The morning started out in true Monster Truck rally fashion, with mud so deep every vehicle attempting to get into the venue immediately got stuck... This resulted in a goat rodeo of huge proportions, causing a bunch of Southern guys... with ropes, cables and chains attached to a huge ass tractor screaming to the rescue.
Enter stage right... The Blue Steel van, which by the way... doesn't drive worth a shit in mud.
One of the Southern guys leans up against the drivers door and tells me... "Jes hit the gas and don't let up... UUU won't geet stuk if UUU don't stop!". So that's exactly what I did... I floored it! The van took off, about 200 lbs of mud went spinning back... hosing down the porta pots. The van went rocketing across the mud field with all the Southern guys yelling... "That's how you get er done!"
The venue folks weren't amused... and decided to bring in mulch to avoid any further Monster Truck Rally action... What a bunch of babies!!
So... as I'm sure you figured out, if the parking area was covered in mud, the course must have been in similar shape... right? CORRECT!!!
This is my shoe after the run up...
Remember how I broke down the different mud types for you a few weeks ago??? Well, the course was covered in a thick peanut butter mud... Now as a reminder, this is the toughest mud of all. Very difficult to ride in, because it is relentless in the resistance it presents when riding... never giving your legs a break. It slowly gathers on your bike and adds weight and it sticks to EEEEVVVERYTHING!
After getting the vehicles dropped into the deepest mud hole we could find.
Blue Steel Mud Compound (hard to see all the mud in this picture)
We unloaded our stuff and headed out onto the course to check it out. The guys doing formal course review for their seeding race... The Flea and I doing a 2 lap check out as part of our work out.
In spending enough time with folks, you learn what their race faces look like... so I figured I would share them with you...
Flea's Race Face.... What you laughing at!!?
Tom's Race face.... I swear, every time I tried to take a picture of him... he was bending over!
Big Pit's race face... talking
And you got it... Big Pit is STILL TALKING!!!!
Peanut's game face (NOT!)... and Tom... STILL bending over! Geez, what is with that guy??
Timmy Shea... always a smile from Timmy!
The guys survived their seeding races. Tom said it was the hardest 15 minute race he's ever done. I think that summed it up for just about everyone today.
Flea and I dodged a major bullet in the pit... we didn't have to hand up any bikes to the guys today. That will change on Thursday!
Remember... the weather here is pretty fickle.
Starting around midnight, we are expecting torrential rains, high winds and a dramatic drop in temps... go figure.
More seeding races tomorrow, with Eric Carlson on the line at 8:30 and then Thursday begins the racing for all the marbles. Until tomorrow...
Don't take life too seriously!
Peanut out!
