Davenport's Diary           Email  forrindy@aol.com

      

 

SUNDAY, 2/1/09, 8PM

Okay, its next year.  It seems weird to say two-thousand-and-nine (2009) but maybe that’s just part of getting old.  I have been doing a lot of traveling lately with a couple of trips to Texas and another to Washington, DC.  On my most recent trip I was returning from DC and as I sat on a completely full airplane I started to think about a boycott.  Not a boycott from work or a boycott from the racetrack but a boycott on all airlines.  I ask you this; where in life do we put up with this type of treatment from a company that we are paying such a large amount of money to?  I couldn’t think of any either!  We drop a huge amount of cash on these airline companies to cram us in an aluminum cylinder and then treat us like cattle for a period of 1-12 hours depending on where you are traveling.  I believe there may be some sort of conspiracy involved in order to keep the “first class” passengers in real “first class” seats.  I think as travelers we should demand that all seats triple in arm space between seats and that leg room immediately doubles.  I know that this will mean a subsequent increase in ticket costs but to tell you the truth I am willing to pay an extra $100 for these basic comforts.  On my return from DC I was moved to the exit row (extra leg room but still no arm space) and I was sitting with several pilots that were flying standby to get home from their layovers.  They actually started the conversation about the seating and layout of a commercial airliner and that they think people are stupid for putting up these conditions.  Now understanding that this is a four hour flight you can see that we had a rather in depth conversation about this subject.  They (the pilots) felt that most airliners could drop a full column (front to back) of seats to widen the aisle and give a few more inches of arm space.  Additionally, removing an average of ten rows (left to right) per airline would add most of the doubled leg room that I am demanding.  It was they who said that this could be done with a minimal cost to the passenger ticket prices.  They suggested reducing the number of flights since most of the time they are not full anyway.  They average only 75% capacity on domestic flights.  After we landed I told them that I was going to start the ball rolling on a nationwide boycott until we the passengers get our demands.  They just laughed and said that when it comes to airline travel most people are sheep and will not work together to make any changes.  As I went down to pick up my luggage I watched as all the sheep got in line to get their luggage and realized that the pilots were right.  I think that next time I am just going to drive.

 

Next week we all meet at Comp Edge for rounds 1 & 2 of the 2009 Police & Fire Nationals.  I have decided that in this screwed up world that makes people fly with someone’s arm pit in your face that I am never going to complain about the FPMX race series again.  See you all next week for some great racing and some even better bench racing after the motos.

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

SUNDAY, 12/28/08, 7PM
Well now, let’s see what we should talk about? Maybe we should talk about the 2008 FPMX Christmas Grand Prix? My race was rather uneventful. I had a terrible start (missed the shift lever after Marco waved the flag). After I worked my butt off for the first 30 minutes and passed about ten riders I found out that only a couple of them were actually in my class. From there I just cruised the last002* 15 minutes and finished outside of a medal. I do have to say that I really loved the course. Although I did hear from several riders that said they hated the course. But as I questioned them further about what exactly they hated they kept talking about the wind and the dry areas of the track. Lets get something straight, I am a huge critic the Glen20and the race tracks that they have given us (FPMX) over the last several years, but to slam them for the wind blowing and not being able to keep the course wet is just not fair. The GP course they gave us was still a little shorter than I like a GP but it had all the basic elements of a GP. So I say thanks Glen Helen and thanks Ed for a great event. Even with the wind.

Maybe we should talk about Christmas in general and who found a new bike under their tree? There seems to be a lot of talk this Christmas about the new ‘09’s and mostly about the four-fiddies. “Which bike is best?” is what I believe the posts on the message board read. Some of you have even chimed in with what this mag or that mag says about their in depth 450 tests. I will now throw my two-cents in on this subject. I read a variety of motorcycling magazines. All the usual ones that most of you read as well. First we have to put aside the handful of Honda maniacs out there that would buy anything made by that company. Next we have to take a no punches pulled look at whom and what these magazines are. That look should take you to only one place – MXA. Like them or not (and most of the time I hate them) Motocross Action is the only motorcycle based magazine that employs a full-time test crew (known as the “wrecking crew”). When these guys print something in the pages of MXA it is based on weeks, months, or even a full year of test and evaluation. For example; about this time last year every mag around was reporting about how the new 2008 CRF-250 and 450 would be coming with fuel injection. I heard many of you (mostly from the “Honda maniac” club) ranting about it as well. MXA was the only mag that actually tested a pre-pro bike (CRF-250) from Honda and reported it as being total crap and that it was highly unlikely that Honda would actually put them into production. Sure enough, no fuel injection for 2008. My point being, I do not listen to mag tests that hire a couple of test riders or sen d a few editors out to ride the latest in moto warfare for a couple of days on a couple of different tracks. That’s not a test session worth printing and definitely not worth reading if it gets printed. If you want to call it an informative test then you deserve what you get. Either way though, whatever color tickles your fancy (even if its red) I hope you found one under your tree (or garage) on Christmas morning.

Maybe we should talk about New Years - 2009? On second thought I will leave that one for next time. Dee and I are off to Lake Havasu for some camping, riding, gambling, riding, dining, riding, and drinkingJ. Everyone have a super-fun-safe-sane New Year and I will talk to you next year.

STAY SAFE, more later.

 

SATURDAY, 11/22/08, 6PM

I figured that since I went riding today that I should update my Diary post.  This was my first ride since breaking the left foot back in August while I was competing at the Police & Fire Western Games in Boise, ID.  We went to Perris Raceway and to my surprise the track layout was pretty much the same as it was back in early August the last time I rode there.  I say “pretty much the same” because the difference was that the place is now littered with jumps.  This being my first ride in over three months and the fact that my timing was a little off was not a good mix for a track full of jumps.  All in all it was a good day with only one small spill and a lot of flat landings.  So as I sit hear writing this the foot is a little sore.  I need to get right back out again and keep at it to get the timing back and get my hands in riding shape.  I have my last doctor’s appointment on Tuesday so as long as he doesn’t see anything funky on the x-rays I should be ready to start racing again.  Just in time to because the last round of the AMA D-37 Big-6 GP Series is coming up on December 6^th.  I missed the last two rounds of the series due to this damn injury but I figured if I make this last round and do a top five finish I should still get a lower number for 2009.  Then of course is our own Fire & Police Christmas Toy Drive Grand Prix coming up right after the Big-6 weekend.  So, lots of riding and racing on the horizon.

 

While riding today at Perris I made a startling revelation about the recent neck-brace craze that is sweeping the nation.  I made my observation as today was my third ride wearing my EVS-RC neck brace.  As most safety equipment issues go it gets better with each ride.  It gets more comfortable and starts to feel like it should just be there every time I throw a leg over the bike.  But my revelation was not solely based on my own brace wearing experience but also on my observations of other riders.  I watched riders on the track and in the pits as they rode to and from the track entrance.  What I noted is that with the neck brace in place on the rider’s shoulders he/she has little or no side view.  What I mean by this is that instead of simply turning your head left or right a rider has to consciously turn his/her whole upper torso to look left and right.  The fallout of this is that riders are simply not looking to their peripherals.  They are just cutting across the track, cutting across the pit roads, and inadvertently pulling in front of other bikes, trucks, Rhinos, pedestrians and anything else you can think of.  I watched several (thankfully) low speed collisions on and off the track today.  On the national level I have also seen this phenomenon play-out through the year at the MX Nationals, WORCS, Big-6, and Hare & Hounds, as well as many other race series and locations.  If you remember the movie “The Jerk” when Steve Martin made/invented the special hand grab modification for eye-glasses that also doubled as a device to keep the glasses from sliding off the nose and he inadvertently caused millions of people to go cross-eyed.  I think that we may be on the verge of causing millions of MX and off-road riders to inadvertently stop looking left and right as they drive to work, as they walk across the street, as they push their shopping cart through the market, and so on.  It ended up costing Steve Martin millions of dollars in restitution.  LEATT, EVS, Alpinestars, ARE YOU LISTENING because the litigation could get really deep.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you.                    

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

    

 

SUNDAY, 10/12/08, 5PM

As the 2008 Fire & Police MX season rolls to a close I think everyone feels that it was a successful and competitive race year.  Of the thirty (30) race classes/divisions that were paying points this year there were ten (10) that were decided by twenty (20) points or less.  And several of those were within five points for the title.  That’s good racing no matter how you look at it.  Heck, even the night series had a few close battles right through the last of the three rounds.  Now there were a couple of complaints here and there about “sandbagging” as there always is.  But I think as the year comes to an end we have identified the “bump list” for the 2009 FPMX series.  You know who you are and the dignified thing to do is bump yourself up in class rather than have the race committee do it for you.

 

We now look to the end of year Christmas Toy Drive Grand Prix and the official crowning of the FPMX #1 plate for 2009 (2008 National Champion).  As I look at the overall points for the Open Expert class it appears that none other than FPMX #33 Eric McKenna has done it again.  I think this will be Eric’s third #1 plate.  As for myself, I was able to get the #1 plate for the Lites class but I had a lot of help from the other riders getting injured.  With my foot in this cast I was not able to make the call for the last two rounds last week at the Glen.  I was defending the #1 plate in the 40+ Expert class but I was never really able to get on track all year in that division.  I ended the year in 4^th for that class but I think if I had not been injured for the Glen that I could have gotten back up in the top three.

 

I know that Ed is thinking about ending the Lites class for 2009.  For the most part I am ambivalent to adding or removing any particular class(es) from the FPMX schedule.  Most people that know me know that I am fiercely competitive in anything that I do or compete in.  However, at this point in life (47 years) I am beyond worrying about gold-silver-bronze medals (or plastic trophies).  Now don’t go taking this wrong because if you line up next to me you can bet that you are going to get 100% of everything I have for that day.  It’s just that I don’t think I am going to be buying a new race bike for 2009.  The mighty YZ-250F has only got three quarters of a season on her.  She looks and runs well and with a new sponsorship deal for 2009 (and an almost recovered broken left foot) we are ready for the 2009 season to get here.  For FPMX, in addition to the 40+ Experts, it means that I will have to find another class to compete in.  And more than likely I will be racing my 250F against 450’s.  HMMMMM, that new YZF-450 and CRF-450 are looking better and better. 

 

Congrats to all that earned an FPMX Class Championship #1 plate for 2008.  You deserve itJ               

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

SUNDAY, 9/28/08, 1PM

Many of you out there already know what a huge Motocross Des Nations fan that I am.  I have been to multiple MXDN events around the world to include both of the historic rounds that were held here in the United States (1987-Unadilla and 2007-Budds Creek).  I think it is the Olympics of Motocross and this year was our (USA’s) 19^th victory.  We are the undisputed kings of outdoor Motocross.  When I heard that this year’s race was going to be in jolly old England (moved from its original site in Ireland) Dee and I didn’t hesitate to get our tickets all lined up for the flights and races.  It also didn’t hurt that my sister lives in London (approximately 100 miles from the race site at Donington Park).  To top it all off we were getting the best VIP race passes available through Team USA.  Everything was looking like gold for this trip.  Then of course came the broken foot and subsequent surgery.  With my doctors insi stence we begrudgingly had to cancel the trip to this years MXDN.  Just a simple break and cast would not have kept me away but since I had to have such an extensive surgery he did not want me traveling on a plane for 12+ hours and then trying to attend an outdoor race event.  I was bummed but I knew he was right.  The UK is not a place that you want to be hobbling around on crutches.  I have been there many times and they are not like the US with all our handicapped and disabilities laws and ordinances in place.  I have heard though that under the new AMA management and direction from the FIM that this great event will visit the United States every 3-5 years.  I think that in this day and age of Supercross only contracts that having this event here on our soil on a consistent basis will be a good thing.  I love all Motocross racing (including Supercross) but let’s face it, SX is a show and MX is a sport.  I think that our current generation of up and coming kids from the amateur ranks will see that and follow the footsteps of guys like Carmichael and Villopoto rather than those of guys like McGrath and Reed.    

 

Congratulations to Team USA once again.                 

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

  

WEDNESDAY, 9/03/08, 7PM 
In looking at Uncle Ed’s photo shots from his practice session at Perris Raceway I can see several problems.  Number one is obvious to everyone in that he is still on a Kawacloggy.  Time to change bike color there Big-E.  Come to think of it, why aren’t you on a KTM?  The next thing I saw was the sagging elbows.  MX bikes simply don’t handle if you don’t get the elbows up.  Even a great cornering bike like the Hondog will wander out of the good race line if you drop your elbows.  The next item is what Ed is famous for, not standing up enough.  They put the wide foot-pegs on there for a reason.  I will look the other way on that one since I know he was there to primarily work on his cornering abilities.  Hey I am doing this from the seat of my pants while sitting on my couch.  If anyone else wants to send me some pictures I will dissect them and get back to you with my seasoned expert opinion.  I don’t know why Donnie Hansen even shows up to his riding schools when he could just have his clients email him a few photos.  Ed, this session was on the house but the next one is gonna cost you. 

 

You know that show called “How It’s Made”.  I have been watching a lot of that lately while riding the couch.  Yesterday I saw something that was really interesting.  They were at a factory that makes safety helmets and they were doing a run of Firemen helmets.  I had no idea how much work and design goes into those goofy looking lids that you guys wear.  They made some out of fiberglass and some out of leather.  The leather ones were much more time consuming to produce and the final product is a work of art.  I have decided that this is an item that I need to get my hands on before I retire; a leather Firemen’s helmet.  Anyone know how much one of those things cost?

 

Yesterday I had my first follow up doctor appointment since my surgery last Wednesday.  They really didn’t do much except put me in a lousy cast.  I absolutely hate casts.  I have spent way too much of my life in casts.  My foot is totally immobilized with screws so I don’t know what the cast is supposed to do.  I think it just gives the doctor a little more peace of mind knowing that you can’t go out and totally destroy his surgical work.  Next week I will get a new cast when they take out the stitches.  I am well on my way to recovery and the next 8-weeks should go by quickly.  That’s my target date for the next surgery to get these damn screws removed.  Here are a couple of pics from the post-op x-rays and when Dee and I were cleaning the dressing the other night.  ENJOYJ         

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

 

 MONDAY, 9/01/08, 7PM

Okay, some discussion items.  While at the Police & Fire Olympics in Boise, ID I went through two folding chairs.  You know the kind; they are the ones that you get for few bucks at your local Sports Chalet, Big-5, or CostCo/Lowes.  It was a real disappointment and I will give my first hand experience to ensure that all of you out there in FPMX moto-land don’t make the same mistake.  Dee and I had bought two $6.99 chairs while at the Motocross des Nations last year in Budds Creek, Maryland.  We got them at Sports Chalet and had planned to just leave them at the track when we were done.  Well one thing led to another (mostly because we always need more chairs at the racetrack) and we ended up bringing these two chairs back across the country with us.  One of these chairs ended up going with us to Boise and I believe that it made it all of two days before completely coming apart.  Needless to say that it ended up in the local trash barrel.  I think its total life span was somewhere around 8 to 10 total track/trail ride days.  In retrospect, I should have left it on the hillside of Budds Creek. 

 

Example #2 is a chair that had a little more life span but was also a bad investment.  This one was a little more rooted in a charity than needing another chair.  I bought it at a Border Patrol raffle event for $10.00.  I knew it was a cheaply made chair but it was camo colored, had the USBP logo across the back, and like I said, it was for charity.  I think I actually got twice the longevity out of that chair than the Chalet sold models.  The funny thing is that both of these crap chairs actually crapped out on the same day, at the same track, on the same day that I launched myself off the 450.  That was bad day.  When this thing went it was like something out of a comedy.  It completely exploded and put me on my butt. 

 

Now for the good example of a high quality chair that went through many, many moto sessions.  I actually got it from a buddy who left the Glen right after his second moto and left the chair sitting next to my tailgate.  I was never able to return it to him because he quit racing/riding (for the second or third time) just a few short weeks later (thanks AndyJ).  It was a quality chair that was purchased around the year 2000 for over $20.00.  It was almost new when it found its way into my hands but I can tell you that this particular chair went to a lot of racetracks and trail riding areas.  Its only negative was that it was colored Hondog red.  About four weeks before we left for the Boise events I drove off and left it at Perris Raceway.  I think it was sitting next to my tailgate and I didn’t do my traditional look back as I was driving off.  It’s got the sharpie logo “MD #101” on each arm but what the heck.  That’s how I got it so I hope it serves someone else for many more years to come.  So, all in all 2008 has been a really bad year for the Davenport’s and folding chairs.  Yah, I broke and dislocated my foot but all those chair failures really have me bummed.  My point to all this is that when it comes to folding chairs you really get what you pay for.                   

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

 

MONDAY, 8/25/08, 7AM

I guess it is time for me to complete my 2008 Western States Police & Fire Olympics report.  We (Donnie Fitch and I) returned home from Boise early Friday morning after covering 1000 miles of driving in about 18 hours.  That doesn’t sound like much but when you are pulling a 13,000 pound toy-hauler (fully loaded) that is really good time.  Donnie came away from these Olympics with Gold and Silver medals for Motocross but nothing from the Scramblers (GP) event.  He was a little disappointed about the Scrambles but there were a handful of locals that really had the advantage for that type of racing. 

 

Speaking of the Scrambles course it was really, really tough and on Saturday there was an all day open practice.  It pretty much had all the elements of a GP course with the exception of a pavement section.  In particular, the “endurocross section” was one of the toughest I have seen in a long time.  The course was approximately 8-miles in length and included a short portion of the MX track.  Having only ridden the 450 once on the week before at the Glen, I decided to get in as much seat time as I could before the races started on Sunday.  I was pre-running the back section of the course where there are several high-speed valleys that allow you to really cover some ground at 50+ MPH.  As I came out of one of these valleys I was greeted at the top by a very young kid (approx. 12 years old) riding an adult size hunting quad/ATV (the kind with racks front and rear) and he was going the wrong way on the course.  I only had a brief second to decide what to do so rather than meet this 500 pound quad head-on I decided to jump off the side of the course and take my chances with the local terrain.  It was one of those long drawn out slow motion crashes where you almost save it several time before finally succumbing to the inevitable.  The crash left me a little dazed and wondering what the heck I hit.  Luckily, although he was scared beyond belief, the kid did not ride off and leave me alone.  I didn’t think I was really hurt until I tried to stand up .  That’s when I realized that my left foot was seriously screwed up.  The kid helped me get the bike up and even gave me a little bump start to get the 450 fired up again.  He then led me back to the pit area where I was able to get some medical attention.  A side note is that I was wearing my new EVS neck brace system and the new One Industries helmet that I was wearing was completely destroyed.  So it leads me to believe that EVS got it right with this new neck brace. 

 

After some recovery time in the pits Dee loaded me up in the rental car for a quick trip to the local emergency room.  They took the pictures of the foot and said that they didn’t see anything serious but wanted the radiologist to look at them later.  We returned to the pits and with a little extra medication (and a few SilverBullets) we started getting the bikes ready for the Sunday racing schedule.  When Sunday rolled around I was just in too much pain to throw a leg over my bikes.  Not to mention that my left foot was way to swollen to get it into my Alpinestars.  As it turned out, we got a call later that afternoon from the radiologist who wanted to see me again for a CT scan.  The result of all this was another visit to the emergency room only this time they put me in a solid boot and said that there were several problem areas that concerned them but they could not be sure.  Well, that was enough for me and we put my bikes and gear away and called it quits for the week.  So the long trip and all the work leading up to this event were for nothing.  I immediately went to see my doctor when I got home on Friday and he confirmed what I was afraid of.  Surgery is scheduled for Wednesday and a 2-3 month recovery time.  So my race season is over.   

 

It was more disappointing because of all the support that was thrown our way to participate in this event.  I really have to take my hat off to all the people that supported us for the 2008 Police & Fire Olympics; the U.S. Border Patrol, O’Neal Racing, Race Proven Motorsports, ZLT Graphics, C&D Cycle Center and of course our friends and families that were there all the way for us.  THANK YOU.                        

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

Even though the #101 bikes only saw a few minutes of track time they sure looked good in the pitsJ

 

FRIDAY, 8/1/08, 6AM

I was at the Trevor Montgomery benefit ride last Monday evening.  The rider turnout was on the low side but the event was definitely on the high side.  By all appearance, Trevor’s family and friends did an amazingly outstanding job organizing this event.  They had food and raffle items everywhere you looked.  I was even telling Ed that maybe he should recruit them to help out with the FPMX events.  It was that good.  The Perris Raceway staff was also working above and beyond the call of duty.  The track was good and they even had a short Team Race at the end of the evening.  I was teamed up with the very young and very fast Justin Lee.  We had a little problem on the third lap with our ba nner (Hawaiian lei).  It seems that when Justin tried to pull it off his arm to pass it to me for my lap that it just came apart in his hand.  For the following laps we tried everything you can think of to hold on to that lei.  We even tried holding it in our teeth.  Believe it or not even with a short minute-plus lap it was really hard to breathe when you can’t open your mouth.  I never realized how much wind you suck during a moto lap.  We were right there fighting for first when this little incident occurred but then got shuffled back to 6^th or 7^th.  We did manage to claw our back to 3^rd by the end.  All in all it was a lot of fun and all for a really great cause.

 

I am currently working on a major sponsorship deal with the Border Patrol.  Donnie Fitch (FPMX#52) and I have been given the green light for a partial ride to compete in the 2008 Western States Police & Fire Games in Boise, ID later this month.  Currently, the ride includes transportation to and from the Games but if all goes well we will also be decked out in new O’Neal gear with full BP logos.  Bike graphics from ZLT will also be on the ticket so stay tuned for the next rounds of the FPMX nationals at Glen Helen to see our cool rides.  A little insight is available if you go to the Jay Robinson NASCAR team web-site at “www.jayrobinson.com”.  Click on the “TEAM” icon on the top of the opening page and you will get a look at the race car and team gear/graphics.  Not yet sure exactly what our final product will look like but if all goes well it will be pretty close to this.  I will report more on this next time.   

 

STAY SAFE, more later.
 

 

SATURDAY, 7/19/08, High-Noon

It’s Saturday and my day-off-duty from work.  I know I have been extremely delinquent in keeping up with my Diary entries but my world since January has been WORK-WORK-WORK and then catch up on sleep and R&R during the weekend.  That is if I don’t have to go into the office on the weekend as well.  Anyway, as I sit here today reading Uncle E’s Journal it hits me that he is speaking right through me.  First off, I have been thinking all weeklong how this is the first FPMN/FPMX race that I have ever attended that did not include Ed in the overall picture.  I was at the first race in November 1989 and with the exception of a few missed races due to work (and a few due to injury) I have been to nearly all of our races.  I guess because Sue was doing such a great job and with Russell and Marco (and many others) stepping up with the basics it was all run with little or no problems.  It wasn’t until the next day that it hit me that Big-E wasn’t there.  I am not saying that this is a good thing but I would think that it makes Ed proud to know that he can miss a round of FPMX and we as a group will step up to help keep the race on track.  I will however leave the promoting and coordinating to Ed because I sure wouldn’t want that headache on a permanent basis.  Sorry Ed, you are hereby precluded from ever leaving us on our own again.  Oh by the way, I think that deep down Sue is also MX positive blood type.

 

I get a lot people pushing me toward a 450 these days.  Most of the ones that have known me for a number of years say that they assumed I would only spend a year or two on the 250F to get used to riding again.  I will admit that after coming back from my injuries and not riding for 30 months that it was my plan to start on the 250F and then transition to the 450 after a season or two.  I think it was because I, and maybe a few others out there, assume that a 250F is like riding a 125.  The obvious move would be to go back to the 450.  I no longer feel that way about the 250F.  You really can’t compare a 125 to a 250F.  The technology of a 250F is at the stage now where the power to weight ratio has far surpassed that of the 125 two-stroker.  The power of a 125 has always been a light switch but the 250F is more of a traditional grunt and go power band.  Similar to the 450 only with 1/3 less the horsepower.  While it may not have the raw power of the 450 it also doesn’t have the weight and arm-pulling rev.  You really can ride a 250F hard for 20+ minutes and still feel good enough to go right back out again.  The traits of riding a 250F are all appealing to me but it’s the racing that I really enjoy.  The FPMX Lites class has traditionally been a dogfight each and every year.  In addition, I always look forward to the AMA Big-6 GP races.  The long 45-minute races are perfectly suited to riding the 250F.  I will be riding a 45 0 (as well as my 250F) at the Western States Games in Boise, ID. next month.  I will reassess this 250 vs. 450 dilemma and report on it then.  Unfortunately, this means I will have to miss the last round of the Summer Series.

 

STAY SAFE, more later.     

 

FRIDAY, 6/6/08, 6AM

It’s the dog days of summer.  So far the weather has not really been a factor for riding.  I am sure that we will see the usual scorching temps as we move farther into June.  After the last AMA D-37 round at LACR and the last rounds of the FPMX series at Comp Edge I decided to take a few weeks off he bike.  At the LACR race I popped my right shoulder out of socket for like the fourth time in the last five years.  It really made hanging on at Comp Edge a difficult task.  It’s a low grade separation and it usually takes 3-5 weeks of little or no use/exercise before it starts feeling good again.  Last week was the first time I could actually do pull-ups and push-ups without a major amount of pain. 

 

Last weekend Dee and I went out with a few friends (the Fitch family) to Big Bear for a fun relaxing trail ride day.  We parked at the Miller Canyon trailhead.  That’s the first (and the last) time that I have ever parked at that trailhead.  We usually just go all the way up the mountain to Big Pine Flats or Crab Flats.  I have even tried the Pinnacles trailhead a few times.  Anyway, the Miller Canyon spot was really nice as far as trees and shade but there were so many SCUMBAGS that park there that I thought I was going to have to go into enforcement mode.  I mean these people would just throw trash (kids diapers, water bottles, food bags, etc.) anywhere they felt and we wont even talk about the bathroom facility.  It’s situated close to Silverwood Lake so we rode down to the shoreline and to my surprise that place looked even worse.  There wasn’t even a hundred yards of shoreline that wasn’t trashed out.  I remember fishing there with my Grandpa when I was kid and it was a pristine lake back then.  Oh well, I guess that’s the price of progress.

 

Last night I was finally able to do something that I have had on my radar for several years now.  I was able to visit Tom White’s Early Years of Motocross Museum.  I had been invited on two other occasions but something always came up at the last minute to get in the way.  This time, the invite came at the last minute so I said yes and how glad I am that I went.  That place is spectacular.  A lot of people know that I think racing vintage or what ever you want to call it is a joke.  If it were 1975 then maybe I would ride a 1975 or even 1974 bike.  With modern technology why in the hell would I want to ride something that is 20+ years old?  Now the flip side of this is that I have a deep appreciation for the restoration of these old dogs.  I just think that when they get that old they should be admired and looked at but not ridden or heard.  There was a couple of the old Yamaha DT-1 enduros that I sure would have liked to have.  That’s definitely a bike that I would own and ride.  But only on weekends and only down to the local café or In & Out for a burger.         

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

•  It would be tough to choose between the mighty Bultaco or the Yamaha DT.  Hmmmm

   

• This other pic is a flyer from a 1968 International race at Carlsbad.  Check out the names on this list.

 

 

TUESDAY, 5/13/08, 7PM

WORK: That word has become a four letter curse word in my vocabulary lately.  Not to alarm anyone but the Department of Homeland Security is hopelessly lost in a myriad of paperwork.  There was a lot of superfluous celebration when they announced after 9/11 that numerous federal agencies (22) and over 180,000 employees would be melded into one great agency, DHS.  What might not have been contemplated was how all these entities were going to work together, and that includes the communication part.  DHS was officially inaugurated in late 2002 and has seen several reorganizations in that time frame.  While I am not downplaying the significance of having one centralized department responsible for the overall security of our nation it has become more than clear that special interests such as the Customs Service have pronounced themselves as the all knowing and all encompassing leaders of the pack.  That is fine but the results are that in a normal/typical arrest by a Border Patrol Agent or ICE Investigator it will now take that agent out of the field for nearly the entire shift.  Let’s look at the numbers: USBP = 18,000 Agents and approximately 19,000 US border miles.  ICE Special Agents = 8,500 and the entire interior of the US.  Now let’s do a comparison:  NYPD Officers = 37,000 for one city.  How much sense does it make to turn a basic arrest and deportation of a criminal (be it misdemeanor of felon) into a mountain of paperwork.  No wonder there is an estimated 20 million illegal aliens residing within the continental United StatesL
 

Okay, enough of that stuff.  I will turn my mind to happier thoughts.  Motocross racing, Grand Prix racing, Motocross racing, Grand Prix racing, Motocross racing, Grand Prix racing, Motocross racing, Grand Prix racing.  That’s better.  The FPMX rounds 5 & 6 at Comp Edge turned out to be good and bad.  I REALLY hate the wind so that is my only complaint.  After all the talk about the facility operators (Comp Edge) not taking care of the course I think they did the best job they could with the wind blowing all day and all night.  I would say that they needed to disc the track a little deeper in order for some of the moisture to stay in the ground a little longer.  I would say that but for all practical purposes in the last several years I only remember two races where they provided that type of service specifically for our FPMX race.  That would be the last rounds that we ran at Perris Raceway for 2008 and the rounds from Frozen Ocean Raceway in Auburn New York back on September 11-12, 2006.  Those were great rounds.  Anyway, I continue to get my butt beat good in the 40+ expert class this year.  After six rounds I still don’t even have a moto win.  I am the defending #1 plate in that class so I am a little disappointed so far in my performance.  With the exception of rounds 1 & 2 at ACP the Lites class so far has seen small turn outs.  My main competition has been Damian Lys and he didn’t even make the trip from his home in Arizona to compete in the Perris rounds.  Steve West has been consistent but the points last year went down to the last round between Damien and me.  So what I thought would be a nock down drag out fight this year for Lites supremacy may turn out to be a yawner.  The last race of the second day was a lot of fun as young Matt Fitch (14-years old) and I rode on each others wheels for most of the moto.  We passed and re-passed each other several times and I think he beat me to line (photo finish) by a slim half a wheel.    

 

One thing I did notice is that after the Comp Edge rounds I found myself seriously thinking about a 450 for next year.  Normally I only get a new bike on even years but after that long up-hill start and having to start from way behind and eating loads of dirt and rocks I find myself daydreaming about the power of a YZ-450F on the start.  I was even doing the Chad Reed/Ryan Villapoto - Thor commercial thing where I was standing there with my eyes closed and my arms in the air as I was being introduced to the crowd as being the greatest starter/hole-shot artist in the history of FPMX.  The roar of the crowd was deafening.  Then I think it was one of the Fitch’s (Donnie or Matt) that reached over and slapped me back to reality, “Hey Mark, you are still on a 250F”.

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

 

WEDNESDAY, 4/9/08, 7PM

Last weekend was the 3^rd round of the AMA District-37 Big-6 GP series.  It was held out at 29-Palms rodeo grounds.  They have a small rodeo arena and somewhat of a motocross course.  I say somewhat because it looks like they haven’t rebuilt it, graded it, or worked on it in several months.  However, the desert sections of this course were nothing short of outstanding.  The course was about 6-miles in total length (to include a half mile pavement section) and a great deal of it was watered and prepped before the start of each day.  Some sections were even smoothed out before the start of each race.  Take for instance race #4 on Saturday.  That was my buddies race (14-year old Matt Fitch) and they really tore up the course.  You know, it’s mostly a sand track so it gets huge bumps from over 150 riders hammering away at it for 45-minutes.  So before my race took off (race #5) they had the road grader and water truck working on some of the more challenging areas. 

 

I rolled up to the line and I am always in row #2 which is for the +40 250 experts as all the 450 experts are on row #1.  There are usually 2-4 more rows behind me for all the other +40/+50 250/450 intermediates and experts.  Anyway, I am sitting there on the line, waiting for the road grader and water truck to finish up, and I hear someone hollering my name.  I look up and there is none other than FPMX rider Luke Terry sitting on the row in front of me (row #1) on his mighty XR-650.  Now did I say this is mostly a sand track!  I don’t care how much grading, prepping, watering, pampering of the course you do because within 30 minutes the racers turn the place into an absolute mine field of ruts, bumps and rocks.  The only advantage I could see for Luke riding that big 650 was that it was probably geared to the moon and if he could get out front early on the smooth course he could build some sort of a buffer before the place rutted up at the 30 minute mark. 

 

Long story shorter, I caught Luke somewhere around the 15 minute mark and we ensued in a great battle for the next 15+ minutes.  Even though we are in different classes I think we both knew that together we could pick-up our pace and gain ground on the rest of our class.  Then, on around lap #3 I began to put a few seconds on Luke when I came into the finish line chute which has an “endurocross” section preceding the flag area.  I really hate the “stupidurocross” sections with a passion but I will leave that topic for another Diary post.  Well, I hit the last set of tractor size tires in this “endurocrap” section and my mighty YZ-250F comes to sputtering halt.  I mean it stalled.  Davenport has been known to launch himself into the ground from time to time, he has been known to blow up his suspension from time to time, he has even been known to be late for the gate drop every now and then but he NEVER stalls the motor.  So there I am, first I pulled the dumbbell SX Lites mistake of not taking my time and finding neutral and then pulling the hot-start.  No, I pull in the clutch and start kicking.  By around kick #25 I am gasping for air and I stop kicking and start to find neutral.  Only problem now is that it is too late for that.  This thing is going to take another 25-30 kicks before she will fire and get me back into the race.  I watch in desperation as all the competitors that I spent the previous 35+ minutes passing go right on by me.  Including Luke, who meant more to me to beat than the riders in my own class.  And they and are worth $100-$500 Yamabucks for a top five finish.

 

When she finally relit and I got going again I was gassed.  I felt as though I just finished a long Glen Helen moto with “The Dogger” (Ed Niemela) chasing me down.  It took me the better part of the next lap to regroup and get my energy level back to where I was again standing on the pegs and throttling towards the front.  Sure enough, I could see Luke ahead of me and to my delight, he was banging bars with several other riders who just so happened to be in my class.  I watched this battle in front of me for several minutes and then started to move up on the sandblaster-650 that Luke was riding.  I seriously think he took a layer of paint off my new EVS helmet with that 120 rear tire of his.  The good part was that none of the other riders around him wanted anything to do with that tractor he was riding so as he opened up a hole I would just slip on through and gain valuable positions on the riders in my class.  As we started to pull away I ended up getting by Luke and the big red 650 near the last desert section so I knew that I could hold him off in the moto area before the finish.  It was all good as I took my time getting through the “lamedurocross” section and coasted home a few seconds ahead of Luke and in third overall for my class.  I was a happy (and tired) camper.  I spent the next 2-hours in a lounge chair in front of the “DogHouse” (my Warrior) trying to recover.  However, I did have a smile on my faceJ

 

Thanks for the great race Luke.  Lets have a rematch at the next Big-6 round at LACR in May.                                 

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

 

SUNDAY, 3/23/08, 6PM

Ouch, my knee really hurts.  I still have this lingering pain in my left knee from that get-off at the Perris FPMX round #4.  And now looking at the message board and seeing Frank Lowers picture of his knee (post knee surgery) and that just gives me aches all over.  I don’t know why but staples always look so much gnarlier than regular old fashion stitches. 

 

I picked up a new sponsor the other day.  Its a little shop called Race Proven Motorsports (RPM).  They are located right here in Temecula and coincidently it is almost across the street from Temecula Motorsports.  How convenient for meJ.  They are huge supporters of the AMA District-37 Big-6 GP series.  I am really involved with that series and getting closer to the podium in the 40+ 250 expert class.  Actually, I did get one podium last season but that was after a couple of disastrous rounds.  I had to start looking for some additional support since, as most of you know, White Brothers Racing will be going away at the end of this season.  It’s too bad because they have been around since most of us were kids.  I have worked my way through all their levels of support and have been running their pipes for almost twenty years.  Many of you might even remember the fully built White Brothers XR-600 that I used to run long before the four-stroke craze hit.  That is still to this day the fastest dirt bike I have ever ridden.  Hole-shots were almost a guarantee on that beast.  Unfortunately, so were broken transmissions.  I was told that Vance & Hines will be looking at all the rider/sponsor packages that the White Brothers were supporting but that they will probably not be renewing any contracts during the first year of transition.  You know what that means!  Thanks, but no thanks.

 

I also just recently hooked up with EVS’s racing division and received a bunch of great products from them.  I used one of their helmets yesterday for the first time out at Milestone Ranch.  I don’t know the exact weight but I swear it is the lightest helmet I have ever worn.  They sent me some gloves and knee braces as well and so far I am really happy with the performance level.  I have had EVS knee braces for the last two seasons so I am already used to their products fit and function.  They said they are also going to send me one of their new neck brace devices.  It’s called the RC (race collar) Evolution.  It’s similar to the LEATT except they didn’t just copy the NASCAR HANS device like LEATT did.  The EVS race collar was used for the last two years in Europe on the GP and national circuits so it should be track proven and race ready.  I should have mine next month but they claim that they won’t be available for purchase until May or June.  Of course, any Fire & Police racer will be welcome to try it out for fit and comparison.

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

 

THURSDAY, 3/6/08, 6PM

I have just lately started to feel good again after hitting the terra firma at the last round of the FPMX Nationals at Perris.  That crash really rang my bell.  I didn’t know how hard I hit until this last week when Donnie Fitch started to tell me a little more about it.  There is about 20-25 minutes of my life that I can’t seem to remember.  But, a little sore on the left knee and a sprain in the left wrist is all that lingers.  Last week I rode the Prairie Dogs Big-6 GP out at the Glen.  I was a little hesitant before the race because I wasn’t quite sure that I was ready to throttle the mighty YZ-250F again.  It was a really great course and the dirt was unbelievable.  All the rain for the last month has had time to soak in and there were no standing puddles and no dust anywhere over the 8-9 mile course.  I wish the Glen would let us lengthen our X-Mas GP to something more comparable to the Big-6 or even an SRA event.  It does take a lot of staff and safety riders to make it happen though.

 

It looks like Comp Edge will be the target of the FPMX crew for rounds 5 & 6 of the 2008 Nationals.  That place has really fallen out of favor with me.  But then again, I was really down on Perris for a great many years and resisted any inclinations that Uncle Ed had about returning there.  So what it really comes down to is that it is all about the facilitators of the facility and not the facility in and of itself.  Boy that sounds like double talk.  What I mean to say is that as long as the right people are running the show then just about any race track can appeal to the riders and spectators.  I will admit though that I was pulling for a switch to Racetown-395.  Actually that would have been my second choice as I was really hoping for Cahuilla.  Well now that’s not right either.  What I was really thinking is that the Mammoth Mountain Motocross track should be hosting the next FPMX rounds and that would put Comp Edge in fourth place on the list.  Unless you want to change the direction of the Perris raceway track to run the opposite direction then that would get a close second place to Mammoth Mountain.  Sorry Comp Edge, you are in fifthL  And isn’t there a new track up there in the Dez that’s located close to Comp Edge and Racetown.  And isn’t it supposed to be away from the noise of the highway.  And it has free camping and hookups for all our toy-haulers.  And half price gate fees for badges.  Actually, I just made all that up.  Must be the bump on my head.  Let’s just go to Comp Edge.

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

 

MONDAY, 1/28/08, 6PM

I haven’t had much time to write anything in a while.  I thought I would take the Sue Wilson escape route.  But after I saw that she posted up two days in a row I figured I better make some time for my FPMX family.  I also haven’t told many people about my work schedule either.  I have been sitting in for several of the key players here at my Station.  The hours have been brutal and I am lucky if I get out of here in anything less than 14 hours.  I am not one to complain about work because I think I have the best job in the world.  I use to think that being a factory rider was the best job in the world but those guys are on the chopping block at the end of every season.  And unless you are one of the chosen few you are lucky just to break even at the end of a long season of racing.  Anyway, Dee will attest that I leave for work before the sun comes up and don’t get home until long after the sun goes down.  When I get home I spend a few minutes surfing the Speed channel to see when the next SX race is going to air and then eat a quick dinner and that’s it.  Off to bed and then get up to do it all over again the next day.  That’s my life Monday through Friday.  Not mention that with the introduction of these damn BlackBerries I cant even get away from work on my days off.  No time to work on the bike during the week and then the rain won’t go away during the weekendLLL

 

Last Saturday there was a break in the rain so I decided to head to Perris Raceway for some needed practice (with a dirty bike).  The main FPMX class that I am going after this year is the Lites Division and I was able to beat Damien Lys on his home court at ACP (FPMX rounds 1-2).  Last year Damien and I took our battle to the last round at the Glen for the 2007 Lites title and he beat me by 14 points.  So, this is a good start for the 2008 season and I figure this gives me a little advantage since the next rounds are on my home court, Perris.  Anyway, I get to Perris Raceway on Saturday morning and there are about 300+ riders and probably 600 spectators that are there for practice.  Apparently, Perris is running a series (Gold Cup) that goes off every other Sunday and they are getting record crowds for the Saturday practice and then races on Sunday.  The pits were full, the lot across the street from the entrance was full, and the road leading to the gate was full (on both sides).  The place was an absolute zoo and I turned around and headed home.  No practice.  This brings me to wonder what is going to happen the week after next for our FPMX rounds.  That will be the next Perris series race with the same Saturday and Sunday record crowds.  There will be no way to get our FPMX rigs into the pits until late on Sunday night after the races have concluded.  From what they told me they don’t finish until the sun is going down.  The girls at the gate didn’t even have FPMX down on the calendar for our race dates.  She had Perris closed on Monday the 11^th and then open for practice on Tuesday the 12^th.  Uncle Ed, HELP, what are we going to do?  The sky is falling.  Put the cat on it.  Meow…            

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

 

FPMX Toy Drive GP (Glen Helen).  The right way to take the finish line turn (elbows up, eyes forward, foot out, finger on clutch) and the wrong way to take the finish line turn (no comment DonnieJ).  Meow

 

FRIDAY, 12/21/07, 6PM

Dee and I just recently took a trip out to Hawaii.  It turned out to be a really good vacation.  We really didn’t do too much except relax and lay around on the beach.  The one tourist thing we did was make a trip out to the USS Arizona memorial site.  We were there on the 66^th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.  It was of course very somber but at the same time I was happy to be there.  I met a few of the Pearl Harbor survivors as well as a couple of the survivors from the USS Arizona.  There were even a handful of Marine survivors from the battle of Iwo Jima that were paying their respects.  As most of you probably figured there is only a few of the survivors left.  The “Greatest Generation” is slowly leaving us behind. 

 

I knew of my family history and that my Uncle was a 20 year old Marine that went down with so many others on the Arizona.  I would often hear my Grandmother and Grandfather talk about him.  My Grandfather actually was with him when he enlisted in the Marine Corps.  My Grandfather was denied because of age and medical reasons.  But his cousin, Henry Kalinowski (PFC USMC), was accepted and station as a shipboard marine.  In case you didn’t know it is common for the Navy to station a small garrison of Marines on all Navy ships for security.  Alright, I know you are already saying it, “Hey, Davenport is a Pollock”.  Yes, I am about half Polish.  I’d like to think the good half.  Anyway, as I stood on the USS Arizona memorial, I was able to listen to a few stories that these survivors shared with us.  When they spoke, EVERYONE would stop and listen.  It’s so difficult to get them to talk about the war.  When you hear them talk and see the tear in their eye you know why.  I felt privileged to be there with them.  And I felt a great sense of pride to look over at the giant marble carving that is located on the wall of the memorial and see my Uncles name displayed.  Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all.  Especially those serving our country to keep us safe.          

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

FRIDAY, 11/30/07, 7PM

It’s absolutely pouring rain out at this moment.  I have an AMA D-37 GP first thing in the morning up at Racetown-395.  The weather forecast is for partly cloudy skies but VERY cold, about 35-40 degrees.  Not too sure how much rain they received today but I know the desert will soak it up.  There will be two races before mine so I anticipate a really good dust free course.  I was hoping that YZErnie would be there as well for this GP but it looks like he will be skipping it this time.  He won his class there last year but complained about how rough the course got.  He complains but he is one of the fastest riders out on the course.  Those fast guys are always like that, go figure…

 

Dee and I did the Day in the Dirt event at LACR last weekend with the Fitch boys, (Donnie and Matt).  It was nice during the day but dropped down to the 20’s at night.  My little “Dog House” toy hauler had some ice cycles hanging off her in the mornings.  The track was one of the BEST TRACKS that I have ever ridden on.  I really love the desert sand and I really don’t mind the big bumps and roughness that always forms in that kind of terra firma.  They say that although the gravel/sand pit company is digging the area all to hell that LACR will continue MX/GP throughout 2008.  That’s good news.  Maybe more FPMX riders should venture that way for some practice sessions and then way in on that place for a possible FPMX race?  Sorry Ed, I know you are pulling your hair out already just with me saying that.  Quote from EDub’s sub-conscious, “Noooo, not another track”.    Dee raced as well on the LACR course and had a great finish in the sand.  She knocked down a 5^th place in the woman’s 30+ class.  This was a lot better than I expected from her because she hates the sand and was having a heck of a time riding the course during the Friday open practice sessions.  I made her try my TTR-125 in place of her trusty and mighty XR-100.  I thought the torque and e-start button would help her out in the deeeeeep sand.  As it turned out though she just was not as comfortable with only having minimal time on the TTR to prepare.  Matt is riding my old YZ-250F and really flying on her.  He and Donnie both had some decent top 25 finishes as theirs were consistently the largest classes to line up each day.  They typically had 50+ riders on their gates.  It was a great weekend and great daytime weather.  And did I say that LACR has a GREAT course these days…  Oh, and a really good pit area for the spectator viewing and after race pot luck and medals…          

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

 

 

MONDAY, 11/19/07, 7AM

It’s nice and early in the morning and I am sitting hear in my spacious office drinking a great cup of Starbucks that I just made in my Mr. Coffee maker.  Who the heck is Mr. Coffee anyway?  Is it still that famous baseball player Joe DiMaggio?  Is he also the reason that they call it a cup of Joe?  Why can’t Mr. Coffee be Ricky Carmichael?  I heard that RC is a coffee lover and that other than race days he never starts a day without a big cup of Joe.  Or should that be a big cup of Ricky.  You can’t call it a cup of RC because then everyone would have cola on their minds.  Do they even make RC cola anymore?  This conversation with myself is going nowhere.  This morning, I had only written that first line, “MONDAY, 11/19/07, 6AM”, when I decided to go check my AOL mail account.  What do I behold but a message from Doug Goff asking why I haven’t been posting anything on the Diary lately?  This is from the guy that only shows up for a couple of races a year.  HmmmmJ 
 

Speaking of only racing a few times a year, I have my little pit tootsie, Dee, all signed up for the annual Day in the Dirt GP at LA County Raceway.  She made a pretty good showing last year at Comp Edge, and the year before that at I-5 MX in Gorman.  This has become one of those cant miss events that we like to hit each year.  Especially since it is one of the only times that Dee can race with a whole group of woman racers.  It is very cool to be holding the pit board and yelling at her for a change, “stand-up, go faster, attack, nak-nak, smile you’re on camera, have fun”.  She is usually the only gal out there on an XR-100 but she makes a good run at the trophy positions.  The only thing is that this race is by far the most expensive race I do all year long.  Even rounds 1 & 2 of the FPMX series at Arizona Cycle Park are cheaper for me than the Day in the Dirt event.

 

Long pause………………………………………………………….            

 

I have interrupted my thoughts above because as I was typing, “Day in the Dirt event”, I decided to check the FPMX message board to see who else might be racing this Thanksgiving weekend.  I have not checked it in a few days and unfortunately I only made it to the first post from FPMX CEO Ed Wilson, “Tragic News”.  I say unfortunately because this kind of event is one of those that stops you in your tracks and totally consumes your thoughts, your breath, and every movement you make for what seems like hours.  After I re-read the post at least 20 times my thoughts go to the Bestwick and Gonzalez families.  I don’t know how you cope with something like this but I do know they have a great extended family in that of the men and woman of LA County Fire.  I think that this will make a lot of us slow down to reflect, and I think that Thanksgiving 2007 will mean a lot more to all of us because of this tragedy.  God Bless.         

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

 

WEDNESDAY, 10/17/07, 7PM

I think I need to write something in this Diary today.  I have been neglecting it for some time now.  Some of my reasons are legitimate and some are bulls&*t.  Dee and I spent some time in Washington, DC and attended the Motocross of Nations in Budds Creek, MD.  I am telling you straight up here and now, the MXON is the best race you will ever attend in your lifetime.  And to see it in the U.S. for only the second time in history was “Priceless”.  We are already planning our trip to next year’s event in Northern Ireland.

 

After we left DC we headed home and then on to the final Fire and Police National rounds for 2007.  This in turn was followed by our now annual banquet event.  That is something that Dee and I really look forward to each year.  It’s just a really nice setting to sit down with all your friends and competitors for some good food, good bench racing, and of course a good show.  Thanks to Ed and Sue for making that happen.  Oh, and I just heard that after trying since 1989 (19-years) that I finally earned the #1 plate for FPMN(X).  Actually, I have never tried to earn it because I figured that I was only good for a couple of classes per event.  Guys like FEN and McKenna have won it multiple times but they had to ride like iron men and do 3-5 classes per event.  I am however very proud to earn it for 2007, Thank you.

 

After the Nationals I took a three day break from riding and then headed out to Ridgecrest for round #5 of the AMA D-37 Big-6 Grand Prix series.  I really like the Ridgecrest course because of the long lap times and it gets super rough.  I put my new 110x90-19 rear wheel from PlatinumSpeedEquipment.com (Kris Waters company) to good use for that race.  The only thing that sucked was that they threw in a dead engine start and I had a 10-kick start.  I guess I need to practice at that for the next round, Nov. 3-4 at Gorman I-5 MX.  Just in case they decide to try that dead engine crap againL

 

After the Big-6 GP I took another long break from riding and had a whole four-days to get the bike ready and head out to Mesa, AZ for the 2007 Western States Police and Fire Games.  I decided to take along Doug Goff’s bike as well so that I could maximize my riding experience in the great state of Arizona.  The event was fun but the rider turnout was pathetic.  They cancelled the second day GP event so all we had was MX and there might have been 50 riders total???  The track was all air-time with jumps everywhere.  Once I figured the course out it was a good time but it was just something I wasn’t used to.  I mean you seriously needed a pilots license for this track.

 

Well that pretty much catches you all up to what’s been going on in my world.  I didn’t want to bore you with the work stuff because I am pretty much boiling over with this whole DHS-CBP-ICE transition that we (Border Patrol) are still going through.  I wonder if they had this much trouble when they transitioned over to the U.S. Dept. of Justice from the Dept. of the Interior back in the 50’s. 

 

On a side note, I think Uncle E picked up his new green ride today and did a little moto break-in.  I saw him advertising on the message board for some supporters to come out and ride with him today.  Man, I bet he is one sore puppy tonight.  You know how it is when you haven’t ridden in a while.  Lots of sore muscles, sore butt, and baby soft hands.  Well, he is a Fireman so his hands are probably soft all the time anywaysJ   

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

 

2007 FPMX Banquet (Greg Parquette, Matt Fitch, Mark Davenport) #1 plates for "the Compound crew"
 

THURSDAY, 9/6/07, 7PM

Hey I got a question; has anyone ever sold anything through the FPMX “For Sale” board?  Yah, I didn’t think so.  I was going to wait until tomorrow to write this Diary post that way I could say “please forgive me FPMX, it has been one month since my last Diary entry”.  My jay-o-bee (job) has been seriously getting in the way of my personal life lately.  If you don’t believe me then just ask Dee when you see her at the 3^rd Annual FPMX Awards and Banquet.  And on that note there is a rumor that someone with the initials of JMc will be attending our races and banquetJ

 

I have been getting in some good practice on my mighty 2008 YZ-250F.  I am not quite feeling it yet but I think I should be up to full-tilt by October one.  I have yet to put an aftermarket pipe on her and I am not sure if I want to or not.  I know that with the White Bros. pipe my 2006 hit a lot harder in the mid-range than this 2008 does but I am leaning to ride a little differently.  I am trying a new concept on this bike; it is called the flow method.  Kay-Dub (Kevin Windham) described his riding method like this a few years ago when he came out of retirement and started beating AreCee (RC=Ricky Carmichael).  Rather than just trying to rip from corner to corner using the power and hit of the engine I am attempting to flow with the bike and the course and use momentum to carry me through the corners and over the obstacles.  Sort of like trying to teach an old dog a new trick.

 

I am leaving for Washington DC on Sunday.  I am scheduled to attend two-weeks of classroom courses to make myself a better Border Patrol Agent.  At least that’s what they tell me.  Someone should tell them that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.  Maybe I should tell myself that and just go get a new pipe for the ‘08.  Anyway, after the course is complete I will be staying an extra weekend to attend the greatest race that was ever put on the face of this earth, the Motocross of Nations.  Budds Creek is only an hour south of DC.  I just confirmed my tickets to the event and Dee will be flying out to join me.  It should be an epic battle.  I think it was a slam dunk with Bubba in there but now I am not so sure.       

 

Last noteworthy item, I say no to the Rhino racing at our events unless the Moto-Rooter herself (Gigi Frieling) gets her entry in.  Then I can stand on the side of the track waving a towel and yelling at her each lap to go faster, stand up, get your elbows up, breath through your nose, look ahead, race the track not the other riders, concentrate, have funJ  See ya at the Glen.           

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

 

TUESDAY, 8/7/07, 6PM

Not a whole lot to write about lately as far as the riding department goes.  Obviously we (FPMX) have been experiencing an inordinate amount of crash-N-burns lately.  The list is really long and it seems to grow longer as the summer progresses.  So, everybody just take two steps back, now take two steps forward, okay forget about that and just take two deep breaths and relax.  NO MORE CRASHES…

 

A couple of weeks ago Dee and I were doing some beach camping at Del mar Beach on Camp Pendleton Marine Base with the Fitch family (and a whole bunch of FBI Agents but we wont talk about them).  I really like camping on the beach at Camp Pendleton.  You need some special connections like friends or family that are active members of the military in order to camp on the base facility.   There is something about having Military Police Marines in full battle gear and loaded M-4’s patrolling through the campground that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy.  You know you don’t have to worry about anyone messing with your truck or trailer.  You know that the kids are fine to wander around without disappearing.  There are no lewd and obnoxious people hanging around the camp or playing loud music until all hours of the night.  They will only ask you once to change your behavior before they escort you not only off the beach but off the base entirely.  Did I already mention that they patrol the area with loaded M-4’s.  Anyway, we spent two nights and three days on the beach and found out that the entire time we were there that we had been parked/camped next to non other than National Motocross Champion Marty Smith.  It seems that Marty’s son is a Marine so he frequently camps there at Del Mar Beach.  He was there with his family relaxing and getting in a little surfing on the side.  Let’s just say that he no longer looks like he did back in the day.  I was never a big Marty Smith fan but I can appreciate his talent and what he did for the sport of MX.  I had a brief thought about calling Mike “Walker Ranger” Dunn to tell him about it.  But I knew that being an ardent MS fan and being a former Marine himself that he would probably get three speeding tickets and crash his truck trying to drive from Murrieta to Del Mar Beach just to sit and bench race with his idol.  So I waited till the next day after I got home to tell him about it.  I will tell you what Marty said about riding vintage bikes though; “I didn’t like riding them back in the day so why in the hell would I want to ride one now.”  Amen to thatJ

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

FRIDAY, 7/13/07, 6AM

These are those slow months in regards to Motocross.  Its summer, it’s hot, and the water always sounds like a better day out playing than the dust of a Motocross track.  However, a couple of weeks ago we made a weekend trip up to Big Bear for some high altitude camping and riding.  The Fitch family and a few others met us up there and we had three good days of riding.  It had been a number of years since I had done any trail riding in that area.  We ended up deciding on the Big Pine Flats campground that is located just a few miles north of Big Bear Lake/Fawnskin Cove.  It turned out to be a really good riding weekend.  The weather was cool in the evening and a nice even 85 during the hottest part of the day.  And come to find out, there is a whole new (new to me anyway) trail system that is exclusively for bikes and quads.  We did about 2.5 days of riding and I barely saw 25% of the trails in that area.  So needless say, we are planning another trip to that area before the summer ends. 

 

I see a lot of talk lately about the so called FPMX “bump list” and next years’ race schedule.  Some people feel that it is disparaging to see/read the comments/opinions on these recurring matters.  I don’t look at it that way.  I feel that it means the FPMX organization is alive and thriving.  It means that you are all caring and engaged in the direction of this great organization.  I was talking to my boss (Rene G, who is a former FPMN competitor) in his office the other day about FPMX.  Actually, we started the conversation talking about the 450 and 250 MX Nationals on SPEED channel.  That’s a whole other topic but you gotta admit that the racing in both classes this year has been phenomenal.  I just hope that RC stays for the whole series.  Anyway, I was telling him that I am pretty much done with racing Motocross with any other organization than the FPMX.  I will still ride the Western States Games and any World Police and Fire Games that are not on the other side of the world.  But as far as local MX clubs go, I am staying away.  This was actually solidified last weekend as I accompanied the Fitch boys (Donnie and his son Matt) out to the Star for some Saturday night local Motocross.  I enjoyed the racing and I enjoyed hanging out with Donnie and Matt but I was SOOOO disappointed in the MX crowd that attended this Starwest event.  I won’t go into details but the crowd reminded me of type that attend the Supercross events and make all the trouble for others.  It’s the type of people that are always going through life saying “everyone owes me something in life” or “get out my way because I am in a hurry”.  It’s that sense of entitlement that this type of crowd portrays.  There is no courtesy and at least outwardly, no integrity.  That’s not the way I was raised and not the way I acted when I was learning first-hand about this great sport so many years ago.  I know that I am painting with a broad brush on this topic but the Motocross crowd that I grew up around seem to be so hard to find these days.  No, I am not turning vintage, just a little old school in heart and mind.                  

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

FRIDAY, 6/22/07, 7PM

The other day Dee stopped by to bring me some lunch and decorate my office.  At this nice new Border Patrol Station here in Murrieta I have a very spacious office that allows me to actually hang a few pictures on the wall.  Of course, being a Motocross fan and racer most of my pics are related to that subject.  The picture that I like the best is an artist rendition of Steve McQueen.  He is sitting on a ’67 Triumph twin with the #141 on it.  He has a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and is wearing a Checkers M/C bib over his racing jersey.  I was told that it was from a photo taken of him while he was heading to the start line at the 1969 Elsinore GP.  I know that it was 1970 that he entered that same race under the alias of “Harvey Mushman”.  Only that year he was on new Husky 405.  I also have a couple (2) of the “Legends” posters from the Dunlop Legends series.  These are really great posters that benefit the Clayton Memorial Foundation to help injured motorcycle racers.  I’ve got the Bob Hannah poster from the 1977 Trans-AMA race at Sear Point.  It’s the one shot from the rear that shows the print on the back of Hannah’s leathers.  It simply says “TROUBLE”.  The other Legends poster that I have is of Jeff Ward racing at the 1987 Motocross Des Nations in Unadilla, NY.  That race was basically a survival mud race and this shot is of Wardy hammering his KX-500 through a deep mud turn with his open face helmet and no goggles.  A true Motocross warrior picture for sure.  If you’ve seen the advertisements for the “Legends” posters you know that there is a new poster release of Malcolm Smith.  It is a classic shot of Malcolm hitting top speeds at the Baja 1000 on one of his mighty Huskey’s.  That one is on my Christmas list.

 

Last week, Sunday, June 17, 2007, marked a somber date for the United States Border Patrol.  It was 40 years ago from that date that the BP lost two of its Patrol Agents in the line of duty.  Although the BP has lost over 100 agents during our 88 years as an agency this was that one defining incident that stands out in our history.  It was 1967 and these two Temecula Station Agents, Ted Newton and George Azrak, were working the Oak Grove checkpoint when they made a vehicle stop and discovered 800 pounds of marijuana.  Well, during the subsequent minutes/hours that followed this drug bust they were kidnapped, transported to a shack in the hills above Anza, handcuffed to an old stove and subsequently murdered execution style.  A few years after this event had past the United States Border Patrol created the Newton-Azrak Award for Valor.  This is the highest award that a Border Patrol Agent can be awarded for service to his country.  On Monday of last week we were honored at the Murrieta Station (formerly known as the Temecula Station) to have over a dozen family members from these fallen Agents attend the 40^th anniversary memorial event.  The children of Agent Ted Newton (now in their 40’s) were in attendance to present the awards to several of our local agents.  It’s hard to really know how people feel or think after living with this type of family tragedy.  But I think after seeing them here at our station, speaking with them in person, and looking into their eyes that they are no longer mourning the loss of their father.  Rather, I think they are celebrating his life, who he was, and what he stood for.         

 

I know that nearly every law enforcement agency and fire department around the country has their own tragic stories of fallen comrades.  This is ours and I just wanted to share it with you.  Always check your six.  That means look behind you for the fire guysJ

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

 

    

TUESDAY, 6/5/07, 7AM

WOW, race time is almost upon us.  I am a little surprised at the pre-entry list for rounds 5 and 6 of the 2007 Fire & Police Motocross Nationals.  The list seems a little on the short side.  There was a pretty good turn out of riders at the Glen and I remember telling Uncle E that I thought we (FPMX) would have a record number of entries at the next rounds at Competitive Edge.  I mean school is going to be out for summer and CE is a great track/facility to hold an event like this.  June is a little on the warm side to be racing in the high desert but what the heck.  We are all super physically fit athletes who chase bad guys and run into burning building for a living.  We can handle the extremes of summer.  I am hoping that similarly to Glen Helen we have a large number of riders that post enter at the track on Monday and Tuesday morning.

 

It seems like everyone is talking about what “new bike” they are leaning towards.  The 2008 offerings from the big five manufacturers is going to be interesting this year.  There has been so much talk about fuel injection and electric start that I think anything less will leave a lot of potential buyers disappointed.  I for one am hoping for the magic button.  An electric start 4-stroke is becoming more of a necessity than a luxury.  It has already proven itself on the GP circuit for the last 2+ years.  Now you can indeed have an electric start and still bring the weight down on a competition 4-stroke race bike.  On my free time J here at the station I decided to give all the factories a call and get the real scoop for 2008;

I was told that the Katoom factory was no longer in business since they were attacked by an extreme “kamikaze” group from Japan.  Apparently they felt that KTM was taking too much of the Japanese market share from around the world.  I heard that Suckzuki was seriously looking into re-introducing the Ribi front end on the 2008 RMZ’s.  And that Yamahopper was going back to the mono shock design with the rear shock running under the gas tank.  Kawacloggy is going to stand pat with their current motor and frame design but they are bringing back the rear fender-number plate.  Apparently they had a few thousand of them laying around at the factory in Japan.  They did say that to keep the bike balanced they would also be adding a front fender-number plate to the package as well.  The Hondog is getting the biggest makeover as they have brought Mike “Texas-Walker-Ranger” Dunn into the factory to advise on bringing back the nostalgia of the “Red Racer” team.  However, they are going to change from the name “Elsinore” to the name “Murrieta” since that’s where Walker lives.  And last on the list was Team Harley Davidson.  You can expect to see a large push from the Harley factory to flood the MX starting gates of America with the Evel Kneivel replica bike.  They say it’s a kidney killer in the braking bumps but that it can jump like no bike ever made…  See ya at the Edge…

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

 

SUNDAY, 5/13/07, 6PM

I just can’t get past looking at those pictures of Uncle Ed holding up various firearms.  Not that I would put our fellow fireman out there in the same league as a Postal worker but that is what comes to mind when I see those pictures.  Maybe some of the LAPD or LASO guys out there can invite Ed over to one of your range days and introduce him to some proper weapons handling skills.  And in turn, maybe Ed will then reciprocate and invite you guys over to the firehouse for some proper hose handling drills.    

 

Dee and I attended the 23^rd annual Baker-2-Vegas Law Enforcement Challenge Cup relay race a few weeks ago.  This is really a great event.  Dee and I have been a part of the Border Patrol Team for the last 15 years.  I remember when we got started with this it was a much smaller event.  Less than 100 teams competed back then.  Now it has grown to over 220 teams and more every year petition to get in.  The running route is 20-legs of varying distance and covers a total of approximately 120 miles.  The event is run and coordinated by members of the Los Angeles Police Revolver and Athletic Club (LAPRAAC).  I have spoken to them on several occasions about inviting the fire services to participate as well.  The problem is that the race is already too big to be handled over a 2-day event.  For nearly 24 straight hours the route from Baker, California through the mountains and down to Las Vegas, Nevada is jammed with racers and race support personnel and vehicles.  It’s a real nightmare for the two states highway patrols and local sheriff’s units to handle the traffic control.  If you added a couple of dozen fire departments into the running mix I think it would get out of control.  I do remember a few years ago (not too long after 911) that they had an invitational team from the New York City Fire Department (NYFD).  I think they finished lastL…            

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

 

I too am a total motorsports fan but it kind of scares me to think of the kind of applicants that we might get from this type of advertisementJ…

NASCAR Busch Series; Jay Robinson Racing Team

 

 

FRIDAY, 5/4/07, 6AM

“Would the rider from the last race on bike #429 please come to sign-up, I repeat, would the rider from the 40+ expert class on blue Yamaha #429 come to sign-up immediately”.  That was me that the announcer was looking for at the last FPMX round at the Glen.  For round #4 on Tuesday I decided to ride Doug Goff’s 450F (bike #429) in the 40+ expert class to see if I could run with Chip Howell and his big “All American KTM”.  I think that KTM he rides is like a 750cc or something like that.  All I know is that Chip is the only rider big enough and strong enough to hang onto that beast.  It’s been a while since I threw a leg over a 450F in a race.  I have plenty of hours of desert and moto practice on Doug’s bike but I don’t have to tell you all the differences between practice and race conditions.  Anyway, I had a blast on it (Race Tech suspension) and did pretty well.  I even had a handful of you out there come over and tell me that you thought I should move back to the 450F from my mighty little 250F.  I appreciate the input and I am definitely thinking hard about which bike and what size to get for 2008.  However, unlike Uncle E, I am pretty sure it won’t be an orange or green one.

 

It’s been a while since I have had the time to write in my Diary.  I hate those times when things around the house and job get so damned busy that I cant even slow down for 20 minutes to say “hello” to all of you.  I am heading out tonight to LACR for the next round of the Big-6 GP series.  I was talking with some of the agents here yesterday at lunch about the race this weekend when it dawned on me that the last time I raced at LACR I broke my leg.  It was also a Big-6 GP round and I think it was like 2002.  I didn’t do the morning practice race that they run (unclassified race) so I really had no clue on what to expect on the course they had laid out.  The soil at LACR is always good when it is prepped.  It is very similar to Competitive Edge.  The LACR motocross track is always full of jumps.  That GP race was no exception because they use part of the MX track to complete the course.  A long story short, I was running top-5 on the first lap and I thought an approaching jump face was a table-top only to realize (as I was in the air) that it was actually a double jump.  I came up way short and when I hit the face of the second jump my right lower tibia gave in to the impact and a nice egg shaped piece broke completely off.  It didn’t cause me to crash but it was a very hard landing.  It took two hours of surgery to screw the broken piece back together.  If there is any consolation to this story I did find out from the doctor that the bone had actually been fractured at the Anaheim Amateur Supercross the weekend before.  Otherwise I don’t think the tibia would have broken in such a weird way.  That’s my story and I am sticking to it.     

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

MONDAY, 4/9/07, 6AM

Last week was a tough one here at the Department of Homeland Security.  Well, maybe I should just say that is was a tough week for MD03.  I didn’t even have time to report on the Big-6 GP that was out at Twentynine Palms (or is that 29-Palms).  I am not sure what’s wrong with me so far this year but I just can’t seem to get on track.  And by on track I seriously mean on-track, as in my racing.  At 29-Palms (or is that Twenty-Nine Palms) I had a great start (5^th out of 19) and my first lap was good but then the wheels sort of fell of the wagon.  I had one small crash but I kept the bike running and was moving forward again in a matter of seconds.  So I can’t use crashing as an excuse.  However, I will be happy when all the 2-strokes are gone.  It’s tough on a fast race course to compete with 250cc 2-strokes.  And most of the guys in my class ride 2-strokes.  I ended up with an 11^th overall in my class (0-250cc 40+ expert) and that gives me one DNS and two 11^th place finishes thus far for this seven round series.  So needless to say I am not happy with my GP season to this point.  Oh and the race course was great.  About eight miles long, a little on the fast side and they did have a long pavement section that was at least a half mile in length.  Next round is at LACR on May 5^th so maybe there I will be able to get my GP season on track. 

 

Moto practice this last weekend out at Cahuilla was good.  We (Donnie & Matt Fitch and I) went out there on Saturday morning and the course was groomed like a Mammoth Mountain morning practice session.  Absolutely beautiful.  Writers Note: HEY ED, WE (FPMX) NEED TO HAVE A RACE OUT THERE!  Since it was an off weekend for the Supercross boys there were a lot of fast pros showing the rest of us the short way around that very loamy course.  It’s amazing to watch a fast pro click off laps on a loamy course.  They never lift off the throttle.  Even when they are braking they are still running full throttle only with the clutch in.  It’s a thing of beauty.  Besides guys like McGrath, Dubach, Brown and Laninovich, the Pro Racing FPMX Team was represented by Jonon and Charette.  Those guys were holding their own against the bigger 450’s.  Anyone who has been to Cahuilla knows that a 250cc 4-stroke is at a serious disadvantage when going against a 450.  The loam and the hills really rob the horsepower from the bike.  Practice went good, other than little Fitch “Matt” taking three soil samples and loosing a fingernail in the process “OUCH”.  The track got really rough as the day progressed (as all loamy tracks do) so I think it was good practice for the Glen.  The only Motocross that I have done so far this season was out at ACP for the FPMX rounds 1 & 2.  I sure hope my MX season doesn’t go the way of my GP season.  Otherwise it is going to be a long and frustrating year.  See ya at the Glen (AKA: The Hack).

 

Hey Uncle Ed, did you check the garage door before you drove away this morning?          

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

FRIDAY, 3/30/07, 6AM

The “DogHouse” is all loaded up and ready to roll as soon as I get home from work today.  Dee and I are heading up to Twentynine Palms (or is that 29 Palms, or Twenty-Nine Palms) tonight for round #3 of the AMA District 37 Big-6 Grand Prix series.  It’s been a few years since I last raced up in the Palms.  I have always liked that course because it usually has a good MotoX section and the desert has good combinations of terrain (fast and slow sand as well as a few rocky sections).  They also had a pretty good pavement section the last time I rode this event.  I like a little pavement mixed into the race course so I hope that it is still part of the layout.  For this event, I talked another FPMX rider, Donnie Fitch, into giving the Big-6 Grand Prix series a tryout.  I was successful in getting him and his family out to a few specialty GP’s last year (Troy Lee’s “A Day in the Dirt” & Race Around the Lake) and they really enjoyed them so I am thinking that once he does the D-37 Big-6 races he will really be hooked.  These are good family events and they are usually very well organized.  So I will give you a full race report next week.

 

I wanted to make a comment on an event that I attended last night here in Temecula.  The local Temecula/Murrieta Valley American Legion Post was giving awards of recognition out to some of the valley Law Enforcement and Fire Services personnel.  Attending were officers and firefighters from the many local agencies to include; CHP, Temecula PD, Murrieta PD, Riverside Sheriff’s Dept, Temecula Fire Dept, and the U.S. Border Patrol.  As it turns out, the Border Patrol nominee was a classmate of mine from the Border Patrol Academy many years ago.  So, I really had to attend to show my support.  It was a great event and for those of you that don’t know much about the American Legion history you should go to their web site and read up about it.  They are a great organization made up of true to life American heroes.  I was talking to several of them last night about the time they served in the armed forces.  Two gentlemen in particular were recalling the battles they fought during WWII.  These guys went to war in 1941 and didn’t come home until 1945.  One of them was married and the other was in college when they left to go to war.  They didn’t complain, they didn’t ask why, and they definitely didn’t expect to go home until the war was over.  Whether it took 5 years or 10 years these guys just knew that they were needed by this country for the duration of the war.  They confided that at one point of the war when they were sent to Germany after Japan had surrendered both had thought that they would only return home in a pine box with a flag over it.  They thought for sure it was going to be their time.  And for many of their comrades it was.  This was a great generation of warriors and we are truly blessed that they were there for us.  Next time you see one of them you will know because they (American Legion members) always wear a ball cap or patrol cap (AKA: piss-cutter caps) with various insignias depicting the era they served in.  The WWII guys obviously stand out because of their age.  Make it a point, especially if you are on duty and in uniform, to approach them, shake their hand and say thank you.  You won’t have to explain a thing as they will know exactly what you are talking about.                   

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

 

 

MONDAY, 3/26/07, 6PM

Well, so far no moto practice but I have been getting in some good desert riding sessions.  Calico was a blast but it takes a different kind of rider to really appreciate that place.  I enjoy technical riding and I would say that Calico ranks right up there in that category.  The place is littered with cat-5 4x4 off-road sections as well as an ample supply of trails that run along steep ridge tops (with lots of rocks).  There are several long sand-wash trails that flow up and down through the lower valley areas.  And if that isn’t enough then you can find some natural formation jumping spots to hone your aerial skills.  During the first ride of the day on Saturday Dee ended up on her head while trying to “side trail” one of the dusty main trails leading out across the desert to Mule Canyon.  I think she gets that from me.  I hate eating someone else’s dust so whenever I get a chance I will ride “side trail” in order to avoid this and also to help keep my dust away from those that are riding behind me.  The other good part about “side trailing” is that it can be very technical and when at speed it requires some lightning fast reflexes to keep you on two-wheels.  This is great practice for the WORCS or D-37 GP events.  Anyway, Dee sees me ride this style of “side trail” all the time.  So I think she thought that she was the next Ty Davis and started doing the same thing only to find a washout with a small 2’ step-off leading into an equally sized step-on.  Only problem was that they were about 3’ apart.  The end result was her lying in the sand for about ten minutes trying to catch her breath.  I gotta admit though, she is getting pretty good on that little XR-100 of hers.  Oh, but I did end up getting a flat tire while running side trail.  That’s probably not the same as an endo thoughJ……… 

 

This last weekend Dee and I took a little trip up to Washington State for a buddies wedding.  It was in a little town called Wenatchee.  We (FPMX) have all been reading about Uncle Ed’s adventures in the sky and I thought I would share my own torture that I went though last Friday morning.  We were flying out of Ontario Airport at 0600am and heading to Seattle first.  I didn’t get off work until late Thursday night and by the time I was through completing all my business and getting packed and ready for the trip it was pushing midnight.  I knew we had to leave the house at around 0400am so that meant a wake-up at 0300am.  You all following me on this one.  Anyway, I wasn’t too worried about being tired because I sleep great on plane trips.  In my 21 year Border Patrol career I have flown all over this county and destination beyond more times than I can count.  And, call me paranoid, but business or pleasure I ALWAYS fly armed (that would be with a large caliber handgun for you foundation savers).  So there we are sitting in the terminal all checked in and ready to go.  We were flying Alaska Air and I knew they had a good track record as far as being on time, not loosing your luggage, and just being a nice clean airline to travel on.  I really had no worries at this point.  They followed every procedure to the letter and had us pre-board and meet the captain before taking our seats.  That’s when the lead stewardess told my buddy and me that there would be no sleeping on the flight.  I thought she was joking and started to joke back with her when she started reciting the fine print on the back of the armed law enforcement officer’s paperwork that we had filled out at the check-in counterL  I was now in hell.  At first I tried drinking a lot of coffee and reading my newest editions of MXA and Cycle News.  I thought for sure that that would keep me awake for a measly three hours.  I was fighting it worse than Mouse McCoy at last years Baja 1000.  My eyes were very heavy.  Every time I started to dose off she would come by and bump my seat or just start talking, LOUDLY.  Dee thought this was the funniest thing she had ever seen.  And to make matters worse it was only Dee and I in our row of seats.  So had it not bee for the stewardess sleep Nazi I would have been able to stretch out and use Dee as my pillow.  Those three hours seemed like an eternity.  In all my years I have never had any other airline tell me that I was not allowed to sleep.  Alaska Airlines, cross them off my list.

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

 

 

WEDNESDAY, 3/14/07, 6PM

I was sitting here writing this long dissertation about how screwed up our United States Government really is.  After 21 years as a Patrol Agent and many years as a kid living on Air Force Bases I think I am somewhat qualified to give that assessment.  I am not going to bore you with the long (2-page) letter that I am writing to the Treasury Department in regards to US Savings Bonds but I will tell you that they have no idea of who or even how many savings bonds are out there in circulation.  Not that I am even contemplating exploiting this discovery but I have found a way to actually have them re-issue saving bonds with little or no proof that they were even purchased.  However, it would be an interesting experiment to see how far they would go in wasting more of our tax dollars by sending me $50, $100, and even $200 saving bonds that I never bought in the first placeJ  Stay tuned on that one…

 

I am heading out to Calico Ghost Town this weekend for some long overdue rest and relaxation.  Dee and I will be hooking up with the Fitch family for a little desert riding and some ghost town mine exploring.  The “DogHouse” has been sitting in storage for too long now and we need to get out and use it.  For anyone interested the Calico OHV area is a lot of fun.  Besides the typical Ghost Town attractions there is 100,000 acres of OHV and many of the areas are open to shooting target practice.  And then there are the over 200 open mines from the Silver and Borax mining days of the 1800’s.  Bring yourself a handful of chem-lites and a couple of flashlights and you can explore for days through mines that run for miles throughout the Calico Mountain range.

 

Next, I think I will be jumping in on some of that moto practice at the “Hack”.  See ya there.       

 

STAY SAFE, more later

  THURSDAY, 3/1/07, 7PM

I’m just sitting here at my work desk wondering where the year has gone already.  It’s March 1st and all the racing series are in full swing.  The FPMX Supercross team is now on the East Coast and seems to be getting better and better as the weeks past.  I am happy not only for our well traveled CEO (no not the cat) I am talking about EduW, but also for FPMX in general.  I can’t tell you how many times now when I mention that I am a Motocross racer with the Fire & Police MX Nationals I get the ten questions about the Supercross team.  When I tell people that the FPMX, formerly known as FPMN, was established in 1989 they are amazed.  Most have no idea that we have been around for so long.  When I tell them that we have hosted races in California, Arizona, Nevada, and New York they are even more amazed.  They had no idea how big our group of riders really is.  When I tell them that we have former National Champions as well as former AMA Nationals and Supercross competitors (Eric McKenna, Donald Upton, etc.) that now ride for our organization they want to hear even more.  We are a very diverse group that comes from many walks of life.  I think many of the riders from our organization have forgotten just how much influence a simple term like Fireman or Law Enforcement Officer can carry.  For me, I think that the fact of having the FPMX Supercross team out there has reminded me of that fact.  I always try and represent FPMX in the same way that I represent myself as a Border Patrol Agent and that is with professionalism and courtesy.  Good luck in St. Louis Team All American KTM/FPMX, I will be racing the D-37 Big-6 GP at Glen Helen but I will be thinking, and talking, about you.    

 

I have been off the bike (YZ-250F) for a while now.  I rode Doug Goff’s 450 and Mike Dunn’s 250 2-smoke last week out at Ocotillo.  Boy, what a difference in character those two bikes represent.  And I don’t mean the two characters that own them.  I am talking about the 450 that hits like a Rocky Marciano punch to the chest and the 250 2-smoke that snaps like a light switch at Anaheim Stadium.  Both bikes are awesome in their own right but when you try a back-to-back comparison it is very difficult to feel comfortable with what’s between your legs at that given time.  I think I did manage to walk away with two distinct impressions that will probably stay with me for a while.  The first is that I don’t think I will ever go back to a 2-stroke.  I know that many of you are saying, “Well, that’s an easy assumption”, since slowly but surely all the manufacturers are discontinuing those models.  And in today’s time and space you would be right.  But I just don’t think that we have heard the last of 2-stroke dirt bikes.  I know too many old timers out there who thought the same thing about the 4-strokes some 35+ years ago.  The other impression that I was left with is that I absolutely love the Race Tech suspension on Doug’s 450.  When I am trail riding his bike and hitting unseen obstacles at eye watering speeds and the bike tracks perfectly while soaking up every change in altitude, I can only walk away with a good feeling about our choice of a suspension shop.  And when you throw in the fact that the boys over at the Race Tech shop give us great discounts and show up to our races to support their work, I have to give them an A+ grade. 

 

This last mention is for the suggested “pot luck” get together at the FPMX Compound at the Glen.  The idea is that after the last motos are completed on Monday, April 16, 2007 (round #3 of the FPMX Nationals) everyone is invited to come over to the Compound for the awards presentation and some great food, drink, and bench racing.  I like the idea, tell a friend.                                

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

 

FRIDAY, 2/23/07, 6AM

I have some information that ALL FPMX RIDERS need to make priority of.  Even though my race season actually started at ACP with rounds #1 and #2 of the Fire & Police Motocross Nationals I am preparing for an all out assault on the AMA District 37 Big-6 GP Series.  One of the items that I needed to check off my preparation list was registering my Yamaha for the 2007 contingency program.  I completed it on line through the Yamaha web site.  However, before I did this I called the race/rider support office and talked to them about our FPMX series.  To keep it short, they told me that it was very important that all FPMX riders who register their bikes for contingency (Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, or KTM) that when they fill in the column for “Series and Classes you are planning to compete in during the 2007 season”, in addition to stating your desired series events (WORCS, AMA D-37, Golden State Nationals, etc.), we need to also add the Fire & Police Motocross Nationals.  Even though it is not on the pay-out schedule for 2007 they stated that if they see it on the riders registration form we have a better chance of the factories taking notice and adding it in the future.  They even went as far as saying that ALL FPMX riders that have a contingency legal bike should register them for their respective manufacturers program even if you do not plan on entering any of the pay-out events/series races.  This would assure us of maximum exposure for our FPMX race series.

 

In other news, I had to miss out on the first round of the AMA Big-6 GP Series.  It was on February 3, 2007 at Honolulu Hills Raceway in Taft.  As I mentioned in my last Diary post I had to attend a retirement party that evening down in San Diego.  So the schedule just wasn’t going to mix well.  I am not all that disappointed except for the fact that with the Big-6 Series you only get one (1) throw-away round.  So that was my throw-away.  If you have never been to Taft and raced at Honolulu Hills then you really are not missing much.  The track layout is nice with mostly safe jumps but the soil is complete crap.  And the track prep is almost non existent so it only compounds the poor soil conditions.  In addition, the local track workers that they employ at that place are from the town of Taft.  They are probably comparable to some of the degenerates that I was exposed to when I was deployed to New Orleans for Hurricane Katrina.  To quote a movie line, “what are you all, on dope”.  I am sure that Uncle Ed knows which movie that was from.  Anyway, that’s why I really wasn’t too disappointed about not attending that round.  Now I just have to make sure that I don’t get hurt or end up on a duty assignment in another state or country.  Last year I finished just outside the top ten overall in my class after only attending four (4) total rounds.  I think I can make the top three this year.                       

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

 

 TUESDAY, 2/13/07, 6AM

First off I need to respond to Uncle Ed’s action figure series.  Very funny and, since we have to be so sensitive to others feelings, I am laughing with you not at you.  The action figure that I liked the most was the “Glen Helen dog”.  I swear that dog is at least 27 years old.  I say that because that’s how long I have been riding MX and going to Glen Helen (which used to be known as “Arroyo” back in the day).  Over the years I think I have fed that dog at least 150 cheeseburgers and 200-300 hotdogs.  So I guess I am a contributor his lioness appearance. 

 

I went to another retirement party last week for a couple of Agents that I have known and worked with my entire career.  For a Border Patrol Agent it is rare to actually spend 20+ years working with the same people.  I say this because we are a national agency so chances are that while you may occasionally run into them from time to time they are more than likely to transfer to other locations throughout the United States.  For those of you who have been around for a while I am sure you remember going to a retirement party now and then when you were still young in your career.  It just didn’t mean that much back then.  Sure you might have shed a tear or two for one of your Field Training Officers that showed you the ropes when you were in your young and impressionable years.  But other than that all you cared about was getting back to work and hunting down some more bad guys (or saving a few more foundations or rescuing some cat out of a treeJ).  Now I see many of the people that I grew old with in this agency retiring and heading out into the sunset.  It really hits home and makes you think and feel old.  When I was young it seemed like people didn’t retire from working until they were like 80 years old.  I am not sure if I just wasn’t paying much attention or if the world has actually changed and people are now retiring at around 50-55?  I have been thinking about this subject for the last year or so.  I even find myself looking at different states or locations in Cali to setup for retirement.  I am 45 now but I wonder if I stay around and continue to race at Glen Helen how much longer that lion-dog will still be around looking for a cheeseburger?  If only that dog could talk, think of the bench racing session you could have with him…                      

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

 

PS. Ed, get something for Sue on Valentines Day!!!       

A pic from the "FPMX Toy Drive".  Good job by all... 

 

SUNDAY, 12/11/05, 10AM

I finally have a chance to take a seat and write down some of my thoughts from last weeks Toy Drive Grand Prix.  First of all, is this a great race day or what!  I have never heard anyone say anything negative about this race day at the Glen.  Even when the wind gusts were at the worse everyone still had a big smile on their face.  Ed did away with the "Field Events" for this year's race.  Even though they were a lot of fun I think it was more of headache than it was worth.  The whole program was very smooth this year with a lot of time between events to get your bike and body ready for the next race.  I think the only snafu was in the scoring of the team race.  You gotta still hand it to the FPMX score girls for doing such a great job for us year after year and race after race.  Lets face it, no one would want to try and sit there and score nearly 50 race teams over a two hour event.  That makes my head spin just thinking about it.  Good job girls, thank you. 

 

When it came time for the team race I had the fortune to team up with former FPMX Grand National Champion, Steve Coster.  Steve, like myself, has been missing in action from a lot of FPMX races this year.  He just got married a couple of months ago and like most Fireman has also been busy with his other business ventures.  I guess when you have 25 days off each month you have to find something to do.    Anyway, we rode my new mighty blue YZ-250F and were able to pull off a 6^th place finish in the expert class.  And that's with a flat rear tire on the last lap.  We spent the whole two hours only a few bike lengths from the Hannig/Ashby team.  Next year boys.

 

After the morning parade lap I returned to the DogHouse to find a couple of old friends (Ken Armstrong-CDC and his son Aaron) leaving a special X-Mas gift on my trailer doorstep.  If you remember from an old diary post that I made after the Mesquite rounds I slammed Ken a little bit.  His campsite was running out of firewood so he sent his son Aaron over to the compound (HAZ=WhiteHouse, YZErnie=Cabin, MD=DogHouse, and a few others) to BEG for some extra wood.  After a little harmless teasing we sent them over a little bit of wood to get them through a few cold Arizona hours but I told Aaron to tell his dad that he owed me.  Well, Ken decided to pay me back at the Glen with a care package of Crown Royal.  Thanks Ken, that was very graceful of you.  I will remember to bring extra firewood out to ACP for rounds 1 & 2 next year.

 

On Monday evening I was trying to get the DogHouse and all my gear ready to head out to the Glen.  Dee had called me and helped out by picking up nearly a truckload of toys from the Temecula Border Patrol Station.  I had to pickup several bicycles that my SRT unit had donated so needless to say I was running around like I was already in a race.  It was all starting to come together as I got home around 3PM.  But as I opened the door to the DogHouse I saw that Dee, in her attempt to help me out, had loaded all the bicycles and toys into the trailer.  That was cool but the only problem was that I still had to load the mighty YZ-250F.  In the end it all worked out but it was tough trying to find a place to sleep in there. 

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

 

The DogHouse, AKA: Santa's Sleigh.

 

TUESDAY, 11/29/05, 10PM

Dee and I went out to I-5 MX (Gorman) over the Thanksgiving holiday to attend the Troy Lee "A Day in the Dirt" race.  This is an annual event that has traditionally been held at L.A. County Raceway but this year was moved to I-5 MX.  I have read about this event over the years in Cycle News and I have always wanted to do it.  That's one of the best things about a weakly rag like Cycle News.  You learn about so many great racing events.  Come to think of it, that's how I first learned about the Fire & Police Motocross Nationals the first year it was held back in 1989.  Lets get back to "A Day in the Dirt".  There was a class for woman so I asked Dee if she would like to race it and to my surprise she emphatically said, "YES".  I mean Dee has only been riding for about two years now and I know that she likes to ride but I never thought she would want to get out there on a racetrack.  Especially after seeing the damage that I have done to my body over the years.  This is the kind of race that you have to pre-enter because they have so many entries.  In fact I believe the final count for the weekend was around 850 riders.  So when I went back to the web site to get Dee's entry form filled out I was disappointed to see that the woman's race was SOLD OUT!  It seems that they had put the Vintage riders with the woman and only allowed 120 total riders.  They had about 30 woman and 90 Vintage riders already signed up.  Luckily we brought Dee's mighty little XR-100 with us anyway and on the Friday practice we were able to get her through sign ups (thanks Troy Lee).  I gotta tell you that I was really anxious and nervous about her being out there on a full blown race course.  But after seeing her work her way around the 4-mile course on Fridays practice I was sure that she was going to be just fine.  She was in the first race of the day on Saturday morning.  She pulled off a good solid start and began battling right away with the other woman in her class.  She attacked the turns with elbows up and blew threw the rough sandy whoops like she was on a beach ride at Pismo.  Every time she past by us she was waving a thumbs up and laughing at the top of her lungs.  It was a great first race for her and out of the 15 riders in her class she knocked down an 11^th place finish.  I think the next FPMX medal that I win (that's if I can ever win one again) I will give it to my little pit tootsie for her outstanding performance in her first motorcycle race.  Yah, I know what you are all thinking, for 30 minutes + 1-lap I was her little pit tootsie.

                       

Oh and I have to make a mention to my 11 year old Goddaughter, Lauren, that was also at the races.  It seems that she put something about me in her little diary book but wouldn't let me read it.  She has this little pad-lock on it and I just couldn't get it open.  So I told her that I was going to put her into my diary.  Maybe I should also get a lock for my Diary???    

 

STAY SAFE, more later.

 

Girls Rule!

WEDNESDAY, 6/15/05, 8PM

Dee and I had to make a run out to Massachusetts last weekend for a wedding in Cape Cod.  We were only planning on being in town for a couple of days.  Fly in on Thursday, hit the wedding on Friday, hit Boston for a day of site seeing on Saturday, then fly home on Sunday.  It didn?t dawn on me until late Friday evening that the AMA 125/250 Nationals would be in town Sunday at Southwick or ?The Wick? as the locals call it.  This meant a big change of plans, now we would not be heading home until Tuesday.  Sue would be proud of Dee for how she helped me make these last minute plans.  Dee has seen her fare share of professional Motocross races over the years.  From the AMA Supercross series to World Championship Motocross races in Europe and even a handful of Motocross Des Nations events.  However, she had never been to an AMA Outdoor National event.  The Wick would be her first.  All the rumors that I have heard throughout the years about the deep power robbing sand of Southwick were true.  From start to finish, the entire track is sand.  The track is located on the west side of the state near the New York border.  In fact, Southwick it is a lot closer to New York City than the Frozen Ocean track in Auburn, New York.  I only say this because I was reading in the FPMX web site that the track of choice for the 911-memorial race next year is Frozen Ocean.  A great track to be sure of but I thought I would add this to the mix just in case Uncle Ed is listening.  Big E knows that I will race wherever he holds this race.  Heck if I had my way I would have them (New York City) build us a track right in the middle of NYC.  If the city of Oxnard (Police Olympics 1989) and the city of Santa Ana (Police/Fire Games 2002) could do it for us then why not NYC?  Both of these events basically took place in the middle of the cities.  Think about it, Motocross in Central Park?

 

STAY SAFE, more later.      

 

This was the man of the hour, +40 rider John Dowd with a 3-3 performance at the Wick.

MONDAY, 3/7/05, 8PM
Hey I am back.  I don't think I have written in about a month.  I am a little embarrassed to say that I had another laptop melt down.  I had received several e-mails from FPMN'ers after my last computer crash telling me to get off the fence and buy a new laptop.  After all you can get a new unit from Dell or Compac for about $800 and it will do almost anything you need.  So what am I waiting for?  I guess I am waiting for them to be $700…

Hey I am back.  I was out of town again to my home away from home in old El Paso.  The big Border Patrol Chiefs were having a pow-wow and they somehow decided to do it in El Paso.  For those of you who have never been to El Paso then you aren't missing much.  It is right on the border with the Mexican state of Juarez just to the south of the raging Rio Grande River.  That's a joke boys and girls, ever since the federal government damned up the northern tributaries the Rio Grande has been nothing more than a trickle.  Many of the BP agents stationed there call the city of El Paso "north Juarez".  The elevation sits at about 4200 feet and the weather is very unpredictable.  But most of all they have no Motocross in El Paso.  I think Texas is suppose to be a big motorsports state but along the border there definitely aint no Motocross.  I get tasked with attending these Chiefs conferences on a regular basis but the only real cool part about going is that I get to see a lot of old friends.  After almost 20 years in the BP I have friends scattered all over this great country.  And every once in a while they have the conference somewhere nice.

Hey I am back.  I have only been home for a few days and I have a promotional assessment test to take tomorrow.  There are a few jobs out there that I am thinking about putting in for and the assessment is 60% of your overall promotional score.  The other 40% is based on your background, experience and training.  I will let you know how I did later.  I had a doctor's appointment today and everything on the feet is coming along well.  I haven't even thought about asking him when I can get back out on a racetrack yet.  Dee did mention to him at the last appointment (three weeks ago) that I was getting antsy about riding soon.  He just laughed and said "of course, its in his blood".  How did he know that I was MX positive?     

STAY SAFE, more later.                     

  MONDAY, 2/14/05, 8PM
Don't ask me to be your Valentine because it's just not going to happen.  I am not in a good mood.  This Diary page for Monday, February 14, 2005, is my official complaint session about the ESPN-2 coverage of Supercross.  Maybe this should be directed more toward Clear Channel than ESPN but I feel a lot more comfortable complaining to all of you instead of going right to the source.  I have sat quietly by for the first six races of the year and kept my thoughts to myself.  As long as you don't count the times I went off on my buddy, Doug Goff, about the idiots at the unclear-ESPN-Channel.  Don't get me wrong here FPMNers, I am a race fan and as such I truly appreciate the next day coverage of the sport that I love.  In fact, ever since the SX series started with all the monster truck antics I have stayed away from physically attending any events.  I think David Bailey put it quite well a few years ago when he said, if you want to see 100% race fans then you need to attend a National.  Supercross is 20% race fans and 80% WWF.  UnClear Channel knows this so they run any type of circus that their PR department can think up and then ask the big stars to go along with it.  And heaven forbid that a few privateers and a star or two try to pull a boycott, AKA: Las Vegas a few years back.  And don't even get me started about the payout system.  Now with the next day coverage I feel that I have gained the best seat in the house, my house. 

I really must start with the two well meaning but woefully uninformed announcers, Todd Harris and Cameron Steel.  While I like Cameron Steel and I know he is a former racer he is too damn immature to be anything more than a spectator.  Todd Harris, well lets just say that he should be at home like me watching it on the television.  He is so misinformed that I truly don't believe that he would even watch Supercross on TV as a fan.  I can handle looking at Jamie Little but when she tries to act the part of, lets say a Davey Coombs, I just have to switch the sound to mute.  Next item is that ridiculous helmet camera.  This is proof positive that the idiots at unclear Channel are catering to the non-race fan.  You and I know that it gives absolutely no real life impression of what a racer really sees while hammering a Supercross track.  The thing just pisses me off every time I see it.  And worse yet is that the greatest Motocross racer of all time was pimped into wearing the thing.  Last thing and then I will feel a little bit better is the split start.  I don't care if the race is 20 minutes long or 2 hours long, the start is 25% of the race, also quoted from David Bailey.  Most of you know how long it took you to master a good start and what it takes to slide into the first turn with 20 other bikes.  It's like a race within a race and we are cheated every time they throw the split in.  Okay, I feel better but only until next Sunday when they air the next day coverage of San Diego.  Get ready to yell at the television some more...                    

STAY SAFE, more later. 

FRIDAY, 2/11/05, 10PM
I had my cast removed today and after seven weeks of jumping from one cast to another I needed a long hot bath.  I am usually not a bath kind of guy but as many of you recovering MX positive types out there know, there are usually weeks of dirt and dead skin under the cast.  It was also nice to take a bath, and then a shower, without having to hang my foot over the tub or out the door of the shower.  I think I might invent some kind of cover to protect the cast from water.  I can make them in different sizes to fit any type of injury.  You have all seen filter skins that the desert boys use for the dusty race environment that they are exposed to.  You just pull the drawstring that hangs out the back fender and presto, you have a fresh filter to carry you through the race.  Well this is the same concept.  It's a space age plastic bag that's disposable and fits over the cast in seconds.  It will have a standard elastic top that seals to the skin with an optional (and more expensive) Velcro closure that can be installed for the bath or even swimming pool.  I know there is waterproof cast out there but those are for basic breaks.  A Motocross racer does not have basic breaks.  A Motocross racer has a serious break that requires surgery and many weeks in and out of various casts.  Motocross racers tend to heal faster than the average person but a Motocross racer also tends to return from the injury too soon.  The "Cast Skins", as I will call them, will come in packages of 12 and have various colors to choose from.  We will even have a silkscreen shop that can preprint your sponsors logos on the Cast Skins to cover all the factory riders.  I will probably be the only guy in the stands wanting to see the riders get hurt.  That's how I make money.  Next time you see RC lining up for a Supercross race take a close look at his visor and back fender.  The Cast Skins sticker is my company.            

STAY SAFE, more later.               

WEDNESDAY, 2/2/05, 6PM
I need to take a break from typing out my on-line resume.  I don't know how your agencies/departments do officer promotions but ours seems to change every year.  You would think that it would be different but Federal agencies seem to be a year or two behind everyone else in the country.  This counts for everything from operational duties to administrative functions.  When they rolled my agency (USBP) into the Department of Homeland Security they changed the entire promotional process.  Other than taking an actual written test (that takes an entire day) it is now an on-line process.  So it seems that we are moving forward.  How's that saying go, "take one step back in order to move two steps forward".

I know that the big time factory riders have business agents and financial advisors that do all the groundwork for them when it comes time to renegotiate their contracts or to get a new ride.  However, I wonder what the privateer guys do.  Is it as simple as typing out a resume and then going for a tryout?  Think about what a cool tryout that would be.  You show up at the track, lets say I-5 MX.  The factory truck is already parked and waiting for you, lets say Team Suckzuki.  The Team Manager, lets say "The Man" Roger D-104, and technicians are all smiles and standing next to a bright and shinny new RMZ-450.  The guys from AXO are also there with five sets of new riding gear so you stay clean and fresh throughout the day.  There is a perfectly groomed track with no one allowed to run a tire over it except you.  You put in a couple of hours of tuning and track time and then the catering truck, lets say Rubio's or Baja Fresh Grill, pulls up and is standing by waiting for the lunch bell to ring.  During lunch the track workers once again go back out and groom the entire course.  After a long lunch break and a few words of encouragement from Roger, you fire up a fully prepped RMZ-250 and start the whole process over again.  When the day comes to an end Roger and some Japanese guy from Tokyo call you into the team bus-motor home and offer you a contract for big bucks, lets say $5,000,000.  You drive a hard bargain so you have them throw in the team bus-motor home and they happily agree.  All is perfect in this world.  Of course after they fly you home in the Team helicopter you receive your new bikes the next day and proceed to completely destroy your knee while loading the bikes into your new F-250 Super Special truck.  You spend the entire race year in and out of surgeries/casts never to once throw a leg over your practice or race bikes.  You know, I feel a lot better now.  I think I will go back to writing my resume.                  

STAY SAFE, more later.

SATURDAY, 1/29/05, 12PM
I am starting to get around pretty well now without the crutches.  However, if it involves walking more than 100' then I still need them.  The leg just isn't strong enough yet and the pain on that ankle is a little more than I can bear.  All in all though, I am optimistic about the recovery.  As in the past, I am several weeks ahead of the doctor's recovery schedule.  It shouldn't make a difference since I am not paid to race dirt bikes.  Its not like I am under the pressure of say James Stewart.  I am sure that Kawasaki pays Bubba whether he is on the track or not.  Minus the bonuses of course.  I get paid by the Border Patrol whether I am on the couch or out arresting people.  I wonder if Bubba has to earn a certain amount of sick leave to get paid? 

Work did go well this week after I got past the Monday blues.  It's hard to get up at 0400 in the morning when I have been sleeping in until 1000 everyday for the past six weeks.  It's hard to skip my morning coffee and waffles in bed instead now only to head out the door and spend two hours in traffic.  And where did all this traffic come from in the last six weeks.  I-15 and the side roads around here have gotten way too crowded.  All of you Orange County and LA County people need to stay away from my quiet little valley.  I think more people should get motorcycles to drive to work so I can have the road and gas for the H-2 all to myself. 

I was able to get a new seat cover for the mighty little TTR this week.  The boys over at CEET Racing in San Marcos hooked me up with a cool all black gripper CEET.  Now with the White Bros graphics this thing is begging to be ridden.  I have been reading that most of you out there have been riding despite this record rainfall that we have had so far this year.  I think that is great but it is so hard to read about your practice sessions at the Glen or the Star or even that crappy Elsinore place when I know I can't come out and play.  Dee and I did get invited last weekend to go out to Ocotillo Wells with some friends for a weekend in the dez.  Since I wont be riding for another couple of months they were volunteering me to be the grill guy.  You know, that's the guy that makes sure the cooler is always stocked with SilverBullets and the grill is always hot with cheeseburgers and dogs when everyone comes in from a long ride.  That's a hell of a way to treat a former FPMN National #3 rider.  How do you like your burgers?     

STAY SAFE, more later.                         

SUNDAY, 1/23/05, 1PM
Let me explain the "I'm hopelessly stuck in the mud" pic at the top of my Diary page.  I figured that to commemorate the Anaheim-1 mudercross event and since Uncle Ed had put a nice shot of him being swamped by the mud in Ohio at the top of his Journal that I would add a little of my own mud history.  This photo was taken at the 1997 World Police and Fire Games in Calgary, Canada.  This was day-3 of the Dirt Bike events and it was scheduled to be an easy European Scrambles.  The hard day was supposed to be day-4 with a long Cross Country event (60+ miles through the dense Calgary forest).  On the first lap of the scrambles I fell while doing a 60mph clip down one of the many fire roads they incorporated into this course.  The crash face planted me into a downed pine tree and cracked the face guard on my helmet (thank God for full face helmets).  So needless to say the race wasn't going well right from the start.  I was able to get myself back up into contention in 3rd place but I still couldn't even see the front-runners on this tree lined 6+ mile course.  I was chasing a couple of guys named Ajax (CA Dept. of Corrections) and Shink (Kennewick, Canada FD).  It was somewhere near the end of this 1.5-hour ordeal that I got the big White Bros built XR-600 stuck in this monster mud hole.  I had observed the carnage going on in this mud hole, or should I say mud field, on the previous laps but my bike was running great and I was cruising through that area without too much trouble.  I have tried to remember what I did wrong on that particular lap but I think it was more the case of I was just lucky on the previous laps.  After the race was all said and done we were doing a little bench racing in the pits and I came to find out that nearly everyone was stuck somewhere in that mud field at one time or another.  All I remember is being so completely exhausted after that race that I was seriously contemplating withdrawing from the next days Cross Country event.  Not to mention the various lacerations/abrasions on my face and neck from the first lap crash.  Thankfully, Dee and my buddies Bart Carragan and Don Hutchinson (Sunnyvale PD) talked me into racing and not giving up.  To this day it is without a doubt one of the most visually spectacular rides/races that I have ever done.  The forest and valleys were amazing and I actually saw a lot of wild life.  And the cool part was that I actually kept it up on two wheels and pulled down the Silver Medal for 2nd place.  I still couldn't catch that Ajax guy.  I wonder what ever happened to him?        

STAY SAFE, more later. 

FRIDAY, 1/21/05, 6PM
FINALLY, a computer that works.  I have never had a computer that crashed as hard as my home desktop unit did last week.  I mean it was the mother of all crashes.  It made Bubbas little fall over at Phoenix look, well like a little fall over.  A small side note on Bubba, it seems that many of you called it right about Bubba taking Bubba out of the series.  Back to my computer endo.  I am now working on a totally rebuilt notebook and it is fine except that it is slower than Uncle Ed after a visit to Cold Stone.  Looks like it is time to give that Dell 1-800 number a call.  I am just not sure of weather to go with a new desktop or throw a little extra cash toward a high-speed notebook with all the bells and whistles???

I am guessing that our illustrious MX positive leader, Big E, is pretty happy about the outcome of the Phoenix Supercross.  After all, he is such a proponent of the mighty yellow RM 2-strokes.  RC and Hepler were definitely on their game last weekend and it looks like Roger D finally has a good bike and great racers to showcase them.  If anything, I am happy for them.  Roger and Big E that is…

I received a new cast yesterday (green) and the okay from the Doc to return to work.  I can start to put some weight on that foot (left) and hopefully in a week or so I can drop kick these crutches.  So, next Monday I will start some light duty deskwork over at the SRT office (Special Response Team).  I know all of you have had desk duty at one time or another and you know how much it really sucks but it sure beats sitting around the house.  Especially when you can't even hobble into the garage to mess around with the bikes.  I was able to throw some new White Brothers Racing graphics on the mighty little TTR-125 this week.  The bike only fell over on me twice and I escaped with minor injuries.  So the bottom line is get back to work because sitting around at home just has me raiding the freezer for more Tasty-Freeze Dilly Bars.  Not sure which one is worse, Cold Stone or Tasty-Freeze???

STAY SAFE, more later.                                          
 

THURSDAY, 1/6/05, 1PM
I was looking forward to my doctors appointment last Monday because I was going to confirm with him that I will be in a walking cast before rounds 1-2 of the 2005 FPMN series.  I love a road trip and adding the Phoenix Supercross to the whole mix was a brilliant idea by our Motocross leader, Big-E.  I have read a lot of comments on the message board from a few racers out there that were complaining about the new schedule.  I think that overall the goals set by Ed to expand and nationalize our race program is the way to go.  I know that only time has a way of sorting out right from wrong so I truly believe that in a few short years we will be very happy with this new direction.  I think that Waters and McKenna put it well when they said that this is the whole idea of a national series, just make it to the races that you can and do your best while having fun.  Anyway, the Doc said that there is no way that he can remove the pins and get me into a walking cast before that race weekend.  So, I cannot take the chance of putting this foot down and ruining the work that he has done.  Arizona Cycle Park looks like a great venue for our FPMN race and I will really miss hanging out with Ernie, Haz, FEN, and everyone else.  Have a cheeseburger and SilverBullet for me boys.  At least this whole week hasn't been a bust because Tuesday turned out to be a good day when the USC Trojans proved to the whole nation who the true National Champions are…     

I think that at one time or another every one of you FPMNers out there has been laid up at home.  Maybe not from a riding injury but with the hazards of our job it could have been from a work-related training or duty accident.  I have been thinking about this a lot lately because a few months ago when the Doc said that I would need another surgery to fix these current problems it threw off my whole rehab schedule.  I have talked about setting goals when doing anything in my life and being injured is no different.  When I got hurt I knew this would be a long and sometimes difficult recovery so I right away set myself a five-phase rehab schedule.  I am definitely into phase five now but there seems to be several levels to this final phase.  The completion of phase five will be when I am lined up on the starting line at an FPMX race with the +40 beginner class and looking down the start straight at Marco as he gets ready to start the race.  Once that gate drops I know I will be at my own finish line.  I know that I will already see my own imaginary checker flag that will be the end of this three year long injury race.  Don't get me wrong, nothing short of a full on motor melt down will stop me from finishing that first moto with you guys.  It is just that I know now that where I finish (first or last) makes no difference.  Dropping the clutch and crossing over that starting gate will be the greatest medal, plaque, or trophy that I could ever receive.  And Uncle Ed, I am just kidding about the beginner class thing.  I was however thinking about racing with you (+40 Int) since I think that my first moto ever with FPMN (circa 1989) was with you in the 250-novice class.  Should be a good start to a new comeback don't you think?      

STAY SAFE, more later.
 

SUNDAY, 1/2/05, 1PM
Boy, that feels weird to write the year down as "2005".  I was just sitting here looking at the 2005 BBR Motorsports catalog when the notion that it is really 2005 just reached out and grabbed me.  When my Mom called me on New Years eve the last thing she said was that she would talk to me next year.  I have never really thought too much about a New Year coming around.  During my life, I have measured the New Year during the month of October and sometimes September.  That's usually when the new bikes are shipped to your favorite local shop, mine being Temecula Motorsports (TMS).  Now, in my adult life I work for the U.S. Federal Government and as most of you know they measure the year fiscally (October 1 through September 30).  I just can't get away from it.  So I figure I will stick to the same old calendar that I have conditioned myself to and that's when the new Motocross bikes hit the market.  Remember the old days (maybe 10+ years ago) when the shops were known for the particular brand they carried.  When I was a kid it was Orange County Suzuki for me.  I was a big Suzuki fan in the late 70's and early 80's.  The first shop I remember going to the "Motorsports" emblem was Malcolm Smith's shop in Riverside.  He was Malcolm Smith Husqavarna for many years before adding more brands to the mix.  I was a big Husky fan in the early 70's.  When I first moved to the Temecula Valley it was Temecula Yamaha.  I was a big Yamaha fan in the 90's.  It seems that for the most part it has been a financial thing that has forced most of the old school shops to expand/transform into the motorsports market.  I know there are a few shops around that have maintained their originality.  Beach Yamaha on Beach Blvd. in Huntington Beach was always a favorite of mine.  They were known as Premier Yamaha back in the day but they have hung tough and stuck with the Yamaha only line of bikes.  I remember I would ride my bicycle over to their shop on weekends just to look at the bikes and get a sticker or two.  I think I will make a run (with crutches) over to TMS to say hi to the boys, and get a sticker or two.  HAPPY NEW YEAR FPMN.              

STAY SAFE, more later.

TUESDAY, 12/28/04, 8PM
Christmas is over and I sit here now wondering how many of you out there in the FPMN world found a present of plastic and assorted metals waiting for you under the tree on Xmas morning.  I was reading on the message board that Luke got his son a new RM-85.  From a kids standpoint (lets face it, from an adults standpoint as well) that has to be the single greatest gift to find on an Xmas morning.  Unlike last year when I found the mighty little TTR-125 under my tree there was no such luck this year.  I really didn't want a bike, at least not yet anyhow, and Dee knew that.  I was however thinking about getting her a new bike.  She has really been getting good on her XR-100 and I thought that she would fit quite well on a new CRF-150.  Or even better, she gets my TTR-125 and I get a new CRF-150.  Never stop thinking like a racer.

I am feeling pretty good now from the surgery before Christmas.  I am finally starting to come down from all the drugs and feel like myself again.  I went to the doctor's office yesterday and he took off the splint and put me in a cast.  This cast should be the first of many.  The Doc was real impressed with the cool "Yamaha blue" paint job and tiny snowman on my toenails that was put there by my little pit tootsie Dee and her 13-year-old niece while I was asleep (heavily medicated) on Christmas day.  Yah, that was funny.  Next week the stitches come out and they add a new cast.  This one is Yamahopper blue but just to show my solidarity I will go with Hondog red or maybe Suckzuki yellow for the next cast.  You know when I look back to almost two years ago when I hit the dirt there at Perris Raceway, it now seems like a lifetime ago.  If I had known that I was going to miss three entire seasons of racing then I probably would have just asked the ambulance paramedics for an OD shot of Morphine.  Just kidding of course.  But the reality of time and space to us as Fire and Police, let alone as racers, is that we need to feel there is always a goal or end to our means.  Not to get too philosophical on all of you but I cannot start anything without knowing there is a finish line somewhere in the immediate horizon.  Three years is not an immediate horizon.  I was reading something tonight in the January 2005 issue of MXA.  It was in the "Jody's Box" section of the magazine.  It made me think about that day three years ago because I was up most of the night before that crash fixing a problem with my rear wheel.  It was one of those bike problems that "one thing leads to another" if you know what I mean.  I wont give it away so just read it if you get a chance.  Any old time racer or garage mechanic that likes to work on his/her own toys will get a laugh out of it because it has happened to us all.

STAY SAFE, more later.            

Dee has gotten into the habit of wanting to record all this damage I am doing to my body.  You can see the pins sticking out the bottom of the heel area.  The Doc says he will let me take them out (under his supervision of course).  Now that's a garage mechanics dream.  I might even use my own pliers…  Sorry, no pics of the blue snowman toes…

THURSDAY, 12/23/04, 10PM
How many sets of crutches do you have hanging around the house?  Before I took off to El Paso a few weeks ago, I knew that I would immediately need my crutches when I got home.  So I started to look everywhere that they could be hiding and to my surprise I found three sets.  That's gotta be some kind of bad luck having those things lying around waiting to be used.  Having a few extra sets of wheels is a good thing.  Having a few extra sets of side panels is a good thing.  When I am through with these things in the next 3-4 weeks I am throwing them in the recycle bin.  Hey, they are made of aluminum.

I was reading about all the toys that the FPMN riders gathered for the toy drive GP at Glen Helen.  I think it was great that Uncle E was able to get them all over to Camp Pendleton for our Marine families.  That was a great thing that you all did and that was a hard event for me to miss.  I have been there either as a rider or as an assistant to the race for the past couple of years.  I really enjoy that part of our job as public servants.  You know, when you have a chance to do something in the name of Fire & Police and not have to add the politics that go along with it.  Something that just comes straight from the heart, from your heart as representatives of the Fire & Police community.  Dee always says that she likes it when I am riding and racing because it allows me to get away from work and forget about trying to save the world for a while.  It allows me to fill my need for speed and yet forget that we have to get back to the high stakes world of saving lives and enforcing the laws of this country.  The toy drive is a different story though.  This is a good time of year to shine up your badge, put on the dress uniform and get out into the community (or your local motorcycle shop) and get lots of toys donated for a great cause.  You guys and gals stepped forward once again.  GOOD WORK.  

Today I started my workout routine.  It started with a few one-legged deep knee bends.  My right leg should be pretty strong after a few weeks of this.  I think I will wait until after Xmas until I start to get too serious about the Davenport Shape-O-Meter.  I think that even Big E is putting the workouts aside for the holiday season.  Politically correct or not, MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR FPMN.

STAY SAFE, more later.                           
 

WEDNESDAY, 12/22/04, 6PM
I am back from Texas and I am lying on the couch eating chocolate chip cookies, drinking Starbucks coffee, and its almost Christmas.  Life is good.  I guess I should add that I just woke up a couple hours ago from surgery this morning.  The Doc fixed the stretched-out tendon (Boston Red Sox, Curt Schilling injury) in my left ankle and as an added bonus he re-broke the left heel in order to stabilize my planter-flexion.  In other words, I should have a lot more stability and balance when this is all said and done.  In the mean time I will be spending a good deal of time here on the couch.  It should be about 3-4 weeks of non weight bearing on the left foot followed by the whole healing process of about 3-4 months.  I will be writing a lot in my diary during this down time.  Dee is being a good sport about this whole medical thing.  Over the years I have read in the message board from time to time about how some of you guys get a little bit of grief from the spouse about the racing and injuries that go with it.  I am a very lucky and blessed person to have a girl like Dee and some very special Guardian Angels looking out for me.  The one good part for her is that the Department of Homeland Security has to leave me alone for a while.  They have been really burning me up over the past year.  I checked my annual travel status the other day and I have been gone for over seven months this year.  Including that one long stint of four months in Honduras.  So I am almost looking forward to 3-4 weeks on the couch.  I am just plain worn out.      

As you probably already remember I had to cancel the order I made for a new race bike from TMS.  At the time I placed the order we (the Doc, Dee and I) had no idea of this impending problem.  I had just returned from Honduras and I was somewhere in about the top ten best shape of my life.  My feet were still bothering me but I was strong and my endurance was way up.  We all know that being in good shape and being in riding shape are two different things.  I am now a firm believer in cross training on a mini trail bike.  The few times I have spent on my little but mighty TTR have helped me tremendously with balance and timing.  I think that speed is something that you don't loose but maintaining that speed for a full 20+ minute moto is the trick.  If someone has the answer to that trick be sure and let me know.  I would also be all ears to any suggestions on how to add to my workouts while I can't walk.  We will talk more about that later.          

STAY SAFE, more later.                           
 

SUNDAY, 12/5/04 11PM
I am a long way from home right now, about 800 miles to be exact.  I am sitting in a cold lonely office in El Paso, TX.  I have been here for a week already and I still have another two weeks to go.  I wish I were sitting in the pits at the Glen with a big fire going and lots of friends around to bench race about how fast they were at last years FPMN GP and how much faster they were going to be at this years GP.  Of course this conversation goes down much better with a SilverBullet or two.  And maybe even a steak or cheeseburger that was cooked on Ernie’s grill.  I like using Ernie’s grill better because then I don’t have to unpack mine and then clean it after the camping is done.  Actually, I am having some fun here in old El Paso.  I am getting to shoot a lot at the many ranges that they have here and because it is located on a military base (Fort Bliss Army Base) I am getting to see the live fire training that the boys (and girls) are doing before they ship out to Iraq.  Let me tell you, they got some stuff here that is down right frightening.  The other night we were doing some night drills with chemical agents (tear-gas) and on a range that was only about a ¼ mile from our range they were firing some very large machine guns and turret guns from some tracked vehicles.  They lit up the night sky here like it was the fourth of July. 

There was a group of reservist here from Hawaii that was in their transition training before shipping out and I had a chance to sit down and talk to them.  They were all in very high spirits and said that they were receiving a lot more training than they had anticipated.  I guess that would be a good thing.  There were several Border Patrol agents with me so we passed the hat around and bought these young (and some old) Marines a few dozen-pizza pies for their unit.  They were sure happy about that since they had been eating MRE’s twice a day for the past four weeks.  I wanted to get them a few 12 packs of SilverBullets but they were not allowed to consume any alcohol.  I guess that would also be a good thing.  I talked to a Sergeant named Tuowana.  He was a big Hawaiian and he told me that he loves trail riding on his 1999 YZF-400 and that he has even raced the Mauna Kei Enduro.  I think it is held on the big island of Hawaii.  I hope that Sgt. Tuowana makes it home again to ride many more endures.  I will definitely think about him from time to time over the next year.  And I hope all of the FPMX gang out there has a fun and safe ride on Tuesday out at the Glen.  I will try and read the message board over the next few days to see how everyone faired.

STAY SAFE, more later.      

    TUESDAY, 11/9/04, 8PM
One of the FPMX fateful left an e-mail for me that said, "where the hell are you?"  I had to make a run for the border, the border being the west Texas town of El Paso.  It was a short eight-day trip and I got home on Friday, picked up my "DogHouse" and Dee and I headed out to the Dez.  Ocotillo Wells to be exact.  I had been reading so much about Uncle Ed doing his first desert race and others talking about a true to life FPMN desert race that I just had to go.  After driving twelve hours home pulling a trailer from Texas I really wasn't looking forward to pulling another trailer back out east to get to Ocotillo.  I am really glad I did it though.  Dee knows that I have been a little bummed lately since I had to cancel the order for my new Yamaha.  Not to mention the thought of having to go under the knife again.  Speaking of the knife, I confirmed a surgery date of December 22nd.  Yes in deed, three days before Christmas.  The prognosis looks good.  It should be a one-day hospital stay followed by three weeks on the couch (no weight bearing) and then three months of rehab.  All of the work will be on the left ankle/heel.  That should have me up and going strong by summer.  I think…

Anyway, back to the Ocotillo ride.  The ground was still a little moist from all the rains the week before.  We even got a small sprinkle on Sunday as we were driving away to come home.  That was my second ride at Ocotillo.  I went there for the first time a few months ago and was amazed at just how many miles of trail there are.  I always thought it was a small riding area.  The mighty little TTR-125 was a blast but I must say that I was yearning for a big open class four stroke to really open up on some of those whooped out trails or hill climbs.  Speaking of the whooped out trails, Dee took a pretty good soil sample during a long ride that took us across the park toward the Salton Sea.  We were cruising a sandy trail when the front end on her trusty little XR-100 washed out.  I was following her on the same trail so I had the best seat in the house.  It spit her over the right side of the bike and she did a big head plant into the soft soil.  A few scratches on the helmet and a bent rear brake lever were the only damage.  After all the years of Dee watching me launch myself into the soil at different tracks around this great country, that was the first time I have ever seen her step off at speed.  It kind of scared me for a minute or two.  It was all good though as she got up laughing.  Another thing I noticed is that the Rangers out there were really nice.  One even pulled over to our camp because he saw the giant Fire & Police sticker on the back of the "DogHouse". 

Had to take a short break just now to talk to my buddy and former FPMN rider, Andy Guth from the Vernon Fire Department.  He keeps telling me to give up on the riding/racing thing and get a boat.  I dont know, I like dirt better than water... 

Tonight was the first chance I have had to check up on the FIREPOLICEMX.COM web site and I see that I have missed a lot.  Its funny how no matter where you go, no matter how long you are gone, you always feel like you are missing something really important if you can't check on your favorite web site.  There's no place like home, (hey FEW, what movie is that from?).             

STAY SAFE, more later.

WEDNESDAY, 10/20/04, 11PM
Here it is Wednesday night and I am once again sitting in my San Diego office doing paperwork.  It is kind of lonely tonight.  A lot of heavy rain here in the southland so it is actually a good night not to be out on the road.  Dee just called me to say goodnight.  Now I am really lonely.  I started at 0500 this morning so by my count that is an 18-hour shift.  Next time someone spouts off to any of you public servants out there that we are paid too much, you can tell them for me to shut their pie hole.  I guess the one good thing about tonight was that the Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees.  Its not that I really like the Sox all that much it's more that I hate the Yankees that much.  I am a Yankee hater.  And the way they beat them has to be so humiliating to all Yankees fans.  The Yankees overall budget is nearly double to what the Sox have.  It's like a privateer beating a full on factory racer. 

I really enjoyed reading about Uncle E's adventures in the desert.  I had been telling him for years just how much fun a good desert race really is.  Most Motocrossers think that a GP course of over 1.5 miles is a desert race and anything over 4 miles is a full on cross-country.  I personally would like to see Big E put on a complete desert race.  It doesn't have to be a long drawn out race with 30-mile loops.  Gorman (or I-5 as it is called now) has a great course that is in the 6-8 mile range.  All you need is a group of 5-10 chase riders that could follow the racers as safety personnel.  Or even better, get one of the big clubs to add a few Fire & Police classes to their program.  Like in the D-37 Big-6 series or the WORCS series.  That way we don't have to worry about a prepped track or getting medics and chase riders out on the course.  I am just throwing a few thoughts out there to get my mind off of another year of rehab.  Now that I know that I need this next operation I just want to get it over with.  I am to the point that I am once again a very impatient patient.   

STAY SAFE, more later.       

MONDAY, 10/11/04, 8PM
I have been a little on the edge of my seat for the last five days now.  Last week, Thursday to be exact, I had to go and see an orthopedic specialist that has a subspecialty of dealing with tendons and nerves.  About three months ago I started to have a problem with a tendon located on the outside of my left ankle.  This of course is an after affect of crushing the heel back in March 2003 and then having them completely rebuild it.  Well, this tendon was popping out of place on an irregular basis (1-2 times a week).  As time passed and as my rehab (running and physical training) progressed the problem became more and more frequent.  Now this little tendon pops out at least five times a day and even does it while running.  Needless to say that when it does pop out I am in an extreme amount of pain for a brief period of time (2-5 minutes).  Today I went to get a second opinion from another specialist that is located here in Temecula and who came highly recommended by others in the law enforcement community.  To my dismay, he confirmed what the first doctor had told me last week.  The only way to repair this problem is through surgery.  On top of this problem they also want to re-break the heel and change its position relative to the rest of my foot.  Although it is only Monday I think I can officially call this a bad week.  I don't care about what ever else happens this week it is a bad week.  I have yet to cancel my order from Temecula Motorsports for the new YZ250f but I will probably do that by the end of the week.  I was so looking forward to this next year of racing.  All the FPMX events, the Western States Summer Games in Reno, the Mid West Fire & Police Nationals in Ohio, the World Games in Quebec City, Canada, and not to mention all the D-37 GP's and WORCS races that my BP buddy, Doug Goff, and I were going to race at.  So yes, this is definitely a bad week.

It is tough to think ahead right now.  I know that this will all pass and I will be back on the race scene by the end of next season but it is just so difficult to comprehend that I have to put another year under my belt before I can make a comeback.  This is getting so very old.  The basic procedure for this operation will be a two hour surgery followed by no weight bearing for 4-6 weeks followed by a slow rehab that will take another 6-8 months off of my life.  Then if all goes well I can get back into Temecula Motorsports and order the 2006 250f or maybe even the 450f.  I guess it just depends on how well they put me back together this time. 

NEVER, NEVER jump off the bike in midair.  Always stay with the bike…

STAY SAFE, more later.           

WEDNESDAY, 9/29/04, 8PM
I can't believe that rounds 3 & 4 of the 2004 Fire & Police Motocross Nationals are next week.  It seems like it was just yesterday when I was practicing on the Wednesday before rounds 1 & 2 of the 2003 F&P Nationals that I hit the ground kind of hard.  Come to think of it, today is the Wednesday before the F&P Nationals.  I hope anyone who decided to practice today took it nice and easy.  I am getting a little antsy waiting for my 250f to come in at Temecula Motorsports.  I will need a long, slow break-in period for the bike and my body.  I must admit that I am feeling rather tentative about getting back out on an MX track.  Only time will tell I guess.

This week's topic is "NAME THAT TRAILER".  I have to go back a few years but the first time I met Mike "HAZ" Frieling he said to come over to "The White House" and have a Coors Light.  At first I thought he was crazy but as we walked through the Perris Raceway pit area I could see that we were walking towards this giant 5th-wheel toy hauler.  This rig was all white and towered over most of the other toy haulers that were parked close to Haz.  It truly was "The White House".  Shortly after that I was introduced to Ernie "YZERNIE" Kopasz.  Next thing I know I am sitting in the shadows of another monster rig (drinking a Coors Light) learning the story behind "The Cabin".  "The Cabin" is every bit as large as "The White House" (in fact it is the same make and model) but it seems to always have food, friends, and Coors Lights flowing from within.  I remember one year at the Glen we were sitting around a campfire with these two twin towers on each side of our campsite and somehow we came up with "The Dog House" for the name of my little Weekend Warrior.  "The Dog House" is a fitting name because most of the time I am in some kind of trouble either with Dee, with work, with the bike, or physically.  Well, that brings us to one of the newest additions to the FPMX pits.  If you weren't at Santa Maria then you probably haven't seen Mike Leckliters new '40 Warrior.  This thing is big and wide with two slide outs and enough room to probably put both my Ford F-150 and "Dog House" inside.  Last I checked Mike had yet to find a name for his rig.  Maybe we should have a name that trailer raffle.  I was thinking that if the Haz rig is "The White House" then maybe Mikes should be "The Taj-Mahal" or "Buckingham Palace".  Did I say that this is a big trailer?                                   

STAY SAFE, more later.                           

 

SUNDAY, 9/19/04, 10PM
I just got through watching the ESPN-2 telecast of the Glen Helen National.  What can you say about a guy like RC?  Another undefeated season under his belt and to win all 24 motos is just unreal.  I think that Bubba had a little bad luck on his side this year or he would have surely gone undefeated also.  You gotta give props to both of those guys for acknowledging our troop over in Iraq.  That was definitely a nice touch to hear those words coming from the podium of what we all believe is the greatest sport on earth.  I wonder if they have Motocross over in the Middle East?

Speaking of Bubba, it was interesting that he was on a 250f for the Glen since that is the next topic I wanted to talk about, 2-stroke vs. 4-stroke.  Bubba said from the podium after the first moto that riding the 4-stroke was so much easier than the two.  He said it made him feel lazy.  Despite what I wrote about Bubba last week I do know that he is a tremendously gifted rider.  I think that his input on the differences between the two bikes is the word.  I think that the 125 class is the one being affected the most by the 4-stroke movement.  There are definitely a lot of 250 riders switching to the 450's for outdoors but the hot conversation seems to always revolve around the 125 class.  The 250f's are getting lighter and lighter each year but now with the introduction of the 194 lbs. YZ125 we may have a better race on our hands.  It seems that you can now put a true 125 rider (140 pounder) on this bike and really give the 250f's a run for their money.  It will be interesting to see just how many YZ-125's are on the starting gates come January, or is that December?  And what's with everyone bashing the AMA about the 4-stroke takeover?  The 4-stroke rules have been on the AMA books ever since most of us were little kids on our XR-50's.  (That's funny, I just thought about all the guys that are all grown up and still on XR-50's).  Anyway, why blame the AMA for this?  Do people really believe that the AMA is this all so powerful organization that can change federal government EPA rules.  Or that they can somehow dictate to the Japanese factories on what the best or most economically sound bikes are to build.  And how many people know that three of the big four factories have representatives on the AMA board of directors.  Bike sales for the sole purpose of racing Motocross are so low that it barely registers on the scale of total bike sales.  That aside, if everyone that owned a bike in this country were AMA members then we really would have some political clout.  I always feel these days that we the people/consumers generally like to look for someone to blame for everything.  The AMA spent YEARS organizing rallies to attend governmental meetings on these matters.  I know because I went to a few of them.  Every time that I did go I was tremendously disappointed at the turnout.  Bottom line, no one cares about this stuff until it is in his or her backyard.  Then as any good American, they become fighting mad.  I just think we need to look in the mirror before we blame the AMA for the 4-stroke movement.  On the good side, my bike should be in at Temecula Motorsports sometime this week.  What kind of bike you ask, a 250f of course.

Next topic, name that trailer...                       

STAY SAFE, more later.                           
 

WEDNESDAY, 9/15/04, 10PM
Well here I am still sitting at work in San Diego.  I have about a 90-minute drive if I want to leave right now to go home.  It is kind of warm outside tonight but at least the AC works in my truck.  Sorry Ed, I couldn't help saying that.  I guess I can just sit here for a while and talk to all of you.  I also have my LAST WEEKS COPY OF CYCLE NEWS.  I say LAST WEEKS COPY because I just got it in the mail yesterday.  I swear there is someone at the Temecula Post Office that is reading my Cycle News before they forward it to my mailbox.  I say this because the pages are always slightly ruffled and I think I have even seen a coke or coffee stain on a few issues.  Since today is Wednesday this week's issue is already due in the mail.  I have had a Cycle News subscription for nearly 20 years now and I must admit that I have never received my copy on the Wednesday due date.  Occasionally they arrive on a Thursday but usually on Friday. 

Okay, here we go with some Motocross topics.  It seems that there are several issues on everyone's mind lately.  The one issue that seems to be kind of hit and miss among everyone out there is the Motocross of Nations (MXoN).  I think that I have made my position on this matter very clear over the last couple of years.  Especially since the FIM/DORNA/Indian fiasco of 2002.  I believe that no matter what the circumstances, the US of A should be fielding a team every year.  I read every journalistic approach on this subject that I can find.  I like the "Voices" and "In The Wind" sections of Cycle News the best.  It has been evident that many MX fans out there keep putting the blame on the AMA for our lack of participation over the last couple of years.  I on the other hand blame the riders.  I know you are saying, "Mark, how the hell can you blame the riders for this."  Very simple, in Europe it is not uncommon for the riders to pay their own way to and from the MXoN.  They consider it an honor to race for their country.  While we have had some great champions in the past (Johnson, Bailey, Ward, Stanton, Carmichael) that have been willing to race any where and at any time it seems that we are now fully engulfed in the "ME" generation.  If its not the U.S. Open with a six digit pay day then they don't have the time for it.  If it is old school to consider the heart of a rider as part of his credentials for greatness then you can hang that "old School" moniker on me anytime.  For the past two years now the AMA has asked the so-called and self proclaimed "greatest 125 Motocross racer of all time" to represent his country at the MXoN.  His team has given the AMA the thumbs up but yet he is always too busy to help out.  Until he goes to Europe and puts a whipping on the open class riders like O'Mara did in the 80's while riding a 125, his championships mean nothing to me.  Until he puts his own special interest aside for one week of his year to give 110% for a USA team effort like Stanton and Carmichael did for many years, I will ignore his beak dancing at the Supercross events.  I am sure that by now you are saying, "well that's just your opinion Mark" or "you sure are being tough on the guy."  Well, you are right, I am.  It is just my opinion but I think that with the current world environment that we live in today you, we, they, and I need to be prepared to step forward and do something for someone else or our country every now and then.  In the case of the Motocross of Nations, that stepping forward has the potential to do something for over 250 million other people.  American people.

Next topic, 2-strokes vs. 4-strokes.                                            

STAY SAFE, more later.                           
 

TUESDAY, 9/7/04, 10PM
In my last Diary entry I performed as any good Copper and passed on some rumors and hearsay about Ed's on track performance during this seasons Summer Series.  Well if you missed the Santa Maria rounds then you missed a brilliant demonstration on how to handle a mighty 2-stroke.  It's a story that did not have a happy ending if your name is Ed Wilson.  It's a story that was written for television.  He needed five wins and had six motos to get it done.  And no matter what class you ride in, let alone the highly contested +40 Intermediates, this would be a tall order for any one of us.  In the end, when the smoke from his mighty yellow 2-stroke had cleared he had four wins and lost the championship by only a few points.  But this story isn't about how he lost the championship it is more about how he won second place.  His two moto wins from day-1 were both come from behind wins.  The Santa Maria start straight was just long enough that getting a good start meant that either you were on a full Pro Circuit race bike or you had a 450f.  Ed used his many years of riding skills along with the agility of the lighter 2-stroke to methodically move through the pack and take moto wins.  However, getting that third one would prove to be a little out of his reach.  How a guy can go so fast and yet never stand up is a mystery to me.  Day-2 was more of the same with only a slight bobble to drop him off the pace for just one moto.  But that's why Ed always ran a three-moto format for the Summer Series.  You need to be consistent.  All in all, I know that Uncle E had a good time racing against all his buddies.  I don't know if the Summer Series will return next season but one thing is for sure, they will be bench racing this one for along time to come.               

I made a few observations during the Santa Maria race days as well as my vacation on Pismo Beach. 

    1)    Why does everyone unhook their trailers from their trucks/SUV's when they get to the track?  Most of them aren't going anywhere so what purpose does it serve?
    2)    Why do so many racers with toy haulers have a portable generator that they have to carry outside and manually start?  Then they always put it next to someone else's trailer so they don't have to hear it run.
    3)    Why do the guys on the 50cc bikes think they have a say so on track prep?  If you want to have input on track prep then get a real bike.
    4)    Why do a few quality people (whiskey tangos) that hang out in the dunes and on the beach during big weekends stay up all night drinking and smoking dope and then let their kids get up at the crack of dawn and run their quads and 80's back and forth through the camping areas?  I think they need to establish a party zone and a family zone just like they did at the Supercross's a few years ago.
    5)    Why does it always seem like you need a vacation immediately after returning from vacation?

STAY SAFE, more later.             

SUNDAY, 8/22/04, 12PM
YES, I am home to beautiful and sunny SoCal.  I just rolled into town yesterday and I bet you can guess the first thing that I did.  Okay, so I have been gone for four long months, lets say the second thing that I did.  That's right race fans, I fired up the mighty little TTR and took some parade laps up and down the street.  Normally I don't like to ride my bikes around the neighborhood.  I figure that dirt bikes have enough bad press as it is so we don't need to make any more enemies.  But after sitting for all these months and add to that the pathetic XR-250's that I was riding in Honduras, I needed to hear the roar of a real 4-stroke.  Even if it was a little TTR-125 with a White Bros pipe, it still roared.  That little parade lap took me almost 30 minutes to complete.  All my neighbors that were working in their yards or garages were stopping me to welcome me home.  I felt like RJ (Ricky Johnson) on his farewell SuperCross tour.

Okay, it's taking forever to write this.  One reason, English television.  More accurately English ESPN & ESPN-2.  I am running back and froth from the TV to the computer (I need wireless).  I had my share of ESPN & ESPN-2 down in Hondo but it was always in Spanish.  My Spanish is fine when someone is talking to me but when you have it on TV it is very difficult for me to keep up with it.  Right now it's the little league World Series.  Last night it was the Lance Armstrong interviews on OLN.  Speaking of Lance Armstrong, is there a greater athlete in the world right now than this guy?  The things that Ricky Carmichael is doing in the 250 Nationals and over his whole career are beyond words.  And we know how Motcrossers don't get the athletic respect they deserve.  But the whole Lance story is almost too perfect.  And the best part of it all is how he is sticking it to the European press regarding their accusations of illegal doping.  ESPN has reported that over the last five years there has never been an athlete subjected to more mandatory drug testing than Lance.  They just don't get it.  The more you make a guy like that mad the harder he is going to train and the more he is going to beat you.  It's kind of like that Ed Wilson guy.  I heard that some Copper called him slow and fat at one of the Summer Series races this year.  I heard that he also said that Ed makes a better roadblock than racer.  Rumor has it that this guy got on the PA speaker and was announcing that Big E was in the market for some turn signals to mount on his RM.  Wrong thing to do.  Now Ed is training like a mad dog.  He has gone from the bowl to the pintsize cup of crème.  He has quit using the fire-pole and now runs the stairs when there is a fire call-out.  You can log on to the FPMX Journal and watch the "Shape-O-Meter" click down a tenth of a point almost on a daily basis.  Like I said, you don't want to make a guy like that mad.  Ed needs to be careful though, if he starts winning too much we might need to start mandatory drug testing…

Well, I am off to pickup the DogHouse right now.  I know the Santa Maria races aren't until next week but I really miss the DogHouse and I have a lot of work to do on it.  It's good to be home.  I think I hear another parade lap calling. 

STAY SAFE, more later.
 

SUNDAY, 8/1/04, 9PM
I am sitting here in my spacious Tegucigalpa apartment after spending the last two weeks in the south part of the country near the Nicaraguan border.  Anywhere outside of the capitol city of Tegucigalpa is like going to a sauna where it rains everyday at 5:00 PM.  You can almost set your watch to it.  Hot and wet any direction you go.  I really don’t mind the hot weather that we have this time of year in SoCal but I am not used to all this humidity down here.  When you throw in having to wear a ballistic vest, 12-pound gear belt, 30-pound equipment pack, and carry a 10-pound rifle and then walk 2-4 kilometers to set up an interdiction site, it’s HOT.  I know what some of you Firefighters are saying right now.  You guys wear a lot more gear than that and on a regular basis have to run into a multi story building and then possibly carry someone out on your back.  I have practiced that firemen’s carry a few times and I think I will stick with my tactical gear.  But things are starting to look up for me here.  I should be getting out of this place in about two weeks.  I have to make a quick stop (one week) in El Paso and then home to Dee and wonderful Temecula.  Just in time to set up the “DogHouse” for a trip to Pismo Beach.  First stop of course will be the Summer Series rounds at Santa Maria.  Not to race though because I am not quite ready for that.  I think I will stick to just helping out with the event and seeing all my FPMN Brothers and Sisters.  Although my TTR is starting to look race ready now that I have the suspension done and a few motor mods.  HMMM, I will have to think about that one.  I can hardly wait to get home. 

I was thinking about Ed and the crew up at Washougal today.  Even though I have a sister that lives only ten miles from there I have never been to the Washougal track.  That’s gotta be some kind of bad MX etiquette.  Never waist an opportunity like that to visit a track or see a race.  I have met several local racers here and all they want to talk about is our local SoCal tracks.  These guys live and breathe Motocross.  As Uncle Ed would say, “they’re blood type is MX-positive”.  I am starting to get really pumped up about the race season next year.  I have put in a lot of hours on these XR-250’s and feel real good about my riding.  I have stuck my feet into a couple of holes and kicked a few rocks here and there and with the exception of a little pain I think I am good to go.  One thing is for sure, I can ride a lot better than I can walk.  I have been down here for over three months now and I have been on a regular routine of stretching and running.  I just started on the pavement a few weeks ago.  It sure is a lot tougher than the treadmill.  I was even thinking of starting a shape-o-meter like the one Ed has on The Journal.  That way I can track my progress as I slowly inch my way towards the 5th best shape of my life.  I’ve got a ways to go yet. 

I thought I would throw this pic at you to prove my point about the gear we have to wear.  It was about 95/95 when this shot was taken (I think it was about 4:00 PM).  That’s 95 degrees and 95% humidity…  Dee, HELP ME…    

STAY SAFE, more later.click to enlarge

FRIDAY, 7/9/04, 6AM
I know I have not been writing much lately but we (my Team and I) have been really busy here.  You coppers know how tough it is fighting crime.  Not that it isn’t a tough job to put out a fire its just that personally I would rather start a fire than put one out.  I think that comes from so many years of seeing trashed out, rat infested, S#%T whole houses/apartments that were used to either store illegal aliens or drugs or both.  I wrote a few weeks ago about how they don’t seem to have any fire departments here in Honduras.  Well, the other day I did see a fire service vehicle.  It was just a little SUV painted all white with a red stripe down the side.  However, I was able to confirm that they do not have any fire trucks, as we know them in the states.  When there is a large structure fire in the city they just send out a few pickup trucks with fire hoses in the back.  If there is a large brush fire or forest fire they just let them burn until they either go out on their own or the rain puts them out.  Oh, I should mention that the old fashion bucket brigade is still widely used here.   

Now the cops here in Honduras are nothing more than security guards.  They are paid about $300 a month and they are all extremely affable.  That is they are too nice/timid to do their job.  The gangsters in L.A. would love it here since all they do is wreak havoc on society and then complain when an officer pounds on him a little when he wont take his hands out of his pockets to get the cuffs on.  As you can tell I am being rather philosophical this morning.  Anyway, the newest police force in this country is a national police called the Policia de Frontera.  All of their police tactics training comes from us, the United States.  Most of the other officers in the country wont put in for this agency because it is such a tough course.  The failure rate is extremely high.  If they fail then they are released from duty that day.  No ifs, ands, or buts…  But if they make it they are paid double the salary of a standard officer, $600.  Life sure is good in our world.                      

Today is my overtime shift (about $380) so I thought I would come into the Embassy a little early and say hi to all of you (my shift starts at 0700).  I have been reading about the night series and it sounds like everyone is having a blast.  It’s been two seasons now since I have been able to bang bars with Ed “The Dogger” Niemela.  Or hammer through a long moto only a few bike lengths from my good buddy Steve Coster.  I think all in all though I miss the Summer Series the most.  It always felt more like a practice session than racing.  The three motos is fantastic and the close proximity of the pits (StarWest, Perris, Glen Helen SX track) makes it a great family like atmosphere.  I think I have made up my mind on which new bike to get.  Sorry Uncle E, but I don’t think I can ride a two-stroke anymore.  The YZ and RM-250’s look awesome but I think I am going with a 250F.  Probably the Yamaha.  I know all the hype about being to big for the bike and thus being underpowered but I am quickly approaching the 5th best condition of my life.  Sorry again EEE-DUB, but I have not fallen off my training program.  I have found that I can still have my Cookies & Cream as long as I work that much harder on my next rehab session.  I am actually looking forward to the challenge of trying to make that 250F go as fast as possible.  I guess only time will tell.            

STAY SAFE, more later.        
 

MONDAY, 6/14/04, 10AM
Okay, first things first.  I was successful in locating the local Motocross track.  Its not a bad little track.  It is located right on the edge of the city (Tegucigalpa) and actually has a really good layout.  It is in a valley and has many long tabletops and one short whoop section.  The track was recently covered with straw/hay and then disked to help with the rain runoff.  It is now the rainy season and it rains about every other day.  I met one of the local pro riders (Jhonny Villeda, yes that is the correct spelling) who is also the local regional champion for this part of the country.  When I told him that I have ridden at the Glen and Hangtown he had about a million questions for me.  He was riding an old clapped out 1999 CR-125.  I watched him ride for a while and he is pretty good.  I think that most of our FPMN experts could beat him.  So Hannig, Niemela, Bush, if you guys want to be a National Champion then this is the place for you.  Just don’t drink the water.  He told me that the next time I come out to watch him ride he would let me take a few laps.  I think I might take him up on that next Sunday.  They only race here in Tegucigalpa once every few months but they do race every week in San Pedro Sula.  That is the next largest city here in Honduras and is about a five-hour drive from here.

I just finished my first motorcycle-training course last week.  It was pretty interesting considering that several of the students don’t even know how to drive a car.  I was able to really get a good feel for these third world countries Hondog XR-250’s.  The motors are seriously restricted but the main problem was with the suspension.  Can you say VERY SOFT?  I can.  Especially after I hit my first kicker on a fast trail and the back wheel came all the way around and almost passed the point of no return.  You know the kind of kicker when you usually just nail the throttle and the bike will correct itself through power.  Well that brings us back to the other problem, there is no power.  Anyway, I have a whole new respect for the word trail bike and Luke Terry riding that 650 so fast.  I cant believe that I used to be one of the XR moto crowd.  

We are heading out to an island known as Roatan in a couple of days.  They say that it is a world-renowned spot for scuba diving and surfing.  It is also a world-renowned spot for the smuggling of cocaine.  Usually coming north from Colombia and Nicaragua by way of boat and plane.  I don’t think I will do any scuba diving but the surfing sounds like some fun.  I haven’t surfed in about 25 years but I am sure it is like that riding a bike thing…

Oh and the donkey pic, I paid the guy like three days wages (20 Lempiras or $1.20) to let me sit on his pride and joy.  I couldn’t get the thing to move though.                 

STAY SAFE, more later.                           

FRIDAY, 5/21/04, 11AM
I knew that I was in a third world country the other day when I saw an old clapped out YZ-125 going down the local highway.  The thing was bellowing a cloud of smoke and I don't think the DG silencer had been repacked since the last Bush was president.  Add to that the rider was in some sort of casual business suit (casual for Honduras) and he was wearing an old road race style helmet that looked as if Eric Bostrom had slid across a GP track with (about 10 years ago).  Yes, while all of you FPMX racers and fans bask in the beautiful SoCal weather and prepare for the opening round of the night series I am stuck in the twilight zone.  Driving in this place is like something out of "The Blues Brothers" movie when they are driving through the mall.  People, animals, and even the kitchen sink are in the roadway.  I think every old used school bus from the good old U.S. of A. has found its way south to get in my way.  Its not all bad though.  The food is excellent.  The one caveat is that you have to like Mexican food, with a Honduran twist.  And the water is sketchy at times so you just need to know if your restaurant of choice has a filtration system or not.  The people are very friendly and they generally look up to Americans (yes, they are all short here) being in their country.  By Honduran standards I am in the upper 1% of total wealth for this country.  Now who took the wrong test, eh Uncle Ed...  There are NO FIRE DEPARTMENTS in this country.  If something catches fire, they just let it burn.  I was also able to find out about a local Motocross track that is only a few miles away from where I am staying.  I will venture out there this weekend to see if it is for real.  More on that later. 

The National Police force, known as "Policia De Frontera" or "PDF" as they are called, have purchased a handful of 2004 XR-250's.  Now that sounds cool but these are not your ordinary XR'r.  I have ridden a 2004 XR-250 in the states and that thing absolutely rocks.  These things have no resemblance of any XR I have seen.  Governors on the motors, throttle stops, no clickers on the suspension, no preload on the rear shock, and they weigh about 400 pounds.  I am now even more disappointed in the Honda brand.  Anyway, they want me to put on a 40 hour training course for these cops.  Now that sounds cool also but most