From: baxter@epcot.spdc.ti.com (Mike Baxter)
Subject: 2 and 2 = 4th
Summary: 2 days, 2 sets of handlebars, and a 4th place finish
Organization: TI Semiconductor Process and Design Center
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 04:56:26 GMT

The first TCCRA (Texas Cross-Country Racing Association) race after summer
break turned out to be good (and BAD).  The good part is that I'm still alive
and that I took 4th place.  The bad part is that my bike is mangled and I'm
sore everywhere.  The race was held 3 miles outside of Montague, Texas.  The
track was 10 miles long.  It was also a very fast, brutal track.  During
practice Saturday, I crashed hard during emergency braking.  The emergency was 
the unmarked canyon that you couldn't see until you hit 4th gear and tried to
shut it down and hit a rut.  This crash broke my Alumilites off at the triple
clamps.  I survived with just a bruise on my left leg.  Luckily I brought my 
extra set of handlebars.  After putting the extra bars on my bike and bumming
some grips from my new friend Kirt, I was checking out the position of my bars
by riding around the pits when my masterlink broke.  Now my chain was jammed
up between the frame and the engine.  We took off the front sprocket and was 
able to get the chain out.  Then I spent 30 minutes looking for a masterlink
for a RK520 O-ring chain.  Kirt to the rescue, he had one that would work.
The rest of Saturday was uneventful.  Sunday, or Race Day went great until my 
last lap.  At the start I was able to take 2nd place and stayed there until
on lap #2 I stalled and fell to 4th.  Before the end of lap #2 I had made my 
way up to 3rd place and was riding my own pace.  Near the end of lap #4 I had 
caught the guy in 2nd place and the race was on.  About half way into lap #5
it happened and in a BIG way.  There was this particular part of the track
that was just plain out bad.  It was a rutted, sandy, whooped out uphill 1/4
mile strait.  I passed and took over 2nd place and just as soon as I did, this
ugly part of the track was dead ahead.  Not want to be passed I took it WFO
in 5th.  He was in hot pursuit.  My bike did not like this part of the track
at all and the rear started to do the side to side swap.  I never let off the 
throttle knowing that high-sides happen by chopping the throttle.  Guess what?
It happened anyway, I think.  All I remember is thinking, "This is gonna hurt!"
When I finally stopped and the dust cleared enough for me to see my bike, I 
staggered over to it desperately searching for the kill button while the bikes
throttle was stuck WFO.  I managed to get it shut off after about 20 seconds
of fumbling around dazed.  The next order of business was to figure out what
this liquid was all over me and the bike.  I was happy to find out it was only
water from my camel bak.  I check myself out quickly finding only sandspurs
in-bedded in my arm.  I picked up the bike and kind of laughed at the bars.
Let's say the upside down "U" is not a very good motocross bend.  I was 2 for 2
on bars, but my seat might be messed up and my rear fender is ready to be
recycled.  I rode my bike the rest of the way around the track slowly and was
still able to pull off a 4th place finish.  How you might ask.  Everyone in my
class from 5th place on back was lapped by the pro's ( or pro ), Therefore all
I had to do is cross the finish line to get 4th.  I feel lucky that I did not 
get hurt, other than bruises.    


_____________________________________________________________________________
DoD #359         '91  CR250            |         Mike Baxter   
AMA #607249                            |              
TCCRA  #061    250cc int. class        |      baxter@spdc.ti.com
Texas Cross-Country racing series      |   
50 miles of off-road Hell              |   Texas Instruments, Dallas Tx.
_______________________________________|_____________________________________

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