RACEGUY Reviews

Riverglade Redux

We use the latin “redux” to mean revisited, or brought back. There is no term more appropriate, or subject any more worthy than our weekend visit to Riverglade, so let’s revisit my last outpouring before it’s even cold in the archives. If you haven’t read “RACEGUY Remembers” yet, the archive is down the right margin. Feel free to click on the stored stuff too.

Frank Percy Wilkins photo

When MotocrossCanada Daily Chronicle tweeted a link to Dwayne Tingley’s Friday article in the Moncton Times & Transcript, I read it and thought, “Wow, did Dwayne get something scrambled in his story?” It significantly differed from what I had just written here a couple of days before, in that it positioned Lee Steeves as a new and third partner in the just recently revised Riverglade owner’s group.

I could have jumped on the phone and made the necessary calls, but there was nothing so critical it couldn’t wait until the Saturday morning’s riders meeting just a few hours away. It was a riders meeting that will mean more to motocross in this region than any I have ever attended. The ramifications will touch the region, its riders, and even the only Atlantic stop on the Monster Energy Pro National calendar.

Dwayne Tingley had scooped me cold, on a motocross story!! What had begun as an agreement of understanding between Riverglade’s new owners, Larry Northrup and Earl Doucette, and Fox Hollow’s Lee Steeves, had developed in subsequent conversations into something worthy of note across the spectrum of our sport. Another track owner, track builder, and solid real racer who had worked his way from the “Beginners” to the peak of the Pro class here in Atlantic Canada, had become part of the package at one of Canada’s most historic motocross facilities.

There are no drawbacks to this new relationship. The abilities, know-how, and racing roots of Doucette and Northrup are only enhanced by everything Lee and his Fox Hollow success brings to the the table. That was apparent on the first weekend for the partnership. Steeves had applied his track-savy to “re-flow” a couple of sections of the storied racetrack. Racers were all over the social media late into Saturday night raving about the track and how it was possibly the best Riverglade track they’d ever ridden. The level of competition on Saturday goes a long way to back that up.

Without question, we will lose a track that will always be regarded as a rider’s track and one that never failed to fill helmet windows with dirtstained grins, even when the weather proved less than cooperative. We will lose the social scene at Fox Hollow, which is so unique to each facility. Lee will lose the headaches that come with being the last (and only) man in line when it came to putting on a successful event.

We, the racers and fans, will gain back at least the spring Riverglade round which so many still missed dearly. This year, it will also add a fall Riverglade event between the National weekend and the classic “fall finale”. How this all shakes out when the promoters meet again to set the schedule for 2012 is not even worthy of speculation at this point, but, suffice it to say, the consolidation of two promoter groups is unprecedented and will result in some “further discussion” before the next season begins.

I, for one, and I’m sure many will join me, believe the recent revolution at Riverglade is a positive in almost all ways for supporters of the sport. Congratulations, not only to the NEW Riverglade owners group, but also to each and every person who loves and enjoys our amazing sport.

Congrats are also due Dwayne Tingley. He jumped me on a motocross story. I did beat him to one thing, though. I was there this past Saturday when history was made, again, at one of Canada’s most storied tracks. Cold and damp, I can still sincerely say, I loved every second of it.

Here's Part II


I know many expect me to use this space post-race to play thumbs-up/thumbs-down and describe the raceday battles in all their sordid details. Fact is, that is quite unlikely to happen.

Fact is, the races I get so totally absorbed in while in the tower are often completely gone from my system by the time the last checkered flag falls. That’s right, all that animated activity (yelling and screaming) is often gone from my memory before I head home. It’s not my fault, and no, it’s not stupidity. My iron trap of a memory works absolutely fine all the rest of the time. Others who do what I do describe the identical amnesia. I am not alone.

Scientifically, it’s most likely traced to the fact that the focus or concentration required to do the dozens of tasks simultaneously that are required by my job creates a trance-like state. Lots of great riders talk of not remembering entire motos or great battles. Off-road racers often forget completing entire loops of the course. Roadracing, I’d often become so determined to make each lap identical that I’d lose track of how many laps I’d completed and how much time had gone by. Many of you will experience this when racing. Again, I am not alone.

One of the five best races I’ve ever seen in my racing-driven life was an epic battle for a championship between Springhill legends Jack Stone and Scott Lockhart at Riverglade. While the battle was a classic and memorable for so many reasons, I only retain the memory of the how amazing the race was, and very little of the specifics that made it so.

The parts of this past Saturday that I do remember wouldn’t really make for a cohesive story, and much of it would not be about the battles on track. I will make an attempt to provide SOME bits and pieces that slipped through the haze of a raceday. Please don’t hate me because I didn’t single you out. Have pity on me as the ravages of age take their toll on my eyesight, my aching joints, and, obviously, my memory.

Raceday! – I’m up at 6 and drag my sorry butt to the front door to stick my head out and assess the weather. “Perfect”, I said to no one. I clicked on this site, went to the “Planning” tab, and checked the Chipman Doppler radar, then the forecast sites to look for any changes. Aside from the unseasonally low temps, what I saw made me talk to myself again. “Perfect.”

 When I saw Johnny Montes’ Facebook post asking about conditions, I had to change out the language a little for the moto world. The track will be “mint”, I promised. A light mist/drizzle had begun overnight and was expected to continue on and off until noon. That, combined with track prep by “Lightning Lee” would converge to create one of the best Riverglade surfaces ever, if the riders are to be believed.

You know, when the Intermediates and Pros are first practice in wet conditions and they come in off the track happy, you have hit the target. Some very nice flow changes, a New Brunswick clay base, and the perfect amount of moisture in the topsoil led to perfect conditions for hard braking, bar dragging, and high-grip wheelies under power.

That “grippy” damp soil also meant there would be many moto results decided by goggle management. EKS Brand goggle front-man Steve Matthes would have loved this, but he would still be asking the magic question; “Why don’t Canadians believe in roll-offs?”

Without exception, there was great dicing in every moto, every class, all the way through the field. Jackson Landry’s undeniable determination led to two implausible passes on Damon Burbine to pull off another “perfect” day in the 50 (7-8) group. Classic rivalries for the future are already developing at this “entry” level. Brett Young, “Action Jackson’s” cousin Brock Landry, and Jesse Wells bring more of the same to the 65s, but at the end of the day, finishes fell in order of the points standings to-date.

There were a lot of riders who turned the new flow of Riverglade into opportunity to put in breakthrough rides. While Ryan MacKay was a little cautious out of the gate, he continued his dominance of the 85 (12-16) on his Team Toys Honda, and the scramble in the front-five helped Jordan Melanson turn a 3-3 into the 2^nd overall. Isaac Nice finally threw the switch in moto two showing his real capabilities, but it was Cole Butcher who put in the ride of a lifetime in the class, beating all but MacKay to the flag in the first moto and finishing a fighting 4^th in the second, proving moto one  was the real deal.

Frank Percy Wilkins photo

Brett Young, Brock Landry, and Jesse Wells carried their cycle skills from the 65s to the 85 (7-11) as usual, but the ride to remember had to go to Justin Leger who put in the smoothest and most confident ride I’ve ever seen from the #25 Yamaha. Leger was top-three in both motos to put it on the podium in a field of more than credible competition.

Behind the Dominant Devin “Slayer” Sleigh in the Junior GP, were a couple of “the usual suspects”, taking on another couple of “breakout boys”. Konnor Long has suddenly adapted amazingly well to the big bike and my personal pick for coming out of nowhere and getting noticed had to be Chris Titus on the 301 who followed Randy Dunbar and Myles Clements to a 5^th place finish.

Of special note, it was great to see Jason Gray returning for the season and jumping headlong into MX2 Junior, where he went 2-2 behind Sleigh. Gray also won the Supermini. MX1 was colored by the absence of a number of  points frontrunners and the presence of others. Mike Lloyd, Colby MacDonald, and Geoff Breau were all absent from the first two rounds, yet finished 1, 2, and 3 in that order. Randy Dunbar’s 8^th in moto-one resulted in an off-podium 4^th place but allowed him to move into the points lead over the absent Cody Rawding.

Johnny Montes returned to the +25 class and promptly kicked the competition to the curb. The class also saw Bob Newey for the first time in 2011. Now 2-stroke mounted, Newey, like Montes, made an immediate mark going 3-3. In other Vet action, Abbey Landry and Lorne Banks put on a show in +40. They traded wins and 2^nd place finishes with Banks looking totally competitive coming off the 2010 disabled list and having missed the first two races of this year.

I mentioned Chris Titus earlier remarking on his performance in the Junior GP. He was even more impressive in Vet Jr. where he debuted with the overall win and a perfect 1-1. Again, Bob Newey and Lorne Banks stood out in Vet Master, where Abbie Landry, took the wins, adding to his championship points lead.

Davey Fraser returned to the Youth class after missing Kingston in order to take in the Riviere de Loup arenacross. Davey dominated to climb back to 3^rd in series points. Brad Lockhart had equipment woes but soldiered on to 3^rd overall for the day which was good enough to put him in the points lead. David Strang, like Fraser, missed Kingston to make the Quebec trip, but he proved he hasn’t missed a beat going 2-4 for second. It was the other Strang brother who shook off Quebec to put in some of his most impressive motos in quite some time, riding to 4^th O/A, just ahead of the 2-stroke of the always amazing Devin MacPherson.

Frank Percy Wilkins photo

The highlight of the MX1 Intermediate class was the see-saw battle between Shane Gallant and Scotty Young. Both motos were incredibly entertaining as Young at his best and Gallant at his wildest banged and crashed their way to the line, with Young eventually following the steaming bike of Gallant to the finish twice! The Strang brothers avenged their weekend in Quebec by trashing the MX2 Intermediates, bracketing the Suzuki of Justin Foreman in both motos. Problems in the second moto would relegate Devin Macpherson to 5^th, good for 4^th overall on the little 2-stroke Yamaha.

Finally, the Pro class was more of a story based on what happened off track, than on. Davey Fraser was on his game, even stepping off the bike and back on for a moto win. Once again, Fraser and Montes were absorbed with getting back as many points as possible after missing Kingston. Fraser rode to all 3 moto wins, while Montes and the un-retired Charlie Smith traded runner-up finishes, with Montes on…are you ready for it?...yes, a Husqvarna. A huge amount of respect goes to Team Toys rider Kyle Chatham. Kyle had a pipe-crushing get together on track that resulted in a first moto DNF. A second DNF followed that. Then, borrowed pipe and all, Chatham found redemption in scooping 2^nd place in the final moto.

Oh! The off-track element that made the Pro class so interesting? The kid who scored points in every round so far snatched the points lead from the absent Tyler Medaglia. David Estabrooks, on a 2-stroke nonetheless, now leads the points chase as we head for Mill Hill. Medaglia still holds down 2^nd ahead of Brad Lockhart. Veteran Abbie Landry turns consistency into points to settle in 4^th, while Davey Fraser plays catch-up sitting 5^th as we head back to Nova Scotia.

So, what did I remember from last Saturday? That’s about it. What have I learned? That a synopsis like this is very hard to write. Thanks to everyone both for waiting for this, and for dropping in to read it. 

RACEGUY Remembers

Spring is the Thing

Something has been missing on the Atlantic motocross scene for a few years now. Of all the contentious issues the region has addressed and usually resolved over the past half decade, one seldom fails to evoke emotions and for many, the emotion is a deep down hurt and the feeling that something has been lost.

It doesn’t seem to matter that the reason for that loss was an act of generosity that could only be considered unique at this level of sport. For those who felt betrayed and let down by this magnanimous gesture, the question continues to gnaw at their gut. “Where the #*@$% did my Riverglade spring race go?”

Very few are aware of the mechanism that led to Riverglade parting with that prime Spring date. Some have convinced themselves that the promoters simply couldn’t be bothered and really didn’t care about what the riders thought. It’s time to put those misconceptions to rest permanently. What some saw as an act of selfishness and lack of empathy could not be more the opposite.

Now, another mechanism has come into play that will once again hear the roar of MX filtered through barely budding trees, but that in itself is a complex story. Suffice it to say, you have your spring race back on the soil that has played host to some of the most legendary names in our sport, not just in Canada, but around this big world.

That does not kiss things and make it better. It simply distracts you from an old pain without curing the cause. The events that led to the 2011 schedule have just opened the door for me to step in and set the story straight and commit it to history with a few more facts and a lot less supposition.

I was not in the room for that fateful meeting, nor was I on the other end of the phone when a multitude of conversations attempted to come to the best solution for a situation that no one had foreseen. I can guarantee there were unprecedented levels of give-and-take, back-and-forth, and serious soul searching.

To the owners at Riverglade, that spring race was easily the difference between losing money at the end of the year, and breaking even, or even banking enough to buy a trailer-load of wood chips or paint for the fences. The event was considered a classic and an absolute must for people with mud in their blood. This was THE rite of passage into a new season.

Across the Strait, the Dickiesons and Bolgers and their small band of hardcore moto people had been faithfully following the process. They wanted on the circuit and were going out of their way to prove they belonged there. After a small handful of absolute disasters (that’s another whole column in itself) dished up by first-time race promoters, the committee that is the CMRC Atlantic Region came to agreement on a set of requirements that must be fulfilled before a promoter could be considered for a championship round. All this to look out for the best interests of the riders and fans, and for the overall good of the sport in this region.

Mudrooters had paid their dues. They held CMRC non-championship events, made changes as required, and poured blood, sweat, and tears into that soil and were brought to tears trying to talk sense to legislators and puffed-up local politicians. They had met, to the letter, the requirements to be considered for a full championship round.

The operative words here are “to be considered”. Certainly, the consideration was there, but the dates weren’t. With riders often complaining that the series was too long as it was, there really was no opening in the calendar for Mudrooters. Sad as it may seem, existing tracks would not come close to even breaking even financially unless they had at least two events. There were no cut-throats at that table. Nobody played the seniority card. Every man and woman at that table agreed that taking one of the two dates away from anybody would probably sound the death knell for that track.

At this point, they could have very easily said, well Mudrooters, you meet the criteria, we’ve considered and given you the thumbs up, so you will get your race “when a date becomes available”. End of story. Fact is, the Riverglade owner’s group doesn’t play that way.

Due to the superhuman effort put in to becoming one of the “legacy” tracks on the national circuit, Riverglade is considered an absolute must on any national calendar, whether it was the CMA in years gone by, or the CMRC today. Because they are so good at what they do, the result was Riverglade actually having two stand-alone regional rounds PLUS the national. In my math that’s three dates. Seems to be the same math on Riverglade’s calculator.

In an act of generosity that still causes me to shake my head to this day, the Glade group reasoned, “we’re the only track with three dates. No one else has three. We will give our spring date to Mudrooters. Problem solved.” OK, that’s not even close to a direct quote, but that was the thinking. I’ll guarantee, with the multiple members of the Riverglade owner’s group, there was a whole lot more said and a very hard decision made. They could, as the senior member of the board, simply have said too bad about your luck, Mudrooters. What they did in the end is nothing short of humanity at its finest hour.

So, it’s no wonder my blood boils when some empty-skulled lowlife blames the track owners for the loss of a Riverglade spring race and its effect on their own personal pleasure. That now is water under the bridge and I, in a very anecdotal way, have made an attempt at setting the story straight and filing it in the bottom drawer.

We are about to enter another real-world example of the golden rule as seen through the open minds of Larry Northrup and Earl Doucette. You see, while the venue may be the familiar surroundings of “the Glade”, we are, for all intents and purposes, taking part in a Fox Hollow event.

When Lee Steeves and his amazing people found themselves without a racetrack, Lee didn’t say to hell with it, this is a mountain I’ll never climb. At the same time, the Riverglade group could have easily said sorry to hear about your luck.

Things don’t work that way with these people. Riverglade to the rescue. Keep your dates, Lee, and host your events on our track. That doesn’t sound like much more than opening the gate and walking away, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. A race facility takes a huge beating to the track and infrastructure every time a race is held there. The legal and liability aspect is a huge consideration. Track-wise, every event held there degrades sections of track and blows or drags away hundreds of pounds of valuable top-soil. Things get broken. Things finally wear out. A racetrack is not something I’d just loan to somebody because I’m a nice guy.

It is a lesson in humanism, in brotherhood, a real-world example of the golden rule. It is inspiring. This weekend, you will once again, for the first time in too long, spray the sacred spring soil of Riverglade, while at the same time keeping the Fox Hollow dream alive and retaining an asset to the sport, Lee Steeves and his Fox Hollow crew.

The complete Fox Hollow story will be fleshed out in the words of Lee himself sometime in the very near future. Meanwhile, enjoy your weekend and know that you are part of a fraternity unlike any other in sport. Whether you prefer RiverHollow, or FoxGlade, one thing is guaranteed. You are part of the ongoing history of motocross here in the Atlantic region and surrounded by some of the most amazing people on the planet.

Have fun. Ride safe. (now go click on an ad ;-)

RACEGUY Rambles

As Things Stand Right Now

That headline could refer to many subjects I might possibly discuss in the space. Since I tend to draft these things in a stream-of-consciousness fashion, I’d suggest we throw the alphabet and a handful of punctuation in the blender and see what pours out.

In answer to the many who have contacted me and asked; while I don’t expect to do any type of formal race review following each and every event, I do believe post-race Mondays will always be at least partially fueled by events of the weekend.

Having missed Clyde River, Kingston was my season opener, although I went into it having some knowledge of Round 1, mostly based on the results I found at CRMCRacing.com and Facebook posts. Rider results at Clyde represent athletes shaking off a winter of, at best, dry land training, versus the few who have silently slipped away to Florida or Georgia or other points South. The track’s location can also make it difficult and sometimes impossible for some riders to attend, while simultaneously adding names to the sign-in sheets that will only ever race at Clyde River or that track and Kingston at the most. Round 1, no matter where it’s held, is seldom a ruler to measure what will come. At best, it’s an eyeball measurement.

The combination of the two first events becomes something only slightly easier to draw measured conclusions from. Kingston marks the first race for some. The bike-swallowing sand is unlike any other track on the circuit. Many riders are just coming to grips with new gear, new equipment, and in some cases, new bodies that have changed in height and bulk and just don’t fit the bike the same as last fall. It's a demanding, all-in way to start things off.

As always, Kirk and LeeAnne ran an event like a great kitchen - “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” The ever-competitive “Dick” Scott challenged his well worn stopwatch all day to get all those motos in before we had to install lights. The track was prepped to perfection with special emphasis on what would normally be a bog at turn 3 down in “the hole” I must add, though, I have never seen the sand at Kingston so on the verge of saturation that the soil became a different animal altogether. The sand did not respond at all like anybody in their right mind would have expected. The tackiness of the sand was probably a godsend to many riders and resulted in a downturn in linament sales. BTW – Tyler Medaglia loved it, as was evidenced by his laptimes.

We’ll take a quick stroll through the classes as some things are developing after just two weekends in.

Bottom of Form

We’ll start with the wee ones. I’ll also briefly mention my policy of playing down points and titles at this level. That doesn’t mean we’ll ignore the 50s. The first thing that comes to mind is the 4-6 group and the fact that the exact same four riders were on the gate at both rounds. Let’s hope the low turnout is due to geography or other logical reasons, and not because people believe the class has disappeared or was somehow affected by off-road vehicle legislations. By no means has it or will it disappear any time soon and the entry requirements make it even easier to participate with the allowance for a wide variety of “play-bikes”. The 7-8 class is healthier with nine at Clyde River and ten at Kingston, and that class is already developing a small group of untouchables at the front of the points, led by Jackson Landry (400), Damon Burbine (77) and Luke Penney (321) reaching out from third. Morgan Dealy is a rejuvenated rider and has been charging hard since the arenacross, and Seth Jolimore (187) and Ty Landry (101) will be mixing it up near the front.

Riders who have had the benefit of developing through the 50s and even riding crossover to 65s have and will always shine at the top of the 65s. It’s interesting to note that the fastest 65 riders are now double-classing in the 85s in preparation for their eventual age-related advancement. What’s even more interesting is the fact that these “veteran” pee-wees are also leading the 85s.

In the 85 12-16, any rider who wants to reach the top step of the podium is going to have to push Ryan McKay (97) off first. While the Toys for Big Boys rider has gone permanently to the front in four out of four motos, Cole Butcher (53) and Jordan Melanson (91) have been swapping finishes and letting the leader begin to open a gap.

Move along, then. Nothing to see here. That would describe the Pro ATV group as Damon Baker (152) is most often on a completely different level, although a perfect season ended in one moto at Kingston when he uncharacteristically had to settle for second. The battle in behind, though, is at least five riders deep including last week’s prime movers Eric Drapeau (42) and Daniel Looke(83). They may be fighting for second week in and week out, but what a fight it is!

The Junior Quads will get this very brief mention. When I can get excited about your moto because I actually know who’s who, I will start showing you respect in here that the class actually deserves. Until I see respect paid to the lap scorers and track officials by way of clear, easily read numbers, according to the CMRC rule book, my respect level is low. That’s another complete blog for another day. Today I’m just rambling. I was ranting last week.

The Intermediate classes are destined to be THE classes to watch this season. The numbers are good, there are loads of riders with something to prove, and the skill level, particularly at the front of the MX1, is very equal and that makes for smokin’ hot racing. MX2 has all the makings of mayhem. Testosterone fuels the front five and there isn’t one rider there who isn’t capable of a win. In fact, the list of contenders goes ten deep! The on-again off-again rivalry between points leader Devin MacPherson (472) and 2^nd place Curtis Doucet (777) has been rekindled by on on-track encounter, David Strang (700) must now play catch-up after taking Kingston off in favour of an arenacross in Quebec, and West, Smith, and Butler have had a sweet taste of the front five. When black and yellow plates are on the track, line the fences. You won’t regret a second of it.

Photo courtesy: Wayne Simpson

All 3 Junior classes start the year dripping with talent. Mark down the names of the guys who will be moving up a rank at the end of the Spring series. Mitchell Fraser (33), Devin Sleigh (122), Chris O’Connell (102), and Konnor Long (719) all came out of hibernation swinging as did the “no relation” Clements boys, Myles (120) and Mathew (31). Guaranteed, there will also be a few surprises right behind them. Devin Sleigh leads both the MX2 Junior and the GP. Myles Clements is top three in both.

With Morgan Gillis opting out of the Womens class and now out with injuries for the next month, Alexandra Josey (28) can only race the track and the stopwatch at the front of the pack. AJ gets to come back from a season off and go straight to the head of the class as she rehabilitates her rebuilt knee.

Not much to offer on the various Veterans classes that the average race fan couldn’t pick up on themselves. It’s kind of a shame low rider turnout canned the 25+ class at Clyde River, but Ryan Farris wasted no time asserting himself at the front in Kingston. The Landry brothers have positioned themselves one and two in 40+, and Scott Josey finds himself in the hunt and liking the newfound horsepower of his 250 Gas Gas. I do, personally, have a concern about the rider who decimated the Vet Junior class at Kingston. Jean Pothier (115) is not all that long removed from Intermediate/Pro level competition and would have been a little more welcome in 25+ or Vet Master. If I assume correctly, that he will only be racing close to home, it’s not significant. If Jean follows the series, a class change is in order.

Perfect performances place Devin MacPherson (472) at the point in the Schoolboy class with strong performances so far equating to a solid second for Mathew Clements (31). Supermini brings in the usual suspects with Ryan Mckay (97) and Jordan Melanson (91) at each other for top spot, while Cole Butcher (53) and Sam Devlin (20) hover.

Currently, we have Canada’s MX2 Pro champion sitting in the lead in Youth, with Davey Fraser (61) abdicating a post-Clyde one point lead in order to race in Quebec. Tyler Medaglia (95 or 1) sits on a comfy cushion of 22 points over Bradley Lockhart (286) who spent the day on what I call “rent-a-rides” following a costly mechanical. Watch Devin MacPherson in this class. He is out there with guys MUCH older than him in motocross years.

Photo courtesy: Dubach Racing

“Funky Cold Medaglia” will head west for round-one of the Monster Energy Pro Nationals with another class lead. In fact, whether he races Riverglade or not, he could very well continue to hold the lead after round-three of this series. When Tyler leaves the picture, the four-race dogfight to come will be intense.

These posts will not always cover each class every week. In other words, they will become mercifully shorter. Unless, of course, there are some seriously significant stories that need to be told.

We will update again on the run-up to Riverglade. In the meantime, if you click “comments” just below this picture, you can leave comments. It’s even easier to leave comments if you “Follow” the site. Finally, the least you can do for a guy who types his fingers to the bone for you is click on the ads and help grow this place.

Have a great week and be safe. See you Saturday.

RACEGUY Rants

Seven Days Can Make One Week Weak

A little more than one week – seven short days – 168 even shorter hours – that’s how long (or short) it’s been since I decided to go ahead and put this little project together and take it “live” to the internet. Since I pushed the magic “Publish” button for the first time, I’ve gotten a boot-camp style education in “the internet – how it works and why it doesn’t”.

OK. I know. I’m supposed to be waxing poetic about our weekend in Kingston, but if you’ll just bear with me, I have to get this out of my system. Thank you.

Here are some of the lessons I have learned. Hopefully it will be a cautionary tale for anyone thinking of “just putting a little thing together for the fun of it.” This post could save a life!

Lesson one: It would appear that there isn’t really anything fun about it, probably due to lessons two through ninety-one. Lesson two: When the host site goes down for more than 12 hours in your first full day on line, there isn’t a swear word in the world that brings it back up. Lesson three: When the problem that took the server down requires the host site to recover their clock back a day and a half, see rule two. At this point I can confirm that neither your best curse words OR your favorite prayer will bring it back. Lesson  four: When any of the above occurs, you can count on losing countless hours of writing, page design, and most important, SLEEP! (If you look just above this column, you will see tabs that say things like “Breaking News”. When clicked, they take you to page upon page of information. In the process of you learning the first four lessons, these will completely disappear and will require total reconstruction from the tabs themselves to … yes… page upon page of information.

Now that I’ve depressed all of us, (OK, now that I’ve depressed me), I’ll leave the remaining eighty-seven lessons for another day and mention a couple of points of internet interest.

I mentioned the TABS just above this column. On a site like this, the host site makes room for up to 10 of these tabs, max. I now know there can never be enough tabs. In coming months I will use up my quota. I also learned that the more complicated and lengthy the upload, the greater the chances that something goes wrong during the upload. (see lessons one through four)

What does Scott Josey's Gas Gas have to do with

any of this? Nothing. I just like the pic

This site has been viewed almost 1600 times in less than seven days. I want to thank every single soul who gave it a click, even though the site is still under construction. I especially want to thank Mark, Jessica, Peter, Pam, Kurt, and Curtis for having faith and following me early. Following the site will cost you nothing. A couple of minutes and a few mouse clicks will get you on board and it results in absolutely zero spam. It gives you identity security that allows you to “comments” which you’ll see below this column and it allows members to communicate, while allowing me to communicate with you. There is also a “follow by e-mail” field to the left. It will send you automatic notification when anything changes here on the home page – but only this page. Contents behind the tabs can change by the minute with no e-mail notification, so you still have to come in and click to see what’s new there.

My point behind talking about “view counts” and “follows” and such is that these are the measuring tools of the internet. These measurements can determine a sites ability to stay “in business”. They are directly linked to the other element – the advertising. No matter which web site you go to, the ability to stay up and running is determined by the ability to generate “clicks” for advertisers. In a roundabout way, what I’m trying to say is, find an interesting ad and click it. You can then immediately hit the back button if you want. Your click is counted. From personal experience, though, I can sincerely say there is often some very cool (and very strange) stuff in Google Ads.

I was also surprised to discover that Google tracks our poll (bottom of the page at the left hand side) and keeps it secure from vandals or anybody “stacking the deck”. It also keeps me from knowing who voted how, although I have a very good idea where the first Matt Goerke vote came from. Next to the poll you see “My Hookups” which are all active links to some of the most useful MX sites on the continent. Just click to go directly to the pages of my internet friends. I know I’ve missed a couple, so watch for that list to grow.

Just one point about the “comments”  button at the bottom of this article. You can read and leave comments by clicking on the word. I also offer my most humble apologies to the lovely miss Longname who is one of the original three followers and the second to leave a comment here. Unfortunately, it was wiped out when the host site had to set the clock back! Which brings us all back to the starting point. RACEGUY Rants…and my rant + my guided tour of the site = rambled on too long, and I haven’t even talked about Kingston yet, although the scoring summary and Top-5 points are as close as the Tab at the top of the page.

I promise to get that up here by Saturday. Until then, unless you registered for e-mail updates, you’ll just have to keep coming back here to see what’s new. Oh…and you can even click an ad while you’re here.

Up Next - Komments from Kingston

A Distant Sound of Thunder

We are curious creatures. While we would arrive at the spring thaw much more refreshed had we curled up and spent the uncooperative months in deep hybernation, we choose to stay in circulation and torture ourselves with tales of Southern training facilities, US winter series, and, of course, supercross. We greet the arrival of spring with pent up frustration born of living in our MX unfriendly climate, and unbridled enthusiasm for the fresh start that a new season dangles in front of us like a carrot before a cart-mule.

Agreed, many here in the vast Atlantic region have already broken the ice (so to speak) by accepting the challenge of the annual springtime rite, the Josh Damery Memorial INdoors, and/or round one of the CMRC regional spring series OUTdoors, another sucessful season launch hosted by Art and Carla Smith on their rider-friendly Clyde River circuit.

While yours-truly joined a small handful of our big family who sidestepped the cold and rain and missed the opening round at Clyde, most of us will be back camping out overnight and waking with the roosters to take part in round two this Sunday in the sand. For those who made the scene at Clyde River, a day of competition on the amazing mixed surface may be just what is needed to prepare for a weekend in Kirk and LeeAnne Avery's sandbox in Kingston. For those who will start their run at the series by taking on the sand trap, may God have mercy on your souls.

photo courtesy: Wayne Simpson

Be looking for a summary of the weekend's activities right here at this blog site and please bear with us as this thing develops. As it does, we hope to keep you up to date on hapenings in this region, across the country, and possibly into the New England states and down the eastern seaboard. With that in mind, it will be our goal to make the content reader friendly no matter where you live and race. You can sign up for e-mail notifications whenever the page is updated by simply inserting your e-mail address to the left of this column. You can also become a follower of the blog. Another nice feature is, as the archives grow, the content will be searchable directly from this page. While you're sniffing around the bottom of the page, you can also join in our first ever poll and you can also leave a comment and read those of others by clicking on "comment".

Please remember to let us know what you honestly think of the site as it all unfolds, and whenever possible, PLEASE click on ads that help make this site a reality.

I'll see you this weekend in the beautiful Annapolis Valley surrounded by signs of Spring's renewal - apple blossoms...and early season motocross! If you can't join us in Kingston, you can join in right back here next week.

I can hear the thunder in the distance and it has nothing to do with meteorology. Have a spectacular and safe weekend everyone. I wish you all good weather and great racing. C U in the sand!