Category: Flat Track

Flat Track Racing in IDAHO {OMC Rd #2 & Rd #3}

We have been back from racing and visiting with family in Idaho for 2 weeks, and I am just now finding the time to sit down and share how it all went!  It was a SUPER FUN trip, but it took a lot of energy, planning, and driving to make it all happen…exhausting all in its own (not to mention the packing/un-packing, work related stuff, the holidays, etc). Glad to be home and getting ready for the holidays!

We raced the OMC Flat Track Series in Idaho on the Friday and Saturday following Thanksgiving (which meant making the 8 hour drive over on Thanksgiving Day). We were hoping to make it back to our home track in Monroe in time for racing on Sunday morning as well – but with how tired we all were and the nasty road conditions on the 8 hour drive, we quickly realized that may not be possible. We arrived back home late Sunday evening.

First night {Rd #2}:

Mayhem took 1st in both the open kid’s quad and open kid’s dirt bike class.

Nelly took 3rd in the open kid’s dirt bike class, and took a hard crash in the kid’s quad class…still finishing 4th.

Chandra held 1st in the PRO class heat and main race, taking home the $65 purse.

Team #77 Racing also battled it out on our 70cc 3-wheelers (all 6 of our immediate family members)…

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Video of the ‘Heat Race’ {this first portion of the video eliminates Uncle Jonny jumping the start line…}:

Poppa Wheelie taking 1st, Dan 2nd, May 3rd, Chandra 4th, Nelly 5th, and Uncle Jonny 77th in the main!

Second night {Rd #3}:

Mayhem finished 1st in the kids open quad class, and 3rd in the kids open dirt bike class. Nelly swooped up 2nd in the open kid’s quad class, and 4th in the open kid’s dirt bike class.

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AND THEN, yesterday, we went to Monroe to support our sponsored kiddos still racing flat track out there! A minor detail (but a huge decision that I have pondered over how and when to publicly discuss/announce) is that our two girls, Mayhem and Nelly, will no longer be racing Flat Track at Monroe for WHR Motorsports (the current promoter). This is the first time in 26 years that Team #77 Racing has not had an immediate family member racing the Winter Monroe Flat Track Series. I plan to address the decision in full detail here in my #MotoMom Blog in the near future, but with an open investigation involving the promoter (the lessee) and the Evergreen State Fairgrounds (the landlord) – I am allowing things to run a due-process before discussing details related to this decision. Either way, we continue to support all of our sponsored kiddos and friends/family racing there on Sundays this winter!

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The next race in the Idaho OMC Flat Track Series is not for another month. Meanwhile, we plan to get a few BMX sessions in at NW Indoor BMX – and get things prepared for Xtreme International Ice Racing on Jan 7th! This years’ Ice Racing line-up is SURE TO IMPRESS: Poppa Wheelie and Painter Dan will BOTH be racing un-studded 70cc 3-wheelers, and both girls (plus Addy and Bro) will be racing the kids class! Both classes have been stacked with 8+ riders. With great competition, family & friends, it’s sure to be a great time!

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Happy Holidays to all of our family, friends, and supporters! Team #77 Racing has had the BEST year yet, and we appreciate each and every one of you that has encouraged us along the way. We sure are excited to see what 2017 has to hold!

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‘If everything seems under control,

you’re not going fast enough’

❤ CHEERS!

happy-holiday

#MotoMom

Flat Track Racing in IDAHO {OMC Rd #1}

This past weekend, we hopped in Poppa Wheelies’ dully pick-up with trailer+bikes in tow – and headed to Nampa, Idaho (8 hours from home) to visit my sister + brother-in-law, and race the OMC Flat Track Series {Round #1}!

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My only sibiling/older sister Chandra is what I consider a ‘flat track veteran’, holding several pro titles throughout her 25+ years of racing quads (on dirt AND ice).  Just a little over a year ago, her career in racing was put on hold due to being diagnosed with MS. Since her diagnoses, she has worked hard to maintain her illness in a positive attempt to live a healthy and happy life. Anyone who has met her knows how much of a strong and amazing person she is…MS knocked her on her a$$, but she has fought back and kept such a positive attitude…I sure love and admire her! This past weekend was her first time back on the dirt track and I couldn’t have been any more proud and happy to be there to cheer her on!

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Chandra got the whole-shot on both the heat and the main, riding fierce (running tire-to-tire with her competition in every corner, keeping tight on the inside line, allowing NO room for error) and maintaining 1st place for the entire 8 lap race in BOTH the PRO heat and main race – taking home the $100 cash purse at the end of the night!

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Uncle Johnny and Shane raced their 3-wheelers, Johnny taking 1st and Shane 2nd.

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Maybelline and Penelope both raced an open kids quad class, May sweeping up 2nd place and Nelly 3rd.

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Both girls also raced an open kids dirt bike class; May fought hard taking 3rd, and Nelly shortly behind in 4th.

Such a great weekend of racing with family!

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Now, 4 days of R&R before another double header event here in Idaho, then back to Washington… #Team77Racing   #WinnersPodium   #ParticipationPlaques

#MotoMom

NW Flat Track Series 2016-2017: Race #1 {of 9}…

Now, that was a GREAT way to start off Flat Track season! Team #77 had victories across the table this past Sunday, and we couldn’t be any more proud of all the kiddos!

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Penelope raced her PW 50 in the beginners 50cc dirt bike class, and her LT80 quad in the beginners 90cc quad class. At the ripe age of six, this is her second year racing in both those classes. Last year, she had a tough time keeping up with the ‘big kids’ in both classes but held in there taking 4th overall in the series (out of 6 total qualifying riders) on her quad, and 4th overall in the series (out of 4 total qualifying riders, so last place) on her dirt bike.

Maybelline raced her new KTM 50cc Pro Senior in the advanced 50cc dirt bike class, and her LT80 quad in the beginners 90cc quad class. As we mentioned before, we were having a tough time deciding what class to put her in on her quad since she had already been in that class for two years. After consulting our fellow ‘flat track veteran’ family and friends, it came down to just a few things:

-In the 2 years she had previously raced this class, she only ONCE (in 18+ races) took home a 1st place trophy (and that’s when #1 and #2 took each other out on the last lap and she was able to pass by the crash).

-Also, she is still riding a stock 80cc quad, vs. the ‘shifter quads’ that are currently running in the advanced class. The ‘Myers’ family (racing mates for 20+ yrs) also have similar age kids on the same quads that always proven for fun competition, so we followed suit leaving them all in the same classes again this year as we’ve always done in the past.

-Finally, she is 3 years YOUNGER than the maximum age requirement for the class, meaning that she is still competing with people who are both less and more advanced than her.

Obviously, if she takes a podium finish in this class this year, we plan to buy her a bigger bike and move her up next year. As far as her dirt bike went, the ‘big bikes’ (KTM’s and Cobra’s) stepped up into the advanced class so Maybelline did too! With only a few short sessions of seat time on the new bike, we were not sure what to expect.

This year, we also added another new member to the Team #77 Racing Team! Our dear friend Makayla and her daughter, Addy (age 5) came out for Sunday RACE-DAY. Addy is using one of the girls’ old LT50 quads, and is racing the beginners 70cc quad class.

Another long-time ‘flat track veteran’ friend brought out his son, Bro, to also race in the beginners 50cc dirt bike class. It was sooooo fun to have him and Penelope in the same races (flashback to circa ’94…and that was us, now parents, racing each other). We are hoping that Bro will return in the near future to race quads with the girls’ as well!

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With a line-up of 4 kids, totaling 6 bikes/quads (and all races running back-to-back pretty much), it sure led to an eventful day for Team #77 Racing!

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Nelly and Bro battled it out on their PW 50 dirt bikes (back and forth between #1 and #2 probably 5 times during the race) – with Nelly taking 1st across the finish line during the heat race. The main had seven dirt bikes total, Nelly taking 1st, and Bro at 3rd (but less than a bikes length from swiping 2nd). I think both of them are probably still sleeping with their trophies at night ;-).

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Next race was Maybelline on her dirt bike! Just her (on her KTM) and another little girl (on a Cobra), both new to the bikes and class this year, hit the track. May blew up her clutch right out of staging, but made it through both the heat and main, taking 2nd place overall.

Addy was up next! For her first time ever on the track, she did GREAT! There were 2 quads in her class that did not belong in there (it was a 70cc and less beginners class, and there was a DDR 90 and a 110 both in it) that made it an even tougher race for her. Either way, she swooped up 5th in the heat race, and finished 2nd in the main…INCREDIBLE!

Next up was May and Nelly in the quad class! With 9 total riders in the class, both girls had to fight hard to keep their places. May took 1st in both the heat and main, and Nelly took 4th in both as well! SO PROUD OF THEM ❤❤

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We got out of the track by 5:30ish on Sunday, and headed home with a bus full of happy kids and a bundle of trophies! With 26 winters spent at that track for Flat Track Racing…these sure are the nights and moments we live for…GO TEAM #77 RACING!

{{Up next: Indoor BMX Racing             THIS WEEKEND}}

#MotoMom

Quick Update: NW Flat Track Series 2016-2017…{Just 3 more days}!

 

We are SOOOOOOO proud to announce we have added another little racer to Team #77 Racing for the upcoming NW Flat Track Season! This will be Addy’s first year on the track, and we are so excited to help her gain some podium finishes. Also, our funniest little man AJ will be returning for another year of wreaking havoc in the Beginners 90cc Class! 
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Now that we’ve gotten the GOOD news out of the way…the bad news: we are down a race quad at the moment. Maybelline’s LT80 is currently in repair mode, after the cooling fan let go and exploded during some trial runs today. We purchased the quad a year and a half ago (for a small fortune) and it was supposed to be ‘race ready’. Ever since, it has had jetting problems (or so we thought that was the issue). It really never ran its full capacity this last race season, so we were surely hoping for a better start to this season.

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Poppa Wheelie has it torn to pieces at the moment…and we are awaiting details on where to go from here. On a side note, good thing we own at least a half dozen of these LT80’s (but nothing as fast as that particular quad). Either way, we will be RACE READY on Sunday morning!

it’s Going to be a GREAT season…

{JUST 3 MORE DAYS}…

#MotoMom

NW Flat Track Series 2016-2017…{Just 2 more weeks}!

Okayyyy, so I know it has been TOO LONG since I last updated this blog. But, good news – I have good excuses 😉

My main purpose for this blog is promoting and sharing the Team #77 Racing (mainly the girls’) journey racing their quads, dirt bikes, 3 wheelers, and BMX. As I am sure you could imagine, racing is SO EXPENSIVE. Over time, we hope that documenting this journey will allow the girls’ to secure additional sponsors and fans along the way, keeping a strong support system around them at all times. They both have BIG goals in mind – but how exactly we get there is another story.

With that being said, since BMX State Finals at PI (in late August), we haven’t been moto’ing at all. Lame, I know! Following finals, we took a quick trip over to Idaho for a few days to visit with my sister. The day after we returned, both girls were back to school full time. Two weeks following that, I went back to work full time. And now, we are still just as busy as ever!

BUT…it’s that time of the year again for the NW Flat Track Series out at Monroe. Team #77 Racing has been racing out at Monroe Flat Track since 1990, so this is pretty much a family tradition at this point. This year is a 9 round series, spread between 4 months. Sunday mornings, we arrive to the track by 8am, and we don’t leave until well into the evening. Half way through the season – a double point’s race takes place in Pasco, WA. The last two races of the season are run as a double header (Friday night, and Saturday afternoon). You must race 8 of 9 races to qualify – and it’s ran total points style (each finish equals a certain amount of points, add them all up at the end of the year for a total and final points count/finish).

This year, Penelope will be racing her PW50 dirt bike in the Beginners 50cc Class and her LT80 quad in the 90cc Beginners Quad Class.

Maybelline, on the other hand, we are not sure what classes she will be racing at this point. She will be on her new KTM Pro Senior 50cc dirt bike, and racing her LT80 quad again. Although both the quad and dirt bike beginners’ classes allow for kids up to 11 years old to race in them, it really isn’t fair to remain as a beginner if you’ve been racing that class several years, and you have taken away a podium finish. On the other hand, the next class up for quads is usually ‘shifter’ quads (which Maybelline’s isn’t), and then next class up for dirt bikes were some REALLY tough boys on some REALLY ‘trick’ dirt bikes.

As we get nearer to the season start, gossip sure is flowing! We recently found out (after spending a small fortune to build some race 3-wheelers) that the promoter has canceled the 3-wheeler class for this season. HUGE slap in the face to many people, but I honestly expect nothing different from this class-act of a guy. Another one of the podium finishers in the girls’ dirt bike class will also be stepping up to a ‘big girl’ bike this year and racing alongside Maybelline. Our sweetest buddy AJ (#99) will be returning for another year of Flat Track (his 2nd year) on his quad. The most adorable lil’ Zoe and her tough brother will be missing in this years’ dirt bike classes. Maybelline’s biggest competition in the quad class last year is moving up. So many changes – makes for lots of anticipation…we can’t wait!

…Just 2 more weeks…

#MotoMom

The longest week, everrr…

Oh my, what a long week it has been! I tend to be one who plans and prepares for everything. But when things come up unexpectedly, I easily get stressed trying to juggle it all. Anyhow, the week is FINALLY over – and I am extremely happy to have a weekend at home with no plans in sight.

This last week was the first week of swim lessons – and the girls LOVED IT. Both of them swim rather well, but with all the fishing and other water activities we do – it makes me feel a whole heck of a lot better knowing that they have the basic skill-set needed if any emergencies were to arise. Not to mention that I can’t swim (well, barely) – so they would need to save me, LOL. Anyhow, the weather was crummy all week, and lessons were in an outdoor pool, but neither of the girls even seemed to notice. We will be headed back Monday for week #2!

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On Tuesday, Penelope’s ‘adopted dog’ Shyanne (Grandpa’s retired hunting dog) got hit by a car, and broke a foot, a leg, and has a severe laceration on her one leg. Tough lesson for a 5 year old! Nelly had thrown her ball across the street, and Shyanne took off to retrieve it. A work van speeding around the corner tagged her (right in front of Penelope). Penelope has spent most the week nursing Shyanne’s wounds, and doing her best to help her recover. Sure breaks my heart for both of them!

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On Thursday, Maybelline and I headed out to meet Poppa Wheelie at EMXP for some practice on her new KTM Pro Senior. Although she has ‘talked the talk’ for many month about this KTM – she is actually pretty scared of it. It’s by far the fastest thing she has ever ridden! It took some coaxing and several laps before she became completely comfortable with it – but in no time, she was rippin’ it up. After an hour or two, she decided she wanted to go hit the big track. Ummm, we weren’t quite sure about it – but let her do her thing. Within the first lap, she was ‘rider-down’ between a jump and the tabletop. By the time she rode up to us after the crash, she was balling her eyes out. Come to find out, she wasn’t actually so hurt (a small bruise and scratch) – she was just so upset because the guy who helped her on the track never asked her if she was ok. He just picked up her bike, started it, and told her to go. Well now, lesson learned for Maybelline: If you are going to ride the ‘big-boy’ track on your ‘big-girl’ bike, then there ain’t no time for crying over crashes, LOL. She quickly exited that track, went back to the kids track, and finished off her evening doing practice laps there.

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Yesterday (Friday), after finishing swim lessons, Maybelline and I headed off to SeaTac Airport for her first solo flight (headed to Boise for bonding time with her Auntie Chandra). What a task that was! 5 hours later (between Friday traffic through Seattle, parking at SeaTac, unoccupied minor check-in and paperwork, security, dinner, etc), she was finally in the air. Ironically, as I pulled in the driveway at home – I got a text that she had just landed, and was safe with her auntie. 5 hours’ worth of work, for her 50 minute flight, LOL.

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This morning, I slept in – and it felt sooooooo good. As I slowly woke up, got some coffee, and checked my phone – I found this gem:

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Maybelline and her auntie completed May’s first 5k in 43 minutes! So proud of these ladies♥♥♥

Now, I am off to get a pork roast and some ribs in the smoker! Somehow, my husband convinced me to ‘buy a whole pig’ (in which we had no freezer room for anyhow). So, mission ‘SMOKE PORK’ is in session…

#MotoMom