First Motocross Race

I don't know who is more thrilled, my grandson or me. He finished fourth in his first ever motocross race. And, it wasn't beginner's luck; he was racing against the fastest kids in NorthCentralTexas! He whined a little when I wouldn't let him race the beginner class but was all smiles when they handed him the fourth place trophey. :-)

I have watched and photographed a lot of motocross races. The 125 beginner class is the largest, most exciting and most dangerous class in motocross. I think that ninety percent of all starts in that class involve a crash. There is just too many inexperienced riders trying to be first into a tight first turn. That is the class (or the equivalent) that they wanted Dillon to race. I didn't!

I signed Dillon up for the SuperMini class. There is no beginner category for this class. It was established for the most experienced mini bike racers -- 80-112cc two-strokes with a minimum 14" rear wheel and maximum 19" front wheel. I checked the AMA rules before heading for the Waco Eagles track. I expected objections. There were no serious objections. It was hard to argue when some of the kids were on the new Honda CRF150R four-stroke race bike.

I expected Dillon to be very nervous, probably looking bad on the starts. I remember my first race. I forgot to breathe. My tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth and I think I turned blue before gasping for a breath about halfway thru the first lap. :-)

He seemed calm as he got into his gear for practice. He sat on the practice start line looking cool as a cucumber, (Dillon is #279 in these pictures) chatting with riders on either side. He came off the start at the very front of the pack, flat-tracking thru that first left-hand sweeper. So much for my worrying.

He didn't feel comfortable after first practice but seemed fine after his second time out. We talked a little but I tried to let him sort it out on his own. I told him one last time, "Have fun." His mind wasn't on me and I could tell he was disappointed. He had pretty much given up hope of winning a trophy. He knows some of the kids and was very apprehensive about racing "The Flea" and Garrett Salter. Plus, his friend Curtis was much faster than when they rode together last year. Two practices let him know just how fast those kids are.

Jane and I were feeling really bad. She was on me about putting him in the wrong class. Other club members stopped by to question my decision. And, I was beginning to worry that I had done my grandson an injustice. We talked about it and I explained that he still had a chance. Trophies go five deep and maybe one of the really fast guys would crash. Dillon became the adult, "I'm fine, Papa, don't worry." :-)

He got a terrible start in the first moto and finished seventh. He was disappointed but said, "At least I wasn't last." I was happy for him and the way he rode. We talked about the smooth style he is developing and how he will keep improving. I knew he was expecting better things in the last moto but was not expecting a trophy.

These pictures are about the way Dillon is developing such a smooth style, much like Kevin Windham or former world champion Ben Townley. He stays on the footpegs, sitting only at the very last second before a hard turn. Here, he stands all the way through a right-hand sweeper, his left foot just coming off the peg as he sets up for a hard left-hander. He drops to the seat at the last second. His outside elbow is high and his weight is on the outside footpeg. He is as far forward as he can get, sitting on the gas tank. He is absolutely graceful (I'd say pretty but he'd kill me) on a motorcycle.

Then Curtis let Dillon know that he could not race the last moto. He had injured his foot racing another class. I could see the wheels turning. "How many places do I have to improve for a trophy." :-)

Again, a terrible start. He got out of the gate okay but spun sideways when he shifted. He went through the first turn in last place. But, he really got on the gas down the back straightaway and over the big tabletops. He was passing people. To make this long story short, he finished the second moto in fifth place. He came off that track as limp as a dishrag. It was terribly hot and humid. Dillon was totally exhausted.

I started to calculate final placements. Garrett Salter had dropped out of the final moto from exhaustion. He tried to ride in too many classes on such a hot day. My calculation had Dillon in fifth.

He cooled down a bit, drank a bottle of Gatorade and walked over to say bye to his friends. You should have seen the smile on that kid's face when he came back carrying a huge trophy. He was FOURTH.
l8r

China vs Cuba vs Vietnam

This is absolutely ridiculous. Why do we continue sucking up to China and Vietnam while persecuting companies and individuals for acknowledging the existance of a close neighbor? Chinese soldiers were actively involved in killing Americans during the Korean conflict; and Vietnam has certainly made no apologies for the 50,000 American soldiers who died defending freedom. And they didn't follow us home, by the way. Is China a democracy? Is Vietnam? Hell NO!

What did Cuba do? Overthrew a ruthless dictator (Bautista) and kicked out the organized mobs who ran gambling and prostitution in Havana while making huge payoffs to the dictatorial powers. And where did they go? You got it! Florida! Do you suppose all the wealth they were able to flee Cuba with has anything to do with our governments' stand on Cuban relations?

I'm disgusted!
l8r

Grandson Pictures...

We just returned from a weekend outing at the Waco Eagles Motorcycle Club Motocross Track near Hallsburg. It was hot! But Dillon had a great time riding with old friends and meeting new friends. He's getting faster and more confident with each series of laps he puts in. He's learning that speed comes with practice. Some of his old friends have gotten really fast too. They live closer to the track and ride every week. Dillon was one of the fastest kids on the track but was having a hard time staying with Curtis, a good buddy from last year. Dillon was just a little faster last year. I had to laugh when he said, "Papa, Curtis has gotten a lot faster." Dillon doesn't realize how much faster they have both gotten.

Dillon is fifteen now and growing like a weed. He's nearly 5'9" and skinny as a gas pipe ... just like all the Prices before him. LOL

I'm posting a few pics for family and friends. It's much easier to view them here and I don't clog up your email with huge files. Most of these have been downsized for the internet. If you want a larger printable version ((Layne)), let me know. This one (jumping) I played with in Photoshop. I like the posterized effect.

This last one is a study of concentration. He was on his best game in this photo, racing and really laying it over in the banked turns. You can see the concentration in his eyes.

This should be enough to give you a good idea of how much fun we're having and how frightening it can be for his grandmother.

Hope you enjoy the pictures. As always, click the image to enlarge.

l8r

Labor and the NAACP ... a STRONG coalition

I was reading an article about the hesitancy of labor leaders to endorse a candidate. John Edwards has a good record of involvement with labor and its efforts to organize. Hilary Clinton has stepped up her flirtation with unions by supporting legislation to reduce restrictions on organizing employees. Barack Obama and John Edwards standout when it comes to efforts aimed at reducing poverty.

While reading and thinking, a light went on. Get the NAACP involved in organizing the black population into unions. Their organizational skill and leadership in equal rights campaigns would certainly add strength where it is needed ... unionizing low-paid employees and influencing the vote.

I've jumped on the John Edwards bandwagon because of his stance on labor and poverty. It's not only his stance, it's his leadership as well. He has rolled up his sleeves and gotten involved. I just emailed his campaign headquarters, suggesting this coalition. It could well be his ticket to the White House. :-)

l8r