September 26, 2009 - Moose Racing Yadkin Valley - Yadkinville, NC
Heading into round eleven I was excited and thankful for the success I have had over the past few rounds and over the season in general. The XC2 ProAm class is full of tough, talented riders and I am glad to be in championship contention as we head into the last few races of the season. Yadkinville is tighter course which is usually plagued with dust; but not this year! Rain began to fall as we headed to line, which would make for an interesting day.
I got off to a great start which placed me in third place as the class entered into the woods. It was not hard to see that the rain had made for a slick first lap but I settled into a comfortable pace and focused on moving forward. I was able to make my way into the second place position with the leader in sight as we closed out the first lap. My machine was handling flawlessly and I remained calm and confident that I could take over the lead as the race pressed on.
In the third lap I began to lose rear brakes, I did all I could to keep them as long as possible but that would be short lived. I lost them completely about half way through the lap which would require me to switch up my riding style but I did my best to keep the leader in striking distance. It was enough of a challenge with the slick, wet conditions to keep on the course as it was but without brakes it was that much more difficult. I would hang onto the second place position for this lap and hoped I could keep up my momentum heading into the last lap.
Unfortunately I would hit a corner wrong and go over a burm and hit a tree in the final lap. I knew I had to get myself rolling quickly, which I did, but the damage had been done. I pushed forward towards the checkered in hopes of gaining the lead but would fall slightly short. I would finish second for the day and fourteenth overall. I am happy with this finish considering all the adversity I faced throughout the day. After this second place finish I maintain the XC2 ProAm points lead and I am excited as we head into the last two rounds of 2009!
Of course I cannot thank my wife Annie enough for her support - she is the best, my team for doing a great job pitting me nearly every lap, my fans for their continued support and I could not be where I am without my sponsors: GT Thunder, HLS Suspension, HMF, ITP, Fly Racing, PowerMadd, Flexx, HiPer, Tire Balls, JB Racing, Precision, Albright Motorsports, XCountry Photos, and State 8.