Awesome Croom Ride!!

The ride to day was awesome. No other way to say it… 20+ FTR’s finest blasting our way through the woods for hours on end playing follow the leader. Great way to practice and have fun!!!!

Fun ride at Croom!!!

Jonny’s track is flooded so everyone is meeting at Croom Sunday morning for a fun ride. I can’t wait to blast the trails with some of my FTR buddies. Croom should be perfect with moist sand slightly packed and best of all… No Dust!!! I can’t wait!

Another ride at Jonny’s Place this Sunday!!!!!!!!!

Jonny Simpkins is having another ride this Sunday at his place. Awesome!!!

Quote from Jonny via FTR forums

“I will be having another ride here at my house, south of Clermont, on next Sunday the 12th. Last time we had 23 FTR racers show up for the riding, swimming and eating. It was a blast and also great training for the upcoming new season. If you think you can make it, please email me at mxracer36@msn.com I want to make sure I try to keep the number of riders around 30. I want to say it again that this course is single track, not high speed at all, some mud, some water, palmettos, roots, big spiders, face slappers, huge mosquitoes that will take you off the bike if you stop anywhere in the shaded woods. This course is not like Crooms, it is tight and tough and will work you the whole 5 mile loop. The food afterwards is always great and prepared by the perfect cook, Wendy. The pool is always full and some crazies attempt to do back flips. I just did get 2.5 inches of rain here today, so we will need to keep an eye on how much rain we get before Sunday. I will post a note here on Friday and Saturday letting everyone know if I have had too much rain to have the ride. Email me if you have questions,
Jonny Simpkins
www.jonnyjpeg.com “

James Stewart having fun in his backyard!

Jonny Simpkins Ride!!!!

Had a blast at Jonny’s place this Sunday. It was awesome to follow riders like Eric McCain, Joey Medina, Jonathan Bell, and of course Jonny Simpkins. Watching there technique, following there lines, and trying to learn from the best will help me improve my skills. I wish my son Cody could have rode with us… oh well, next time. It was good to see my friend Jerry Mena after the season, all healed up and blasting through the trails. I can’t wait till the next ride at Jonny’s!!

Jonny Simpkins group ride. I can’t wait!!

“Planning a big ride here at my house on Sunday, June 28th. The course is tough, tight and will wear you out quick. It is not for the weak, but it will get you used to dealing with the demons that attack you during a regular Hare Scramble. It consists of palmettos, tight woods, mud, stumps, some water, a little open areas. Riders are encouraged to bring family members to enjoy the pool. If you bring a youngster, please bring a baby sitter to watch while we are all riding. Camping the night before is welcome as well. If you think this is a fun, easy, relaxing course..... then you would be thinking wrong! If you want to be ready for the first race by sweating, pushing yourself into your endurance limits with no frills... then this is it. I need to set a limit to around 30 riders, so if you want in, please email me soon. This course is really not good for Pee Wees or any rider that cannot go a complete lap of a regular Hare Scramble. I plan on having at least two more rides before the season starts, so if you can't make this one, maybe you will make the next one. Email me if you have any questions at mxracer36@msn.com I need to be ready for next season.... will you be ready?
ROCK ON!!”

HS#14 - Okeechobee, Fl - Helmet Cam

Click to Play

This is the last race of the 08-09 FTR Hare Scramble season. I managed to win 1st place and the Season Championship by 2 points.

HS#14 – Okeechobee 1st Place – Season Champion!!

I started out with a good start right behind William Campbell and by the third corner I was in 1st. About half way through the first lap of the 12 miles course I had a nasty wreck and Jerry Mena took the lead. I managed to fight my way back to 3rd place on the 1st lap and came across Jerry on the sideline holding his shoulder screaming “It’s all yours” (He had dislocated his shoulder)… I was heartbroken… I wanted to battle Jerry to the finish, but I knew I had to win this race to win the championship (2nd place would make me lose overall by 1 point to Jeff Moan) so I just focused on the rider who was in front of me. I battled back and forth with Tom Healey #630 for the next hour. With about 5 miles to go I made the pass and put some distance between us. When I came through the chicane I knew that not only did I win the race but I won the Class Championship.

William Campbell on the right with another hole shot!!

After the race, relaxing and giving Jerry some pointers on how to avoid the trees and roots! Ha Ha (I hope you get better soon)

The toughest trophy I have earned yet!!!

My bike took the worst beating of the season. I broke my left radiator cage, my left hand guard, both of my radiator shrouds, crushed my silencer, broke my headlight, and knocked a 2 inch hole in the trans cover There was actually palmetto root jammed in the hole which helped keep the fluid in. But it was all worth it!

The Final Race is here!!!

Tomorrow, Sunday May 9th is the final race of the 2008-2009 Hare Scramble season. The adjusted points for top 3 in this championship going into this race are as follows:

Jerry Mena– 413
John Wishon– 408
Jeff Moan- 406 (taking work credit for this race – auto 50pts)

So first for me beats Jeff by 2 points... second place means I get beat by Jeff by 1 point.
Jerry needs at least 2nd to beat us both, If he gets 3rd and I get 1st... we tie!
So no matter what...

I got to get 1st this race!

After 9 months, 13 races, 450 miles of trails…
To many bumps, bruises, ER visits, MRI’s, X-rays, and medications to count…

It all comes down to the last race where I have to get 1st to win the overall championship…

No Problem, No Pressure!

Thanks to everyone that has supported me through this season. My family, friends, and sponsors. (Matthews Currie Ford, DeCal Works)

HS#13 – Bunnell, FL – 2nd Place – 1 more to go!

What a great tough race… I got a great start at about 3rd (important to be up front because this one was going to be dusty) and in the 3rd corner Jerry had a nasty dirt sandwich to put me into the trail in 2nd. When I came around the first lap I looked at the counter and I was in 2nd, 30sec behind the leader. At about the 5 mile mark I caught the lead rider and passed him, 6miles later I came through the chicane expecting to see first… 2nd!! what the @#%$! Everyone was screaming he’s right in front of you (I am still not sure how that happened when I was never passed by any rider in any class this entire race). In the middle of lap 2 I caught the lead rider, again! I screamed for him to move over (Whew Whew Whew), again! When he did, I passed him… again!, and then I made sure I pulled away from him, after 5 miles or so with the magical lead rider way behind me I came into the finish and saw… “2nd Place!” WHAT THE %$@#!!.. He some how mysteriously finished a minute ahead of me… (Of course the first race without my helmet cam)

I just hope that those 3 points I lost doesn’t cost me the championship in the long run. Oh well! That’s racing! 

Shaking hands with Jerry Mena (secretly plotting to block Jeff Moan) at the start.

Jerry just getting the jump on me at the start…

Jerry being nice enough to wait for me at the 3rd corner… (ouch!)

 

Me thinking “how nice of Jerry to throw himself in front of the other riders to let me go by” ;)

One note… Jerry managed to catch up and finish 3rd… With a possible broken leg!! You are the man Jerry!
Get well soon!

Coming around for lap 3… no Jerry of Jeff in sight!! Whew!

2nd Place… 1 more race to go for the season championship

Current adjusted points into the last race. (Too close to call)

Jerry – 413
John – 408
Jeff - 406

See you guys at HS14 !