I don't usually post about my racing, but this was kind of a big deal for me.
The club I belong to, Steel city riders, has had an annual six hour hare scramble for as long as I can remember. This ad is from 1973.
One of the founding members of the club, Jim Kelly a legend in Canadian motorcycling, died of a heart attack while competing in it in 1997. There is a memorial to him in the woods where it happened.
I rode it first in 1976, when I was 14 years old. I had bike problems and didn't finish, but being 14, I likely would have, but probably in last place. Fast forward almost 40 years (I didn't ride for 30), I have been running it as a team for the last three years, alternating hours with a teammate.
I finally stepped up, and ran it solo this year, running in the solo/pro class. After a lousy start near the back of the pack, I settled into a comfortable groove and concentrated on being smooth, picking smooth lines, and making as few mistakes as possible. It seemed to have worked because I got a little faster each lap and slowly started picking off bikes. It took almost a week to get the results, as they're done by volunteers, and by hand. I was hoping for a top five finish, but really had no idea where I ended up. I was thrilled to find out that I made it up to second place!
A few pics
At least it was close to my pit.
