Quick Fill #11: Back in Action

Welcome to Quick Fill.  Hope everyone had a great weekend off (and by off I mean off-GNCC) as most of you go-getters found somewhere else to race/ride for the weekend.  We traveled to Pell City, Ala. for the second round of the ATV Motocross Championship Series presented by DWT.  As my first ATV National, I must say - those guys rip!  I've never really had the opportunity to watch ATV's race at that level and it was very impressive.  Even more impressive, though, was seeing 9-Time GNCC Champion Bill Ballance at the race getting his hands dirty to help out teammate Thomas Brown.  Brown had some bike problems and Ballance was in there taking apart motors trying to fix the problem.  Taylor Kiser was also there supporting his teammate, definitely cool to see the camaraderie between the two series runners.

So we've been going to Steele Creek for a long time now and it seems like we've got some sort of weather curse here.  In the past four years, we've experienced extreme heat, extreme cold, wind, rain, mud, cancellation and one year of perfect weather.  Looking at the forecast for this weekend, things may not fall far from the "norm" here at Steele Creek.  I've been posted in N.C. all week at "Hotel Hooper" and the weather has been great but we'll have to wait and see how the weekend pans out.  Crossing my fingers for a good one.

Calling attention to all bike riders/fans/enthusiasts: FMF Makita Suzuki's Defending GNCC Champion Josh Strang and 5-Time GNCC Champion Rodney Smith will be at the Fun Cycles dealership in Valdese, N.C. this Saturday signing autographs as part of the dealership open house.  This is a really cool opportunity to meet these guys outside of the track and if you're racing on Sunday - maybe get a few tips before you hit the course!  Click HERE for more information on this event.

Racer's newest employee, Barry Hawk, has been in the GNCC spotlight a lot this week, but this time he's not winning championships.  Rodney Tomblin did a really great interview with Barry for Tuesday Toolbox this week, definitely worth checking out.  Also, as Shan mentions below, Cycle News did an interview with the past champion-turned workingman as well.  It's funny, I had a local journalist call me yesterday to get information about the GNCC series for a story and he asked about track specifics.  I set it up for Barry to talk with him because he has great knowledge of what's going on internally and, well - he's got to be good with the press by now right?

The championship chase is really beginning to take shape and we're looking to see new winners emerge in both classes this weekend, I can't wait!  I'll turn it over to Shan Moore - see y'all in a few days!

Thanks, Jen. First of all, for all you bike guys, be sure to check out this week's digital version of Cycle News - for that matter, you should check it out the Tuesday after every race, since there will be full coverage of each GNCC round in there. Anyway, this week's issue features an interview with Barry Hawk Jr. and race coverage of the General GNCC. For a while, the digital versions will be free but at some point, I believe, it will start costing a bit to read it. Cycle News has always been great about giving GNCC plenty of coverage and this year should be as good as ever.

Yesterday, I spoke with Chris Wheeler, team manager of the FMF/Makita Suzuki team, and he told me that Josh Weisenfels recently had surgery to repair a fractured bone in his ankle. It seems that Josh had been riding with this injury for a short while and didn't know it. According to Chris, Josh will be out until the summer break. Get well soon, Josh.

Suzuki's other Josh - Josh Strang - won last year's Steele Creek race and I'm sure he's headed to North Carolina with every intention of getting his first win of the year. Josh was in the hunt in Georgia but came up just a little short and, no doubt, he will be ready to make amends this weekend.

Charlie Mullins turned in a strong race at this past weekend's national enduro in Louisiana, and led the thing after the first three tests. He had a third-gear crash in the fourth test, however, when a rider fell in front of him, and it took him most of the fifth test to get back up to speed. Despite the mishap, Hot Rod still managed to finish second, just 14 seconds behind Russell Bobbitt. Meanwhile, Cory Buttrick rounded out the podium. Both riders said that the Louisiana course was fairly fast by enduro standards and the extra seat time was good practice for Steele Creek.

Chris Bach told me at the General that they have a new fuel tank coming for Steele Creek that's bigger than the stocker. It seems that the Beta is still so new that there are no aftermarket "big" tanks available and he had to run the stock tank at the first two rounds, which resulted in him having to stop for fuel twice as often as the competition. In addition, Chris went down pretty hard at the General and rung his bell pretty good.

Coach Robb has been working with Charlie Mullins and it appears to be working well for the round one winner! Here's Robb with the fifth component of successful GNCC Racing.

Component #5: Sleep - Possibly the missing link!

When you look at the busy schedules that racers keep, it is difficult to fit sleep into the daily routine. Frequently as racers find time to be a premium, sleep is usually bounced around (by either going to bed late or getting up early).  This patter of sleep deprivation eventually leads to a drop in performance, feelings of depression and frustration with training and life in general. Cutting sleep short will eventually undermine all of your fitness and race speed because during sleep, the body releases growth hormones that repair damaged tissue resulting from the stress of training.  As you increase the amount of either intensity or duration, the amount of sleep must also increase accordingly to maintain balance within the body.  Ideally we are looking for eight to ten hours of sleep a night for optimum performance.

In addition to quantity of sleep, we are also concerned about the quality of sleep.  Difficulty going to sleep and waking up several times throughout the night cuts into the benefits derived from a straight night of sleep.  Here are some tips from a recent sleep study to help improve your quality of sleep as a racer:

• Be consistent on your bed time every day (including weekends)
• As you approach your bed time, unwind slowly by reading
• Sleep in a completely dark room, at a cool temperature
• Take a warm shower or bath prior to settling in for the evening
• If you are not lactose intolerant, drink warm milk to promote relaxation (if you are lactose intolerant, use non caffeinated herbal tea)
• Eat a small snack of either tuna or cottage cheese due to the high levels of sleep-inducing L-tryptophan
• Progressively contract and relax muscles to induce total body relaxation
• Avoid stimulants such as coffee, tea or cola in the last two hours before bed time
• Avoid large meals right before bed

Putting it all together

The key to any human performance program is addressing all of the rider's strengths and weaknesses and putting an emphasis on elevating the weaknesses to match the other strengths.  I realize that this sounds odd to work on the weak elements; however, as an elite racer, you are only as good as your weakest link.

With this in mind, you can see that there are numerous elements that the body needs to perform at an elite level. If one element is missing, you will not be able to perform at an optimum level (just like your motorcycle) and you don't want to wait until a high profile race to find out what your weaknesses are.  By the half way point of the race, you will be able to identify those riders that have a complete program due to the consistency in his or her results and confidence they possess when they come to the line.  Prepared riders look forward to long motos, 100-degree weather and a full line of elite racers to test their worth.  If you look at the five variables we discussed here:

Consistency & Specificity, Aerobic Endurance, Flexibility, Nutritional Support and Sleep, you will notice that outside of aerobic endurance, the other variables don't require any additional "work" but rather attention to details.  This is good news to an elite racer in his or her final preparations for GNCC racing because as a rule of thumb, over this final stage of preparation, you are NOT going to gain any significant levels of fitness; however, you can lose a lot of fitness by overtraining (even if it is only by 1 percent) and doubting your current program.  Slight adjustments are ok, but your program got you into the show, don't doubt yourself now!  Relax, pay attention to the details and enjoy the fact that you are one of the fastest riders in the country.  For more information on Coach Robb's training program, please visit www.completeracingsolutions.com.

Thanks, Robb.  Here's Jason "I can install a sweet music system that plays throughout my house" Hooper.

Two races and two different winners in our bike XC1 Pro Class, definitely a little different than last year when Josh Strang was riding a 2-race win streak heading into round three at Steele Creek. Coming off a fourth and a second in the first two rounds this year, there's no panic in the FMF/Makita/Suzuki pits as Strang is only two points behind Charlie Mullins. It'll be interesting to see how things go this weekend in that class as Strang has won the past two years at Steele Creek and is definitely wanting to get his first win of 2011.  I'm sure Charlie Mullins is wanting to rebound from his sixth place finish at Georgia. Obviously we can't forget Paul Whibley who will certainly be riding a wave of confidence after his win in Georgia.

There are a slew of other riders that are looking to make it on the box for the first time in 2011 like Cory Buttrick, Nate Kanney, and Kailub Russell. For those of you who remember last year's Steele Creek GNCC, Kailub ended the race third overall (starting from the second row) and was physically the third bike on the track behind Josh Strang and Cory Buttrick when the race was called at the now infamous muddy hill climb. With rain in the forecast we could be in for similar race conditions this weekend, could KR kick his streak of bad luck this weekend?

A rider that could potentially get in the mix this weekend is FMF/KTM's Russell Bobbitt. Bobbitt is focusing on the National Enduro series for 2011 but will make another appearance at the GNCC this weekend and is looking for some redemption after crashing in the first turn at Georgia. I spoke to him on Monday after his win at the National Enduro in Louisiana and he said they had made some bike setup changes to help deal with the much rougher GNCC trail conditions and he thinks that should make a difference come this weekend. For all you two stroke lovers out there, Bobbitt is the guy root for, as he'll be on the front row racing his KTM 250XC. It's been a while since we've had a 2-stroke from the XC1 class on the podium (Jesse Robinson finished 2^nd overall at Snowshoe but was in XC2) so this could be cool. Read more of what Russell had to say here: http://www.digitaloffroad.com/2011/03/22/interview-russell-bobbitt/

And Here's @HotRodney22.

Thanks Jen.  Last week after the General GNCC - as I began packing for my annual spring fishing trip on Turtle Creek - I got a call from 8-Time Champ Barry Hawk and he told me that he had a dream that a Snapping Turtle had bitten my arm off from the forearm down.  He said it was so real it woke him up from a deep sleep.  So what does one think about when he knows that tradition has always been that we catch a turtle or two for dinner?  I didn't think long though before my near 20 year tradition was canceled.  I don't know Barry's psychic abilities, but I'm not taking any chances.

Anyway, I am getting set to head out the door for this week's FMF Steel Creek GNCC and I gotta say, I'm really excited about this one!  I've realized after working with the crew for the last couple of years that there is not going to be whole lot different in this course due to the type of terrain we are dealing with.  And the good thing is that it does not have to be a lot different because the challenge is there every year.  And it seems like with each challenge is a new incredible story to tell.

Stories like in like 2005 or so Barry Hawk took the infamous swim in Steel Creek off the wooden bridge. Or in 2006 when a wind storm came in and just totally wiped out the trails with trees falling everywhere. No one was allowed in or near the woods. Then I think it was like 2007 when it was hot and humid and temperatures were in the 80s.  Barry Hawk and Glenn Kearney battled to the very last turn and finish line.  Kearney collapsed and took out one of the scoring ladies and he had to be hospitalized.  And then there was the time in 2007 again when Paul Whibley used Jason Hooper for traction coming around by the old house.  Hoops never saw that coming and carrying a scar on his forehead he will never forget it.  And speaking of Whibley, how about last year when he was the only rider to find his way to the finish line only to find out no one else could make it and the race had been called and the  scoring the from the lap before would count as their finish.  It will never show in the results, but if you were there or knew someone who was you had to find a whole new level of respect for the "Axe-Man".

There are more stories, some good and some bad.  But I think one thing is for certain and that is this is the most storied race on the trail today.  There are good stories from other tracks and races, but none can top the consistency of the extreme things that take place at Steele Creek.  I have spent some time in the mountains before and after the races and to me, it feels like there is a spirit of some sorts that enjoys what we do, but likes to have fun with us while we are there.  There are little cemeteries in a couple of spots as well as old home foundations and such swallowed up by time in those mountains. If you get a moment, stop and just take in all that Steele Creek has to offer.  It is in my opinion by far the most picturesque facility on the tour, including the Snowshoe which is also very beautiful.

As far as racing is concerned, we are in store for a treat beginning with the Youth ATV.  Watch and see if #1 Hunter Hart can continue his dominance there.  Hart starts way back in the rows and is still a threat to win physically over all.  If you read Toolbox this week you will see that even Barry Hawk noticed how fast Hart was in Florida.  Hart will not only try to win on time, but wants to pass everyone in every class on his way to the finish. It's fun to watch for sure!

The 10:00 AM race will definitely be just that, a race.  If you take into account all the things going on there with the intensity of the Women Class, all the Utility 4x4 Classes and of course Super Dave Simmons from the 50+ class, this is anyone's over-all and the class battles are just as intense.

The Women have six riders that can win the class and even an over-all including, points leader Angel Atwell, 7-Time Champ Traci Cecco, Defending Champ Kristen Atwell, Can-Am's Lexie Coulter, Kara Merritt and the newbie Cheyenne Shadron.

The same goes for the 4x4 Open Class like Can Am riders Michael Swift, Bryan Buckhannon, Zach Zakowski, Rath Racing / Polaris's Daryl Rath, Power Bar/ Gates G-Force rider Rick Cecco, Josh Day and more.  This is another stacked class that will be fun to watch individually as well maybe over-all.

The 1:00 PM ATV race features what is going to be another exciting race to watch.  Chris Borich looks at three in a row to start the season unless someone can stop him.  The Warnert/Foremost Ins/Can Am Team of Bithell and McGill are landing on the podium and even controlling a good portion of the race, but Borich somehow pulls it out in the end.  Taylor Kiser is still as big of threat as ever, but "stupid things" happen and he comes up short.  Kiser finished strong in second in Florida, but got caught up in Georgia and could never make up time in the end.  And of course there is the rookie Brian Wolf who has shown glimpses of greatness but has had mechanical issues in the first two rounds.  Wolf who is a total privateer and was running with his 3 year old son the first two rounds was not shaken by the events of a bad clutch in Florida and the sand of Florida toasting his bike the rest of the way in Georgia.  He is fast as they go and if he doesn't have problems you have to wonder if he could be the one to stop Borich.  Maybe this weekend we will find out the answers to these questions and pose even more.

It is now past press time and I need to roll, but there is as much excitement in the bike side as the ATV and we will have lots to discuss next week.

Before I go I got this note from a few Aussies looking for some help for the Indiana race:

Hi,

I'm writing to you from Central Coast NSW Australia . I am an active member rider of Central Coast Dirt Bikes. I am one of five members that are travelling to the USA in May and are attending various Motorbike events such as The Indy 100 GNCC in Gosport, Indiana. At the time of booking our tour which covers LA ,Las Vegas, San Francisco, San Diego, the GNCC in Gosport  was an event that I was interested in riding in. However obtaining a bike has proved somewhat difficult. There are five of us that are interested in hiring a bike to ride the event. If you are able to send me some contact details of ANYONE we can hire bikes of to use in the event I would be most appreciative. I am happy to call and speak to someone directly. This is our last hope to make this happen.

Thank you for your time.

Regards,

Matt Small

Till next time, God Bless Your Heart and All Your Vital Organs