Finally, the time had arrived, and I began mentally preparing for the battle. I lined up next to a whopping 44 other competitors in the Four-Stroke A Class, where I struggled to locate a decent starting position on the line. While awaiting the prerace ceremonies, Brandon offered this advice: "Since your class is so jam-packed, you would benefit greatly from a good start so that you won't be held up behind the traffic." Unfortunately, a small glitch prevented me from that start I needed, and I ended up being the last rider off the line. I can't blame the quad-I just didn't have enough time on it to practice speedy starts. Before I knew it, I had unexpectedly caught up to the back traffic. The GT Thunder YFZ motor paired with HMF's Ballance Series pipe offered up incredible power to make those much-needed passes on the first lap. It seemed to have a nice jolting power right off the bottom, but what I was most impressed with was its ability to pull even after you thought the power was about to drop off. I know the YFZ very well, and this motor just kept pulling like nothing I had ever felt before. After tracking down and passing 12 riders before the end of the first lap, my confidence was really boosted by this machine's superior abilities.
Just one week prior to our race on Brandon's race quad, he pulled off a third-place overall finish on it.
Aside from that horrific start, the race seemed to be going my way. Each lap I was picking off handfuls of racers in my class. I believe these passes were in part due to a finely tuned suspension system that Brandon had spent countless hours refining. The Houser Slycast front A-arms are 1 inch wider than stock, allowing for a drastic improvement in stability of the quad at high speeds. Also, Elka's Elite shock setup had a flawless feel as this machine stayed planted, so that I could tackle this course effectively without wasted time and energy trying to keep it in control. For once, I finally felt as if I were riding the quad rather than it riding me. I felt I was in complete control of every turn, straightaway, whoop and jump. On lap three, I rolled into the pits for fuel and to switch out my goggles. Without hesitation, three mechanics from the crew jumped, ready to take care of all my needs. One of them gassed up the YFZ with a quick-fill can, another switched out my goggles and the third made a quick inspection sweep on the condition of the quad. No kidding, this detailed pit did not take more than five seconds, and I was back in action ready to tackle my last lap.
As I was only one lap away from the finish line, I was determined to turn it on and make as many passes as I possibly could. Being the last one off the starting line left me with a difficult task ahead, but after four more earned positions, the checkered flag was finally in sight. I ended up 16th place in my class. I felt good about this finish considering the circumstances. There is no doubt in my mind that Brandon's finely tuned YFZ450 aided me in a comeback that seemed nearly impossible five minutes into the race. After accepting two and a half hours of punishment, the YFZ only suffered a slightly bent tie-rod end and a couple of dings in the rims. Thanks to Brandon and his crew, that was an exhilarating battle and an incredible day of being a factory Yamaha rider.