Today is Sunday... today the Pros race...
Last night, I got a last minute request from a Stacey Barbossa, who was racing in the women's pro field... asking if I could pit crew for her... just in case she needed a bike. Last night we expected frozen ruts and a pit like would only be needed if a equipment failure took place... so, I said "sure"...
This morning... guess what????
Yup... the course was changing! The mud was slowly melting... it was sticking to the bikes and it was going to be mayhem in the pits. I couldn't handle it alone. Professional pit crews were being manned in the pits and the Peanut needed help... so I recruited Tom... to help me, just in case.
Thank God he was there.
As we're watching riders checking out the course before the pro women's race, we saw a few riders on the course with mud coating their drive trains. "Hey... how far have you gone", I shout out... the response... 1/2 a lap...
Holy Crap!!! Game plan change, Stacey is going to need to take bike exchanges... every lap... we better tell her!!!
This is what peanut butter mud looks like after half a lap when it starts to freeze... things don't work so well... huh... wonder why??
So, our game plan was quickly altered....
Stacey had 2 bikes... one in the pit and one she was riding on.
Rule #1. Keep one bike ready for her to ride at all times. Even if that one bike is the one she's riding...
Rule #2. Keep Stacey informed if her pit bike wasn't ready for pick-up. Why?? If a rider enters a pit and doesn't actually get a bike exchange... they incur a 10 second penalty... not to mention, it's very upsetting to the rider when the pit crew doesn't have their act together.
Rule #3. Don't let other Pit Crews get in your way... in turn, don't be a moron and get in the way of other Pit Crews. So the basic rule of good manners applies... don't be a bunch of dumb asses in the pit... but, always assert yourself to ensure you take care of your rider.
With a field of a 100 plus racers on a muddy course... the race in the pits for the power washers, is as frantic as the race out on the course. Tensions are running high, racers are dashing into the pit looking for bikes, pit crews are scrambling... trying to get frozen mud that's caked on the bikes, broken off, before they are taken to the power washers.
The end of lap 1... all the power washer freeze and we have no water. WTF????!!!!!
Racers are coming towards the pit... we don't want to cause them to panic by telling them we don't have water... we somehow have to fake it...
So... we take the bikes from the racers as if nothings going on... and chip the mud off the bikes, spray WD40 on the drive train and when they come back in... we give them back the bike... for another lap. It's better than nothing!
Lap 2 the power washers come back to life and we're back in business.... the pit crews are still chipping iced mud off the bikes but it's not feeling nearly as frantic. At least the bikes won't weigh 1000 lbs when they are given back to the riders. It's hard enough out there for them as it is...
Several riders didn't have Pit Crews and they had to abandon the race due to the conditions...
Mechanicals took their tolls as well.
The racers were awesome.... it was cold as hell and they raced the the warriors they are.
I am so proud to be a part of this sport.
Stacey Barbossa was so appreciative of our Pit Crewing... it was humbling. She was the one racing not us... we were happy to help.
It was fun providing her the support. She's a great athlete and racer, finishing 26th out of the best American racers in the US. Great job Stacey... I would pit crew for her again in a second.
Pit Crew Survival Kit... Wisely advised by my new friend and teammate Michele
Frozen mud, before it began to thaw.
Very motivated fans with very little clothing... wow!
Pit Crew's waiting for the Women's Pro field to start
Chipping Mud Off the Bikes in the pit
Kate Compton flying through the pit.. it's great having the ring side seat!
Jonathan Page on his way to the win
In the pits... It was so cold... The spray from the power washers were freezing all over our cloths
Without a pit crew... you had to abandon the race. You wheels just didn't roll
Final look at the field before wrapping up and heading out...
So, tomorrow we start our 2 day trip back home. The first part of our 2 part mission is almost complete...
It's been a blast, entertaining and so far... no one has lost an eye. So... in my book, a total success.
Until later,
Peanut out
