Race Events for the #72 Crew!!

October 2, 2010 - There is a desert race in the southern part of Utah called the "Bryce Brawl".  My husband had mentioned his interest in participation a few weeks back. But like most wives, moms, grandparents, etc., I need post it notes to keep track of all we have going on at any given moment in time.

It was mentioned to him that if he wanted to go, I needed to make arrangements for the trip.  He couldn't make up his mind.  Weeks pass and it is race weekend approaching. He needs me to find a place for us to spend the night. I book us a place.  But that place didn't turn out to be in the "right location" of the course. So last minute bookings had to be made to get us elsewhere.

Thank goodness the Panguitch KOA campground was available and we were able to get a lovely cabin for ourselves, our daughter and her son.  The weather was a bit cooler than the past week but beautiful nonetheless.

We got up the next morning and headed out to the race site. Little did we know that it would be one long, washboarded dirt road. So dusty, and the sunlight was directly in our faces. So I would cringe at every blind corner we hit.

The site was finally in our view and we had little time to spare. Tuf got signed up, and we rushed to get his bike ready and his gear on. He made it to the starting line just in time.

This race was a 15 mile loop that must be made 4 times to be complete.  Let me preface this with the fact that my husband NEVER rides his bike before a race as he is working so many hours to make a living for us. So I was worried it might take it's toll.

It used to be many years ago, that my Mother and Father-in-law would go to nearly every event with us. But when my brother-n-law was in a motorcycle accident while racing at our local track when he was 17, they lost their interest in participating and could not understand why we would still want to.

They did manage a few races in Nevada when we lived there and we enjoyed every minute of it. But as the years have gone by since, they are more committed to my brother-in-laws race track operations for stock cars. More on that in another post...

The few days before this event, some relatives we hadn't heard from, or seen, in a while said they might make it to the event since it isn't too far from where they live. Well, I have to say that I am always skeptical when relatives or friends say this as they usually don't show up.  Well, imagine my surprise when, just as my hubby is headed to the start line, our relatives showed up!! I was so excited!! 

Scott, Barbette and their two grandkids came to show their support at the races and it was so wonderful to hang out with them and share the experience.  Family support in things like this is so important and means the world to us.  Scott being tall enough to help with the pop up shade awning was a great help, too!  My daugther swears she is going to get our grandson to ask Scott, next time we see him, how the weather is up there. LOL

As we waited for Tuf to come in each loop, he looked ok, but I could tell he was getting tired. Second loop, he saw our relatives at our pit area and kept on going but gave us the thumbs up. I thought it meant he was doing ok. When in reality, it meant he was glad to see them.

Third loop, Tuf was ok but looked pooped. He was in position to win a trophy. If he could only make it through the next loop!!! 

We waited, waited and waited some more. I was taking down numbers the whole time and his did not make it to that list.  Then the club member came over to us and asked us if we were with #72M. We said we were and they said a rider let them know he was in a wash lying down with his helmet off but didn't seem to be hurt. What?????????? MY husband? I asked what they thought he was doing? The gentleman said, "They said he told them he was resting."

I realize you do not know my husband or how determined he can be. He has always been an amazing racer on a motorcycle. So to hear those words seemed like a foreign language to me.

Suddenly we see the bike that had been four minutes behind him, show up at the finish line. he was kind enough to come over and share with us that fact that Tuf was tired, he was ok and not even  mile from the finish. Which makes this story bittersweet because shortly after that, he DID finish and was ok and his bike was not broken. But he has been hard on himself ever since. He missed the trophy, he had to rest during a race for the first time in his life, and he is finally realizing that age has a way of creeping up on you if you don't work out and stay fit for things like this.

From the time he asked me to marry him, and from this day forward, I will ALWAYS support him in his racing desires. We met on a race track, fell in love on a race track, and even got married on a race track. It is what we do. But when we got home the next night, he grabbed the hand weights out of the closet and began preparing for the next "event".  I am confident he will do well next time around.