Florida Trail Riders - October 2021

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VOL. 16 BLACK ON WHITE

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BLAKE YAHRAUS

BARTOW PHOTO REPORT SAFTEY TIPS & MORE OCTOBER 2021

PHOTO BY MARIAH LACY PAGE 1

FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

TABLE OF CONTENTS AREA DIRECTORS & CLUB INFO 4 WHO TO CONTACT 5 EDITOR’S NOTE 7 ON THE COVER 7 PREZ SAYS 9 CHAPLAIN’S CORNER 11 PEACE RIVER PHOTO REPORT 14 SAFETY TIPS 18 BACK TO RACING 20 PIT DOG OF THE MONTH 23 COHEN’S CORNER 26 2021-2022 EVENT SCHEDULE 30

Photos in this issue provided by: TYLER MILLER OCTOBER 2021

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AREA DIRECTORS & CLUB INFO

AREA DIRECTORS AREA #1 - Out-of-State, Panhandle Don St. John (912) 674-9786 dirtyfaceracing@tds.net AREA #2 - Hamilton, Suwannee, Columbia, Baker, Union, Bradford, Nassau, Duval, Clay, Putnam, St. Johns James Benton (904) 589 0093 bentonracing116@yahoo.com AREA #3 - Gilchrist, Alachua, Levy, Marion, Citrus, Sumter, Lake Wiliam Toreki (352) 372-1135 stillbill@cox.net AREA #4 - Flagler, Volusia Joe Carrasquillo (386) 295-8428 fdjoec@aol.com AREA #5 - Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, West Hillsborough Shane Hitz (747) 213-4399 shane.hitz@yahoo.com AREA #6 - East Hillsborough, Polk Jerry Curtis (813) 917-9885 jcurtis@4tbs.net

AREA #7 - Seminola, Osceola, Orange

Jason Ennis (321) 615-8227 jason.ennis@mypowersports. net AREA #8 - Brevard, Indian River Sam Boydstun (407) 467-3951 woodsracer@cfl.rr.com AREA #9 - Manatee, Sarasota, Hardee, DeSoto, Highlands Ron Thomas (941) 232-9562 ronthomasftr211@gmail.com AREA #10 - Okeechobee, St. Lucie, Martin Ken Harris (772) 370-4434 khei9862@gmail.com AREA #11 - Charlotte, Lee, Glades, Hendry, Collier Rick Miller (239) 707-5504 groundsforce@gmail.com AREA #12 - Palm Beach Kyle McAfee (561) 722-1318 rkyle914@aol.com AREA #13 - Borward, Dade, Monroe Billy Cone (954) 347-4605 clar123@comcast.net

CLUB CONTACTS

Apollo M/C Mark Bordelon (321) 794-0993 markbord115@gmail.com

Palm Beach Track & Trail Randy Rash (954) 931-5709 motodadfla19@aol.com

Azalea City M/C Gary Wyatt (386) 684-2698 wyattg1@windstream.net

Perry Mountain M/C Brad Belcher (205) 340-4298 perrymountainmotorcycleclub@gmail.com

Big O Trail Riders Derek Tremain (863) 634-8183 derektremain@gmail.com Big Scrub Trail Riders Curtis Bell (386) 679-8201 curtbell@rocketmail.com Central Florida Trail Riders Elesa Berard (407) 376-7115 elesa@embarqmail.com Columbia Enduro Riders Ricky Dennis (803) 786-0051 mastercraft@bellsoth.net Daytona Dirt Riders Joe Carrasquillo (386) 615-0722 secretary4ddr@gmail.com Family Riders, Inc. Johnny Thomas (843) 553-1463 familyriderssc@bellsouth.net Greenville Enduro Riders Chris Poole (864) 617-4342 info@greenvilleenduroriders. com Nature Coast Trail Blazers Rob Swann (813) 731-5552 rswann222@gmail.com Old School Dirt Riders Ben Kelly (941) 650-1473 ftr90racer@yahoo.com

FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

River City Dirt Riders James Benton (904) 589-0093 bentonracing116@yahoo.com Sarasota Area Dirt Riders Randy Faul (863) 244-3709 randt817@gmail.com Southeast Florida Trail Riders Frank Campbell (561) 951-3732 flawoods35@yahoo.com Sumter Enduro Riders Johnny McCoy (803) 481-5169 serma@ftc-i.net Suncoast Trail Blazers Scott Doerr (352) 238-0337 doerr66@gmail.com Sunrunners Dirt Riders Ernest Burkett (863) 712-2600 ewburkettjr@yahoo.com Tallahassee Trail Riders Mikey Rainey (350) 591-5386 trailriderstallahassee@gmail. com Treasure Coast Trail Riders Luis M Rodriguez (772) 801-9777 luisabx@hotmail.com

WHO TO CONTACT OFFICERS

RIDER REPS

PRESIDENT Randy Faul (863) 244-3709 president@floridatrailriders.org VICE PRESIDENT Pete Rose (941) 270-1189 vicepresident@floridatrailriders.org SECRETARY Kelsey Saltar (386) 315-4713 secretary@floridatrailriders.org TREASURER Kayla Vawter (863) 381-2649 treasurer@foridatrailriders.org HARE SCRAMBLE CHAIRMAN Randy Rash (954) 931-5709 hschair@floridatrailriders.org

ENDURO CHAIRMAN George Tolson (863) 698-3837 endurochair@floridatrailriders.org HARE SCRAMBLE REFEREE Dan Aitken (407) 461-8595 hsref@floridatrailriders.org ENDURO REFEREE Glenn Hunt (678) 231-4100 ghunt350sx@gmail.com

BUSINESS MANAGER Darlene Riggs (352) 538-6291 businessmanager@floridatrailriders.org

OCTOBER 2021

AA/A ENDURO Don Chriss (407) 694-5614 decorlando@gmail.com B/C ENDURO Sam Boydstun (407) 467-3951 woodsracercfl@rr.com

SPECIALTY A/B ENDURO Peter Magee (352) 472-6932 cr250@bellsouth.net SPECIALTY C/WOMEN ENDURO Jimmy Pitts (321) 234-5086 AA/A HARE SCRAMBLE Timothy Campbell (561) 723-4370 thetimtime@gmail.com

B/C HARE SCRAMBLE Ryan McCarthy (941) 234-5086 ryanmccarthy90@gmail.com SPECIALTY A/B HARE SCRAMBLE Danny Kittell (727) 244-7299 kittell@verizon.net SPECIALTY C/WOMEN HARE SCRAMBLE Kerri Chambers (863) 956-9140 jekchambers@aol.com SATURDAY CLASSES HARE SCRAMBLE Kurt Lucas (786) 385-7771 kurtlucas101@gmail.com SATURDAY CLASSES HARE SCRAMBLE Pete Rose (941) 270-1189 pwrracingktm@gmail.com PAGE 5

FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

Photo by Mariah Lacy

ON THE COVER Blake Yahraus enters his first full season in AA after winning the A 200 title last season. He finished a respectable 4th place at the Peace River Hare Scramble.

EDITOR’S NOTE What a weekend we had in Bartow! It was awesome to see everyone’s faces again.

While a lot of faces were familiar I couldn’t help but notice all the new faces out there. We have a ton of new members this year, some coming from motocross backgrounds and a lot that are just getting started with dirtbikes.

With these new members I decided to add a new column to this monthly publication, Safety Tips.

In this new column we will be covering a wide range of tips for new racers, new campers and even new spectators, as well as FTR veterans who could benefit from this information.

This month will touch on the dangers of carbon monoxide poisining and how to avoid and detect it. With a cow pasture full of running generators you can never be too careful.

Big thanks to everyone who has reached out to contribute to the magazine, it is awesome to see! I know I love reading everyone’s race stories.

Here is to another great season!

Thanks for reading, Kurt Lucas FTR Magazine Editor

Photo by Tyler Miller OCTOBER 2021

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PREZ SAYS tors lining the snow fence and bikes were lined up from one side to the other side of the starting grid. Good stuff right here!

Now the Bad

The Good, the Bad, and the Unprepared First the Good, Although the season officially started over the Labor Day weekend with the LBJ Enduro, the H/S season finally got started at the CFTR event over the Sept. 18, 19 weekend. Another record crowd and a very challenging course brought a lot of smiles and some blisters as the course really made you work. The excitement and anticipation of hearing those famous words from the one and only Uncle Bill was music to our ears. The new Mototally sign up and scoring system was introduced with great success as the lines were minimal and the process was smooth. Getting the first one out of the way with almost 1100 riders will guarantee the rest of the season will be even better. FTR is very appreciative of all the extra time and effort during the summer from Tim, Lisa, Brandon and many others to adjust and work on the transition and incorporating the changes into our series.

As the morning practice concluded, it was obvious that this was going to be sort of a survival test as the temp was rising and things started to get sticky, as the humidity set in. As my Idaho invited guest and I talked about some sections and how this was a real H/S, the time got away from us and before you know it the lines were full as we rolled up to the start. You would have thought we were at a National with specta-

The club provided two, as in 2 dumpsters and some of you leave bags of trash under the trees where you camped, Really people! We did some homework and with the help of one of several drones taking pics of the camping area, we kind of know who you are. So we are going to watch you and see if that was just an accident or if it happens again you and your group will be gone, memberships pulled. It is unacceptable for any of us to leave trash, bagged or not on the property and not properly disposed of. It’s a slap in the face to our clubs to have to go around our campsites and pick up trash left by you and your friends.

Just remember, this is not your property, we are guests on someone else’s property and the clubs are responsible, it makes us ALL look bad. Also, paying your gate fee Does Not and let me repeat, Does Not give you the right to do what you want, be jerks or ABUSE our relationship with the landowner. FTR will not accept this, put up with this, or deal with it any longer. You will be told to leave.

Camping out for the weekend with your family and friends is a major highlight for the weekend, I get it as I like to park next to my buddies also. Here’s what’s starting to happen, the clubs are running out of room for our rigs and parking is a major concern with most events. The old saying is true that if you can’t park them you can’t have an event. This past weekend at the CFTR event, they were out of parking, even using the old starting area and they added overflow parking. As we all know, that property has a lot of room to park, so what happened you ask? Going back to the videos, you can see many groups circling the wagons like we all used to do, me included. The key word here is used to, back when we only had 500-600 riders per weekend, we could block off areas and park in a square. Now we are at 800-1100 per weekend at any given event. We just can’t circle the wagons anymore. With a lot of rigs running up to 60-70 ft long and letting four of them take up an acre or two, we are running out of room.

we don’t take up extra space. If any of you have ever been to the Mini-O’s, there’s a reason they park you the way they do, they will run out of room. I know this seems petty, more restrictions, more rules, can’t do this, can’t do that, I paid my money, ect. Just remember, you could be one of the late families coming in on Friday night and you can’t find a place to park or have to park way away in the rough because of all these blocked off areas that have a football field in the middle of them.

The Unprepared I rode HS 1 and the amount of riders that stopped alongside the course was kind of scary. Their answer was either I’m resting, tired or just getting some water. I also know from looking at the scores that a lot of riders only went 1 or 2 laps and I wonder if not being conditioned for the brutal weather was a factor. One other thing I did notice and experience was the fact that when that horn went off it was full on moto, I mean like nobody was letting off, full send for a lap and then the fire went out. I got caught up in that mayhem at first but made myself settle in and find a good pace as I knew we had a 3 lap deal and maybe a 4 lapper. My hero days are gone and I’ve won my share of jackets so it’s all about the ride now with my buddies. Even though I have been doing time at croom during the summer, race pace is way different and the energy you burn will surprise you. Peppering your body in advance will give you a better chance of surviving, finishing and having a good ride even though you are completely worn out. Then comes the recovery part, which is just as important as anything. Everyone has a different idea and a program they follow, but most importantly figure out what works for you.

A supplement, recovery drink or something needs to be in your body after the race.

Don’t get in trouble and allow your body to crash, like stop sweating, feeling clammy or cold sweats. Be aware.

Thanks for listening, Randy Faul

Please consider parking parallel, side to side, awning to awning or someway where

OCTOBER 2021

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HI-PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS

FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

CHAPLAIN’S CORNER “Don’t you get it? Control is an illusion!”

Do any of you feel like that?

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 Changes and Transitions One thing we have seen during the last year is the guarantee that change will happen in our lives.

Especially with COVID, change is something we become anxious about because we do not feel in control of life.

Do you remember the first Jurassic Park movie? The conversation between Richard Attenborough and Laura Dern while they were eating the melted ice cream was eye opening. With the dinosaurs running loose, he says, “next time we will make sure we have control”. She responds,

There is good news! God has a plan for your life that includes a hope, a future, and prosperity.

We just need to learn to trust in God and allow the change to grow us to become more like Jesus.

The wisest man who ever walked the earth, King Solomon wrote, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” (Eccl.3:1) When God is at the helm, there is control, a perfect timing.

has our lives in His hands. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.(Jer.29:11) The world around us is changing. No value judgement on it being necessarily bad or good.

With God, and His love for us and direction in our lives, we can’t go wrong. The world may change, but God never changes.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.(James 1:17)

God wants us to look to Him. “See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way (a trail) in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (Isa 43:19)

And His Son, who has paid the price for our sins, mine and yours once and for all forever, is the anchor for your life. You only need to believe in Him! The writer of the book of Hebrews wrote, “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday and today and forever.”

That wilderness and wasteland could be the lay off from work, the finances, even the fear of losing a loved one to COVID.

Betty and I continue to pray for all of our FTR family. We will see you at the next race!!

Blessings on and off the road,

Not only is God in control, He

Jim and Betty Edleston CMA

OCTOBER 2021

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FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

RIDER: Landyn Mitz PHOTO: Tyler Miller

OCTOBER 2021

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Lee Smith (171) battles with Jason Feilner (378) for the final podium spot in Evolution.

- Photo by Jamey Perdue

Scott Gawler finished 3rd in AA - Photo by Dalton Anderson

PEACE RIVER HARE SCRAMBLE PHOTO REPORT We’re back! It was so nice to be back out in a cow pasture for Round 1 of the Florida Trail Riders Hare Scramble series!

As always CFTR kicked off the season with an outstanding event that drew well over 1,000 entries! The parking was packed, and everyone was eager to get out on the trail.

CFTR provided a different trail for both Saturday and Sunday, which was greatly appreciated because this place gets rough.

Being an old mining property,

the terrain is quite different than your typical Florida hare scramble. The hard soil develops sharp, square-edged bumps that will put you on the ground if you push to hard. The other parts of the trail were your typical deep sand that provided an even greater challenge, the only part of the trail that was shared both days were the last quarter mile of three-foot deep sugar sand whoops that swallowed up quite a few riders.

FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

Did I mention it was insanely hot? This was one of the hotter races that I could remember.

Couple that with the tough track and first race of the season and you had some tired riders out there. Both days I saw multiple people stopped on the side of the trail, grabbing a drink or just catching their breath. Always remember to start hydrating a few days before the race, even if it is not hot, trust me your body will thank you.

Jacob Wilson gets ready to start his season in the Peewee A class. Jacob would go on to finish 2nd.

- Photo by Jamey Perdue

Ryan Colon made his return to FTR racing after a few years away. Ryan finished 11th out of 28 in B Open.

- Photo by Tyler Miller

OCTOBER 2021

Tucker Lyons leads a pack of 65 riders through one of the grassy straights. Tucker finished 7th out of 27 in 65 C. - Photo by Jamey Perdue PAGE 15

Kolton and Jackson Mann battle it out in the Stacyc race that took place Saturday afternoon. Look for more of these events at future races.

- Photo by Tyler Miller

FTR veteran Jimmy Tyson finished 2nd in Quad AA. - Photo by Tyler Miller

FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

Gage Boyce showing off with some style on his way to a 2nd place finish in Junior B. - Photo by Jamey Perdue

Nick Cowood looking good aboard his #45 machine!

- Photo by Tyler Miller

David Hugh with a great start in C 200. He wouldn’t look back as he started off his season with a win.

- Photo by Tyler Miller

OCTOBER 2021

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SAFETY TIPS

A First Hand Experience with the Dangers of Carbon Monoxide by Monika Gilliam make sure he’s okay. Saturday evening around 6pm Jacob and Max decided to play some video games with a few friends inside of our air conditioned trailer. By 9pm we get ready for bed.

It was the start to a normal race weekend for us, the weekend of September 19th.

The first race of the season is always exciting! We look forward to jumping back on our bikes and seeing all of our friends at the track after the long summer break. Jacob, Max and I arrived at the track Saturday morning, we set up camp as usual- generator in the back of our pickup truck, chairs under our EZ UP. After we set up camp we go and socialize with our friends and family while watching the Saturday afternoon races. With the weather being so hot we usually leave max in the air conditioning and are sure to check on him every hour to

5am Sunday morning I woke up feeling a little off. I decided to step outside, and I immediately fell to the ground. My head was loopy (almost similar to a hangover). I felt weak, but it never occurred to me that something was wrong. When I laid back down in bed, Jake asked if I was okay- being the supportive husband he is, he just thought I was hung over... but I knew that just wasn’t it.

We fell back asleep around 6am, his hand holding mine… and that was the last time I spoke to him that morning.

Around 8:30-9 am (guessing times here), I heard obnoxiously loud banging on the trailer door. It woke me up, it was my dad- he opened the door. I recall him saying- “Monika wake up, you’re late for practice”. I guess I answered him saying I would be up soon. He knocked again a second time, but I do not recall. When I did finally awake Jake was still holding my hand, clinching it the same as when we went back to sleep FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

that morning. Turning my body towards him, I looked at his face and I realized his eyes were wide open- they were blood shot, he wasn’t blinking – he was unresponsive.

Scared, I propped open the trailer door and I noticed a puddle of sweat around his whole body. His mouth was open, he was breathing but he wouldn’t speak, unconscious… so, I shook him, in hopes of him waking up. I started to tremble and shake, the tears started rolling down my face, I didn’t know what to do. Max sat still in one place, not even a bark. I was at our campsite, alone. I thought if I started, the AC It would cool Jacob down, would stop the sweating and I could grab help. It took all the strength I had to climb into the bed of the pickup truck and I could barely lift an empty gas can. As people returned from practice my friend, Frank asked if I was okay. He clearly noticed I wasn’t- he called Donnie and Randy. With EMT not being able to wake Jake up they had no other option than to rush him to the nearest hospital in Lakeland where he was admitted into the ICU for a few days.

Our dog, Max passed away Monday morning at 3 years old.

We feel grateful to be able to share our story in hope that it brings awareness to this problem as our organization continues to grow. We know what we sign up for when we go racing, the possible injuries but we never think we could get hurt by sleeping in our trailers.

Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that has no smell or taste. Breathing it in can make you unwell, and it can kill if you’re exposed to high levels.

What is Carbon Monoxide?

Carbon Monoxide (CO) is often called the silent killer, carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless, colorless gas created when fuels (such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, and methane) burn incompletely. In the home, heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel are potential sources of carbon monoxide. Vehicles or generators running also produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide (NFPA.org).

When an individual is exposed to excess amounts of carbon monoxide, it can build up in your bloodstream. As the concentration of carbon monoxide in the air increases and the lungs begin pulling it in, the body starts replacing oxygen with it. This results in serious

There’s no reason why someone shouldn’t have a $30 CO detector in their rig. Be aware of your surroundings and be neighborly, if your friends sleep in past a normal time, you suspect something is off, don’t be afraid to open their trailer door - it may save their life.

In loving memory of Max - The Gilliams

damage, unconsciousness, and even death (HealthPrep.com).

Carbon Monoxide Poisining Signs and Symptoms Carbon monoxide poisoning (COP) is relatively common, resulting in about 20,000 ER visits annually. Early signs of poisining include reddened skin, irritability, brain fog or confusion, fatigue, headache, increased heart rate, loss of coordination and nausea (NCOAA.us).

PREVENTION TIPS • Inspect the RV’s generator exhaust system regularly, at least before each outing.

• Test the vehicle’s carbon monOCTOBER 2021

oxide detector every time you use an RV. • When the RV is parked, be aware of other nearby vehicles that may be using generators.

When parking, make sure exhaust gases can easily blow away from the vehicle. (TN.gov) While most RV’s come with Carbon Monoxide detectors, cargo trailers, vans and other vehicles that can be converted for camping do not. Luckily these detectors are inexpensive and can be found many places online and in store. I just purchased a Kidde Carbon Monoxide Detector on Amazon for under $20.

With the increasing number of campers at our events it is very important to be aware of your surroundings and look to see where your neighbors generator exhaust is pointing. Small acts like this can save a life.

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BACK TO RACING

by Shaun Foutch

Back to Racing after 1,058 Days…(or 37 days short of 3 years) For those that don’t know me, I stepped away from racing following the fourth race of the 2018-2019 season – SADRA Hero 4 HS at Bartow 2 on 11/04/18. I raced Silver Master B that day, lead the first lap then almost wound up in the lake on lap 2 which ended my efforts (see pic). Little did I know at that time, it would be almost 3 years before I would race again…

I had been suffering with severe shoulder pain and weakness the season before and it never improved despite physical therapy. Finally, an MRI revealed a 60% torn rotator cuff, so off to surgery I went in December 2018.

As I was recovering, I went ahead and bought a new truck and toy hauler preparing for my return. All my precise plans came to a halt in April when my Mother was diagnosed with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

This immediately stopped all plans I had with respect to

FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

racing… I could not risk getting hurt or being remote in the event she needed me. My father has advanced dementia, so I became caregiver to both of them.

So, as these things tend to do, my Mother lost her battle on 02/20/21. She was the most incredibly strong, courageous and selfless person I’ve ever known. She would always go without if someone else needed something. She taught me several things and changed my perspective on life over these past couple of years…

Needless to say, 2021 has been tough for me. I do not have siblings, so the care of my Mother and Father fell to me. I did my best to care for my Father following my Mother’s death, but it was too much with trying to work and him not understanding all that was going on.

Addressing her and his affairs on top of work and everything else had me to the point of losing my mind. I finally relented and admitted my Father to Memory Care Assisted Living. I felt guilty, but after seeing how well they cared for him, interacted with him and kept him engaged, it was the right decision.

So, it would seem things are getting somewhat settled – not just yet as my Father then has a stroke! We were not sure if he would survive it or would be able to have enough body control to return to assisted living.

We got lucky that after another month, he improved to a level where he could return. What is so sad is that his already diminished cognitive abilities were further impacted by the stroke and partial paralysis on the right side.

Now things finally started to settle down. My mental and physical state were totally shot by now. I had ballooned to 190 pounds from 160 and I was a mess. Drinking too much beer,

laying around depressed and doing nothing but deteriorating.

I finally sought some help, and the key was remembering what my Mother wanted for me. I made the decision to pull myself out of my funk and live the life she wanted me to live.

So, this brings me to today, Sunday, 09/18/21… My first day back racing Silver Master B – doing it for me and to please my Mom. It was a last-minute decision to come out and race. I give Peter Rose credit for pushing me as only a good friend can. I had a lot of obstacles to overcome, and I almost didn’t follow through.

I’m so glad now that I didn’t give up with each roadblock I encountered. I had to order and install new toy hauler tires, had to get a bike that sat almost 3 years with old gas running again (thanks to Jason Ennis and the CFPS team) and many other smaller concerns… I was humping to get it all done but it finally came together!

So how did I do? Not very well!

LOL My goal was to simply ride until I got to the checkered flag or my body gave out, whichever came first. I didn’t get the holeshot (too nervous), but I did run in third place for a bit before I dropped several anchors. I did finish two laps, no injuries and a great day.

I can’t say how much I sin-

OCTOBER 2021

cerely appreciated so many in the FTR family welcoming me back and offering true condolences and support. All weekend and even on the course people were saying, “welcome back Shaun”. This is truly a special group of people and, despite moments of dysfunction, should be appreciated and respected.

One of the people I had to track down this weekend was Brian McGinity (5B in Master B). This guy seems to race every weekend – no matter the event. I want to be like that, so I had to go get his secrets! LOL I’m making my bucket list in no particular order – race every FTR race (including enduros), race every GNCC, ride the Trans America Trail in honor of my Mother and as a fundraiser for Moffitt Lung Cancer Research and more one-off events I haven’t thought of yet! I don’t want to say, “I wish I had ridden/raced a particular event…”

Live your life as if it’s too short.

Do the things you want with the goal you’ll never say, “I wish I had…” Be nice to others and help when you can - you’ll feel so good about yourself even if others don’t appreciate your efforts. No one ever looks back and says, “I wish I had worked more…”

PAGE 21

THANK YOU ROCKY MOUNTAIN ATV M/C FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS OVER $150,000 IN RACE GAS GIFT CARDS EACH YEAR!

FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

PIT DOG OF THE MONTH Wilson

Owner: Josh Lyons Age: 2

Breed: Mini Aussiedoodle First Race: 2020 Hog Waller GNCC Hobbies: Wilson loves going on Golf Cart rides and chasing squirrels. Wilson also enjoys trying to find his dad a lady friend.

OCTOBER 2021

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FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! THIS IS YOUR MAGAZINE, WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR STORIES! IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT CONTENT TO THE FTR MAGAZINE PLEASE EMAIL FTREDITOR@FLORIDATRAILRIDERS.ORG

YOUR AD HERE!

OCTOBER 2021

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COHEN’S CORNER

by Adam Cohen

Man oh man did it feel good to knock the rust off! It’s been quite sometime since we have been able to do some hare scramble racing, and the first round did not disappoint. First and foremost the hosting club Central Florida Trail Riders did a fantastic job. You would think with it being the first race of the season and rapid growth that FTR has seen that it would be a little difficult to keep everything on time but as usual the club crushed it all weekend long.

I hope everyone had a safe and successful start to the season. We have two really fun events coming up with Round 2 of the enduro series at the Orange State Enduro and Round 2 of the hare scramble series at Hog Waller. Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

As a series we race several times throughout the season in Bartow, at a few different properties.The Bartow rounds are very unique compared to the rest of the series. Most people just assume that if you’re racing in Florida it’s deep sand and palmettos but these Bartow rounds prove otherwise. It seemed like half of the property had a very hard clay base while the other was our normal Florida sand.

The Saturday track was mainly on the sandier side of the property so it seemed like most racers were really feeling at home and picking up where they had left off at the end of last season.

Sunday was really where a lot of people were caught off guard. That Morning dew and the The Sunday loop taking us onto the clay side really made for a combo that many of us were not used to. I quickly realized in practice that throttle control and modulating your braking was going to be extremely important. I think most racers would agree with me in saying that the track was awesome and extremely fun. It was nice to have to ride really smart instead of blowing out sand corners and smashing whoops for two hours.

Photo by Tyler Miller FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

RIDER: Jack Sigismondi PHOTO: Tyler Miller

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2021-2022 EVENT SCHEDULE DATE RACE # CLUB LOCATION SEPTEMBER 09-05 Enduro #1 GERA Clinton, SC 09-18/19 HS #1 CFTR Bartow, FL OCTOBER 10-03 Enduro #2 Suncoast Croom, FL 10-16/17 HS #2 Azalea City M/C Hog Waller, FL 10-24 Enduro #3 Big Scrub TBD 10-30-31 HS #3 SADRA Bartow, FL NOVEMBER 11-07 Enduro #4 Perry Mtn Maplesville, AL 11-13/14 HS #4 DDR Ormond Beach, FL 11-21 Enduro #5 River City Macclenny, FL DECEMBER 12-11/12 HS #5 Old School Punta Gorda, FL JANUARY 1-08/09 HS #6 Suncoast Brooksville, FL 1-22/23 HS #7 PBT&TR Okeechobee, FL FEBRUARY 2-05/06 HS #8 TCTR Indiantown, FL 2-19/20 HS #9 Sunrunners Bartow, FL 2-27 Enduro #6 CFTR Richloam, FL MARCH 3-10 Enduro #7 DDR Ormond Beach, FL 3-19/20 HS #10 Nature Coast Dade City, FL APRIL 04-02/03 HS #11 Apollo M/C TBD 04-16/17 HS #12 Big Scrub TBD 04-30/05-01 HS #13 RIver City TBD JUNE 06-05 Enduro #8 Cherokee Greensboro, GA

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