NO FROZEN GROUND!!

All ready for the first ride!!

Practicing at Palmetto MX Facility.

Our trip started off on Friday night as we headed out for Travelers Rest, SC. We had a 16 hour drive a head of us but we wanted to pound the miles to get down there as fast as we could so we could ride a little on Saturday and then all day Sunday for sure. They were calling for a wet week that we would be down there.  Our trip down went really good.  Dad and I switched driving every time we had to get gas so we could each get some sleep. Like usual dad got stuck driving through the mountains and I got to sleep. We arrived in Travelers Rest around 9:30 Saturday morning. We stopped and got fuel for the bikes and headed to the Farm which we were able to get two good days of riding in. Sunday night mother nature opened up the skies and the rain started. We ended up getting rained out at the Farm so we turned to our back up plan. We loaded up the trailer and headed towards Columbia, SC. About 20 minutes south east of Columbia was our destination. I called Lonnie the owner of Palmetto MX on our way and told him we were coming since he is not open on the week days. He is great at letting out of town riders come and train or ride if they're on vacation during the week. He is a great guy and has an awesome facility. We rode there for four days and had perfect conditions. The place is really sandy and since it rained almost every night it packed the sand and made riding awesome. I got alot of good seat time and suspension testing done in those couple of days. We finished prepping the race bike Friday morning and loaded up again for our two and a half our drive to Greensboro, GA.

We arrived Friday afternoon at the pit area of the race and got everything set up for the weekend. I was really excited to get the season going. I felt really good on the bike and everything seemed to be where it needed to be. My fitness is great and my new bike is awesome and couldn't wait to race it.

Sunday morning came around and it was freezing cold like being back home- when we woke up it was only 28 degrees out. When I left the line for the start of the race it was a high of 30, but they were calling for a high in the mid-40's for the day. My first test went ok and I was a little tight through most of the section just because it was so cold and hard to get warmed up. It was a little greasy in spots but not to bad. Then we had a 14 mile road ride to get to the next section which everyone was dreading. Get sweated up and then have to ride 14 miles in 30 degree weather, Brr. I would like to thank Malissa and Betty, for bringing my coat and warm gloves to the out check for me.

The second test went better for me because I was a little loser and ready to try and put the hammer down.  After the second test I was sitting in second. The third and fourth test were going to be tighter so I was excited for that but in the third test I did have one little costly mistake- I got caught in a vine when I blew a corner and had to get untangled. Not a huge mistake but big enough. Still sitting in second I was just trying to minimize my mistakes and be smooth. Then my day went bad. I was almost done with the fourth test when we came out of the woods and into more of a cleared woods that shacaned through some little patches of trees. I came around one bigger tree and that's when my day came to an abrupt halt. I don't really know what happened but when I came around the tree on my right I got back on the gas and started drifting towards a smaller tree on my left and I thought I was going to clear it so I never really let off the gas or hit the brakes. Somehow I ended up catching the tree with my foot peg and bark buster and it sent me over the bars. I ran back to my bike and when I picked it up and put my left foot down to start the bike I knew that something wasn't right with my left foot because it really hurt. I rode to the out check and luckily it was all roads back to gas. When I got to the truck we took my boot and sock off. I found out what was wrong. I had smashed my big toe and it took my nail off and also had three cuts from the impact. One on the bottom of the toe, the side, and a nasty one behind the nail bed. I had to quite the race which was very frustrating since I was doing really well. We took the road back to the trailer and loaded up and went to the Emergency Room in GA. They did x-rays and my toe was shattered. They told me to see an Orthopedic Surgeon when we get home. Not what I wanted to hear. We hammered the miles home and went straight to a 9:30 appointment in Green Bay. I was scheduled for surgery that night at 5. Everything went good and now we are set back 4-8 weeks depending on how it heals.

I would like to thank everyone for their support and to let them know that this is only a minor set back and definitely makes me want to come back even stronger and get back to where I belong wining races.  I will keep everyone up-to-date on my progress and be back on the bike soon.

Remember "Keep it between the Trees"   I think I need to start listening to my self ... HA HA!

JD

READY FOR THE SEASON!!

Here are a few pictures of my new race bike and last years race bike.  They are all ready for the season to start.  We will be kicking the season off soon as we are headed down south for 10 days to get some riding in and to head to our first race in Georgia. I am really excited to get the year going and would again like to thank everyone who is helping me this season.  Hopefully we will not see any of this white stuff when we get to South Carolina where we plan on practicing.

Banquet 2012

District 16 Enduro Series Awards

District 16 Harescramble Series Awards

 What a great year! I finished the state champion in both the District 16 Enduro and Harescramble series. I had an amazing year and ended the season healthy and ready for next season.  The banquet was held at the Kalahri in Wisconsin Dells and we enjoyed time at the water park.  I look forward to the future because I have big plans for the new season.

Turkey Creek Enduro

November 4, 2012

Well the season is in the books for 2012.  We just had our last race of the year for our local series and I am dreading the cold that winter will bring us in Wisconsin. Not only fearing the snow and bitter cold but fearing not being able to ride my dirt bike around home until spring. Enough talk about winter, our last race was in New Paris, IN. The weather was a bit cold but the trail was awesome and you couldn't ask for a better race to end the year on. My day didn't start out as planed. Near the end of the first test we were headed to another woods section across a bean field. I entered the woods and we had to go over a rock pile I went to lay the bike over for the turn and my chain derailed. That killed me on my time since the race was ran at 30 mph speed average. It didn't take that long to get it back on but to long to have a good first test. That was pretty much the way the rest of my day went. I had a lot of trouble with lappers either falling in the worst possible spots or not moving over for me when I caught them. I had one good get off in the third test which probably cost me some time too. Even with all the trouble I still had a fun day ridding. My results were not what I was looking for but it just makes me want to train and improve more to be better and more prepared for the next race. Races like this make you learn what you need to work on and motivate you to do better. 

Down Syndrome Awareness Walk

Supporting my son in the 4th Annual Down Syndrome Awareness walk.  I would like to thank everyone who made it to the walk it really meant a lot to us that you were there.  THANKS!!

Wooped out Rapids!

Sept. 30th, 2012

Before the race with my little guy Chase

Getting ready for the Start.

The Gas Stop.

Last time through scoring taking the WIN!

We made the two hour trip to WI Rapids for the second to last round of the District 16 Hare Scramble series. I was unsure if I was going to race it or not for two reasons. First, I have the series wrapped up and I didn't have to go. Second I have horrible luck at this race. I have had lots of problems here from breaking toes, smashing pipes, smashing radiators, you name it I had it happen here. I was up in the air and finally on Saturday morning decided we were going racing on Sunday. What else would we do other wise, if we aren't racing we don't know what to do with ourselves. The weather was perfect for the racers and the spectators.  The club got permission to use some more property and added some new trail which made it a little longer and something new to ride rather than the same old trail everyone has ridding for years. I didn't get the best start and ended up going in the first woods section in seventh place. By the time we got back on the moto track and off it again Luke Wilder caught a log and went down. Next was Speedy Pete I rolled up on him after Luke went down and just as I was closing in on him I heard his Throttle screaming wide open so he was pulling over in a hurry to get that fixed. I then caught the lead pack of Scott, Matt, Chase, and Bobby.  I passed Bobby at the end of the rocky off camber section and put my sights on the rest of the guys. Matt had gotten around Scott and Chase and I then rolled up behind him and he was having some issues he said and he let us go and we started to chase down Matt. We came back into scoring that lap and Matt decided he was going to be a lumber jack and try to take down some trees and went down. So Chase and I got around him and started to pull away. Chase was ridding good and I was just trying to find some lines that I could use to make a move on him and get around him. The lap before I made the pass I found three lines I wanted to use to make the pass. We came to the first two I had scoped out and he used them and took my chances away from me. I had one left and hoped he didn't see it. We came up on a small "s" turn and I cut in the inside of him and got the pass. I then just tried to ride smooth and smart to try and gain some time on him. I was suppose to stop for gas that lap but I decided to go one more since I just rode my butt off to get around him and didn't want him to get right back by me. Well it turns out he gassed that lap and that gave me some good breathing room. I gassed the next lap and was able to pull almost a 2 minute lead by the end of the race to take the WIN. I had a lot of fun and was glad that I came and raced. I want to thank my parents and wife  for helping out on the gas stop and also like to thank all my sponsors for an awesome year of racing.  I couldn't have done it with out you.  All your support is greatly appreciated.  Thanks!!

Until next time keep it between the trees!!

Silver Dollar Shootout

Sept. 23, 2012


The weekend didn't go as planed. We took an early row to not have to deal with the dust and not have as many riders to try and get around. But I struggled to find the trail at times and actually got lost for a short time on the second test and lost valuable time. When we went out on the second loop there was actually a trail to follow and I was able to shave a minute off each of the tests on the second loop. If I would have had the same course on the first loop I would have been right with the leaders in time. The trail had everything from super tight woods, hills, river bottoms, to flowing fast trail to blasting down cornfields. We had a good time despite the problems and I came home with Fifth overall at the event. Not were I like to finish but salvaged the points I needed to wrap up the series and take home another State Championship Enduro title. I would like to thank all my sponsors that helped me achieve this and I couldn't have done it without you. Thanks. Also, I would like to thank my family for all that they sacrifice and do to help me do what I love.

Until next time keep it between the trees!!