Race Recap: Luceme Valley, CA
Yeeeeeehhaaaaaa!!!
This weekend marked the final round of the 2005 AMA National Hare and Hound Series
located at Lucerne Valley, CA. This was the final race of the series that
I had battled with Destry Abbott all year long. I had a descent lead in points
with just needing a finish to secure the Championship. I got my YZF450 all
dialed in, thanks to all my awesome sponsors and arrived down there Friday
afternoon just to make sure everything was a go. We(my brother Nick and my
girlfriend Tina) got it all dialed in and turned it in for the night. Saturday,
the smoke bomb opens up and time to see where the start is and find the fastest
and bestestest(my own make up word:) line to the end. Well, we cruised out
to the start after it opened and checked out the bomb. It was about 3 miles
up to the entrance of a saddle between 2 big 300 feet mountains, with boulders
the size of cars and buses, that they were making us go through. Pretty obvious
where to go. Well, we found an awesome line and were waiting 'till early
morning to break it all the way in. My Yamaha was running and working great,
so we headed back to the pits. Right before we got to the truck, I went out
with Nick for a few final practice starts. She fired every time and I had
my confidence for a good start. After getting signed up and getting my race
tires and a clean air filter in and a check over, we were out of there around
5:00 pm. Got some good grub and watched the first round of the World Series
before we shut our eyes for bed. Ring, ring, ring, Alarm clocks flying as
it was 4:00 a.m. Time for showers and the drive to the start. Yea, it's
still dark at 5:15 am when we arrived after the 45 minute drive. We wanted
my bike all the way on the end so that means, flashlights and time to put
a bike to save my spot on the start. We were the first ones and saved my
line. Everything good so far. Got a little cereal and bomb opened at 7:00.
At 7:00 and like 2 seconds, I was out checking my line. We tied it all together
and were quite happy. I did a test run and held it wide all the way:) probably
doing almost a 100 mph or so for like 3 miles, it goes by pretty dang quick.
Well, happy we were as we headed to the pits for a final top off of gas and
a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich. 9:00 rolled around and time to head to
the start. At 9:30, the banner went up. It was the typical Lucerne Start.
100 plus people on each of the 5 waves and dead silence as the banner was
held. Legs on kick starters and eyes, barely blinking, looking for the first
flinch of the banner dropping. And Down it goes. Kick with my might and
poof, crap. I must have got a little throttle happy and so, kick, kick,
kick as quickly as possible. Braaaa, finally she fires and I guess I just
decided to give everyone like a 100 plus feet head start, actually, more like
craaapp. Pinned and tucked. I was on the side and had an alternate line
in case this happened that was almost as good as my main line, but no one
was on my main line, so I just absolutely pinned it. I got to the end of
the 3 mile bomb and could see someone to my right. I kept it pinned and as
the trails all came together as we climbed a little hill, I was first. Yeeehaaaa.
That was a first, to get a 5 or so kick start and still pull hole shot. I
guess my line was good and my Yamaha was running awesome. Well, they threw
us in some tighter rocky stuff and I just told myself to get smooth, I got
to finish this race, no stupid things. Well, the first loop just flowed and
my bike was running and handling awesome. The course had a lot of rocks and
ups and downs and was pretty challenging for the first loop. They had a sign
that said fotos, somebody obviously needs to go to school or was just wanting
us to smile, but it was a blind, up, jump thingy. I learned my lesson on
one of these a couple years ago as I jumped a blind hill and landed in some
2 and 3 foot rocks and almost crashed my brains out. I rolled the jump and
back pinned as I came into the pits after almost 40 miles. They said I had
about a 30 second lead on Destry. I headed out on the second loop and stayed
strong and smooth. It was really rocky with a couple gnarly down hills and
up hills. I came into the pits after like almost 30 miles and they said I
had almost a 2 minute lead. Sweeeet. Well, It was like 35 miles more.
I rode smooth and tried to save the bike and myself as the third loop had
some really tight, rocky, twisty trails and then some really fast valleys.
I started getting near the finish and was like well, I've made it this far
and I don't want to get beat, so I picked up the pace and had some fun. I
pinned it into the finish and could hear no one coming. HOTDIGGUDEEDOG:)
Woooeeeyy!! I won the race and won the Championship. I was a pretty happy
red head to say the least. My Yamaha 450F worked awesome. I got to give
a big thanks to all my family, sponsors, friends, and fans for all the awesome
support this year and helping me achieve my life long goal for the second
time. A big thanks to my dad and brothers and Tina for putting up with me
and all their help this year and weekend and a big thanks to Mike Guerra from
Yamaha for coming out to the race and all his help and for giving me the opportunity
to make this all happen and to the Pro Circuit gang of Dave Chase and Bones
for making my bike work like a dream. A big thanks to Ty Davis of Zip-Ty
racing for cheering me and helping me with with my bike also. A big thanks
to the Montclair Yamaha boys and girls and to JIm Rios at BRP and to GPR Stabilizer's
Randy and his parents and my dad and grandpa and my brother Nate for their
continued help and for all of the above for coming to the race and cheering
me on and everything else. A huge thanks Moose Racing USA and all my other
awesome sponsors for their continued support. I can't send enough thanks
because this was a package deal, I couldn't do it without everyone. Also,
a big thanks to Clint Braun who was helping me mechanizing through most the
year who suffered some broken bones and injuries in a motorcycle accident.
Hopes and wishes for a speedy recovery Clint. Thank you everyone. Results
were:
1st Russell Pearson :)
2nd Kendall Norman
3rd Matt Gosnell (a local friend from Vegas who we used to live with)
4th Quinn Cody
5th Destry Abbott ( I think??)
Another big thanks to everyone and I am back home and getting ready for a WORCS
race in Texas where I am going to give it a 115% to come home with another win.
Thanks again
Russell Pearson
Thanks to my sponsors:
Yamaha, Montclair Yamaha, Moose Racing USA, Pro Circuit, Bridgestone, SCOTT Goggles,
GPR Stabilizers, Zip-Ty Racing, ARAI Helmets, BRP, TM Designworks, Uni Air Filters,
IMS, ACERBIS, Pro Taper, Works Connection, E-Line, Sprocket Specialists, Excel,
RK Chains, Zingg, Number Technologies,Beam Designs and any and all else I am
forgetting. Also a big thanks for all our men and women still fighting for our
freedom because this red head is dang proud to be an American and for our freedom.