I know I have told this to alot of people, it is official, I am buying a house!
This results in me not having any money to continue racing competitively. It hurts to say this, but the only GNCC races I will be competing in for the rest of the year at this point is the Somerset race in 2 weeks and Ironman at the end of the year. Those are both very fun races and I look forward to them. Plus one is only 2 hours away.
I am in the process of trying to loose weight. I have been overweight my entire life and I am tired of just dealing with it. I have been trying to loose weight for 8-9 years now and it has come that time when it really needs to happen. It scares me to think of the consequences of my weight. AND I know I will be a better racer for it in the end. I would strip 75lbs off the bike in a heart beat because I know it would make the bike faster, so why not loose that weight off of me too!
starting weight:
5-6-09
339.8 this morning.
goal:
275-250
Thanks to all the sponsors that stepped up to the plate this year with some serious help. I hope this does not upset anyone! I will be back racing in 2010 for sure and I would hope to have you all behind me again!!!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
AWRCS rd#1 Wellsville, OH
Only one week after a brutal race at Steele Creek, I wasn't sure if I was going to be ready for another race. The 800lbs of Grizzly takes its toll on a body! I need to get my butt into shape like I have been trying to do for the past 4-5 years. Its finally time to just do it.
Back to the racing. It rained all day Saturday, broke for a little Saturday night and then all Sunday morning before the race. We even had a bit of snow and sleet mixed in with the rain. I was happy, I am on a 4wd Ute with great mud protection and awesome GBC tires to get me threw the nasty stuff, but the sport quad riders where shaking in their boots for what they were about to encounter. Getting into the parking lot proved to be very challenging, sorry Steve, never believed you when you said the parking lot was dry. There were trucks stuck all over the place with no tow vehicles in site, thanks to a few rhinos and other trucks without trailers everyone seemed to be able to get where they wanted to go with a small tug.
Being that this is a first race for a new owner of the series, I think overall it went fairly well. Not to mention that the weather and wind was no help in making things go smoothly. We had a slight delay once we were on the starting line which gave me time to go look over the first section of the woods. I am glad I took that time because the Grizzly did not fire up till I was the last one sitting on the line. I made up 4-5 positions by the woods and make 3 passes in the first 100 yards into the woods. I made up about 20 positions on the field at the first hill climb where many riders were strewn all over the hillside.
We worked our way down into the stream, my favorite part of the entire track. It was rocky, wet and muddy, with a few sections of the river getting quite deep! I was very glad to be riding the Grizzly today. I stayed nice and try and free from mud. After the big bottleneck on the hillside I was running in 2nd place in the UTE class. This is a far cry from the last I was into the woods just 3 miles earlier. Ken Robey was hot on my tail in 3rd place. We had a great race going, swapped positions a few times til I had to let him by. My arms were pumping up and I was endangering myself keeping up that pace for much longer. I have learned over the past few years that sacrificing a few spots now would keep me higher in the standings later in the race. Its about the long haul, not the immediate reward of keeping a competitor behind you.
After 5 laps I was running in a strong 3rd stop when I crossed the line. I was not pleased that I had to slow down, but I was happy to finish in 3rd spot behind 2 very fast racers. I know that I will have to work Much harder to get myself into shape to compete on the local level which wasn't a problem 2 years ago. The level of racing has seriously stepped up and I am happy to see it. Now I need to step up with it!
Back to the racing. It rained all day Saturday, broke for a little Saturday night and then all Sunday morning before the race. We even had a bit of snow and sleet mixed in with the rain. I was happy, I am on a 4wd Ute with great mud protection and awesome GBC tires to get me threw the nasty stuff, but the sport quad riders where shaking in their boots for what they were about to encounter. Getting into the parking lot proved to be very challenging, sorry Steve, never believed you when you said the parking lot was dry. There were trucks stuck all over the place with no tow vehicles in site, thanks to a few rhinos and other trucks without trailers everyone seemed to be able to get where they wanted to go with a small tug.
Being that this is a first race for a new owner of the series, I think overall it went fairly well. Not to mention that the weather and wind was no help in making things go smoothly. We had a slight delay once we were on the starting line which gave me time to go look over the first section of the woods. I am glad I took that time because the Grizzly did not fire up till I was the last one sitting on the line. I made up 4-5 positions by the woods and make 3 passes in the first 100 yards into the woods. I made up about 20 positions on the field at the first hill climb where many riders were strewn all over the hillside.
We worked our way down into the stream, my favorite part of the entire track. It was rocky, wet and muddy, with a few sections of the river getting quite deep! I was very glad to be riding the Grizzly today. I stayed nice and try and free from mud. After the big bottleneck on the hillside I was running in 2nd place in the UTE class. This is a far cry from the last I was into the woods just 3 miles earlier. Ken Robey was hot on my tail in 3rd place. We had a great race going, swapped positions a few times til I had to let him by. My arms were pumping up and I was endangering myself keeping up that pace for much longer. I have learned over the past few years that sacrificing a few spots now would keep me higher in the standings later in the race. Its about the long haul, not the immediate reward of keeping a competitor behind you.
After 5 laps I was running in a strong 3rd stop when I crossed the line. I was not pleased that I had to slow down, but I was happy to finish in 3rd spot behind 2 very fast racers. I know that I will have to work Much harder to get myself into shape to compete on the local level which wasn't a problem 2 years ago. The level of racing has seriously stepped up and I am happy to see it. Now I need to step up with it!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
2009 GNCC Steele Creek Race Report
To start off, I am in the process of buying a house, so my GNCC racing season for 2009 is going to be very limited. I am going to compete in as many AWRCS races as I can to keep my racing spirit alive, but the funds are just not there to compete on the GNCC series.
I arrived Friday afternoon to a relatively empty parking lot; I was curious what was keeping people from coming this weekend? Was it the dismal economy? Was this track worse then I had heard? (Still cant be worse then Snowshoe) I found a track side parking spot near the start finish line (my preferred pitting spot for many reasons) and got set up. Since I am normally there Friday morning, arriving in the afternoon set my schedule off. I got signed up and then tried to catch up with as many people as I could while getting all of my gear ready for the race the next morning.
Burr, was that a cold night, I am glad I had the RV and heater, but filling the generator in the middle of the night was a chilly adventure. I do believe it got to around 30, which isn’t’ that cold, but it had felt like spring the past few weeks and I was getting used to those temps. I have started a routine of taking a run the morning the of race. It helps me clear my mind, loosen up, and get my body ready for the riggers of the race ahead. I got some very strange looks running in shorts and a t-shirt at 30 degrees…but any more clothing and I would overheat running!
Off to the starting line, the worst part of the track for my Grizzly. With the Can-Am 800r and the 850XP on the line next to me I don’t stand a chance making it to the first turn in the lead. I am lacking the power to pull those bikes in the straight, but what I lack on the top end I make up for in handling. The Grizzly is the best handling UTE I have ridden so far. I think I went into the woods in 8th position. I made a few moves to get a few more spots, but nothing worked. I was behind a Can-Am UTE for the majority of the first lap until I was able to work myself around him. I finished the first lap in 6th position
Somewhere during the second lap I remember passing a broken down Polaris XP, I was happy to see myself get the position. Rath Racing and Polaris will have a lot to overcome to get the brand new bike ready for the challenges of the GNCC series. All three of their riders are new the woods racing scene and they also are aboard a new bike, not the easiest hurdles to overcome. I finished the lap one position up due to Frank Batista not completing that lap. +
Four the next 3 laps I remained in the 5th spot, I was running hard, but I was having a lot of trouble catching Daryl Rath and Zac Zakowski. My body was not conditioned to running 2+ hours on the UTE after a long winter of house hunting and wedding plans. I was not able to train or ride anywhere near as much as I would have liked and that left me riding at a slightly slower pace then I would have liked. The track was great, and Buren Hamrick was not kidding when he said, “we are in NC, you will be either going uphill or downhill.” I felt like I was on a roller coaster ride for the majority of the race with some rocks and sandy whoops thrown in on the low lying parts of the track.
When the last lap started I was already tired, I was expecting a 4 lap race and we got to run 5. 4 would have been just fine with me. I knew I would have to continue to push it on the last lap, because the 4x4 open class is very competitive and if I slowed up one bit everyone behind me would catch up. I was tired and was just in survival mode at this point. All I wanted to do was hold onto my top 5 finish! I was pleasantly surprised when I crossed the line and saw 3rd place on the timing and scoring screen. Woohoo a podium finish. I know I didn’t pass two UTE riders, so I must have had some luck on my side today.
I just want to say thanks to all my sponsors again, GBC tires for keeping my Grizzly headed in the right direction. Millers Yamaha for supplying all the Yamaha parts I need to keep the bike rolling. Instigator racing for supplying all the gear and misc parts I need to compete on this level. BK Performance for making my bike look good with all his awesome powder coating work. Ken Hill Photography for allowing me to include some of his awesome shots in my race reports. Fly Racing of supplying me with this great fitting and durable racing gear this year. TireBalls for keeping my GBC tires from going flat during the races. Precision Stabilizers for keeping my wheels pointed in the right direction. And finally HMF exhaust for the extra power and the awesome exhaust note! Thanks Everyone!!!
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I arrived Friday afternoon to a relatively empty parking lot; I was curious what was keeping people from coming this weekend? Was it the dismal economy? Was this track worse then I had heard? (Still cant be worse then Snowshoe) I found a track side parking spot near the start finish line (my preferred pitting spot for many reasons) and got set up. Since I am normally there Friday morning, arriving in the afternoon set my schedule off. I got signed up and then tried to catch up with as many people as I could while getting all of my gear ready for the race the next morning.
Burr, was that a cold night, I am glad I had the RV and heater, but filling the generator in the middle of the night was a chilly adventure. I do believe it got to around 30, which isn’t’ that cold, but it had felt like spring the past few weeks and I was getting used to those temps. I have started a routine of taking a run the morning the of race. It helps me clear my mind, loosen up, and get my body ready for the riggers of the race ahead. I got some very strange looks running in shorts and a t-shirt at 30 degrees…but any more clothing and I would overheat running!
Off to the starting line, the worst part of the track for my Grizzly. With the Can-Am 800r and the 850XP on the line next to me I don’t stand a chance making it to the first turn in the lead. I am lacking the power to pull those bikes in the straight, but what I lack on the top end I make up for in handling. The Grizzly is the best handling UTE I have ridden so far. I think I went into the woods in 8th position. I made a few moves to get a few more spots, but nothing worked. I was behind a Can-Am UTE for the majority of the first lap until I was able to work myself around him. I finished the first lap in 6th position
Somewhere during the second lap I remember passing a broken down Polaris XP, I was happy to see myself get the position. Rath Racing and Polaris will have a lot to overcome to get the brand new bike ready for the challenges of the GNCC series. All three of their riders are new the woods racing scene and they also are aboard a new bike, not the easiest hurdles to overcome. I finished the lap one position up due to Frank Batista not completing that lap. +
Four the next 3 laps I remained in the 5th spot, I was running hard, but I was having a lot of trouble catching Daryl Rath and Zac Zakowski. My body was not conditioned to running 2+ hours on the UTE after a long winter of house hunting and wedding plans. I was not able to train or ride anywhere near as much as I would have liked and that left me riding at a slightly slower pace then I would have liked. The track was great, and Buren Hamrick was not kidding when he said, “we are in NC, you will be either going uphill or downhill.” I felt like I was on a roller coaster ride for the majority of the race with some rocks and sandy whoops thrown in on the low lying parts of the track.
When the last lap started I was already tired, I was expecting a 4 lap race and we got to run 5. 4 would have been just fine with me. I knew I would have to continue to push it on the last lap, because the 4x4 open class is very competitive and if I slowed up one bit everyone behind me would catch up. I was tired and was just in survival mode at this point. All I wanted to do was hold onto my top 5 finish! I was pleasantly surprised when I crossed the line and saw 3rd place on the timing and scoring screen. Woohoo a podium finish. I know I didn’t pass two UTE riders, so I must have had some luck on my side today.
I just want to say thanks to all my sponsors again, GBC tires for keeping my Grizzly headed in the right direction. Millers Yamaha for supplying all the Yamaha parts I need to keep the bike rolling. Instigator racing for supplying all the gear and misc parts I need to compete on this level. BK Performance for making my bike look good with all his awesome powder coating work. Ken Hill Photography for allowing me to include some of his awesome shots in my race reports. Fly Racing of supplying me with this great fitting and durable racing gear this year. TireBalls for keeping my GBC tires from going flat during the races. Precision Stabilizers for keeping my wheels pointed in the right direction. And finally HMF exhaust for the extra power and the awesome exhaust note! Thanks Everyone!!!
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Monday, March 16, 2009
4 Days Till Steele Creek
After my unsuccessful run at Georgia I am looking to make a better showing at Steele Creek. My back was not ready to make the run at Georgia, and I was in too much pain to continue forward. Every bump was torture!
Off to Steele Creek, I had to miss this race last year because of a friends wedding, but I have been looking forward to it for a while. I hear awesome things about this track and want to give it my all this weekend. I am not 100% sure what bike I am going to be running but it will be a utility.
I hope I can be 100% by Saturday after this past Sunday and me running my first 5k. My feet are very sore, and i have a large blister on the bottom of my foot. It should be all OK.
Off to Steele Creek, I had to miss this race last year because of a friends wedding, but I have been looking forward to it for a while. I hear awesome things about this track and want to give it my all this weekend. I am not 100% sure what bike I am going to be running but it will be a utility.
I hope I can be 100% by Saturday after this past Sunday and me running my first 5k. My feet are very sore, and i have a large blister on the bottom of my foot. It should be all OK.
Monday, March 2, 2009
3 Days Till Georgia!!!
Well, Like everyone else in the racing world I am still waiting on parts, mostly my fault but I wish some people were a bit faster!
I have Rath Racing front and rear bumpers coming for the grizzly along with a Pro Motion Twist throttle I am going to give a try. That's going on the practice bike first!
I have been slacking the past few weeks on the workout front but I am in way better shape then I was over the winter. Still far away from where I would like to be and even farther way from catching Bryan Buccannon, boy that guy is fast. 9 minutes on Kilby? wow! I have a LONG way to go.
I hope to do well this year, but I am also looking to have fun. I am in the process of trying to buy a home and if that happens there is NO way that I am going to be competitive to the level that I desire to be.
Next weekend is my first competitive running event. The Shamrock 5k (3.1 miles) in Baltimore, MD. Should be interesting since I have been slacking so much! We'll see. Haha. My goal is to finish without walking once, and that might be a feat at this point.
Bike should be ready in days, the trailer and van are almost packed and ready to go. should be a good time. see everyone in Georgia!!!!!!
I have Rath Racing front and rear bumpers coming for the grizzly along with a Pro Motion Twist throttle I am going to give a try. That's going on the practice bike first!
I have been slacking the past few weeks on the workout front but I am in way better shape then I was over the winter. Still far away from where I would like to be and even farther way from catching Bryan Buccannon, boy that guy is fast. 9 minutes on Kilby? wow! I have a LONG way to go.
I hope to do well this year, but I am also looking to have fun. I am in the process of trying to buy a home and if that happens there is NO way that I am going to be competitive to the level that I desire to be.
Next weekend is my first competitive running event. The Shamrock 5k (3.1 miles) in Baltimore, MD. Should be interesting since I have been slacking so much! We'll see. Haha. My goal is to finish without walking once, and that might be a feat at this point.
Bike should be ready in days, the trailer and van are almost packed and ready to go. should be a good time. see everyone in Georgia!!!!!!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
2 Weeks Still Racing Starts
Well, the time has come to begin racing again in the 2009 Season. This is the time that everyone is crunching to get the last few stages of the winter rebuilds or new builds completed. Finalizing sponsorship agreements, pressing to get all the parts in on time and doing this while trying to keep the checkbook balanced is a huge task for everyone.
This year I have a few extra things weighing on my shoulders; I am getting married soon and I am looking to purchase my first house. Both of these could drain my funds to a point that I couldn’t race anymore but I plan on trying to keep up all my hobbies and still do those too.
Well to fill you all in on what happened for me in the offseason. I was offered a few different things but had to turn them all down because I could not put the funding together to switch bikes. I stuck with Millers Yamaha to supply me bikes. They were great to work with last year and I hope to keep up a good working relationship. The grizzly 700 is a great handling bike that holds up to my punishment quite well. The only thing it lacks is some serious grunt but I am working on that.
The Biggest sponsor I got for 2009 was GBC tires. Kevin Johnston has helped me and many other riders when most companies were turning their shoulders on our financial woes. They realized that yes, we are not spending a crazy amount of money with this downturn, but if you keep a loyal customer base they will reward you in the future! Thanks for the help Kevin!
I couldn’t put all this together without the help of Mike and Instigator Racing. He has sponsored me since day one of my racing career. 4 years later and several bikes later I am still using him and I appreciate the help. I am part of a team of about 6 riders that are all near or on the top of our classes. Riders such as Justin Petroff and Brad Shankel. I look forward to racing 2009 under Team Instigator.
Powermadd is back for another year. I have used there products for a LONG time now and love there options. The flexibility of the mountings and design of the guards allow for less breakage the other manufacturers and more ease of use as well. They look great, reasonably priced and they support riders/racers. I love working with a company that works with its customers.
BK Performance // Ken Hill Photography is a good friend of mine and a valued resource for a lot of things including powder coat work, welding frames and his awesome photography. Anyone that need any of those three things please give Ken a call and tell him I sent you. He will treat you right. Check him out on ATVriders.com under the screen name of “pappy”.
HMF exhaust is a new sponsor for me this year. I have only used one of their pipes before on my grizzly last yaer but I loved it. It had a nice tone while still being quiet. But the most important part was that it provided me with a bit more punch to the grizzly’s 700cc’s. The product looks great and they are very easy to work with! Thanks for the support this year.
Precision Racing Products is another new one this year. George helped out of a bind last year and I really appreciate the help. Those are the kind of people I want to support when I race. If you need a stabilizer contact precision to get the best one on the market!
Fly Racing is another new sponsor for this year. I have always worn another companies clothing but they never did anything to help me out. Even though we support them, it’s a two was street and they need to return the favor every once in a while. This year I will be sporting a new clothing company. Thanks for the help Chris.
Tire Balls is back! I have never run a race without them since the first time I tried them. Tire Balls really revolutionized the tire/racing industry with their product and I will not run a race without them. I used to get flats once or twice a race, now I can go all season and never change tires! That is a HUGE plus in my books, plus it saves your race that you took time off work, and paid hundreds of dollars to get to in the first place.
You cant for get my own family business! Thanks Dad! Come see us www.condonsautoparts.com. I can help you get just about anything for a late model car. I do not ship sheet metal but just about anything else can be shipped or freighted!
Well that wraps up my current sponsors, thanks to everyone for the past present and future!
Off to the Races!!!!!!
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