benchracingoct08

Bench
racing

This month The 2008 Chehalis, Rodeo
Clown, Brake Dancing Contest.

Don't let a good story die the slow death
of silence.

Chehalis Washington
is one of the biggest
races AHRMA has
every year. So if you
are going to make a
fool of yourself, and
do it big, this is one of
the best places to do
it.

By Robin Hannah #960

It had rained lightly early the morning
of the race. just enough to make it a
little saaaaaalick. Slick by itself can
be tricky, but slick when you are in a
hurry, really tricky. Lap two, I work my
way up to 5th place. I'm bearing
down on 4th. He was in the sweet
line and I decided to go for the pass
on a wide straight. To the left of his
line was an opening which involved a
slight off camber, side hill line. I
grabed as much loud handle as the
little Honda had left and aimed for
the opening. Half way through the
best pass of the day, the Honda
shoots down hill, to my right and out
from under my body, which is still
traveling 50mph.

This is the part I will never forget. I come down on my left knee brace, the bike takes this huge bounce, I loose
the bars. Then I take a huge bounce, still on one knee and with no handle bars for directional continuity. Next
came the really bizarre part. I land on the still sliding bike, on my chest protector and that's when the one knee
landing and the other straight leg, throws me into a spin on top of the bike. So the bike is sliding in mud about
35mph and I'm on top of it spinning like a combination Rodeo Clown-Brake Dancer-Sky Diver, but it doesn't
stop, that's the weird part. By the time the bike and I come to a hault I've made 2 full slow motion revolutions,
riding my chest protector, arms and legs bent back like a skydiver ,we've slid 75 feet along the track. I get up
and my steel front fender is saluting our accomplishment, with the front portion pointing skyward. The flagger,
as luck would have it, was positioned right next to my final resting spot on the track, and was laughing so hard
he dropped the yellow caution flag on the ground and had to pick it up twice.

Above.... Chehalis is a serious National Motocrss
What better place to practice clown techniques?

The 2008 Chehalis Classic had almost 500
entries. Famous people surrounded you as
you walked through the pits, so it should be a
good idea to at least, look like you knew what
you were doing. My steed was an SL 125
Honda. I was racing my first moto of Classic
125 Intermediate. Got my usual 4stroke 125
start = back of the pack. Coming from behind
can be fun. Gassing in the corners,searching
alternate lines, working traffic,running down
someone way out in front of you, these things
will turn a regular race into one to remember.
This is one time, I almost wish I could forget.

Right........... My
Honda
1973 SL125

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Include some pictures if you can. Please address them "Bench
Racer"