and already up four places!	Novice class race still and still moving up slowly but surely.
Later in the race and having the time of my life! This was so much fun! I must have been doing something illegal to have this much fun. Seriously, if you have not tried this, do it. Just once and see if you don't like it.	Race promoter Ron West (Uncle Ron) let me ride his REAL Supermoto bike during practice on Saturday and it was incredible.	This is the main event of the Novice class. Ron let me ride the KTM again after the TT started making strange popping noises in the heat race forcing me to pull off.
Jeff on the TT having a good time! Reminding himself of the days he used to road race his SR500. Is that intensity in his eyes or what!	Bob Reinen of CycleBuy out road racing his KTM and having fun too!

Main Events
Mini-Motard: First to the line was the Mini-motard event again. Good start and off we all went. T-Bone took off in the lead and just checked out. He was blazing fast. Then there was Ron Gavin again, and Jeff in third. Best I could do was fourth. Gotta get a bigger motor!

Novice Class: As I said, Uncle Ron was kind enough to let me ride his KTM, so he had a buddy warming it on the grid when I came in. Was like being a factory rider for a split second, jump off one bike and have somebody warming up the next ride! Gridded last and thought I would try my patented second gear fly from behind start. Green flag dropped and...blooh. Died! No second gear starts for this bike. So here I am as the field roars all the way into turn two, still kicking. Finally torch it off and off I go like a man possessed. I get over cooking it a little hot into a couple of corners, settle down and finally start catching a few folks. Now remember Jeff is in this race on his missile TTR and I am hunting for him. He said later that he kept waiting for me to go by him, unaware of course that I had botched the start so bad. Finally, I see that Jeff is the next guy in my sights. That was all it took. I wanted to pass him like nothing else and worked hard. Believe it or not, the little TTR is great in the corners! I could catch some on the straights of course, but that little flickable thing is just great in the corners. Finally I got him just at the very beginning of the front straight and stuck my middle finger out behind my back as long as I could to let him know it was me for sure! That was how it ended. Ton of fun and a really good time on that big KTM. Go to the SuperMotoUSA.net website and click on Sponsors and see if you can score a test ride on the KTM at an event. All the details are there! You owe this to yourself!

Trophy 85: This turned out to be the race of the day, even for most of the spectators! We gridded and started and one of the riders went down about turn three and was injured. It took quite a while to get him taken care of and clear the track. Later reports indicated he had perhaps broken his wrist. (Our best wishes to this rider for a quick and speedy recovery!) So at the restart there were only three of us, Jeff, myself and Steve (one of the race promoters). The track was almost totally dry now, meaning I had decent traction with the DOT tires (grooved for backyard flat track) on the XR. Seems that Steve had tires that were only good in the dry too, so he was maximum sticky. Jeff, well, those tires of his were good no matter the conditions. Off we go! I get a good start and manage to arm and nudge my good buddy out of the way through turns one, two and three. Once we hit the back straight, he and the missile were GONE. Checked out. I held Steve at bay for a lap or two and then he pulled me down a straight as well. Jeff is WAY out front and Steve and I have a little battle going as I am doing all I can to stay with him. I am tucked down the straights like Jay Springsteen on the Mile looking for anything that will help. After a couple of laps, I come onto the front straight and look ahead into turn one and there is Jeff, sliding across the pavement! Now, being my buddy, my first concern is if he is OK. By the time Steve and I get there Jeff is already picking up his blue monster and appears no worse for the wear, so we continue on. Now I am in second place and first is only a couple of bike lengths in front of me! I put my head down and really work to try and catch Steve. If I can get him in the infield, maybe...I manage to get closer to him, but still having no luck actually getting by him as he just pulls me on the straights again. This epic struggle goes on for a few laps and then as I get the white flag, I look back and see Jeff gaining ground! Great. We do the last lap and when we enter the little short chute just before the front straight, I glance over and see Jeff on my tail. There is no way I am going to be able to hold him off on the front straight. I am still right on Steve hoping he will bobble in the last corner giving me a shot at the win. No such luck. Darn. Not only did Steve not bobble and I could not pass him, but Jeff got by me for second, and missed the win by a foot or two! The three of us crossed the line about as close as can be! It was a great and thrilling race even if we were just on little bikes. After all, that is why we do this, for FUN!

See you at the races!!