Bull Hollow Race Report

[Fb.Paul]

It was a fun race as always. This year was better executed than years past, nobody got lost during the actual race or cut course inadvertently. Nobody went through a barbed wire fence at 40 miles an hour.

Turnout seemed really low but looking at the results there are more than 260+ entries so I think this was a good year for them.

I got a bad start but somehow got some people on the outside of the first turn, because even though I got passed by two people on the track I was still in 10th heading out on the desert loop.

The dust was really bad. I caught up to a 2 stroke Yamaha and I felt like I was faster than him, but I could never get in a good enough position to make the pass due to the dust. I stalled and made a couple mistakes, then when I caught back up to the dust I saw I had caught up to someone else, Brock Buttars. Again I couldn't get in position to make a pass and I chased him for two laps.

The MX track was the best place to get around people but in the expert class everyone is pretty dang fast on the track.

My clutch started fading on lap two, and it was obvious the reason why was due to a leak in my master cylinder. The inside of my handguard was covered in fluid. I stopped quick in the pit after lap 2 and yelled "I need clutch fluid!!" and then took off for another lap. I figured I could make do for a lap while the guys at the pit got the needed supplies together.

I stalled a bunch due to the clutch, and a few guys got by. Russ Webster, Cory Pincock, and a pie-plater. I held off Jayson Densley for a little while but I knew it wouldn't last long and he got by as well. A short time later I came across Cory who looked like he had gone down pretty hard and was slow getting up. I also came by who I think was Brock and judging by the spot where he went down it looked like he ate it hard as well. Not sure it was Brock since they show him finishing ahead of me.

Got my clutch fluid and gassed up, then headed out for lap 4. It took 3/4's of this lap before my clutch finally came back. I think Cory got back by me during the pit. Lap 4 pretty uneventful, but there was less dust so I felt like I could go pretty fast. On lap 5 I noticed I was catching Cory which was awesome, cause Cory is crazy good Mr. ISDE qualifier. Unfortunately on lap 6 he gapped me hard and even though I didn't lose any more positions he finished well in front of me.

I crossed the line physicially in 13th, but on adjusted time I slipped down to 16th. Jeff Boyd came in right behind me along with two others from the second wave.

I'm a little disappointed in my finish actually, I felt like I rode hard and fast the whole race aside from the stupid issues related to the clutch, yet I still couldn't crack the top 10 (or even top 15 for that matter). Last year I finished in the top 10 and that was after tearing my MCL on the first lap so I kind of feel like I'm going backwards. It was a fun race but I'm feeling a little burned out right now. I'm glad there's a two month break between now and the next one.

Results are up on usraracing.org, thanks to the club and the Lundgreen's for the quick work and well run event.

[Fb.Nathan]

I predict in a week you'll be itching for the next race...

Great report!