Chris Borich was trying to pull away
on the second lap, and opened a small gap as Bill Ballance
lost valuable time in the dusty stump section. The dust
is some spots was so thick you could cut it with a knife.
If the rider in front of you ran up into one of the
powdery berms, the sky would instantly turn mars orange
and you would have no choice other than stay on the
gas and use The Force to avoid going where no man has
gone before. I used The Force more times in two hours
than Obi Wan Kenobi did the whole time he was destroying
the Death Star. The worst combination was the dust and
the stumps. The stumps were between 6-10" high
and were staggered perfectly so there was no straight
line through them.
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#2 Chris Borich's trail of dust blinds #1Bill
Ballance as he charges after Borich through
the stump field
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Positions changed some at the end of lap two, with
McGill coming into pit and dropping to sixth behind
Bithell, Jenks and Sturdivant. Jenks and Sturdivant
would suffer front suspension problems and drop out
of the race on the third lap. Brandon Ballance, who
had been battling back pain issues through the previous
races, pulled off also. During lap three the front
runners sorted themselves out, with Borich leading
Ballance at the front, Bithell running alone in third,
and McGill being challenged for fourth place by a
hard charging Matt Smiley and Taylor Kiser. Bryan
Cook and Duane Johnson filled out the pack.
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#3 Duane Johnson finally broke out of his slump
and broke into the top 10 for the first time
in 2007 |
#4
Chris Jenks continues to be plaqued with bad
luck as he was the victim of a broken spindle
after charging up to 4th |
The course layout at the Big Buck makes for tight
racing, but the dust this year kept the gap between
riders a little wider than in years past. The tight
woods sections were a first gear, lock-to-lock wiggle-fest
through the sticks, with no room for error and not
many passing opportunities. Another stream plunge
developed near the beginning of the lap, and it was
a low speed, no-lip drop-off into mud water that threw
a splash up under your arms and into your helmet on
impact.
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#6 Chris Bithell earns his 2nd trip to the Podium
in 2007 with 3rd Overall |
#7
Adam McGill finally has his Mojo working again
as earns his best finish of the year with a
4th Overall |
Chris Borich held a small lead until the finish,
and with another win tied up the title chase with
Ballance at two wins a piece. Bithell held onto third
for his second podium of 2007, with McGill coming
back for fourth ahead of a rejuvenated Matt Smiley
and a consistent Taylor Kiser. Bryan Cook scored another
top ten finish, with Duane Johnson holding off Craig
Reed for eighth. William Yokley rounded out the top
ten. The next round at Loretta Lynn’s in Tennessee
will be like the start of the season for the title
contenders, as Chris Borich and Bill Ballance are
all tied up and working with a clean slate.
The racing is getting tighter as the riders are getting
their machines set up and their endurance is increasing.
Look for another great race at Loretta’s, which
is always one of the most-attended events on the calendar.
See you there!
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Afternoon
Top Three Overall (left to Right)
Chris Bithell,
Chris Borich, Bill Ballance |
