I wasn’t planning on racing but I wandered onto goneriding.com Friday and noticed the race in Macon. I verified with the crew that the Pig Trails were fun and decided to dash up Sunday morning to race and be back home for supper with the family.

On the road at 6am but since my trusty old m-frames finally broke I had to pickup some eye protection. Some $4.89 Winchester shootin’ glasses from Walmart fit the bill. 3 hours later I was parking the mama-mobile at the Pig Trails.

I watched Big Jim and Ice Berg run away with convincing wins while Big Worm suffered through 3 laps to their 2! Can’t a clyde catch a break?

There was some drama in the 30-39 expert. Pro Andy Johnston managed to get a downgrade to expert this year. I hear it was so he could get a national championship and race masters worlds. I don’t really understand how he could get a downgrade…. doesn’t seem like the rules would allow it. No matter.

They say go and everyone is dukin’ it out for position through the first mile of grass. I made it into the woods around 6th or so. That first lap was a little klutzy without a preride but I managed to keep it together and start the 2nd lap in 3rd. The hand-up’s from Worm and Berg were flawless.

2nd lap was kinda klutzy too and I did a nice 180 when my rear tire let loose on one of the fast hardpack corners.

On the 3rd lap I finally got the course kinda dialed and kept it smooth. When I came through to start the 4th lap Big Worm reported I was 35 seconds off Andy. I was pretty sure he was going just fast enough to keep a gap on me but I decided to chase him and see if I could sneak up on him. Unfortunately he saw me coming and opened it back up a bit. From there I just put it on cruise control and finished it out.

I love the Pig Trails. I’m a sucker for fast trails but this one has a little of everything. Some open/fast, tight/fast, tight/rooty… just a super fun trail. I’ve added this race to my annual must do list.

This was one of those races where you fall into the zone and just don’t feel the pain, so at first I was kind of irritated about Andy. I just felt fast and that is a rare feeling. I’m over it though… I can’t worry about things I can’t control. Besides, he’s already getting enough boo’s and stink eye’s from his fellow statesmen anyway. I would feel a lot better if I knew he had to work for it though. He claims I made him work for it, but I’m not buying it.

I’ll just keep working hard and maybe next year I can make him work for it.