definitely takes a few days to edit video.. But on another note-
The way things are looking in the 2 stroke class after this race we seem to have an attendance problem. I for one will always show up to run my 2 laps in the main until something on the bike fails and then curse my bike for a few days after the race and threaten retirement, but i will ALWAYS be there giving it **** in the fast class! One of these days Ill podium. wait- I would need to complete the race first. but I digress...
It seems a lot of folks have fallen off, and there has been much rumbling about the racing becoming too competitive in the 2 stroke class. Just so anyone reading this will know, Neil finally added a cruise class for the not-so-Arrow bikes. Or rather, the BBQ and Beer social scene class. I encourage anyone who hit the death race, Willow, Grange back in april-- COME BACK we miss you! with two classes now, it returns a portion of the day to just groovin' that ape-hanger adorned stretch around the twisties without the fear of being run over by a 50mph orange mohawk. and its far more fun when Jason and the disco box show up, and Ken with his chest mount go pro. We missed the trumpeted board track crew, Pat and his Flyers, those guys with the giant green Jeepney 1920 motorhome...and a few more of the gang. We are a small lot, and wouldnt be doing it if it wasnt fun. Acknowledging that different people have different versions of fun, I think the new 2 stroke class really address this.
The fast class has gotten twice as fast as the 2011 racing! well, ok, 25% faster. (but thats HUGE!!) 52mph radar's down the straight is quick on a damn beach cruiser; and its because of Dave. It would seem as though Dave Rust has become the Chip Gnassi of MB racing. or MacLaren. or the... you get my drift. He is the guy with the fast bikes. He is the guy to beat. the guy you want to hate. But wait-- isnt he the guy who supplies all the trophies? and doesnt he help EVERYONE at the track? I really hope that the low attendance is not due to "racing being too competitve". that just makes my ears bleed to hear, but I think the new class addresses that complaint.
Quick anecdote: late friday after everyone was turning in for the night, I sat and had a couple cold ones with a fellow racer, (you know who you are) and I asked him "how do you make your engines go so fast?!", and he said,"I dont know man, I just bolt the sh*t together, and if it works, then great". I thought that statement was awesome!. That's the grassroots ideal of MB racing: JUST DO IT! (or maybe that's a shoe company. whatever...)
That being said, with that approach a fella has no chance against a mechanical Engineer with a past as an engine builder in alcohol drag-boat racing and a professional flat track racing career, of which garnered more trophies than a guy could handle. (so many that he's now giving his hard earned statues of triumph to us haphazard MB racers, or making them). The Upside to this, is that if you want to run in the fast class with a shot at the title you really can!. Not only does Dave Rust build Engines for himself, Mag Rider and Me, he sells them to other race-minded MB'ers! his engines rip as we saw on the dyno. And cheap for what you get. with a stocker its 3hp for $180. Daves are 9hp for $550.( so lets call it 3hp for $200.) do the math; daves bikes are 3x more powerful as stock. so 3hp x 3=9hp, then $200 x 3 should be $600. but his are $50 less. so its cheaper than the simple math. But THIS ISNT ABOUT MATH. His engines are WORTH IT. So before you complain about the Arrow team winning too much, sit down and add up exactly how much you've spent on your bike along the way. I bet its more than $600. It reminds me of other forms of racing: to be competitive you get the shelby motor, the Maclaren motor, etc.. Racing is an expensive endeavor whatever youre driving. But we know the allure of MB'ing is the low cost, so there's the rub.
The bottom line is, I love racing. I'm too old and too big, but f*** it. I love going around that track with the outlandish hallucination that I might win. I run an Arrow Racing engine and its fast as snot on ice when the bike holds up.
Any form of racing costs money to be competitive. there's always someone to beat, and fortunately we have the luxury of running the same equipment as that someone.
Or, for those on a budget, we have the luxury of running in the new cruise class. In my eyes, 2013 ought to be a great racing season. iF ANYONE HAS ANY SUGGESTIONS about new tracks to run, please chime in! especially any tracks that are closer. imagine a track near the beach. that'd be rad.
check out arrowmotorizedcycles.com and get your bike running fast! oh, and the reed box arguments? the thing Dave took for granted was that he expected purchasers would have a knowledge of two stroke theory, so he didnt include instructions regarding jetting and the required carburetor adjustments. For example, I had to get a mikuni 18mm carb to give it the increased required amount of fuel to work. That required a new manifodl, which he includes if you want it. Sure there have been plenty of bikes that were bolt and go, but not mine. I called Dave and within a day or so I had a waaaay faster bike.
Ayway, thanks again for a great 2012 season, have a great holiday season, and be on the look out for a surprise race popping up in the next couple months!
Jake