My first impression of Daniel Boone MX in London, KY, is, 'Wow.' The road in looked like we were heading out to an exclusive campground (and we were). Recent extreme weather had been cruel to the trees and the freeze had evidently done some major damage. The promoter had also been busy putting in gravel in the pits and finding some way to have enough parking for the anticipated crowds. The story is that the rain had started right after the snow had stopped and had continued until a week before the nationals. Dana, Jason Luburgh, and Dave Diver had found some track time the week before and had just enough fun for Dana to wipe-out and go down big time on his right shoulder. He didn't know at first what he had done to it, other than it hurt real bad and it was definitely going to affect his riding. After extensive testing, x-rays, and doctor examination, it was determined that Dana had earned an AC Separation.

I have heard a lot of guys that have ended up with an AC Separation (with various degrees of severity). For instance our good friend Tavis Cain had this happen to him at the Anaheim MX for Clear Channel. This injury seems to be pretty common. How it works is like this: The muscles, joints, and bones of the shoulders form a base of support that allows your arms to swing, lift, or throw (figure 1). One of these bones, the collarbone, is also called the Clavicle. Above your arm is an extension of the shoulder blade called the Acromion. Where these two bones meet at the top of the shoulder is the Acromioclavicular (AC) joint. The AC joint is not the shoulder joint. The shoulder joint is where the bone of the upper arm (Humerus) meets a shallow socket that is also part of the shoulder blade. A Separated Shoulder, or AC Separation, is a dislocation of the AC joint that can be caused by a direct or indirect blow to the shoulder. The ligaments that keep the clavicle in proper position become stretched or torn.

Well, now that we all know what an AC Separation is, you can imagine just how much fun our weekend was shaping up to be! We called on our trusty sponsor, EVS, and had them overnight us a couple of different shoulder braces to help make things 'solid.' Luckily with Ice, anti-inflammatory medication and gentle exercises (like not riding for a few days), Dana was able to move his arm a bit on Friday. Double lucky for us, there was no practice on Friday since the promoters didn't want to mess up the track. It had been bad weather for a few days and they were worried that running on the muddy track would tear it down. Weather forecast was decent for Saturday and Sunday, so the decision was made to wait this one out and hope for the best. For us, it meant not having to make the decision whether or not to practice. It gave Dana one more day of healing. It also gave Skip one more day of prep.

We had a great pit spot which of course we shared with Mike Walsh. Mike brought Jeff, from Columbia Motorsports (one of Mike's sponsors), along to pit for him this weekend. Jeff was great company and probably one of the best pit helpers Mike has ever had.

Since this was my first time to actually be at London, I had only seen video and photos before, I was really impressed with the layout of the track and the accessibility of the track for watching and photo. The pit area had been freshly graveled and I could see that recent parking/pit areas had been added. The pro-pit area was just to the left of the entrance gate. The coolest place to pit wasn't in the pro-pits though. It was on top of the ridge where you could see most of the track, of course if the wind came up the campers on the ridge would need to wear their goggles to hang around the campfire.

Ben and Sam Jackson made it to this race. It was good to see our old friends hanging out and Ben looking so good. Many of you are Ben Jackson fans (I know I am...) anyway, Ben broke his arm last year just before the season started and ended up sitting out a few of the early races last year. He made it into the season and was running a Cannondale, it gave him some trouble, but it looked like most of the kinks were all worked out when he hurt his back. Doctors sidelined him indefinitely. When I talked to Ben he made noises like he might find his way back into the racing arena in the near future.

Also I want to congratulate Ray and Chance Christie on their newest project in the making. Looks like we are going to get to play with a brand new bambino right around Lorettas. I will keep all posted on 'Baby-Belly-Watch-2003.'

Super cool friends that I had the opportunity to finally meet in person and become fast friends, Stephani McIntyre from ATVA. Stephani was literally amazed by the ATV crowd, and if you ask me maybe we have a new convert willing to go to great lengths to amaze us with her talent both behind the camera and behind the scenes, and with her overwhelming enthusiasm for what was our sport and now is her sport. Also too cool for words is Cindi Hart's little girl, Halie, who it turns out is not even remotely impressed with Cindy's boyfriend, Doug Gust. So sorry Doug, I guess being a true Gust fan is something that comes with age. Jackie and Ray Wright took the time to come by and hang out for a while. Jackie gave Dana LOADS of encouragement when he was on the track. He said he could hear her screaming for him every time he came around. Thanks for the support!

Saturday morning we prepared for qualifiers. We knew it wasn't going to be fun but we also thought it might be OK (arm wise). The plan was to practice just enough to make sure the bike was good and not re-injure the shoulder. Practice for London was fun for me to watch. First off the track was entirely new to me. Evidently most of the youth riders were in the 'new-to-me' group as well; the number of youth riders is on the increase. This year there were 50 or so turned loose for youth practice. Parents were stationed all around the track just in case assistance was needed. It was. It was a classic scenario. The riders took off like they were racing, not practicing. Just before the ridge big jumps, there is a rhythm section and then a hard right switchback. A hard right with an uphill off camber switchback. The kids were going for it, and the leader made it all the way to the middle of the switchback, when he/she stalled it. In the backfield it looked like the person at the top of the escalator had stepped off and then braked while the escalator kept going. There were little bikes all stacked up on each other, little kids crying, parents running everywhere, steam from the bikes, and flagmen definitely earning their money. I of course was cracking up. It took about 20 minutes to clear the pile up, but fortunately no one needed the Jaws-Of-Life, nor did anyone need any medical attention. After the little riders backed down the hill a bit (since having a parent pushing you around the switchback - and totally mudding out your parent - was only fun for the rider), the youth riders could get enough of a run at the switchback to continue their practice. They were just too cute for words. Speaking of the extreme age classes, Kenny Marcou had the misfortune of taking a little soil sample right in front of me. Fortunately for Kenny, my camera wasn't turned on when he wiped out: I will just have to survive to my last days with the image of him offloading, spinning around on his head, with his feet above him - sort of like a break dancer, and then sitting there looking at his bike like, "I thought we had some kind of an understanding here!" You just know his bike was laughing at him. Other things that suck in practice (or worse in a race) is when you accidentally buy possessed goggles and they decide to 'wave' at the crowd.

Pro-Practice was not a good thing for us. Dana started out well, but was seriously hurting. He made a few laps and I started to breathe again, when he bobbled in a bad cornerand did a simple high side (no major impact crash from what I could see), it was enough to smack that shoulder in just the wrong spot. By the time he got back to our pits, he was white as a ghost; still smiling but you could tell he wasn't having any fun. His arm was so sore in fact that when someone asked for an autograph he had to lift his right hand up with his left arm. I seriously doubted that he would be able to hang on to the handlebars, much less handle the track or racing.

The Pro-Production class is finally starting to have short moments of interest in my opinion. It seems that whoever gets the start, gets the finish and the rest of the riders only slightly vary from position three or four turns into the race, unless of course someone takes themselves out. Action is limited, and this track was also one that made any passing or 'action' nearly impossible. Moto one found Tim with a holeshot and Doug right behind him. The race stayed very much the same; almost like a TT race (can you say 'Freight Train'?) John Natalie couldn't buy any good luck. He didn't have a great start, but he has heart and worked his position for what it was worth. Second moto, his start was better and he was able to finish with as a top five missing the top five overall by one position. Second moto, Jason Luburgh had the first corner by a fender. Tim Farr and Doug Gust were next with Kory Ellis, Tavis Cain and Doug Gust working their way through the pack. Jason held tight for a short while before Tim found his window, shot around Jason and proceeded to check out. Jasonworked on a solid second. Meanwhile Doug had made tracks through the pack quickly and began challenging Jason for position. Jason was having none of it. All National tracks are supposed to be 20 feet wide from my understanding. I would have to have had a measuring tape to be certain, but just eyeballing Daniel Boone, I would have to say that the measuring device used by the track designers was flawed or they simply didn't give a rat's butt whether or not they met AMA/ATVA regulations. There was simply so few areas for passing that it was unbelievable. Doug tried though. Jason held his position and didn't really have to block Doug. The reason he was in front is that he made faster decisions and played it smarter on the start. Of course a rider could pull over and wave his competition by (Dana actually did this later, but I will get to that), but if you are competing with someone for points, and overall, well, you just don't give up position that easily. If they can't get around you, so be it. You have to give Doug a big star for trying though. He tried inside, outside, sideways, and rough sections to get by Jason, but it didn't help. Doug could not have caught Tim anyway, and there is always the second moto to clean up your act. In the backfield we had Jason Dunkelberger getting rid of some bad luck. He somehow broke his steering stem in the middle of the race. Thank goodness it was in a place where he didn't get hurt. Josh Starrett, Richard Buckley, and Aaron Slingluff had a race of their own going. Kory and Taviswent bar to bar in both moto one and two. So again, the Pro-Production class has brief moments of impressive racing, and well the rest of the race is pretty ho-hum. Maybe it will get better.

The Open B class highlighted Jeremy Lawson with the holeshot in both moto one and in moto two. Lawson continued to move around the track like an A rider.... hmmmm.... maybe he will be moving up? Todd Coxput up a good ride in the #2 spot, but he wasn't close to Lawson. Since there was no challenger for top spot, I looked a bit farther back in the pack, and what do we see but some nice entertainment. Mario DiAngelo and Jorge Cuartas put up a good battle for 10th and 11th. Those guys were back and forth the entire race. And then they traded spots in the second moto.

Women's A Class riders continue to prove they have the 'right stuff' to make the grade. Angela Moore took an early lead in both motos and cruised to the checkers for a win once again making her mark not only in the Women's class but also in the 16-24 class where she finished 3rd overall. Heather Rose pulled a solid second, with Paula Shank, Lynn Prosser, and Melissa Kufel rounding out the top five. Womens B/C classs wowed me with a couple of riders that have begun to step it up. Jamie Rentzkicks it big time. She takes no prisoners and has what it takes to stay out in front. I also am looking for Cindi Hart and Melissa Bailey to find their pace in the near future.

250A Class is beginning to show Who's Who for the future Pros. Dustin Wimmer is proving a point this year by racking up dang near perfect scores in both the A class and in the 250 Pro-Am class. I guess that Sally (Dustin's mom) is going to have to add a trophy room for just the first place trophies at this rate. Gilbert Attix is also on the short list of 'Riders Marking Their Territory.' Gilbert has had a couple of years of hit or miss finishes and then last year he finally turned on whatever it was to get his butt in the front and stay there. I look to see Gil also running blue plates next year as well. Cory Ellerbroek, Hunter Miller Mark Kendall, Bryan Chaler, Ryan Ogram, Rocco Arno, and Zac Willet are the guys I look to see in the front of the pack. All of these riders are very talented and even though some of them once in a while have some bad luck, they are still pretty consistent riders with loads of promise.

Pro Qualifier Mike Walsh took the holeshot with Dana and Jasmin Plante close behind. We had reminded Dana that it didn't matter where he finished, just that he qualified, so he was willing to take down to sixth place if necessary and not hurt himself. Mike looked good and Dana was going for a pass (surprising me considering the condition of his arm) through the whoop section before the uphill ridge section when his seat bracket snapped and his seat fell off. The seat flipped up and slammed into the back of his legs whipping his feet under his axle and stalling his bike. Dave Diver, Jason Dunkelberger, and three other riders got by him putting Dana in . In the meantime Jasmin had got around Dana and was going for an air pass on Mike but he landed on Mike's back tire, flipping himself (Jasmin) end over end and tweaking himself out. Dana had by this time realized that the seat was not going to go back on so he took off hoping to salvage a finish spot and not have to go to the LCQ. He made time up and passed a couple of riders but every time he sat down he closed off all air to the air-box and the bike would nearly die. It's no fun riding with a hurt arm and with no seat either, well, that really bites. Although Dana made up some good time he missed qualifying by one spot. LCQ land here we come! Adding insult to injury was the fact that he melted the seat out of his favorite riding pants when he warmed his butt on the unprotected pipe. Dave Diver was pushing hard in the qualifier. He chased Mike for nearly the entire moto before he let it be. Mike Walsh took the win in the Qualifier and he looked good doing it.

Sunday's LCQ would have one rider not going to the main. That is harsh. Dana got the holeshotand rode smart and safe for the four laps of the LCQ. Jasmin also made it comfortably. The real race was for the second to the last position. Josh Throgmorton ended up making the show, and he really, REALLY, worked for it.

The Pro-Moto was shaping up to be a day for survival for Dana. He was pretty darn sore and simply putting on his jersey was torture. Weather-wise, London was great. It has been the most pleasant weekend withlots of sunshine and a breeze most of the weekend and real wind for a while. Actually most of the weekend was good but there were some problems track wise and facility wise. The bathrooms were a little scary to be honest. And the width of the track was not even close to legal. They had filled the landing of some of the jumps with sawdust or something that didn't bear well for long jumps.

Joe Byrd hauled butt into the first corner in Moto one earning the holeshot which he proceeded to hold onto for the win. Joe has made some changes to his personal and professional program this year that have made the difference in his racing style. His Walsh CRF450 is the RIGHT bike for him and it shows. Todd, his mechanic, is on top of things and Heather, his wife, provides the moral support to keep him going. Now to be fair, Joe didn't walk away with this race; not by a long shot. He worked hard for what he got and barely kept it. Things have radically improved in the Joe Byrd racing department. I have seen a whole new Joe out here. He is motivated, focused and ready for the challenges. Jeremiah Jones pushed hard the entire moto, and anyone who has ever had the pleasure of racing with Jeremiah, knows that having him behind you is something of a rarity and is usually quite brief. Joe got to feel the Jones heat for twenty full minutes plus one lap. Joe earned it the hard way. John Natalie was puking smokeout of his bike and had to limp around the track the first moto. Evidently it wasn't something terminal, he borrowed some JB Weld, the Racer's Friend, and went back out to have a good second moto. Dana had a pretty good start, but he knew it would not last. He did real good considering his situation, and the track. The part that was simply too much to for his sore shoulder was the rhythm section where he literally pulled over and waved the closest riders around him. He made up time on the rest of the track and finished with a respectable ninth in moto one.

Doug Gust, Keith Little, John Natalie and Jason Luburgh worked it big-time to also finish in the top ten for moto one. Way fast times per lap of 2:12 the same as the Pro-Production class the on Saturday. But, and a big BUT, the Pro class had an additional section of the track that was added to their course, so it seems that once again our traditional Pro class is indeed faster.

Moto two saw Shane Hitt starting at the front and holding on to the lead for a brief but glorious moment. Jeremiah had the inside line and Joe was on the outside, with a pack of throttle happy pros picking up the rear. Kory Ellis had the most unusual approach to the start that I have seen lately. Kory had drawn a late gate pick because of his 12th place finish in Moto one. He felt all the really good gates were taken, so he picked the far inside gate. His plan was really quite simple, and original. He would wait slightly after the gate dropped then cut across the entire starting area to the far outside line. He had it all worked out that when the other guys piled up in the first corner he would just cruise around the mess and be in a great place to make tracks. Kory had it pretty right to be honest. Steve Runkel,Josh Throgmorton, Greg Meeks and someone else had atangle just after the first corner. No one was hurt, but it did tie up traffic for a few seconds. Kory, of course, avoided any entanglements with his grand plan. This moto, Jeremiahtoasted the competition and there was literally no question who is the front runner for the 2003 season. Shane Hitt started out strong but the pack was hungry. Jasmin Plante did what needed to be done to get to the front and Jason Luburgh was looking for Shane to open the door to his pass as well. Normally Shane is not an easy pass, but with those two on either side it's hard to concentrate on staying upright, much less defending position. After those two got around him, Shane kept up pace and was able to fend off and stay ahead of the rest of the riders including Mike Walsh. One rider on a mission was Kory Ellis. Kory had that interesting start where although he avoided all the drama in turn two, he was required to employ one of the best used methods of racing: working your way to the front. This included passing Shane, Tavis Cain and Jason Luburgh, all very difficult to pass. But he did it. Dana had a decent start but was forced to do what he could to stay upright and not aggravate his shoulder and pray for that halfway mark that Skip will hold up to let him know when he could breathe.. John Natalie had a good start this moto and he went on to do his sponsor proud. He had good finishes in both motos even with his bike having issues. Jason Dunkelberger and Dave Diver seem to be slated to butt heads this year. It seems that I have 50 photos of those two right by each other in these first three races. What makes it hard for me is that both riders bikes are nearly identical and they both wear similar gear. Joe Haavisto continues to intrigue me with his literally daily improvements. He is obviously training hard and his support network is incredible. Those Flyin' Finns are everywhere, and they are PROUD of their boy. Jeremiah Jones is the man this year. He seems to pretty untouchable and is incredible in his talent on track as well as his incredibly sweet nature. I really love this kid. In the end Dana pulled a top ten overall. He finished; it wasn't pretty but he finished.

We have a couple of weeks to heal up right now and we plan on doing it. Hope everyone else finds themselves in good health and good spirits for the rest of what is shaping up to be a great year.

That's it for now. Take care, don't crash, and call your mom.

Mom

Tavis Cain,2,3,4,5

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London, KY Round 3

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