It's been a while since I posted a race report here, I hope you don't mind.

The Bootlegger Enduro was last Sunday, it was a weekend off for the NCHSA series where I've completed 12 of 16 rounds so far, so me and TW decided to give it a go. I've done over a dozen hare scrambles, but never an enduro format, so I was looking forward to it.

It was more like 5 mini hare scramble. You sign up and get a row number. The row number is your start row, and you start with 5 people, and the number represents the number of minutes past 9am that your row starts off from the first stage. We were row 41, so our start time was 9:41. If you're late, too bad, they don't wait for you, you just get penalized for not being on the start row on time. The penalty is the number of minutes you're late.

You are supposed to maintain enough speed to reach the end of the stage at a certain time. For every minute that you are late, you are penalized. I assume you might be penalized for being early, but I don't think anyone at the race had that particular problem. I think it would have been pretty much impossible to maintain the required average speed to reach the checkpoints on time with no penalty.

Here's row 18 starting off:




When the row number rolls to 18, their row starts, and then row 19 comes forward to the line. One minute later, row 19 starts, and so on.




"5 seconds."




So, once you start, you really just go as fast as you can to the end of the stage to the checkpoint where they write down your penalty on the score card taped to your front fender. Now, unlike a hare scramble, you then have to figure out where the next stage starts, and get there in time for your start row to launch. If you miss your start, you get penalized, so if something happens during the prior stage that costs you a lot of time, you can get double penalties because you get penalized for being late to finish, and late to start the next one. And sometimes, it's not real obvious where the next start is. This was my first one and it was all a little confusing - I had to ask where the starts were after the end of each section.

Also, the race was about twice as long as the average hare scramble. I'm using to doing a 1.5 to 2 hour race, but this one was about 4 hours. So I was running on fumes toward the end.

I thought the course was really fantastic. It was pretty hard in some sections, but overall, I will remember this race as some of the best single track I've ever ridden. The course ran over much of the same trails as the NCHSA Mountain Challenge I and II races that share the same venue. However, the Bootlegger incorporated a lot of virgin fresh cut single track. It was gorgeous. I felt the main challenge were a few of the climbs, and the ultra slick exposed roots that were pretty dangerous as they were like bars of ice at weird angles along the trail. Some of the downhills were downright treacherous.

Mostly my race went without too much incident. I went down on the first stage on a difficult downhill section and ended up wedging my handlebars between two trees and it took me a few minutes to get free. So I was *almost* late for the next start, they started my row just as I was pulling up to the start area, but the saw me coming and waved me forward, wrote down my check information, and sent me on my way well before the next row started, so I did not get any penalties for that. I got plenty of penalties for being late, in the stages, though. But I probably wouldn't have had too bad of a result if not for the last and final stage, when I got stuck in a mud bog. I worked for several minutes getting my bike out, but it was stuck pretty good, so I decided to wait until the next guy came through and when he got stuck, I would offer to help him if he helped me. That worked, and it wasn't too long before I was on the trail again, I lost maybe 10 minutes there. But just a few hundred yards up the trail, the course topped over a knoll and started back down, but unbeknownst to me while rocking my bike side to side in the mud rut back at the bog, my brake pads had separated enough to require them to be pumped several times before engaging. So when I topped over the knoll and started down hill with trees to dodge, I went for the brakes and there was absolutely *nothing*! I took a tree on the left which tore my left side shroud completely off the bike - I mean it looked like it departed under full ejection rockets and was a blue blur as it departed to the left in my peripheral vision. Everything was a blur after that as I ping ponged off a few more trees and went down hard to the right on the downhill side of the off camber.

It was at this time that I realized just how heavy the Husaberg is, it took all I had to pick up that pig after 3+ hours of racing in this difficult terrain. I finally got it up, and got it up against a tree then went back along the trail to recover my shroud. I was going to just carry it, but I had no place to stow it. I then realized that the design flaw in my cool Zac Speed chest protector/camel back/tool pocket combination was that I had to take ever bit of gear off to get to my tools. Gloves, helmet, helmet cam (it is tethered), Leatt neck brace, forearm guards, and finally the chest protector so that I could get to the tools. I was able to reattach the left side shroud and it looked like it was going to hold as long as it didn't take another hit, but it would need to be replaced as the holes had pulled through.

So that taken care of, I put my tools away, and geared back up and got on my way. I probably lost 30 minutes. It was only later when I was about a half mile or so up the trail that I realized my right toe really really hurt. I could imagine jagged bones poking through the skin covered in blood hiding inside my boot. I just kept telling myself - "It's merely a flesh wound." Nothing I could really do for it regardless, so I just kept going and tried not to let it impact anything, which was not easy to do given the conditions.

I eventually made it out to the last checkpoint, which happened to be 10 miles back in the woods. The guys at the checkpoint were really cool and listened to my whole story and were impressed with the Husaberg as they congratulated me on finishing. So I then just enjoyed the 10 mile trail ride out of the woods and back to the parking lot, where I proceeded to lose my wedding band. I had stowed it in my pocket with my keys and when I took my keys out to unlock the truck, I forgot about it being in there, and it must have fallen out. We looked for a good while but could not find it.

I finally got to check on my toe, and it doesn't look great, but at least there are no jagged bloody bones poking through. Lol




The next day, I tore down my bike, removed the tank, and shrouds, gave it a good cleaning and began to prep for the next race this weekend. I then discovered that not only was my left shroud destroyed, but my right shroud was also. I had impacted so hard on the right side, that the shroud nut had impacted into the radiator so hard that it broke the plastic. And also, even worse, my right radiator got bent in the process, along with the radiator guard that was attached to it. It's not so bent that I'm going to replace it, but it is definitely twisted and somewhat compressed.

Unfortunately, my video camera only records for 3 hours before it decides that's enough, and stops, and my wreck happened after that, so I don't have the final wreck on the last stage. I only have a little bit of the last stage, actually, but I thought it turned out pretty well. Hope you like it.

http://www.vimeo.com/15679667

Tomorrow is the NCHSA Round 13 - Flat Rock II, so we return to same venue as we had for Round 4 back in May. This will be the 13th race of the 16 round series, my 15th race of the year, and my 3rd race in as many weekends. And there's another race the weekend following, so this has been a busy stretch with 4 races straight without a break.

After the Bootlegger last Sunday, I was contemplating maybe not racing Flat Rock because I was so tired and dinged up with scrapes and bruises all over, plus the toe. lol But as usual, by Thursday or Friday, I'm itching to get back out there, for whatever reason I keep coming back for more. I think it might be a character flaw.

 

Excellent job nobrakes....as I said a while back, I competed in my first ever race, an enduro, and it was a blast...but it was also a test of my own ability and perseverence. I almost quit after the first "lap" of 115kms, but was glad I didn't. My big toenail is still black from "dragging" my foot around the corners and that race was back in on Sept 12th. I dodn't think I'd want a bike any heavier...was pretty damn impressed with the KLX actually....it could even be a bit lighter.

 

HMMMMMMMM I'm thinking you should have seen this coming. NOBRAKES!!!!!


LOL Great report, I'm glad your not hurt too badly. Thanks for the explanation of how it all works, I'm going to do an enduro, one of these days.
Dan

 

Now, you deserve your nickname

I too enjoy your reports, keep them coming.

I'd be curious to know why some racers are waiting on the side of the trail sometimes. They're taking a rest?

Good luck for the next challenges.

 

Probably early...the one I went in also penalizes you for checking in early at your checkpoint.

 

I don't think early was the problem. All those guys were miles from the checkpoint. Most had probably just crashed and were catching their breath.

 

Sounds like a cool ride.....

Quickest way I have found to get into the Zac Speed backpack in a hurry is to un-clip the side clips and rotate the bag so it’s in front of your body so you can get the tools with out having to take everything off.... not sure if this is possible with a neck brace on though.

 

Wow, as most of my family and friends know I'm not much of a reader, and that was a long video, but you know what I was glued to the words and enjoyed the whole ride! Nice job NB, great stuff there.

 

Way to go Nobrakes!!! You have to love the grunt that tractorberg produces.
Stay keen!