With only a week in between the last GNCC and This round of the mx I headed to Indiana for the week to help prepare a race bike and do a little bit of training.

With this being my first national in the US i was excited and looking forward to going out and trying to qualify and score a few points.

After getting to the track and walking around I was pretty impressed with the whole scene at Redbud,

On Saturday after the first practice I finished up a little tight and I could only manage a 30th fastest time which i wasn’t to happy about but i was sure i could improve on.  Second practice was better for me and i loosened up alot but only managed to get 28th fastest giving me 28th pick of the gate.

The first moto was lined up and I was pretty nervous, i got off to a decent jump and rounded the second corner in about 20th.  I went back and fourth most of the moto and also tightened up a little but finished up in 20th, scoring one point.

The second moto i got an even better start and came around the second corner in about 10th, with the pace of the front guys i was slotted back to about 15th on the first few laps, at about half way i caught my foot on a rut and i tweaked both my ankle an knee pretty bad, after that i rode pretty steady and dropped back to 28th.

Overall Im pretty happy with how the weekend went, I would have like to have scored points in both motos but for my first MX  i guess it was ok.  I now have a few weeks off and im going to try and do the Unadilla and Steel City MX in the break also.

Thanks to everyone who has supported me and helped out.

After a few weeks off I was ready to get back to racing.  After getting off yo a decent start I moved into the lead early on and felt good early on.  Towards the end of the first loop i was in about 4th place. 

The track was getting pretty technical and some sections were  getting hard to ride on. 

Towards the end of the race i made a few more mistakes and dropped back to 6th spot.

I was not to happy with my end result but I keep my points lead going into the summer break so that will have to do.

I’m looking forward to the summer break and will be looking forward to the last four races after the break.

Thanks for all the support.

After a disappointing last race I was ready to go again at the first Ohio round of our GNCC series.  This is my fourth year to this track and from what I have gathered it is either pretty damn dusty or pretty damn muddy!  This year we were lucky enough to get a muddy one.

Sunday morning and with a fair bit of rain on Saturday the track was already pretty wet but if the rain had held off until out race the conditions may have been decent, but this wasn’t going to happen and it dumped with rain about an hour before the morning race was due to start.  The officials had to make a decision and either run our afternoon race with the morning race all combined.  They decided to split the race and I think it was the best decision.

The sun came out for our start but it was too late and the track was torn apart from the morning class.  I got off to a bad start which probably wasn’t a bad thing as I could stay out of the chaos in the first few turns.  The first lap for me was a steady one, I stayed towards the back of pack and tried to get into a groove after getting stuck in a hole early on in the lap.  The start of the second lap I started to get going and moved into third place by the end of the lap.  Corey and I raced together and went back and forth a few times.  I led going into the last lap, Corey got by me and I was happy to follow him in case he was to get stuck I could use a different line.  Towards the end of the last lap I came up on a bottle neck and worked my way to the front and Corey was stuck in a hole at the front.  After I helped him out a little I got out and then managed to stay in second until the end.

I was happy with my result and it was a relief to get back up on the podium and get some good points.  I was stoked with my FMF, Makita, Suzuki RMZ450 as it again proved that it can last in the gnarliest conditions.

I have a few weeks off and then we are off to Snow shoe for round 9 of the GNCC before heading into the summer break.

Thanks again for all the support.

After two weeks off I was ready to go race again, after the crash at the last round I had only ridden a few times because I was still pretty sore up until a few days before this round.

With a fair bit of rain on Saturday the track was going to be pretty technical and muddy with all the rocks on this track.  I got off to another good start on my RMZ 450 and went into the woods in 3^rd spot, the first lap was pretty good.  The start of the second lap things started going downhill, I had one small crash which was not too bad but then I got stuck in the mud and a few hundred meters up the track I went over the bars and found myself under water.  (I really wanted to take a swim that’s why I fell in)

After that I just couldn’t get going and it just seemed if I tried to push I would end up on the ground.  I finished a really disappointing 7^th.

After the race I was pretty bummed, we all sat down and worked out that it is probably the worst ride I have had since I started racing in the US back in 2007, now I think that’s not bad but I just decided to have that bad day at the wrong time.  I’m super bummed about the race but I’m now back on track and ready to work and race how I know I can. 

I’m looking forward to the next round.

After a good week back in Cali I was ready to get back out to NC and try and get another good result at Yadkinville for the 6^th round of GNCC.

After walking some parts of the course on Sunday morning, I was ready to go and excited to get out onto the track.

With a short uphill and tight start I managed to sneak around the inside the first turn and grab the holeshot, I led going into the woods and actually had to slow down about half a mile in because I thought I took a wrong turn and I couldn’t hear anyone else, after working all that out I stayed in the lead for the first lap.  The track was good and my bike felt like the best it has been since I switched from the 09’ to the new 10’ RMZ 450. I also led the second lap, Charlie and I started to pull away from the rest of the guys and had our own little race going on. At the start of the third lap I knew I had to gas so I picked up the pace a little and had pulled a little gap so I could have pulled in back behind Charlie once I was done, not far out from the pits I hit a bump and it sent me a little sideway, I clipped a little tree on my left and it pulled me back and I grabbed a handful of gas and just drove myself straight into anther tree.  I hit pretty hard and was down for a little while, I’d like to thank all the guys that stopped to make sure I was good and also stop in the pits.

After working out I wasn’t broken I got up and went to the truck and stopped for a little bit to get sorted out and then after a little bit I got back on the track.  I lost 10 minutes on the third lap so any chance at even a top 5 was gone.  I kept riding around and I managed to make up a few places to finally finish the race in 9^th.

9^th is not where I want to be but I’m thankful I was able to walk away with no broken bones and a few championship points.  Thanks again to the guys that stopped to make sure I was all good and thanks to everybody who helped me get back out to finish.

I look forward to the next round

On the Drive out to the track on Saturday morning it looked like we were going to have another mudder  at the ranch.

After turning up to the track on Sunday morning the pits still looked like a mess.  After walking some parts of the track in the morning it looked like it was going to be pretty messy. 

I got first gate pick and picked the driest line, this didn’t help, I think I got too excited because of such a good start area and I didn’t fire straight away.  I was back early on and managed to make a few passes on the first fast section of the track, towards the end of the 1^st lap I had moved into 4^th spot.  I moved into the lead on the second lap and Charlie Mullins and I started to pull a gap on the rest of the pack. It was a good race and Charlie and I were together for the rest of the race making a few passes here and there.

On the last lap I was leading and he got around me on a different line, I lost some time and then almost caught back up right at the finish of the race but I was too late.  I had a decent day and I’m still happy with a second place.

I was bummed to not get my 5^th consecutive win but my main goal is the championship.  Charlie rode a good race so hats off to him.  I’m excited for next race back in North Carolina

 Thanks again for all the support

After a few weeks off I was ready to get back into the racing, I had Easter off and had worked on a few things over the three weeks off.

After walking some of the track in the morning I was looking forward to getting out there and getting a good start.  I was also in the new 2010 RMZ 450 so I was keen to see how it would perform after only half a day of testing and riding.  I didn’t get off to a great start, I think my foot slipped when trying to start so I was at the back early on.  We entered the tight trees pretty much straight away so I was hard to pass and I think I was around 10^th at one stage.

I made some passes and by the end of the first lap had moved up into 4^th, I managed to get by and then move into second towards the end of the second lap, with the new bike we weren’t sure on the amount of fuel it was going to use so I stopped on the second and fourth lap.

With two laps two go I made the pass for the lead and managed to pull away a little.  The last lap was pretty good and I just rode solid and made no mistakes to get another win.

The track was pretty good besides the dust problem, on the first lap I was a little worried about getting to the front but once into the trees the track was actually pretty perfect and made for some good racing.

The new 2010 RMZ 450 really worked well and I’m happy I have now switched over because I think it is a better bike and will help me get some more wins.  I will race a worcs race this weekend and then back to the GNCC the week after, I look forward to it,

Thanks for everyone’s support.

After Two weeks off I was ready to get back into some racing again.  I was excited to come back to NC for almost a ‘home town’ race as this was where I started out living when I first moved to the states.

After walking the track Sunday morning everything looked good and the track look really good.  At about 1pm it started to sprinkle, turning the track from perfect to being super slippery.  I got a decent jump and managed to get my second holeshot in a long 4 seasons. 

The first lap was a little slippery so it was hard to push at all, I felt good and kept a decent pace going.  The second lap the track actually started to get better but by the end of the lap it had really started to rain and it was making the track more difficult to push.

Laps three and four were similar, I tried to be smooth and not make mistakes and have no crashes. Cory Buttrick was doing well and was keeping me honest the whole day.  On the last lap the track had turned nasty, because of all the hills at this race there was more and more people each lap on the hills. 

About 8 miles around I came to a hill that has been cut away so the track was the only way up, not even half way up there was about 10 bikes spread out across the track, I had nowhere to go so I was waiting for it to clear out.  Some other people came to tell me that there was another 20 or so guys just around the corner half way up the hill, by that time Cory had caught up and we just had to wait, this went on for several minutes before third, fourth and fifth came along.  By that time at least 5 minutes had passed and the hill was starting to clear, the officials by then had told us to hold on until they made a decision.

In the end they called the race at lap five, I had led every lap so I took my third win of the season.

I think the GNCC crew made a good decision and it was fair to everyone.

I’d like to thank everyone who has helped out so far and I’m looking forward to working on some more things leading up to our next race.

Steele Creek

After loading up we left River Ranch with some good points and were on our way the the second round of the GNCC only a few hours away and only a few days after the first round.

We got to the track on Friday and set up the tent and I finished prepping goggles and gear and watched the boys get the bikes done and ready. After a short ride back into town on my new Trek I was ready to go for Sunday’s race.

Sunday morning came and after walking and bicycling parts of the track I was happy and excited to go race.  With tiny changes to the clickers on the RG3 suspension and one tooth bigger on the back sprocket I was good to go.   I got of to a good start and almost grabbed the holeshot, I quickly moved into the lead and tried to get settled in straight away, after half the lap I dropped back to second behind Thad, he was riding good and started to pull away.  Towards the end of the second lap I started to get going and started picking up the pace.  I still had a ways to catch the leader but was closing the gap, I caught up and was racing with Thad when he had a pretty gnarly crash, after stopping to check he was ok I kept going and got some faster times out until I had a good lead.  The last two laps felt fairly easy but I still managed to pull a little more time.  I took my second win of the year.

I felt good most of the day and still have a few things to work on but overall I’m really happy with how everything is going.

Thanks for all the support

GA

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