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

Podium

After moving out to California this season I was ready to get back into the racing, I hadn’t raced since my Japan adventure so I was really looking forward to it. 

Leading up to the race I had a pretty gnarly crash while practicing and so I was out for about two weeks trying to get it all sorted, Showing up to Florida with no actual race time, I was a little nervous but felt ready because of the training and riding I had been doing.

After flying in on Friday we headed to croome for a small ride in the sand to get the feel for it, i felt pretty good and was ready for the race.  Tuesday came around quick and I was off to a horrible start, I was one of the last guys off the start line so I had to start from the back which wasnt that great.  By the end of the first lap I had moved up toward the front but started to tighten up a little.

By the half way mark I had moved into the lead and tried to stay solid for the last 3 laps, with two laps to go I was caught by Chrish Bach, we had a good little battle over the last two laps and after I went down on the last lap I had to work hard to catch back up.  I managed to make the pass not far from the finish and take the win.

I was happy with how everything went but I know I can ride better and Im looking forward to Rd2 this weekend.

thanks to everyone who has supported me.

The next morning we woke up to a cold and wet day, when we were picked up the van had been loaded and we drove about an hour out of the city to this little riding area off the side of the road.  I did some photos for Back Off magazine in the not so great conditions but it was ok.

The next day we met up with another friend Wally, he speaks better english so it was easier for us to understand what we were doing.  Over the next two days we went and did some sight seeing and also went to Disney Sea which was pretty fun.

Saturday morning we got up early and headed to the track which was about 5 hours away, when we arrived it was raining and there was crazy Americans sledding down the muddy hill which was pretty funny.  A break in the weather and I got to go out on a short practice track for a few laps, for how wet it was the track was not that slippery and I enjoyed myself alot.

We stayed at a guest house on saturday night, we slept on traditional japanese mattresses, rooms and that kind of stuff. for towels we got them the size of a face washer so it was hard to take a good one.

Sunday we headed out to the track, there was snow on some of the mountains and when we got to the track the ground was frozen which was pretty cool.  The sun finally came out and warmed up to around 8 degrees celsuis so compared to what it was it was refreshing. 

I got off to a good start and moved into second straight away behind Kailub and we began to pull away straight away.  We went back and fourth for about 4 or 5 laps, he had a big tank so he could go when I had to fuel up, somehow I cracked my front brake line so I had to come in and change the line, I got back out and was about 4 minutes down and stayed there until about the last two or three laps.  After not riding since iron man I started to feel a little fatigued and started getting colder each lap. Kailub rode good and I had a bunch of fun at the race.

I head out tomorrow to fly back to Australia so Im looking forward to go to some warm weather and start some training up again for next season. I would like to thank everyone who helped me get over here and have a race.

Pre race

Hill Climb

The weather wasn’t as bad as it has been in the past with less rain and less mud when I turned up at the track on Saturday, after getting all my Smith goggles ready and everything else sorted out I was good to race.

The sun finally came out for our race on Sunday and it warmed up a little more than the day before so it was going to make the racing a little more pleasant. 

I got a decent start and moved into 4th place going into the trees, when we got out into the long field section I made passes and moved to the front and tried to find a good pace, I struggled a little and dropped back to third, at the end of the first lap I clipped a tree and went down pretty hard.  I came through the barrels at the end of the first lap in 4th spot.  I rode ok and managed to get back up to the front and then move into 2nd place behind my team mate Charlie Mullins, I loosened up and we had a good pace going, at gas I got out quicker and moved into the lead.  I started to pull a gap and had about a 30 second lead with two laps to go. 

About half way around the lap I was forced to change lines and got stuck in a bottomless hole, I lost a bunch of time and dropped to second spot. I was down 30 seconds going into the last lap and was feeling pretty good but I again got stuck in a different bog hole, this time I lost second place and was never able to make it back up. I ended up finishing the race in third place.

I was disapointedwith my 3rd place but I felt like I rode pretty good except for the getting stuck part.

I finished the season in 2nd place and one spot better than last year, I feel like I had a good year and made good progress but came up a little short on my main goal.

I would like to thank all the people that support me on and off the track and I look forward to next season.

Ironman

I turned up at the track on Friday afternoon to pick up the mechanics, the rain was coming down and it looked like it was going to be a wet one.  Saturday the sun and wind came out and dried the place up pretty good.

Sunday morning I went out and mountain biked a bit of the course, the condition’s were going to be perfect and I was ready to go.  After a decent start I went into the woods in about 8th place, towards the end of the first lap I had moved into the lead. I was feeling pretty good and tried to go straight away.  I felt good and felt like I rode strong all day and going into the last lap had a little over a minute on 2nd place, I took it easy the last lap to make sure I took the win.

By getting the win I was able to keep the championship within my reach for one more race, it is a slim chance but anything can happen and I wont give up until the final flag is waved.  We now go on a 3 week break so I will keep on training and riding .

Thanks again for all the help

With a good start I entered the woods in 4th place, I quickly moved into 3rd and then follwed the front two for a few miles, I made the pass into the lead just before the creek bottom, the track had changed alot since we walked and I made a stupid mistake went down and dropped back to 5th.

By the second lap I had caught back up to second and made a pass, by the time I came around i was 50 odd seconds back from the leader.  I pushed hard and after gas put my head down and got the gap down to where I could see the leader, I made another stupid mistake and dropped back and the last lap I had used most of my energy trying to catch up and wasnt able to push that last lap.  I ended up 2nd.  Overall I was not happy with my result, I needed to win this weekend and I didnt, I rode good and felt strong but its those little things that cost me the race. Thanks to all the help and support.

Photo: Krista Shaw

]]> http://www.joshstrang.com/2009/09/28/race-report-rd11-yadkinville-nc/feed/ 2 http://www.joshstrang.com/2009/09/16/race-report-rd-10-unadilla/ http://www.joshstrang.com/2009/09/16/race-report-rd-10-unadilla/#comments Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:31:40 +0000 josh http://www.joshstrang.com/?p=176 After a huge 10 week break in our GNCC series I was excited to get back to racing and back into the swing of things.

After flying up on Friday I felt good and ready to go, this was the fourth year I had been to this race so I felt I knew the track and felt comfortable in the conditions. The track was probably as good as it was going to get come Sunday for our race.

When the flag flew I got into the corner ok but got boxed in pretty good and had no where to go, I was out in about 8th, I quickly moved to the front and got into 2nd and then into the lead for a short time on the first lap, I stayed in the top 4 for the first couple of laps and then the lap of gas I had a small crash. After gas we caught up again and I was feeling pretty good when I clipped a lapper pretty good and lost my gear lever, I rode the rest of the lap with no shifter and pulled in to the pits to get a new one.  The last two laps I put on a charge to try and catch up but couldn’t get close enough.

I ended up 5th which I wasnt to happy about, Im now looking forward to the Worcs race this weekend and then Yadkinville the weekend after.

Thanks for the support.

Krista Shaw