President Randy Faul (863)244-3709 president@floridatrailriders.org
RIDER
Enduro
AA/A Don Chriss (407)694-5614
Specialty A/B Peter Magee (352)-472-6932 cr250@bellsouth.net
decorlando@gmail.com
Vice President James Hill (941) 812-1247 vicepresident@floridatrailriders.org Secretary Kelsey Salter secretary@floridatrailriders.org Treasurer Allen Pearce (352)339-5644 treasurer@floridatrailriders.org
Hare Scrambles Randy Rash (954)931-5709 hschair@floridatrailriders.org Enduros George Tolson (863)698-3837 endurochair@floridatrailriders.org Enduros Glenn Hunt (678)-231-4100 ghunt350xc@gmail.com Hare Scrambles Dan Aitken (407)461-8595 hsref@floridatrailriders.org Associate HS Ref Pete Rose (941)270-1189 pwrracingktm@gmail.com
Magazine Editor Dave Dekmar (941) 356-7796 ftrmagazine@dekmar3d.com
B/C
REPS
WHO TO
CONTACT
www.floridatrailriders.org
Specialty C/Women Jimmy Pitts (321)632-3456
VACANT
Hare Scrambles B/C Ryan McCarthy (941)234-5086
AA/A
Timothy Campbell
(561)723-4370
thetimtime@gmail.com
ryanmccarthy90@gmail.com
Specialty A/B Danny Kittell (727)244-7299 cell (727)786-8922 home kittell@verizon.net
Specialty C/Women Kerri Chambers (863)956-9140 jekchambers@aol.com
Saturday Classes Kurt Lucas (786)385-7771 ktmx16@gmail.com
Quads Pete Rose (941)270-1189
pwrracingktm@gmail.com
Scorekeepers
Hare Scramble Brandon St. John (912)729-1089 hsscore@floridatrailriders. org
Enduro CBob House (770)778-9343 cbr46@yahoo.com
Electronic Scoring Maintenance Tim Nordle score.n.it.4.ftr@gmail.com
@floridatrailriders
facebook.com/ ftr-floridatrailridersmagazine
issuu.com/ floridatrailriders magazine
FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS IN THIS ISSUE Page 4 Page 4 Page 6 Page 7 Page 9 Page 12 Page 20
Executive Committee Contacts Riders Reps Area Reps and Club Contacts The Prez Says Product Review Mobius X-8 Los Perdidos Baja 1000 Hare Scramble Photo Recap
SUPPORT THOSE THAT SUPPORT FTR!
Joslie Cutillas leads a fast Senior A class at the Sunrunners Hare Scramble. PC Morgan Hill.
ftrmagazine@dekmar3d.com
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Area #1: Don St.John Counties: Out-of-State, Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, Bay, Jackson, Calhoun, Gulf, Gadsden, Liberty, Franklin, Leon, Wakulla, Jefferson, Madison, Taylor, Lafayette, Dixie Area #2: Larry Roberts Counties: Hamilton, Suwannee, Columbia, Baker, Union, Bradford, Nassau, Duval, Clay, Putnam, St. Johns Area #3: William Toreki (352)372-1135 stillbill@cox.net Counties: Gilchrist, Alachua, Levy, Marion, Citrus, Sumter, Lake
CLUB Area #10: Luis M Rodriguez (772)871-6385 luisabx@hotmail.com Counties: Okeechobee, St. Lucie, Martin Area #11 Peter Rose (941)270-1189 pwrracingktm@gmail.com pete.rose@marinemax.com Counties: Charlotte, Glades, Lee, Hendry, Collier Area #12: Kyle McAfee Counties: Palm Beach Area #13: Paul Lucas Counties: Broward, Dade, Monroe
1 Apollo Motorcycle Club Mark Bordelon (321)794-0993 voice and text markbord115@gmail.com www.apollomotorcycleclub.com 2 Azalea City Motorcycle Club Gary Wyatt-Interlachan,Fl (386)684-2698 wyattg1@windstream.net 3 Big Scrub Trail Riders John Hawkins-Tavares,Fl (352) 516-6903 jamohawkins@embarqmail.com www.bigscrub.com 4 Central Florida Trail Riders Dave Nagle (407) 222-0050 centaurconstruction@yahoo.com 5 Columbia Enduro Riders Ricky Dennis-Columbia,SC (803)786-0051 mastercraft@bellsouth.net 6 Daytona Dirt Riders Shaun Foutch (386)214-4878 eastflorida234@yahoo.com zwww.daytonadirtriders.com
Area #4: Joe Carrasquillo (386)295-8428 fdjoec@aol.com Counties: Flagler, Volusia Area #5: Troy Stainbrook
7 Family Riders, Inc. Johnny Thomas-Hanahan,SC (843)553-1463 familyriderssc@bellsouth.net
Counties: Hernando, Pasco. Pinellas, West Hillsborough
8Greenville Enduro Riders Chris Poole-Laurens,SC info@greenvilleenduroriders.com
Area #6: Mike Belle Counties: East Hillsborough, Polk Area #7: Bill Jenkins, Jr. (407)282-6056 ford3233@aol.com Counties: Seminole, Orange, Osceola Area #8: Mark Bordelon (321)794-0993 mborde01@intersil.com Counties: Brevard, Indian River
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14 Sarasota Area Dirt Riders Scott Bryant (941)223-9014 gbryant@comcast.net www.sarasotadirtriders.com 15 Sarasota Area Quad Riders Amanda Fronckowiak-Venice,Fl (941) 223-6974 ajc7191@comcast.net 16 Southeast Florida Trail Riders Fra n k Ca m p b e l l -We s t p a l m Beach,Fl (561) 951-3732 Seftr35@yahoo.com 17 Sumter Enduro Riders Johnny McCoy-Sumter,SC (803) 481-5169 serma@ftc-i.net www.sermaclub.com 18 Suncoast Trail Blazers Brian Coughlin-President bcoughl2@tampabay.rr.com Shane Hitz- Vice President www.suncoasttrailblazers.com 19 Sunrunners M/C Dale Ellis-Auburndale,Fl (407)467-1196 dlellis@laneconstruction.com 20 Tallahassee Trail Riders Mikey Rainey (850)591-5386 www.tallahasseetrailriders.org
9 Old School Dirt Riders Ben Kelly-Sarasota,Fl (941)650-1473/(941)650-1474 ftr90racer@yahoo.com 10 Palm Beach Track & Trail Jim Agate-Hollywood,Fl (954)562-2500 jim@agatemortgage.com 11 Perry Mountain M/C Glenn Hollingshead-Selma.AL (334)872-0619 hhollingsh@msn.com
Area #9: Ron Thomas Counties: Manatee, Sarasota, DeSoto, Highlands
Joe Strickland- PR Chair (904)652-5761 rcdrjax@gmail.com www.rcdr.org
Hardee,
www.floridatrailriders.org
12 Nature Coast Trail Blazers Rob Swann (813)731-5552 rswann222@gmail.com www.naturecoasttrailblazers.com 13 River City Dirt Riders Woody Westbrook-President (850)320-4088
21 Treasure Coast Trail Riders Luis Rodriguez (772)801-9777 luisabx@hotmail.com
CONTACTS
AREA
DIRECTORS
The Prez Say’s
FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS A
saddle tramps that always seem to help pull these events off. I can say this in good faith as I have known these guys forever and have competed with them years ago, especially the older one of the two. How many friends that you know of can still do what they used to do besides all the ones you know from being involved with off road or dirt bikes in general? This sport has kept us active, in pretty good health and has made some of the best friends we could ask for. For me, I would not change a thing . Thanks for listening, Randy
Brianna Avirett photo
s April is just around the corner, our schedule is winding down also with just a hand full of events left on our schedule. It seems like it was just last month that we were just getting started with our season and we were looking forward to the first race. I guess time fly’s when you’re having fun. Speaking of time flying, it’s not too early to get your rooms for the banquet, last year we ran out and had to go down the street so do not wait. Banquet details will be coming out very soon but I do know it’s a sit down dinner this time with no vendors and some new plans to speed up the presentations. I had the opportunity to work with the safety crew again at the Snake River H/S hosted by the PBTTR club back in February and got a lot of seat time in. I will say, probably the best arrowed course around and I don’t think I saw any double greens in the woods! Great weekend as their trail boss was some young newlywed guy by the name of Max that took on the challenge along with the club and a couple other guys by the names of Rock and Roger B. These same two guys were heavily involved with the L Cross event presented by the Big O club which also did a great job with their event. As some of us know, the months, days and hours it takes to put one of these events together and hope that Mother Nature cooperates will take a few years off of your life, well it seems like it does! Hats off to these two clubs, their members and the two old worn out
the chaplain's corner
ARMBANDS MUST BE WORN BY ALL PARTICIPANTS AND SPECTATORS AT ALL TIMES.
I
t’s the weekend between races. You spent both days working on the bike. Cleaning, oiling, adjusting and tuning. You start hydrating on Monday and do a double check of your riding gear. As the race date approaches, you pack your camper or truck. Tools, extra parts, helmet, protectors, boots, all checked and loaded. Finally, as you roll in through the gates to the property, your psyched, jazzed and filled with confidence. On the line, the countdown starts. 30 seconds….you focus on the bike. 10 seconds… you look at your holder. The horn goes off, your running and swing your leg over and hit the button or nail the kickstarter. The motor lights, you drop the clutch…..and stall it right on the line. For a second, you stare in disbelief and are doing everything to get it started. Finally as the next line is ready to launch, you take off, dead last in your class. Recently, a friend of mine commented that as hard as he tries to live like Jesus, out of nowhere comes an action or word that shoots him down. The apostle Paul put it this way,” What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way and act another doing things I absolutely despise… I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it but I can’t do it. I decide to do good but I don’t really do it. I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time….I tried everything and nothing helps.I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me?
(Romans 7:15-24 The Message). The answer is that Jesus can and does. Like a strong wind, Jesus clears the air freeing us from the hands of sin. God sent his one and only Son who took on the human condition and, with His sacrifice and death on the cross, set it right once and for all. Like a loving father who, when the toddler falls down, picks him up, loves on him and encourages him that he’ll get it right the next time, Jesus loves us through our sin failures, our missteps, those “stall-outs at the line”. Talk to Him. Ask Him to show you His love. He’s patiently waiting for you. “The Good Race” joy service is every Saturday night from 7:30 to 7:45 pm at the CMA tent on vendor’s row. We hope to see you there! Blessings on and off the road, Jim and Betty Edleston CMA
Starting Line to Checkered Flag… “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7
ftrmagazine@dekmar3d.com 7
8 www.floridatrailriders.org
FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS I
f you take part in just about any sport you are at risk to injuries. Because of the high speed unpredictability of hare scrambles, motocross and any other off-road racing, Dirt bike riders are extremely prone to having the ground reach up and hurt you and for racers, the knee joints are perhaps particularly vulnerable but can be protected in a variety of ways. One is strength training, one is flexibilty, and the other is very often overlooked...knee braces. Mobius Technologies makes one of the most advanced knee braces on the market flooded with options, the X-8. One of the newest braces on the scene, the Mobius X-8 took a solid 7 years of research and testing to emerge as a contender. The light weight brace (43oz each) is made of a fiberglass injected nylon shell that wraps around the leg and knee. The design allows for a strong shell thats still flexible where it needs to be to allow for a better fit, comfort and stability, and designed to be rigid where necessary to resist excessive movement and provide impact resistance. The most unique part of the X-8 is the Tendon Back Plate and the Continuos Cable Routing System. This design utilizes flexible Kraton material that is tightened to the back of the riders knee with a stainless steel cable. This serves a couple purposes. One is to support the knee and ligaments and the other is to help prevent migration of the brace. I actually found this design to be very comfortable. With the large aluminium dial that tigtens the Tendon plate, adjusting the tension is easy and on the fly, even through your pants. Like most braces the X-8 has a injection molded knee cap but what I really liked about this cap is that it is overlapping. This makes the entire brace for me. With the overlapping design it is very functional, doesnt snag on your pants and moves fluidly when you scoot around on your bike. The caps also have exstension blocks, that are adjustable, to prevent hyperextension. The X-8 is very comfortable and after a while you will forget your even wearing them. The 4 straps are wide and do
a great job keeping everything in place and the do not chaffe. Customization is key to this brace. It comes in three sizes but it also comes with extra foam padding to get the perfect fit that you need. Mobius also listened to feedback and tapered the bottom of the brace so that it fits snugly inside of your boots. I've had some time riding with the Mobius X-8 braces and love them. I previously rode with some high quality knee pads and shin guards but these are definitely next level in comfort and protection. I had a low speed crash in some deep sand that would normally just be embarassing but in this case my boot got caught under the bike and my leg twisted very weird. I honestly think the brace did it's job and prevented a nasty injury. I know braces are exspensive. The Mobius X-8 goes for around $599 but you've surely heard the old helmet saying; "Ten dollar head Ten dollar helmet." The same can be said for your knees. Don't find out the hard way how exspensive and painful doing serious damage to them can be. Check out Hook It for Mobius sponsorships to reduce the cost and your health insurance might cover the cost of the brace as well, check it out. Either way, don't wait until you damage your knees to get into a knee brace.
Product Review
MOBIUS X-8 Knee Brace
ftrmagazine@dekmar3d.com 9
Around The Pits BABY GENDER REVEAL: DIRT BIKE STYLE! Gender reveals are all the rage now and trying to come up with the most creative way of doing it is becoming more popular than the old baby shower. Kelsey and Kris Saltar along with their son Brantley did their reveal dirtbike style. " My family has always been dirt bike oriented, there was no better way to find out the gender of our new baby that to incorporate dirt bikes and FTR friends and family! We are beyond thrilled to welcome another Saltar boy into our racing family!"-Kelsey Congratulations!!
CONTACT RANDY FAUL
randt817@gmail.com (863)244-3709
FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS Los P
erdid
os
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ovember 14th, 2018 marked the 51st annual running of the famed Baja 1000, arguably one of the most dangerous and prestigious off-road races in the world. Racers looking to test there strength, endurance, skill and mettle traveled from over 25 nations to take on the 1000 plus mile point-to-point course on the Baja peninsula, about 2 hours south of San Diego, California. Out of the thousands of racer entrants were six members of The Florida Trail Riders, William St. Laurent, Jerry Curtis, Eric Berard, Bryan Faby, Jason Ennis, and Scott Gawler. They all came together as the Los Perdidos Racing Team and came home with a very well earned 3rd place finish in the 30+ motorcycle class. Read on and experience the 2018 SCORE BAJA 1000 from the beginning with The Los Perdidos Racing Team.
Los Perdidos Racing Team LtoR: Jason Ennis,Eric Barard, Frenando Casagrande, Scott Gawler Sr, Bryan Faby, Jerry Curtis, Kirk Russell, Greg Kvitkauskas, William St.Laurent
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Scene One Take One
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n November 19, 2017, Eric Berard and Will St. Laurent were still wiping the dust off their faces as they started to think about the campaign for 2018 for the Baja 1000. This was one day after having just finished a grueling 35 hour and 40 minute race fraught with electrical failures and other issues, including Eric breaking his finger in the middle of his 6 hours section. They knew they needed a different approach to have more success in the Baja 1000 race since it was more war of attrition than hare scramble sprint. At the top of the list were improve reliability of the bike's systems, improve the performance of the riders, and tighten the communications while on the course. 2017 was Los Perdidos' first running of the Baja 1000, or any desert race for that matter; the team had a long way to go in the development of the skills and tools to have a successful race. So, in early in 2018, I received a call from Will St Laurent and Eric Berard; they asked if I would be interested in being on the Los Perdidos Baja 1000 Team. They had competed in 2017 and I had been following the experience on social media, perhaps with a little envy. I had always dreamed of riding Baja. When I was young growing up in Panama, my Dad was a huge off-road Jeep/4x4 fan. I watched as he was building a Jeep to compete in the Baja 1000. Between buying motorcycles and supporting my racing career, he never made it. But it was still a fond memory; I thought, “I need to do this because of my father.” I immediately said, “Yes” and my decision was immediately supported by my wife and kids. Little did they know… With the 2018 race being a single loop race at around 850 miles, 4 riders should have been sufficient along with two backup riders. The very capable Jason Ennis was also added to the team with Bryan Faby and Scott Gawler Sr. as backup. Scott had been a backup rider in 2017 and had driven extensively in the chase rig. Crew Chief was Greg Kvitkauskas, who had helped chase in 2017 but had not done the primary setup of the race bike. Fernando Casagrande from Central Florida Power Sports was added to the roster to help wrench and speak Spanish. FAST FORWARD to Perry Mountain. I had suggested the team compete in the Perry Mountain 24 Hour Challenge to see how we worked together and get some night riding experience on the weapon that had been chosen for the Baja effort. I then realized that the date was in conflict with my commitment to be in Austria at the KTM Factory during the same time. Los Perdidos Team rode that event without me. Sadly, Jason Ennis took a bad header trying to clear a triple on the FE501 Husky and rattled some things loose; he was not sure if he would ride again. This impacted all of us because Jason is one of the younger and faster riders on the team. Summer Work The team focused on the list of changes/improvements to the bike. We had two 2016 FE 501 Husqvarnas; one was the race bike from 2017 with about 70 hours total time and the other was an identical practice/pre-ride bike for 2017 with about 30 hours. Former practice bike turn into the race bike; it was totally re-wired by Greg Kvitkauskas to eliminate the gremlins from 2017 and to support the Baja Designs Dual XL Pro light, a $950 monstrous light that sheds in excess of 10,000 lumens. Eric designed a special dash board of aluminum that sat above the light to provide a location for the phone we use for LeadNav Systems navigation and the Stella tracker required by ScoreInternational. The dash turned out to be a master stroke which
provided visibility of the phone and Stella while riding at speed. During the pre-race viewing called Contingency, the crowds of riders and support folk gathered around the bike to see the dash Eric made in awe. The bike was also equipped with a new Rekluse clutch, Flexx Bars, IMS 3.2 gallon tank, FMF exhaust, Vortex ECU, Fastway pegs, linkage guard, GoldenTyre Fatty front with mousse, Dunlop AT 81 RC Desert Hard Carcass rear with Dunlop mousse, new gearing, top of the line Regina chain with no masterlink - peened in place, Seat Concepts softy seat, SetUpMX graphics, and TF Racing suspension made to be as good as possible for all riders despite the weight range of 195 to 235 lbs. With a top speed of 90mph, the bike was a bit heavy but comfortable for long stretches. Spare parts and tools were fastened to the bike to prevent rider packs from being too heavy. Everything from injectors, chain, bolts and duct tape were available. Central Florida Power Sports was extremely helpful in the making sure Los Perdidos had all the parts and gear needed for the effort. During the summer, before and after Perry Mountain, Eric and Greg spent countless hours over months prepping the bike, adjusting wiring layout, and tidying the bike to survive the race. Fernando mounted and balanced numerous tire combos, worked on clutch and ECU settings. The bikes finalized and crated to be sent to San Diego in October. As we got closer to leaving to Baja, Jason was committed to the trip but decided to take a back seat as a backup rider; Bryan Faby took his spot on the roster. That also forced the team to ride an age class lower, dropping from 40+Pro to 30+Pro since Bryan is so young! Game on. We heard the 30+ Pro Class was stacked. The weekend prior to leaving we had an FTR event in Bartow. Everyone was saying, “be safe and don’t wad it up since we leave to Baja in a week. We can’t afford to have anyone hurt.” So, as expected, in that race I hit a huge hidden hole and pulled a muscle in my groin; I might have aggravated it in the gym training. At the prior race, Will broke his pinky finger into four pieces. So we had it all going on.
Beyond the Wall
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n November 7th, Eric and Will met in Vista, CA at Strategic Racing Designs, owned by former Supercross racer, Justin Hermann; SRD builds trophy trucks and buggies and let Los Perdidos stage their gear in their warehouse, to load the trucks. Will had driven one chase rig from Oregon with pre-run bikes, parts and supplies. The other was a rented 15 passenger van with bumper mounted motorcycle carrier: Yikes! Also arrived Kirk Russell, who live is Los Barriles, Baja Sur, Mexico; Will had asked Kirk to be Race Director for the team. Kirk runs a motorcycle adventure tour company in Baja using KTM 450s year-round. Kirk is two-time Champion of the 40+Pro Class for Score Desert Series and rides the desert every day for his living. (This guy knows the ropes in Baja and if anyone ever wants to go to Baja to ride, he comes highly recommend by Los Perdidos He had set us up with a place that we could all stay at with a huge kitchen and right next to the security gate. He know roads, towns, people, as well as all the good safe places to eat.) On the 8th, the rest of the team arrived from Florida; they were picked up on the 9th and went to Walmart for supplies and drove across the border at Tijuana. The Mexican authorities treated the racers very well and we passed through without issue. Then we
ftrmagazine@dekmar3d.com 13
headed south to Ensenada. Kirk Russell, aka Captain Baja, organized an amazing Pre-Run, Day Two Prerun: The Wash Chase and Race plan. Having ridden with all of the riders a bit lthough it’s the Desert, when it does rain there are low areas and also having ridden the terrain many, many times, Kirk was able that accumulate massive amounts of water which creates raging to decide who best to put into which rivers all at once. Called washes, the locations. terrain there is like soft sandy areas Unfortunately, with a badly broken of deep power-robbing churned up finger from Hog Waller Master A race, sand with big rocks hidden beneath Will advised early that he would not ride the surface. Brain and I started to feel his intended 200 miles. Kirk adjusted comfortable so we pushed the bikes and and divided the race course sections ourselves; the faster we went the easier among the riders; this is no small task as it was to ride. Confident, I went into a the course spanned the entire northern big sandy berm in a wash and the front Baja peninsula in some of the most wheel hit a big rock. I put my left foot rugged and remote terrain possible. down and it dug in hard. I did a split The backup riders were added in to take without the grace of a ballet dancer some of the load. and I heard the muscle in my groin, The preliminary race plan was for me “POP!” The pain was intense through to start off on the bike and then hand my stomach and the Inner groin. I off to Brian Faby, then Scott Gawler, finished it off tore it good! First thing and back to me, until the bike arrived at that I started thinking about was, “I am Race Mile 380 where Eric would get on, done. I will not be able to ride and will then on to Jason, then Will for a brief I need surgery. I am going to let my 70 mile section, then back to Eric and teammates down and they are already Jason to alternate all the way in. With shorthanded.” Next day we were our sections decided, we split into two Eric Berard and Greg Kvitkauskas getting the 305X ready to go. supposed to ride. Brian had gone on to trucks, loaded with bikes and gear, and started pre-running. One ride his sections. Scott Gawler, Fernando and I decided to take a chill team rode out of Ensenada to San Felipe on the Gulf of California. day. I could not ride and we were still under the effects of the time The other team went south to San Quintin and further to ride the change. I went to the pharmacy and got some medication and some western sections. The trail was rough but so were the roads, the rub for the pain. traffic, construction zones, and long days. Next day the team reunited in Ensenada to regroup, prepare for sign The next day Brian Faby, Fernando Casagrande, Kirk Russell and up and Contingency, rest and make final preparations for the race. . Scott Gawler headed down to the east coast of Baja and San Filipe. We worked on Greg Fernando and Eric Prepped Bikes packed Chase The idea was to pre-run everyone’s section a minimum of three One and Two Jason set up Communications helmet Captain Baja times, twice in the daylight and once at night. On day one Brain and I went to the Fish market for Fresh Fish and Shrimp early dinner Faby and I rode 100+ miles with no Issues. All prerun bikes ran Capt. Baja and Myself prepared a Feast and I went to Bed for a few well. At first I was a little out of my element; the ground was hard Hours prior to race day 2am Time to go I woke up put on my Gear packed with rocks everywhere. There were sections of silt, a talcumeveryone Got ready and into Their respective Vehicles my mission like powder, with trophy truck ruts and rocks in bottom of them. was to deliver to Race Mile 78 for the first Rider Change. Good thing Sometimes the silt can be deeper than the bike is tall. There was I speak Spanish as I rode through Town going to The Start I noticed traffic and in one area I came around a corner to find a truck facelargest crowd I worked my way through the crowd and to the staring to-face headed my direction and the only way around was a washout area and they checked AND Rechecked Tech Inspection stickers section. Stella and the Helmet Inspection stickers I lined up in the position
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Los Perdidos arrives in Baja
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they had told me to and it was game on it was 4 am and Cold the Fog was lingering I was about the 40th Bike to start with 30 Minutes between bikes. Since we had some many injuries, Kirk decided that the Chase 1 and Chase 2 would both run the full length of the course with all riders in the vehicles, leapfrogging along the course to do pit service and make rider changes as needed. This allowed the team to have all its resources available, including parts and spares. The day before the race was Contingency Registration where there is a procession of vehicles through a celebratory fair lined with sponsors, vendors and thousands of fans who were looking at the vehicles as we walked by for Tech Inspection. The Mexican people of Baja love off road racing and come out in huge numbers to cheer on the racers both prior to the race and on race day. The Los Perdidos bike drew lots of looks from other teams as we got through the line for inspection. The novel dash board was a solution many liked. In the middle of the night, with fog, lights from fans lining the trail, and disorientation from having ridden for 100's of
miles, the last thing you need is to have to look for directions. We went home from tech and began preparation for race day. We enjoyed an amazing dinner from Jerry Curtis. Jason Ennis worked on communications, satellite tracking and helmet radios. Greg, Eric and Fernando worked on bikes. The rest of us loaded chase vehicles, prepped supplies and organized for the early departure. Late on the last day before the race, Score, the race promoter, open the starting 37 miles to pre-running; since the start runs right through town on city streets, Score only opens this the day before the race. Since it was also the last 37 miles of the race run in reverse, Eric planned to run it with me since Eric would be anchor to the team. We took Jason Ennis making friends wherever he goes. off on the matching race bike and backup bike; it was exciting to see the matching bikes head out. We did it at night since that is when we would start and likely finish. I had to stand on a bike stand and get on the bike as I could not swing my leg over. I was all right as long as I didn’t have to put my foot down. It was the first time I had a chance to ride the Race Bike and try to figure out the Stella tracker and the navigation out of town. I was really impressed with the suspension set by Tom Fleming of TF Racing Suspension. The other thing I noticed was the seat by Seat Concepts; it was so much more comfortable than the stock seat. The Flexx bars where so comfortable on the rocky rutted terrain. We left Ensenada. Eric was riding backwards the same path I would ride forward in about 26 hours. I was riding about 50 percent and knew I could push the way I wanted. We tried to get to bed early. Greg made some final touches on the bike; he worked on it right up until 6 hours before race start which was 4:00 am on Friday November 16, 2018. No one on the team slept very well. The house was up at 2:30 am to get loaded and out the door to beat the traffic of chase vehicles to the first stop beyond the first of many Military Posts where we have to stop and get inspected; it is a wildcard so better to go early. I headed down to the start by myself and Chase 1 and Chase 2 headed out to assigned positions.
It’s On!
T
he flag dropped for me. I left after about 30 other bikes into the dust and haze. They space us out to help with the dust but it hung in the pre-dawn fog, smoke and haze. I headed through the streets of Ensenada out of town and over the Mountains. As I climbed up it got colder and colder, finally dropping to 37 F. The first section has a speed limit since it is literally through the city; if you go over the speed limit you get a penalty. It is all tracked using satellite and the Stella. They have two types of speed zones in the race, 37mph and 60mph. This particular speed zone was about 10 miles. I did my best to not go over the speed limit. I held it steady at 37mph but people were passing me. This was confusing. When we got off the road the terrain was flat for about five miles with a light sand on top of the road; it was like riding on ice. The dust was starting to get thicker and lights were reflecting off the dust. There were thousands of fans lining the course with lights, flashlights, campfires and car lights. Challenging conditions. At around RM 37, Chase 2 had watched as all of the Unlimited bikes went by as well as all the 30 Pro Class competitors; they were worried when I didn't show. They were tracking me using Score website and Garmin Inreach but inevitable delays in updates left them without accurate information. Finally, I did came through and Will waived me by on the course. Chase 2 then hopped down the road to RM 75 and waited for me again just to get eyes on me. As I progressed, I would catch the bike ahead and get into the dust and have to let off as I didn’t want to dab my foot. As I clicked off the miles I got into a silty section and had to put down my foot. The pain was intense! I couldn’t see anything. I went into survival mode. I knew I could not go fast and could not put my right leg down. I was in a tough spot. I keep thinking, “I am letting these guys down and I need to deliver the bike."
Team Captain Will St.Laurent Jerry Curtis The Legend
ftrmagazine@dekmar3d.com 15
The Sun Still Rises
W
hen the sun started to rise it was pointed right in my face. Visibility was zero. I rode for a while with one hand trying to block out the sun so I could see the trail. I made it to the first Baja Pit, our contract fuel supplier for the race; none of my Perdidos were there so I pushed on. As the sun got higher I was able to push some and then it opened up to long straights and sweeping corners. It was time to make up some time I had lost and deliver the bike. I was sure my teammates would be able to get it done now that visibility was getting better and some distance was starting to develop between the traffic. About 3 miles before RM 78, my hand off, I saw Chase 2 with Will, Greg and Eric. I pulled over. I told then I was done. I was in pain and could not ride any more. I was going too slowly. Chase 2 advised Kirk in Chase 1 of the situation and Kirk reorganized the lineup, throwing Eric in for some additional early sections and Will in for 140 miles, a good test for his slightly healed broken finger. I pressed on in pain and rode the last three miles to the changeover point. Luckily, Chase 1 had headed down the road to race mile 78 and was ready for me. At That point I was in the Chase I and my role changed into pit support. Los Perdidos was dead last at the first change over. By RM 180, we were still in last but we were minutes behind the next competitor. We started making up time. Chase 2 headed further down the peninsula since many of the roads were totally washed out and rocked only from the hurricane few months prior, it was very slow going and they worried that they would not get Eric to RM 380 in time for the changeover. Luckily they did make it and the bike came in with Bryan Faby, albeit a little worse for the wear and tear. Bryan made great time especially considering he had a get-off where he broke two ribs! By then, we were then in 6th place in our class, having passed three teams since the start. Eric had a grueling section that is truly no man's land over 100 miles long with no towns or services or even roads; there was one pit stop in the middle of the desert. Most chase vehicles can't make it out into this section of the rocky desert. We got message from another team that Eric had passed someone like they were standing still. Later we verified the top speed in his section: he was pinned at 90mph. He pushed us into 6th place. Jason hopped on for 60 miles. The sun had gone down already so helmet lights and head lights were being used again. Jason ripped through the desert in the inky darkness to hand the bike to Will at 8pm. Will had been driving since 3 am and was relieved to be out of the truck. Getting on the bike at RM 535, Will had a long 140 mile section over the rocky spine of the desert and dropping onto the coastal plain of the Pacific and chilly 38F temperatures, smoky haze from all the spectator fires. He handed the bike off to Jason at midnight. 4 minutes later, the lead trophy truck came by our pit, driven by Ricky Johnson, former motorcycle racer. Dust and noise drowned us all. God speed, Jason! Jason held off the lead trucks, 4 in all, for about 40 minutes, but they eventually passed him, luckily without incident. In that section, despite the trucks, cold, dust, and
fatigue, Jason reeled in one more 30+Pro Class competitor putting is into 5th. After Will was changed out of riding gear, Kirk advised him that he would need to ride the bike over the finish line as the Rider of Record to be official since Rider of Record must either start or finish the race to qualify under Score rules. Will wasn't happy for a variety of reasons, not the least of which he was finally warm and dry. Regardless, they planned to drop will close to the finish line to take the bike the last 400 yards for the official finish. Eric hopped on the bike for the last 70 miles. He had been up for 24 hours, ridden twice already and would have loved a nice taco and beer. Not yet! He ripped the last 70 miles and reeled in one more bike so that we were in 4th place. Will was standing close the line when he saw the 1st of the 30+ Pro Class arrive at the finish line. Later 2nd place arrived. Then he saw a bike being pulled by another bike which then the rider pushed the last 400 yards. It was 300X, the number signifying that they were the winner from last year. Will wondered if pulling a bike was even allowed. Eric showed up 10 minutes later still in 4th. Will hopped on and rode the last 400 yards in his khakis and button down shirt but with boots and helmet to be official; he looked like a goon. Eric came got on the bike for the pictures and discussion with owner of Score, Roger Norman. Roger greets the riders as they arrive. The team was very happy to have finished in less than 24 hours and with no major injuries. We left for bed at about 4:30 am.
Bryan Faby sending it!
Hangover? Nope!
A
t 8 am on Saturday the house was abuzz. Apparently, 300X had arrived at the finish line with no Stella tracker. Without the tracker they were disqualified since there is no way to validate their path. As well, along the course, Score creates Virtual Check Points, VCPs, that must be passed within 120 feet to activate the marking on the Stella tracker. Missing a VCP adds 10 minutes to you total time. 300X was disqualified. Los Perdidos had landed on the podium. Jerry Curtis on the gas! Looking at the time, we were 20 minutes behind the 2nd place team. We had missed two VCPs when our navigation platform's batteries had died. It is assumed we missed some VCPs during the hour we ran with no navigation. Los Perdidos finished 64th of around 300 entries. 120 of the entries never made it to the finish line. Happily, no person died during the running of the 51st running of the Baja 1000. I would like to say the bond I developed with the Team can never be changed; these guys are highly respected. In time of war I want then on my Team. Everyone brought something special to the TEAM. THAT MADE IT EFFECTIVE. As you can tell by the results, 3rd Place in 30+ Pro Class is highly respectable and we are all very proud. Bryan, Will, Eric, Jason and The Lieutenant “Alto” Scott Gawler: all these guy are tough as nails and determined. The mechanics, Greg and Fernando kept the bike moving. Captain Baja’s planning and execution made the entire effort a success. There is no way this would have been possible without their support and guidance. The support from home, like Eric’s dad with communication all through the race and the wives who stayed up all night following the effort: it was amazing. I am not sure what’s up for next year. Whether it will be two teams or one, a 30+Pro and a 40+ Pro, or a 50+Pro team either way I am in. Baja is no joke! Shout out to the riders. Brian Faby rode his heart out with two broken ribs and basically rode all day long every day. Will started and finished with a Broken Finger. IRON MAN Eric putting in the miles after miles and riding my section when I tapped out. Jason for putting his head down and putting in the speed we needed to get on the podium and maintained a positive attitude with trophy trucks hunting him down. Lieutenant “Alto” Scott Gawler for his consistency when he was needed as well as Scott’s commitment as seen by his Los Perdidos Tattoo. That is awesome! Baja is very dangerous. People die here. If you see a bunch of Mexicans drinking and in a group with cameras out, ride carefully. If you wad it up it may take a while for help to arrive. We were lucky. So, today, November 19, 2018, the work for the 52nd running of the Baja 1000 in 2019 has begun already. Selection of bikes, riders and gear is underway. Los Perdidos is a little smarter and more skilled than a week ago. And more tired but in the best way. ~The Los Perdidos Racing Team
Thanks to our Supporters: Central Florida Power Sports Capt. Baja Adventures https://www.captain-baja. com Flexx Bars Metal Masters Seat Concepts Fly Racing Gear Task Racing (helmet Lights) TF Racing Suspension 6D Helmets Funnelweb Filters Domaine St Laurent KTMPanama
FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS Periodization – What It Is and Why It Is An Important Component of a Racer’s Program-Coach Robb There is a tremendous amount of discussion floating around these days regarding resting heart rate; however, there is little information regarding what an elevated heart rate means to you as an athlete. What Causes an Elevated Heart Rate? When it comes to the various forms of stress that your body is subjected to on a daily basis, the list is quite long and complex: lack of quality & quantity of food, dehydration, relationships, financial, school, work, quality & quantity of sleep and keeping all of these variables within manageable levels. One must realize that your brain doesn’t have a filing system for each form of stress, but rather one large file to handle and address the needs of each form of stress. Notice that the discussion of training and racing hasn’t even been introduced to the stress file. When you train too hard or too long too often, the body has to handle yet another form of stress and the residual effects associated (i.e. fatigue, inflammation, tenderness, etc.). Daily Symptoms Associated with High Levels of Stress Typical symptoms associated with stress include: •Decrease in performance (mentally and physically) •Increased recovery windows (takes longer for you to recover from your race weekend and training days) •Short tempered, impatient with other people •Lack of motivation to train and race •ELEVATED HEART RATE! Long Term Affects of Stress if Systems are Ignored The concept of Adrenal Fatigue (a.k.a. Epstein Barr or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) is applied to individuals that have pushed the body (mentally and physically) too long without adequate rest and nutrition to provide the necessary “tools” to rebuild a body that is resilient to stress. The four prominent external signs of Adrenal Fatigue are: •Inability to sleep through the night (even though you are tired) •Waking up throughout the night with night sweats •Loss of libido •Craving simple sugars Please note, the body doesn’t rebuild and get stronger unless it has adequate amounts of sleep (to naturally release human growth hormones – HGH) and high quality food (carbohydrates, protein and fat) to rebuild the body from the inside out – literally. The body that you have today is the result of the food and sleep you have provided your body over the last six months. It takes six months to completely “rebuild” your body and create the ultimate performance machine that you want. Think about it this way, to have the body that you want in June, starts in January! How do you Identify an Elevated Heart Rate? Though this sounds odd, many athletes misidentify what an elevated heart rate actually is (much less what to do when the assessment is correct). There are two ways to effectively capture your heart rate: •Empty your bladder and lay back down with a heart rate monitor on for 5 minutes •Empty your bladder in a seated position and take your pulse for 15 seconds and multiply by 4 to establish your pulse for 1 minute The key to accuracy is being consistent on your methodology and consistency. If you are worried about a margin of error, this margin will be essentially eliminated because your measurement methodology is the same over the course of four weeks.
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Additional Variables to Maintain: •Maintain a log of your resting heart rate for a minimum of 4 weeks. •Maintain a log of your hours of sleep for a minimum of 4 weeks. •Maintain a food log for a minimum of 4 weeks. •Maintain a hydration log for a minimum of 4 weeks. NOTE: If you would like a copy of Coach Robb’s Body Analysis Log spreadsheet to document these numbers, email me directly. How Does Food, Hydration and Sleep Impact Your Stress Levels? The body is constantly adapting to the load levels associated with training (specifically volume & intensity). Here is a breakdown of food, hydration and sleep as it relates to improved health, wellness and ultimately your on speed. Food: By consuming raw, real food, you provide your body with the key elements to a stronger and faster body. Through clean eating, you are providing your body the right mixture of carbohydrates, protein and fats. Carbohydrates provide your body stored energy (in the form of sugar) in the form of glycogen within your liver and muscles. Protein is the building block to re-building torn down muscle tissue. Fats are a necessary nutrient for your nervous system and the protection of your internal organs. Hydration: By consuming half of your body weight in ounces of filtered water (i.e. 160 pound athlete needs to consume 80 ounces of cold filtered water on a daily basis to ensure proper daily hydration levels). you will provide your body the necessary volume of water to maintain proper levels of hydration. Please keep in mind that the average body has 96 pints of water within it. Your brain consists of 75% water; blood is 85% water; and muscle is 70% water. Sleep: When you provide your body a minimum of eight hours of sleep per night, it has the opportunity to slip into deep levels of sleep (referred to as REM Pattern 3 – this stands for Rapid Eye Movement) which is the depth of rest that your body has to experience before it will release HGH naturally. When HGH is released naturally, the body will become stronger and leaner – the reason why sleep needs to be protected at all costs for maximum recovery and improved speeds on the track. What Do You Do With Your Training If Your Heart Rate Is Elevated? If you wake up in the morning and your resting heart rate is elevated, follow these guidelines to help offset the negative effects of stress (of any and all kinds): – Morning HR is elevated by 1-2 beats, follow your existing training schedule – Morning HR is elevated by 3-5 beats, cut your training volume in half and keep your intensity levels exclusively aerobic (if should be able to talk and/or sing at this intensity level) – Morning HR is elevated 6+ beats, go back to bed and focus on clean eating throughout the day. No training of any kind. Final Thoughts… Your body provides you with four specific external symptoms, not to mention the daily symptoms. By accurately evaluating your daily morning heart rate, you will have a non-emotional evaluation of how your body is dealing with stress. By focusing on consistent and clean eating along with 8-9 hours of sleep, your body will be more prepared to handle the stressors that you are subjected to on a daily basis and in turn grow stronger and ultimately faster!
Hare Scramble # 7
FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS
Photo by Morgan Hill
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ftrmagazine@dekmar3d.com 21
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FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS DOODLE RIDGE
HARE SCRAMBLE
ftrmagazine@dekmar3d.com 23
Hare Scramble # 8
2019
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SUPPORT THOSE THAT SUPPORT FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS MAGAZINE
FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS OFFICIAL BUSINESS FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS 2019 BANQUET Ocean Center Daytona Beach 101 North Atlantic Avenue Daytona Beach, Florida 32118
Buffet dinner
Trophies
Great door prizes
Date:
Saturday, August 3, 2019
Time:
5:00 PM (doors open at 4:15 PM)
Dress:
Dinner Attire/Sunday Best
Tickets:
Adult - $30.00 Child – (12 and under) $25.00
Order tickets on FTR website – “NO TICKETS AT THE DOOR” ____________________________________________________________ Hotel Accommodations:
Hilton Daytona Beach Resort/Ocean Walk Special Room Cost: $124.00 per night
Important: Make reservations by July 2, 2019. Call 866-536-8477 or 1-800HILTONS or call hotel direct 386-254-8200. Identify yourself as being a part of Florida Trail Riders; give them your name and room type. Any cancellations within 72 hours of arrival will be billed for one night’s room.
BOOK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
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FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS UPCOMING EVENTS
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For Full Flyers go to www.floridatrailriders.org or FTR Florida Trail Riders Magazine Facebook Page
2018
08/26
Enduro
Big Scrub Trail Riders Cancelled Lochloosa
9/01
Enduro # 1
Little Brown Jug (Sat Only)
9/22-09/23
HS #1
Central Florida Trail Riders
9/30
Enduro #2
Suncoast Trailriders
10/06-10/07
HS #2
Daytona Dirt Riders
•Garrett Edmisten OA
10/20-10/21
HS #3
Azaela City Dirt Riders
•Garrett Edmisten OA
11/03-11/04
HS #4
Sarasota Area Dirt Riders
•Garrett Edmisten OA
11/04
Enduro #3
Perry Mountain
Out of State
River City Dirt Riders
POSTPONED
11/17-11/18
Out of State • Scott Gawler Jr OA Croom, Fl
12/01-12/02
HS #5
Old School Dirt Riders
•Garrett Edmisten OA
01/05-01/06
HS #6
Suncoast Trail Riders
•Trevor Bollinger OA
01/19-01/20
HS #7
Sunrunners
•Garrett Edmisten OA
02/02-02/03
HS #8
Big O
•Garrett Edmisten OA
River City Dirt Riders
POSTPONED
02/10
2019
02/16-02/17
HS #9
Palm Beach Tracks and Trails
•Scott Gawler Jr OA
02/24
Enduro #5
Central Florida Trail Riders
RESCHEDULED
03/02-03/03
HS #10
Big Scrub Trail Riders
•Austin Lee OA
03/03
Enduro #4
Sandlapper
Out of State
03/16-03/17
HS #11
Treasure Coast Trail Riders
•Garrett Edmisten OA
03/24
Enduro #5
DDR Alligator Enduro
Daytona, Fl
03/30-03/31
HS #12
Nature Coast Trail Riders
Dade City, Fl
04/07
Enduro #6
Apollo Motorcycle Club
Samsula, Fl
04/13-04/14
HS #13
River City Dirt Riders
Gatorback, Fl
04/27-04/28
HS #14
Apollo
Samsula, Fl
05/05
Enduro #7
River City Dirt Riders
Seville, Fl
05/11-05/12
HS Rain Date
05/19
Enduro #8
CFTR RESCHEDULED
Richloam, Fl
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