We took off from Mica on Sunday about noon, and by noon on Monday we were in Sturgis in the sign up line, waiting for the shorttrack Hotshoe national that night. We met Rob and Carl there as they had driven from Ohio for the races, which was a long trip too. For the shorttrack, we had to race the stock framed 450's as that was the new AMA rules for 2009, so we dug out the new Bob Lanphere's Beaverton Honda/Renton Motorcycles 2009 CRF450R, and I could tell she was ready to roll. This track was very small, so starts would be important once again, and winning your heat races and such would give you the better starting picks too. So my plan was to win my heat race, then get the a good pick for the main event starting line. Easier said than done at times though with this crowd of riders on a short track. hahaha In practice and qualifying, my bike was feeling pretty dang good. I qualified in the 4th spot, which I was happy with that which would put me in heat race #3. At the flash of the light in my heat race, my bike launched out of the hole and the holeshot was mine. I put in a bunch of real solid fast laps and I remember thinking while racing that I needed to keep pushing it very hard as I wanted to get fast heat race time to get me the pole for the main event and the best starting spot for the final. I pushed it really hard and came home with the win. Afterwards I found out I was third fast heat race, which I could tell the track was getting drier with every race, so I was not too surprised to be 3rd fast. Jared Mees had the fastest heat race, then Sammy Halbert then myself.

    So we go line up for the final and here is Mees on the inside pole, with Slammin' Sammy beside him, then myself , then Carr on my other side and so on. I knew I had two young aggressive riders on my inside, but the track had gotten pretty polished off and slick since earlier, which I knew would fit my style better than theirs, so this was gonna be fun I could tell.

    At the flash of the light I launched out of the hole again and had the holeshot, then as I enter turn one way, way on the very inside up against the inside tires, then here comes Halbert trying to make room. Ain't gonna happen today buddy! So then just as we exit turn two, the red lights come on as someone had crashed in the first turn I guess. So we enter turn three, and here comes Halbert again trying to rub me some more, but the red lights were flashing and he was just wanting to still race me. I had enough, so I pull up along side him and grab his shoulder and yelled " You're mine buddy." Which maybe he heard me and maybe he didn't, but I was more ready than ever to get this race going.  It was Mees who went down pretty hard by himself I guess, but he was up and OK but he decided to sit this race out as he had bumped his head pretty hard I guess.

    Once they got the track cleaned up and Jared thinking straight (just kiddin' Mees) we were ready to start again. I nailed the light again and this time I railed turn one and was on a mission. I put in a few great laps and could tell my bike was working just perfect as I could tell that I was pulling away from whoever was in second place. Lap after lap on this slick little track and I felt like I was just cruising, as my bike was just working so good it made it easy for me. I never got pushed by anyone and came home with a big win as Halbert had gotten second with Carr in third.

    Now we had to get a quick nights sleep and get ready for tomorrow's 1/2 mile Grand National race in Rapid City just down the road, but then getting a quiet nights sleep in Sturgis is kind of not usually going to happen with all of the bikers in town for the Sturgis Rally, so ya just sleep when ya can, in between bikes revving up their motors showing their friends just how their bike sounds. hahahaha

    We roll into Rapid City the next morning, and the weather is looking pretty nice, but they are saying there is a chance of rain later in the evening, as when it rains in Sturgis, it usually rains pretty hard and suddenly.

    Anyway we get things all ready and practice and qualifying is up now. This Rapid City track is probably the best it has ever looked to me as far as smoothness and just race ready. Ooo, this is gonna be a fun day I could tell. I won the last national they had here a few years ago, so I was pumped to be back here for sure.

    During practice and qualifying my bike was feeling really good as I came home with the 4th fast time I think, which would put me in heat race 3 with Mees and others. Carr had won the first heat ace, then Coolbeth won his too. Now it was time for out heat race, and in the background right before our start, you could see a bunch of lighting in the clouds behind the grand stands. So we better hurry and get these races in, and at the flash of the light, I jumped out of there great with the holeshot, but then my bike bogged a little a little ways out and this let Mees and someone else sneak past me. I then got it rolling again and got right back by them in the middle of turn one and two right off the start. It's one of those things, like, hey, I had the holeshot, then my bike bogged a little so I was like that was my holeshot, and you guys are gonna give it back right now. I mean I was suprised when I was able to get right back underneath them in the first turn for sure, but it was just the adrenaline of the moment that helped me get right back by them I'm sure.

    This track was really fun, as it was slick as heck, with a huge wide groove, but you could just charge it into the turns really hard and pick up the throttle just a little and it just felt like you were skating on ball bearings, as you could not do anything too abrupt such as turns or anything, so you just had to ride it on the edge and be very smoothe and calculated with every move. Just both ends of the bike were drifting way more than most any other tracks I had ridden in quite a while. But at least the track was so consistent like this that it made it really fun to ride. At about the halfway part of my race, I noticed that my facesheild on my helmet was getting some rain drops on it, but it is heard to tell just how hard it was raining as if you have ever ridden a street bike in rain, it usually just kind of rolls off your helmet shield for a while before you start feeling or seeing any wetness. So I was guessing as to just how slick the track might be getting, but at the same time I was trying to push it really hard to get a good heat race time. So I kept putting in some real good laps, but I was definitely slowing down at times, as I was starting to see some shiny spots on the track and I just did not want to bust my butt while leading this heat race. By the end of the heat race, I had a good size lead over Mees in the second spot as I came home with the win.

    Right after our race was over, here came the rain, and it rained and rained. That would be the end of our night and the end of our race as the promoter ended up canceling the race and deciding not to run it the next day. Why? I'm not too sure actually. So they cut our purse in 1/2 and paid us out of our heat races. Kind of a bummer for sure, as I felt like the slicker the track was getting before the rain, that the better I was going, and the stop watches told that story too. Ooh well, as I was really wanting this night to turn around my season, but I guess I would have to wait until Columbus the next weekend.

    Now we all had the problem of getting the race trucks out of the infield of the Rapid City track, as the rain just continued to come down, and made for a huge mess with everything. After a few hours of thinking and talking with everyone else in the pit area, we got a few trucks out at 2:00 am or so, but it was al in the name of fun. hahaha

    Until next time, G'day! Joe