Monday Morning Coffee | Presented by Blade
By Billy Rainford
Welcome to another Monday Morning from sunny-but-cold Gainesville, Florida. Yep, I made the drive again down to the 45th Annual Thor Winter Olympics, better known as “The Mini O’s.” I know, sitting at home where there may actually be some snow on the ground, that this sounds romantic and somewhat glamorous, but it’s not all champagne and caviar on these road trips, believe me.
Monday Morning Coffee is presented by Blade. Go check them out HERE.
I’m sitting here typing this in a McDonalds restaurant just off the I-75 in Gainesville (Go Gators!) and there’s a 4-year-old peering over the back of his booth next to mine and really starting to creep me out. The drive down was one construction zone after another, and if I get stuck behind one more slow-moving Honda Pilot in the left lane, I’m going to snap! I can’t explain it, there must be something about the characteristics of people who buy these things that puts them in the fast lane for hours. But I didn’t let it ruin my drive – I just tailgated them and then pulled a few PIT maneuvers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PIT_maneuver) until they rolled off the road in a flaming ball of wreckage into the ditch….then I woke up.
Today is practice day over at Gatorback Cycle Park so I’ll meander my way over there eventually. I brought an 8-person tent with me so I should have ample room to stretch out. Sleeping in a tent at Gatorback reminds me of a story…
I first came down to Florida to race with my dad back in 1985…you heard me! We picked up another local racer named David Hanwell (He lives out in Squamish [Squampton], BC now. Look him up and say hello.) and off we went in our 1984 Dodge Minivan (I just can’t get rid of these things!) with our borrowed, yellow 3-rail trailer down the I-75.
That was the year there was a commercial on TV where the guy says, “We all know she lives up in SHREEEEVEport!” Dave pretty much had that line on repeat the entire drive. But I digress (Google it, Bowker!)…
I was on a 1984 Can Am 125 and not exactly loving the ride. Gatorback used to hold a big outdoor national back then and we were riding the amateur day before it. In those days, the Supercross and Outdoor season overlapped in places, and this was one of them. After Gatorback, the circus would drive over to Daytona for the SX (we didn’t race that).
I remember practicing at Bithlo and riding “with” none other than THE Bob Hannah. He was on a works Honda at the time and none of us could believe how fast he got that thing around the sandy practice track. I was obviously doing something wrong on a bike barely suited for gentle trail riding.
Bob Hannah practicing for the Daytona SX in Bithlo circa 1985 | Bigwave Sr. photo
OK, so we’re all gawking at Bob around his pit. His mechanic is up in the box van, Bob and his bike are down on the grass with a circle of lurkers watching. His mechanic yells down, “Hey, can you pass me that allen wrench, Buckwheat!?” Some pasty white, skinny Canadian wearing his ‘radical’ beach shorts, no chest muscles steps in front of Hannah, grabs the wrench, hands it up and says, “Ohhhh tayyyy!”
Some muscular kid looking at Hannah’s factory Honda, waiting to make a fool of himself in front of one of his idols… | Bigwave Sr. photo
Yes, that pre-pubescent idiot was yours truly. Nope, it didn’t clue in to me that ‘Buckwheat’ was Bob’s nickname. Yes, I made a bit of an ass out of myself. But guess what? These small embarrassments are what memories are made of. I can’t tell you how I did in the B class races, but I can describe Bob’s pissed off face to you in detail!
For the record, Hannah finished 3-2 for 2nd at Gatorback behind Jeff Ward‘s 1-1 in the 250 class. George Holland won the 125 class and Broc Glover went 1-1 in the big boy 500 class. And I was an ‘also ran’ in the B class…
OK, so what else happened that was embarrassing and memorable? Oh ya…
So, my buddy had a sweatshirt that I always thought was cool. He was 2 years older and went to all my races as my mechanic (we didn’t even set sag!). Anyway, i stole the sweatshirt off him and took it to Florida on this trip. My dad and I were walking through a mall in Gainesville and people were staring at me, non stop. Finally, a woman walks up and ask me if I go to Florida State. I say, “No, I’m actually Canadian.” She says, “Well, you should probably NOT be wearing that shirt in Gator Country or you’re going to get killed!” What a fool! A Canadian goes to Florida and brings a Florida sweatshirt with the wrong school on it. There’s just so much wrong with that, I don’t know where to start!
The only way I could have been in more trouble, faster, would have been to be wearing THIS shirt around Gainesville!
OK, last one…
We’re sitting having breakfast and the server brings us the bill and asks if everything is OK. My dad looks at her and replies, “Thanks…great…yes.” For some reason, mixing those words all up like that was the funniest thing either of us had ever heard and we laughed ourselves to tears as the poor girl had to just walk away. We still chuckle every time a waiter brings us a bill.
Jerry Springer‘s Final Thought:
What I’m saying here is, even if you’ve come all the way down to Florida to race the Mini O’s and the week doesn’t go perfectly, you will have made memories to last you a life time, so don’t beat yourself up over some things that happen on the track that you may not have control over. Life is a journey, not a 3-lap race on an outdoor Supercross track at a pit in Florida. Enjoy your week, everyone. Maybe one day you’ll be retelling your silly stories on some future platform in years to come.
AX Tour Round 1 Results | Bowling Green, Kentucky
LD Brown Expo Center
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Saturday, November 19, 2016
AX Pro
- 9 Daniel Herrlien KTM
- 547 Zachary Bishop-Burnett KAW
- 314 Alex Ray HSK
- 200 Michael McDade KAW
- 44 Ben Nelko KTM
- 221 Jake McKinney KAW
- X Donald Alford KAW
- 540 Andy Daggett KTM
- 401 Samuel Redman KAW
- 97 Dillon Cloyed HON
- 6 Cody Williams KAW
- 101 Dylan Rouse
AX Lites Pro
- 9 Daniel Herrlein KTM
- 44 Ben Nelko KTM
- 200 Michael McDade KAW
- 97 Dillon Cloyed HON
- 547 Zachary Bishop-Burnett KAW
- 101 Dylan Rouse
- 6 Cody Williams KAW
- 540 Andy Daggett KTM
- 821 Trevor Tate
- 221 Jake McKinney KAW
- 142 Cody Thompson
- 719 Jamie Burgess
Clash for Cash
- 9 Daniel Herrlein KTM
- 200 Michael McDade KAW
- 44 Ben Nelko KTM
- 314 Alex Ray HSK
- 6 Cody Williams KAW
- 401 Samuel Redman KAW
- 97 Dillon Cloyed HON
- 101 Dylan Rouse
- 547 Zachary Bishop-Burnett KAW
- X Donald Alford KAW
- 221 Jake McKinney KAW
- 540 Andy Daggett KTM
Next Round: Dec 3, Batesville, MS
Shelby Turner Wins Endurocross Title!
Yep, it’s true, another Canadian has won the Moose Racing Endurocross title. Shelby Turner is the 2016 Women’s Champion.
I’ll be honest, I’m not sure how the Endurocross site works. Is it all run by Transworld? Is this the official Endurocross site? Can I use these photos and this report like it’s a Press Release? Well, I’m going to go with the old, “It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission” on this one and paste the Shelby report here, since we weren’t at the race.
You can see the original post HERE. (Here’s a tip: it looks just like this one below)
Shelby Turner Takes 2016 Women’s EnduroCross Championship
Dominant season with six wins
The 2016 AMA EnduroCross Championship wrapped up in Ontario, California and Canada’s Shelby Turner clinched her first ever Women’s championship. She has been a championship contender and race winner before but she seemed to elevate her game in 2016 and ended up with six wins and two second place finishes to dominate the points table.
Beta’s Morgan Tanke took two wins on the season including the Ontario final. That secured second place in the championship. Tarah Gieger, the former Women’s Motocross champion and X Games Women’s MX gold medal winner rounded out the podium in Ontario.
Rachael Gutish was unable to compete at the Ontario final due to a knee injury suffered at the ISDE but still held onto third in the championship.
“It has been a long battle for me for sure but this year was great for me taking six wins,” Turner said. “It feels really great to finally get this AMA EnduroCross title.”
2016 AMA EnduroCross Women’s Championship Final Points
- Shelby Turner, KTM, 194
- Morgan Tanke, Beta, 176
- Rachel Gutish, KTM, 118
- Ryann Bradley, KTM, 98
- Tarah Gieger, Honda, 94
- Melissa Harten, Beta, 60
- Jannie Lamontagne, KTM, 30
- Brooke Cosner, KTM, 18
- Allyson Johnson, Husqvanra, 16
- Lexi Pechout, Husqvarna, 16
The Ontario EnduroCross finals is scheduled to air on the CBS Sports Network on Sunday, December 4th. For CBS Sports Network information, please visit www.cbssportsnetwork.com
EnduroCross tracks incorporate various elements of extreme off road racing into a Supercross-style setting, including rocks, boulders, logs, sand, mud, a water-hole…and even a few special obstacles like giant tires thrown in! Known as the “toughest racing on two wheels,” this indoor off road racing will certainly keep you on your feet.
ENDUROCROSS is a registered trademark of The Enthusiast Network.
For rules and race information visit www.EnduroCross.com or email endurocross@sorc.com
TEN: The Enthusiast Network is the world’s premier network of enthusiast brands, such as MOTOR TREND, AUTOMOBILE, HOT ROD, SURFER, TRANSWORLD SKATEBOARDING, and GRINDTV. With more than 50 publications, 60 websites, 50 events, 1,000 branded products, the world’s largest automotive V
Read more at http://motocross.transworld.net/endurocross/2016-womens-endurocross-championship/#sao0iZFzl2RppbPa.99
Congratulations, Shelby. That’s got to feel pretty good! Now let’s see you do the entire Women’s West MX Nationals in 2017!
OK, that’s enough making fun of myself for this week. It’s time to go set up camp at Gatorback and see which Canadians made the trip. Thanks to FXR, Blade, and MP County Line, we will be posting daily reports on the Canadians here (and the rest, of course) so be sure to check in with us. We’ll also be tweeting and Instagram…ing as often as we can, too. We have to eat, so give us some time to get from the final checkered flag of the day and over to Starbucks to use the internet for the Photo Reports etc..
Twitter: @Directmx
Instagram: @Direct Motocross
Facebook: Direct Motocross
Oh, we just did a short interview with #314 Alex Ray, so if you haven’t read that one yet, you can click HERE to do so.
Check out ‘5 Minutes with…Alex Ray’ HERE | Bigwave photo
Have a great week, everyone. Jeff McConkey is back from holidays so let’s put the pressure on him to be refreshed and ready to give us some interesting content and ‘McThoughts’ this week.
