Spring Back...Fall Forward
Actually the saying goes "spring forward-fall back" which helps those on the 
mainland remember which way to advance or set back their clocks in preparation for daylight savings time. Of course we don't have to worry 'bout that but it's a fitting title for the September edition of the Race Reports beacuse in this fall season we are moving forward.
If this is your first time visiting action808.com you're not aware of the multiple changes this site has had over the last 2 years. Every new layout required learning a new program and blah blah blah but this latest change included changing web hosts and more blah blah blah. Thankfully I started the process before the September event and was only a few days late getting the images up loaded. We'll see how long it takes to change the look again...
So...were you there for the September Event at Kahuku? If not let me lay it out for you. Can you say tight, technical, tight? Well at least that's how the upper section had been laid out. After the riders screamed out of the valley and up the hill past the spectator bleachers they made a hard right hand back down the valley. From there it was a left hand off camber of sorts that pointed them back to the upper track and over a very large uphill jump that most riders were able to clear just by carrying momentum. That jump provided a moment of peace and quiet before landing and railing the left hand 180 that brought them to a large hump. The hump really couldn't be jumped because of an immediate 90 degree right turn at the base so most people rolled it. After navigating it they hit a small but steep table-top and landed at the entrance of yet another 180 left turn which shot them through a small whoops section. From there it was on to the rhythm section before the finish line, the big 180 left bowl turn and on to the remainder of the track. Of course the fast riders showed the others that there were two distinct lines through this section and many riders were able to catch up to the guy in front by not following. It was good layout and provided some good moments. Take a look at the 'lift off shots' of the experts over the small table and some of the shots through the whoops when you get a chance.
It was HUGE dust storm of a day though and that was unfortunate as there was a lot of wreckage on some of the starts. In one of the classes 8 bikes went down as a chain reaction occured at the first turn because no one could see the rider in front of them. That was caught on film and is in the Starts folder on line. The water truck and the track watering personnel did their best but there's nothing like wind and sun to evaporate what gets watered almost as soon as it hits the dirt.
It was welcomed surprise to have some of the Neighboor Island hot shots mix it up with our riders. I think they did a lot to add some excitement and fill out some of the classes. Distinctly noticeable were Yamaha #4 in the Expert Class and Polini # 21 in the 50's Advanced. Speaking of the 50's Advanced did anyone catch the recently crowned #1 KTM rider Donovan Canionero hammering the finish line table on the 50?
In the Expert 125/250f Class, Mercedes ran with the big dogs again for her second showing as an Expert. She fared well once again and from the look of things her speed through the whoops is getting better and better.
A blur of white lightning on a Honda 450 turned out to be Alfred Lee piloting the white bike around the track like a cyclone. Alfie has quickly transitioned from the 250f to the 450f and seems right at home on either one.
One thing that was sorely missed this past event was some of the regular riders who for one reason or another were out. Fortunately they were still participating as course marshalls or flaggers.
The Featured Rider this month is Alfred Lee. I've been watching "Alfie" since he was on a KTM, Yamaha, Kawasaki and he's now on Hondas. Alfie along with some of the other young gun hotshots came out of the group of riders that included Mercedes when they were all on 80/85's. Alfie was a good rider, up in the pack and pretty fearless on the 85's but the jump to the 125 class aboard the Honda 250f ignited him. A couple of months back I was up at the track on a saturday with my class of photographers learning how to shoot action shots and Alfie was riding the practice track on the 250f. He was hammering it. His style if you look closely resembles that of the other fast riders we have and I made a comment to him about it. He just grinned. Anyway here's a little interview we did with Alfred Lee our second installment of the Featured Rider.
Name: Alfred Lee
Rider#: 121
Bike: Honda 250f (stock) and 450f (stock)
Classes: 125 Am, 250 Am and Open
Age:12
Hometown: Kaneohe, HI
School: King Intermediate
Grade: 7th
Best Subject: Physical Education
Q: What do you want to be when you get older?
A: "I want to turn Pro"
Q: Who is your favorite Pro Rider?
A: "Ricky Carmichael"
Q: Which bike is your favorite, the 250f or the 450f?
A: "The 250f, it's easier to handle...the 450f can get away"
Q: Are your bikes stock?
A: "The bikes are stock...don't need any more power"
Q: What riding gear do you wear?
A: "All of it is NoFear gear"
Q: Who's the fastest rider locally?
A: "Bronson"
Q: Have you ever ridden with him on the track?
A: "yeah but I couldn't see his lines to good, he kicks up alot of dirt"
Q: Where did you buy your bikes from?
A: "the 50f came from Pflueger Honda in Waipahu...the 450f is from Rick Salinas
at "Ricks Auto Body"
Q: Who does all the wrenching on your bikes?
A: "David Rosen"
Q: Do you have a favorite track in Hawaii and why?
A: "yeah...Kauai!...Big Jumps"
Q: So you raced Kauai recently, what classes did you race?
A: "Open, Expert, 250 Am and 125 Am"
Q: Wow that's a lot of classes how did you do in the Expert and the Open?
A: "3rd in Expert and 3rd in Open"
Q: If you were to get the chance to ride one Pro Track on the Mainland which would it be?
A: "Glen Helen"
Q: Oh yeah thats a big track I've been there, what bike would you use?
A: "the 450 for the power"
Q: What do you do to train?
A: "ride and eat!"
Q: Favorite kind of riding...whoops, jumps, turns, straights etc.?
A: "I like the turns and getting air"
Q: What video games do you play?
A: "mx racer vs Atv"
As we sat there talking man to man I asked him about girls and that's when all the seriousness vanished. Of course he's got his eyes on a girl (s) but with mom sitting so close to us he got a little shy and his friends started giving him trouble so we let that one go with out getting a name. Keep your eyes on Alfred Lee, on Honda's 121.
See you all in October!
mainland remember which way to advance or set back their clocks in preparation for daylight savings time. Of course we don't have to worry 'bout that but it's a fitting title for the September edition of the Race Reports beacuse in this fall season we are moving forward.If this is your first time visiting action808.com you're not aware of the multiple changes this site has had over the last 2 years. Every new layout required learning a new program and blah blah blah but this latest change included changing web hosts and more blah blah blah. Thankfully I started the process before the September event and was only a few days late getting the images up loaded. We'll see how long it takes to change the look again...
So...were you there for the September Event at Kahuku? If not let me lay it out for you. Can you say tight, technical, tight? Well at least that's how the upper section had been laid out. After the riders screamed out of the valley and up the hill past the spectator bleachers they made a hard right hand back down the valley. From there it was a left hand off camber of sorts that pointed them back to the upper track and over a very large uphill jump that most riders were able to clear just by carrying momentum. That jump provided a moment of peace and quiet before landing and railing the left hand 180 that brought them to a large hump. The hump really couldn't be jumped because of an immediate 90 degree right turn at the base so most people rolled it. After navigating it they hit a small but steep table-top and landed at the entrance of yet another 180 left turn which shot them through a small whoops section. From there it was on to the rhythm section before the finish line, the big 180 left bowl turn and on to the remainder of the track. Of course the fast riders showed the others that there were two distinct lines through this section and many riders were able to catch up to the guy in front by not following. It was good layout and provided some good moments. Take a look at the 'lift off shots' of the experts over the small table and some of the shots through the whoops when you get a chance.
It was HUGE dust storm of a day though and that was unfortunate as there was a lot of wreckage on some of the starts. In one of the classes 8 bikes went down as a chain reaction occured at the first turn because no one could see the rider in front of them. That was caught on film and is in the Starts folder on line. The water truck and the track watering personnel did their best but there's nothing like wind and sun to evaporate what gets watered almost as soon as it hits the dirt.
It was welcomed surprise to have some of the Neighboor Island hot shots mix it up with our riders. I think they did a lot to add some excitement and fill out some of the classes. Distinctly noticeable were Yamaha #4 in the Expert Class and Polini # 21 in the 50's Advanced. Speaking of the 50's Advanced did anyone catch the recently crowned #1 KTM rider Donovan Canionero hammering the finish line table on the 50?
In the Expert 125/250f Class, Mercedes ran with the big dogs again for her second showing as an Expert. She fared well once again and from the look of things her speed through the whoops is getting better and better.
A blur of white lightning on a Honda 450 turned out to be Alfred Lee piloting the white bike around the track like a cyclone. Alfie has quickly transitioned from the 250f to the 450f and seems right at home on either one.
One thing that was sorely missed this past event was some of the regular riders who for one reason or another were out. Fortunately they were still participating as course marshalls or flaggers.
The Featured Rider this month is Alfred Lee. I've been watching "Alfie" since he was on a KTM, Yamaha, Kawasaki and he's now on Hondas. Alfie along with some of the other young gun hotshots came out of the group of riders that included Mercedes when they were all on 80/85's. Alfie was a good rider, up in the pack and pretty fearless on the 85's but the jump to the 125 class aboard the Honda 250f ignited him. A couple of months back I was up at the track on a saturday with my class of photographers learning how to shoot action shots and Alfie was riding the practice track on the 250f. He was hammering it. His style if you look closely resembles that of the other fast riders we have and I made a comment to him about it. He just grinned. Anyway here's a little interview we did with Alfred Lee our second installment of the Featured Rider.
Name: Alfred Lee
Rider#: 121
Bike: Honda 250f (stock) and 450f (stock)
Classes: 125 Am, 250 Am and Open
Age:12
Hometown: Kaneohe, HI
School: King Intermediate
Grade: 7th
Best Subject: Physical Education
Q: What do you want to be when you get older?
A: "I want to turn Pro"
Q: Who is your favorite Pro Rider?
A: "Ricky Carmichael"
Q: Which bike is your favorite, the 250f or the 450f?
A: "The 250f, it's easier to handle...the 450f can get away"
Q: Are your bikes stock?
A: "The bikes are stock...don't need any more power"
Q: What riding gear do you wear?
A: "All of it is NoFear gear"
Q: Who's the fastest rider locally?
A: "Bronson"
Q: Have you ever ridden with him on the track?
A: "yeah but I couldn't see his lines to good, he kicks up alot of dirt"
Q: Where did you buy your bikes from?
A: "the 50f came from Pflueger Honda in Waipahu...the 450f is from Rick Salinas
at "Ricks Auto Body"
Q: Who does all the wrenching on your bikes?
A: "David Rosen"
Q: Do you have a favorite track in Hawaii and why?
A: "yeah...Kauai!...Big Jumps"
Q: So you raced Kauai recently, what classes did you race?
A: "Open, Expert, 250 Am and 125 Am"
Q: Wow that's a lot of classes how did you do in the Expert and the Open?
A: "3rd in Expert and 3rd in Open"
Q: If you were to get the chance to ride one Pro Track on the Mainland which would it be?
A: "Glen Helen"
Q: Oh yeah thats a big track I've been there, what bike would you use?
A: "the 450 for the power"
Q: What do you do to train?
A: "ride and eat!"
Q: Favorite kind of riding...whoops, jumps, turns, straights etc.?
A: "I like the turns and getting air"
Q: What video games do you play?
A: "mx racer vs Atv"
As we sat there talking man to man I asked him about girls and that's when all the seriousness vanished. Of course he's got his eyes on a girl (s) but with mom sitting so close to us he got a little shy and his friends started giving him trouble so we let that one go with out getting a name. Keep your eyes on Alfred Lee, on Honda's 121.
See you all in October!
posted by Scott at
12:04 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home