Today is Saturday. As always, there is a lot of stuff to do. But, this Saturday things are even more hectic than normal. One week from today, we will be heading towards Florida. We will be looking for warmer weather, and making our way inexorably to the starting line of the first GNCC of the year. My first GNCC race ever, and the start of Scott and Joe’s excellent adventure.
Along the way, we will be seeing a part of the country that I have neither Scott or I have spent a lot of time in. We will be staying in the camper, working on motorcycles, flying back and forth around the country, keeping track of all the great things we see along the way like mullet hair styles, confederate flags etc…, we will also be doing the greatest races in the country. There will be muddy days, there will be dry and dusty days, there will be races that seem to fly by and there will be the races from hell that are just a death march to the finish. Hopefully there will be some decent results along the way, but even if there are not – this will be the great adventure of my racing career. This will be as close as I will get to being a professional motorcycle racer. No real regrets on that, but from time to time I wonder what it would have been like.
Because of all the great sponsorship that we were able to set up, this will feel a lot like being a professional motorcycle racer. Truth be told, we are sponsored because we are 2 old guys who write our blog and keep up a website and will make a good presence at the race site and only at the end of the list, maybe, just maybe we will have a good race or 2 in there. And in fact, the real reason for all of the sponsorship is Scott. Scott will probably win the +40A class. I suppose I could do the same in the +40B class, but who really cares about that. Scott is the draw here, and I know it. But I am ok with that. Because I am his friend, and I will be there to help with keeping everything going , and driving and setting up camp and working on bikes, I think he is also. I will also provide good company through it all. We are going to have a great time.
Today was the 2nd to last prep day for me. I have to go out of town for work all week. I will be back on Thursday, and will spend Friday packing and doing the last prep stuff. But, today was a big day. I did a lot of shopping, both today and last night. I went to Farm and Fleet, Gander Mountain, Menards and Walmart. Ugh. But, I got it all. We do not have to buy anything else, other than at the grocery store on the way south.
Tires got mounted on wheels, brake snakes got mounted on brake levers. The trailer got opened up, cleaned and packed – minus the stuff that I bought today.
In addition, I got in my last hard workout today. This was a super hard training week. Mary Daubert had me doing double workouts all week. Everything from swimming, to gym workouts, to the rowing machine, to the bike trainer. I don’t know if I will be fast or not (actually I don’t think I will be in Florida), but I know I am really well prepared.
We have a few things still to pick up from Vesrah Suzuki this week, and there is still one more order of stuff to show up from the shop. But, we are ready.
I know I am rambling here, but I am super excited to be heading south to get this whole adventure going. The GNCC circus is going to be fun to be part of this year.
Check back here each Monday/Tuesday on race weekends, and then over the weekends on off weeks. I will be putting up a race report just after the race and then reporting on the state of things on off weekends.
Joe
303 Off-road 