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At the last couple races of my “career” of racing in 1984, I had gotten the points in aba to turn expert. Unlike other guys on here who started racing in my time it took me quite a time to turn, cause…well….I sucked. And this is back in the day when it took only 10, first second or thirds total to turn expert.
When I came back last year realizing my skill level when I left (scrub boy), I told Bill to give me the novice tag. (yea, I probably should have jumped right back to X, but I know guys out there who were great X’s then took a couple pro races in and came back as X upon their return to racing, I looked at myself sorta like that…yea even us old guys had heroes as kids..really, honest we were young once….I SWEAR) anyway, I was riding against Ant and Fred Hague, John Cafiero, Paul Caroll, all good guys and I had no idea whether I sucked or not. I’d be in the pack with those guys but never knew where I stood against people in my class at a “national” level. The Jack Frost comes around and I get a real class with 2 racks having to make the main and the whole nine…and holy sheeot!, I made it…ran 4th in the main till someone sandbagged at the finish to let me in for 3rd.
Yea, I was pretty happy….but I also made a decision….well 2 actually.
1 was if I made the main at the EHT National, I would go expert after that, if not then if I was close to number one in the state at the championship, I’d turn there.
Well, appendicitis took care of plan A, so I figured I’d go with B.
Nuttily enough, I wound up in first place for novice points at the state thing. So true to myself, I moved up that day, (Dale was like bro, you are gonna hate nationals, lol!).
I didn’t realize a few consequences of my actions, Chris V was wondering why I didn’t follow through, Craig wanted to see who could come out on top, and Rob Bennett….well I passed him in points when I moved up basically because he missed a couple qualifiers, (I already told him, I’m switching plates, so he is ahead of me 😉 ).
I don’t know if I did the right thing or not, but I just felt that no one was setting an example on how to do these things, I was right there with all the guys in my class all year long and I wanted the last big state race of the year to mean something and make a statement to all the parents who hold their kids back looking for a #1 plate.
Don’t do it, progress, try harder, the #3 I got or the #4 that I really deserve means something to me, ’cause now when I get on the gate with Rich, and Tom and Rob and the rest of the crew I feel like I’ve accomplished something. And ya know what else, next year when Jeff Heath and Jim Rempkowski and Antdog and Loren are all pushing it to see who gets to be the next to move up…well then their all setting examples too.
Old guys, we gotta be over the plates and numbers by now. Race, push hard…the important thing now is the example we set for the next generation.
Any sandbagging posts below will be deserved.
And my inaugural xpert berm shot…awaits….
Just don’t make it Dale….please….he’s a big dude! jeesh!Dude i have been thinking, I am gonna miss being on the gate with you and you know since i got my first real trophy this year, well i am gonna move up, that’s right ANT DOG IS GONNA GO EXPERT yeah you heard it hear first. you ask why the f*** would he do that? Cause i am to the point where i am just out there to have fun and do not really care about winning!!
The whole point is to have fun. And to be honest that is what i want to do, I may not win a damn race maybe i will but you know what, who cares!!!!
BTW I have been thinking about it for a while. Evem my wife asked “why would you do that” But what the hell? I have nothing to prove to anyone. For those that do not know I was nearly dead 6 years ago. They even told my family “Call the funeral director” But geuss what I am still here and talking trash.
Brett thank you for helping me with this decision. You are more of an inspiration than you know.
uuh emm era ok. alrighty then
Dale I look forward to getting on the gate with you.
BTW My wife thinks I am a nut, but she still supports what ever I do.
Boy do I love my cruiser 😆 😆
everyone turn expert
me i made the move to “elite masters”
OK, from novice to elite masters, man , we got one we can’t get to turn ex, and another that went all the way
i was able to go to elite masters class because in 1995.. i was superclass.. 🙂
i was good once at racing, haha
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