"Friday was my first day of practice on the MX portion of the track we were going to be racing on. I got there early in the morning, and when Eli arrived later in the afternoon he quickly went to work by installing a Motion Pro Vortex twist throttle and Pro Design kill switch. Now that I had a throttle I was used to, I was able to hit the track again and concentrate on tackling jumps that I felt uneasy on earlier in the day. As the track conditions worsened, I quickly noticed where my skills weren't up to par as I kept losing time in the rut-filled corners. I've never ridden a quad in this kind of setting before, and riders were quickly starting to catch and pass me. It wasn't doing much for my confidence.
"Saturday as I headed out for my unclassified race to get a feel for the entire track on my 'race quad,' I was feeling pretty good. The track wasn't much different from the previous weekend when I rode my dirt bike there, so I didn't have to memorize much. I had a blast pitching the TRX around corners and bombing down the hills but still didn't have the confidence to attack many of the jumps like I wanted to. My first true race was the pro production, for which I'd have to qualify for the big race on Sunday. This was only two races after the unclassified I was in earlier that morning, and what a rude awakening. I got a good start but quickly realized how much the track changes with quads running on it. After only two races the straightaways were now filled with huge whoops and the off-road sections were much rougher than earlier that morning.
"I pushed the limits of the suspension of the quad through the rough parts of the track just to see how much it could handle. While it worked good for me, it seemed as if many of the other riders in my class weren't getting beat up half as much as I was. By the end of my pro production race I ended up in fourth place but didn't feel that I had the necessary speed to be competitive in the pro race on Sunday.
"As I woke up on Sunday, my main goal for the weekend was to finish inside of the top 10. My game plan was to get out front on the start and ride steady and consistent. I was also hoping many riders would fade under the strenuous heat of the desert conditions so I could pick them off toward the end of the race. My start wasn't anything to brag about as I came out of the first turn just past mid-pack and was just trying to survive the first lap. I didn't come out unscathed as I stalled halfway through the first lap and couldn't get the machine fired back up. Once the Honda refired, I put my head down and rode as hard as I could to start picking off riders one by one. I think it was about the halfway mark of the race where I settled into my sixth-place position but never even realized it. Every lap I dreaded coming into the WORCS Cross section because I'd never ridden a quad over tractor tires and the log section seemed pretty tricky, but I usually came through with minimal problems.
"As the time ran down and we had two laps to go, the harsh terrain of the Honolulu Hills Ride Park was beginning to take its toll on me and every other rider. I just relaxed and rode a smart, consistent pace all the way to the checkered flag. Once I stopped with all of the other quads that crossed the finish line someone came over to tell me I had gotten sixth place. I was pumped over this since my goal was to just finish within the top 10. I had a great time and got to experience what it was like to race an ATV on a tough off-road course. It was good enough that, if given the opportunity, I'll be out there mixing it up again."