by: Jared Bolton
Monday, October 8, 2018 | 10:10 AM
Welcome to Quick Fill.
Now you may be saying “hey wait a minute, it’s not Thursday?” and you’re correct. However, I had some odd computer issues last week and spent some time trying to get things back to 100%. That put a delay on Quick Fill and instead of posting it in the middle of the weekend when everyone is busy riding, racing or just getting chores done around the house, I figured waiting until Monday would give you something interesting to kick the week off with. With that said, we’ll just have a double Quick Fill week to make up for the delay. So let’s jump right into it.
What an awesome race the Mason-Dixon turned out to be! There was a fair amount of rain leading up to the race and a lot of the Youth parents were pretty concerned when they walked the track on Friday. Those off-cambers and hills were really wet and really slick. Even with a lot of sunshine on Friday it still would’ve made for some challenging conditions. Thankfully, the track crew went to work making some changes, added a couple of pipes to cross opposed to dropping into a couple of steep valley and sure enough we had a Youth course! It was still a bit wet and challenging but it turned out to be really good.
The 10AM ATV race had some challenging wet spots on it but by and far it was a lot of fun and by the 1PM race on Saturday, things really began to come around. Sunday was epic in my opinion. Things dried out fantastically and while the track got rutted out and tough, it was also a lot of fun. The Mathews Farm section of the course was a blast. With it’s gently rolling hills, off-cambers and some awesome dirt mixed with topsoil, it had to be one of the most awesome sections all season. Add in that bike-only section that the crew worked tirelessly on at the last minute and you’ve got a recipe for a great track.
When the course worked its way over to High Point, it was almost like entering a different world. There were some sections there that had good, loamy dirt as well but a lot of that side was hard packed and a little rocky. Throw in the motocross track on that section and overall the Mason-Dixon course truly had something for everyone. Tight woods, fast woods, hard packed dirt, loamy dirt, motocross, grass track; you name it, this course had it!
We also saw our second-ever eMTB race take place on Friday evening. The course was a bit wet and due to the sloppy topsoil in the majority of the woods, we opted to run a shorter course for these guys and that change made things pretty interesting to watch! Inaugural race winner, Leon Hanson jumped out to the early lead but Charlie Mullins would put his head down and charge to the front of the pack. Eventually, Leon would begin to suffer some mechanical issues thanks in part to the mud and some of the grass that had been cut but was too wet to bale.
Mullins would ride on to the win ahead of Leon. Talon Hawk, yes that’s Barry’s son, would take the Schoolboy class win with Phillip Sollon coming away with the Vet class win and Colin Dierman taking top honors in the Masters class. Overall, it was a challenging race but those guys looked like they were having a blast. Hopefully when we roll into Ironman the course will be much drier and we’ll finally have a dry race!
Now we look ahead to Powerline Park. This course is a little faster and has a lot of hard packed dirt that can get really slick when its wet. That famous Ohio clay is some of the slickest stuff on the face of the planet. Honestly, growing up in North Carolina I thought the red clay we had down south was the slickest thing ever but the first time I attended an Ohio mud race, I realized pretty quickly why Ohioans are so good in the mud.
However, fingers crossed that mud isn’t a major issue this coming weekend. There’s a little bit of rain in the current forecast for Thursday, but hopefully that’s in and out and does nothing but keep the dust down. We could be in for a real treat when it comes to the racing. We’ll talk more about that in Thursday’s edition of Quick Fill. Of course, we’ll also have the low-down on the racecourse as well; so make sure you check back for the traditional Quick Fill later this week.
That’s going to do it for me. We’ll keep this edition of Quick Fill a little on the quick side and we’ll hit it hard on Thursday with all the details on Powerline Park. Until then, enjoy your week and we’ll see you in Ohio!
Catching Up With Ken (Ken Hill)
Well now, was that a race or was that a race?! I have to say that Walker Fowler and Cole Richardson put on a show that played out over the West Virginia and Pennsylvania countryside that was as about as good as it gets. I recall taking some images as they raced down pro row and thought this might be a close one as they raced out of sight and headed towards the checkered flag. Cole has been so close and of course Fowler is just a beast so it truly was going to be a finish not to miss. I tucked into my spot at the finish and started watching Richardson’s mom as she held back tears of excitement, joy and the complete unknowing of what was happening as the last few miles were ran. The only thing faster than the front runners was watching her go from double fist pumping mom to Jesse Owens [editor’s note: for those who don’t know, Jesse Owens was an accomplished Olympic runner] as she blew through the crowd to get her hands on Cole and congratulate him on his first career XC1 Pro win. Indeed it was a well earned and much deserved win and I think even Walker had to hand it to Cole for putting in an impressive race. Mistakes and get offs had the pair of Yamaha mounted racers matching each other in virtually every aspect from speed and sheer determination that both stated from the podium. Neither was able to fully capitalize on the other in anyway until the very last lap where Cole was able to take the lead and race in for the win. I want to thank both of these young men for such a competitive race that the fans truly enjoyed.
Now that course was taken several ways by the riders I chatted with after the race ended. Some claimed it was brutal and that they couldn’t believe how rough the woods sections got while others enjoyed the high speed field sections combined with sections that forced you to think and pick smart lines. From a photographer’s standpoint, it was ugly on Saturday. The light was up and down and with such a long course it was tough to get into a groove but I was digging the layout. Sunday was much better but still one big facility to tackle and some sections looked like a complete blast. A tip of the hat to the crew because those guys put together something a bit different than the normal GNCC.
The 10 am morning race was solid with Kevin Cunningham getting back to what he does best and that is winning races. The 4x4’s were on fire in the slick conditions that greeted them and the competition was fierce. Traci Pickens racked up another win and should have the championship locked up at Powerline, making that number eleven as she pads her career with another number 1 plate. The fun for the Pickens crew did not stop at her podium, as her son would be racing for the first time ever in the Micro ATV race. I recall many years ago Traci mentioning in an article about how she enjoyed watching my boys and I race and here we were 14 years later and our roles were reversed. I tried to keep tabs on her hoping for some images during the race but she is just as swift afoot as she is on her Yamaha. This is where and how it starts and I enjoyed watching all the young racers compete and I laugh so hard when a young rider pulls over and tells me how rough it is or how tough a hill is, its just hearing that young voice and the excitement that goes with it that makes all the work and money worthwhile.
Saturday night was the annual dog talent show and if you missed it, you cheated yourself! I was pretty well done after the micro races and the extra time had me wishing for a shower but once it got kicked off everyone was laughing and having a good old time. Some dogs were good to go, others needed some seat time, well more practice, but they were a hoot. Some had costumes, which delighted the crowd that gathered, as the commentary that went along with the action was epic. If they plan on doing that type of course every year then there is indeed plenty of time for you to make your own track, get your pup dialed in, win some Racer X swag and be featured in the magazine!
That’s about all from me this week as I entertain family here for the week to visit the grandbaby. Maggie Duvall is next on deck and she is due around the Powerline race which begs the question, have we ever had a baby born at the track? No pressure Thad and Maggie, I mean records stand the test of time so its just a suggestion! As always, be safe in all you do and may God bless you all!
Ticket to Ride (Alicia McCormick)
The Rocky Mountain Ticket to Ride trip was hands down the coolest thing I have ever done! On the trip we were joined by the RM Fantasy Supercross winner and his son. Super fun guys, we can definitely say we made some lifelong friends. To start our trip, we toured the GIANT Rocky Mountain Warehouse, which is really a sight to see! Everyone that worked there was so friendly, helpful and truly seemed happy to be working there. It was definitely a breath of fresh air. After the tour we worked our way towards Moab. As we traveled towards Moab the landscaping got more and more surreal. So many shades of reds, browns, and pinks for as far as you can see. After a long day of traveling we checked into our condo and went to the Moab Brewery for dinner to fuel up for our first long day of riding.
We started our day driving the SXS’s to breakfast, which is super cool. You can drive them EVERYWHERE in Moab, just like a normal vehicle. After breakfast we hit the trails, or rocks you can say! Within the first half mile of riding the rocks I knew it was going to be an EPIC trip. You would not believe where these things can go and how steep of rocks they can climb. There was most definitely quite a few moments that took my breath away and gave me that belly dropping feeling. Eric Nelson, from RM ATV/MC was our tour guide and he did a phenomenal job. Way more trusting than I would have been! Ha! My Husband, Brian, did most of the driving. He’s really good with a wheel and well I am not. HAHA. Plus, it was nice to just take pictures and really take in all the beauty of my surroundings... or close my eyes and hold my breath when it felt like things were heading south.
The second day of riding was just as incredible as the first! High speed sections , sand dunes, jumps, and some completely vertical rock climbing. Each day we put in a solid 10 hours of riding, just crazy!!!! We ended our 2nd day with a trip to Arches National Park and boy am I glad we did. The beauty of this area is something you dream about or see in the movies. To see it in person is just astounding. We are forever grateful for this opportunity that Rocky Mountain ATV/MC and GNCC Racing gave us. We will absolutely positively be back again someday!
