Idaho Thunder Mountain Motocross Series Round #5, Rupert, Idaho 15, 16, 17 July, 2011

Round five of the series was held at the Minadoka Fair Grounds in Rupert Idaho. The Rupert Motocross track is located at the hometown fair grounds and inside of the horse racing track. It is a great facility and definitely has a hometown feel. This setting fits Motocross perfectly because that is what we are all about; family friendly fun.

The Rupert track is very busy; it offers jumps, bumps, off camber corners, ruts and definitely keeps you on your toes. I’ll be honest, I struggle with this one, I did the last time I was here and this weekend proved to be no different for me.

Saturday was a tough day for the Project Filter Team, it seemed as though we were all a little off our mark. I managed to pull off a third place finish in my over 40 class. In the over thirties I ran mid pack the first moto and had a hard get off in the second that shut me down for an entire lap. Normally my Project Filter KX450 shoots me to the front of the pack but I got a terrible start in the second moto. As I rounded the first turn, mid pack, I spotted an opening right up the center; I grabbed a fist full of throttle and shot through it which set me in about third place. What I failed to remember was the huge ruts that had developed going into the next turn. I found myself completely cross rutted and before I could correct it I hit the ground, hard. It took the breath out of me and once I finally realized what had happened I could see that my bike was on top of me. The 450 becomes pretty heavy in that situation so I welcomed the help of a nearby flagger to get it off of me. I got myself resituated and took off to finish the moto. I ended up with a mid pack over all finish for the day.

I was pretty sore on Sunday from the crash and I’ll have to admit a little leery of the ruts but I managed to hold it together for another third place finish in the over 40’s and again mid pack in the over thirties.
On a positive note, Rupert had the pleasure of a surprise visit from AMA Pro Racer, Cole Siebler #171. Cole is tobacco free and proudly flies the Project Filter logo on his bikes. Cole rode all three Pro classes for the day and won all six motos that he contested. It was awesome to watch him maneuver the track with a blistering speed as he made it look almost effortless.

This was one of those weekends that causes you to regroup. I’m headed back to the drawing board to take a look at what went wrong and figure out how to make it better! Thank You to Project Filter for providing us the opportunity to represent and to support an outstanding program.

There’s just one more round to go for the Idaho Thunder Mountain Series. The last Round is in Boise at Owyhee Motorcycle Club, 13 August, 2011.

See Ya There!

Thunder Mountain Motocross Series, Salmon Idaho - 2, 3 July 2011

The Project Filter Motocross Team traveled to Salmon Idaho to celebrate the 4th of July weekend with the Lemhi County Community and at the annual Salmon Motocross. It’s always a great trip to Salmon, the scenery is great and their Motocross Community is always glad to have us. The Sacajawea Motocross Club is an all volunteer force made up of people that do it for the love of the sport. The Salmon track is pure motocross. The track is notoriously, dry, slick and brutally rough this time of year. The volunteer track crew does the best that they can with limited resources. Another cool thing about this race is it draws quite a few riders from Montana and it gives us a chance to mix it up with some different competition.

The Salmon Motocross motto is “Go Big or Go Home”, which is in reference to the big air jumps that they have on the track. They have a knarly set of doubles that claims someone every year, a big downhill that gives you the opportunity to fly over one hundred feet, if you can, and a table top that launches you into orbit, if you dare. They’re fun; you just have to keep them into perspective. I watched two of my Vet buddies go away this weekend, one with some possible broken ribs and the other hobbling on a swollen knee. I was able to keep it under control and rubber side down.

As usual my Project Filter backed KX450F was running awesome, it was in the 90’s over the weekend and I was feeling great myself. I actually prefer racing in the heat. Part of my training for motocross is running and I always wait to run in the heat of the day, it helps to get me ready for these 90 degree race days. I raced in my two classes over the two days and won all eight motos that I rode. I take care of my body so that I can do the things that I love and that I am able to perform at a competitive level in this sport. There are a lot of Vet guys that don’t ride two classes because it is so physically demanding. I know, without a doubt that my body would not be able to perform at this level if I was under the truly Negative effects of tobacco.

I had a couple of great conversations with people about Project Filter, the programs that are available and the resources that are offered to help them quit. I talked with one person that I met last year, he hasn’t quit yet but he still wants to and he says he’s ready, he said he wants to be able to do more things with his kids. He sounded completely disgusted with the habit and I’m confident that he is going to do it; I’m going to check up on him in Rupert.

The next round of the series is in two weeks in Rupert, Idaho. Thanks for being a part of the team and I hope to see ya there………

Western Idaho Motocross Series (WIMS) Round #3, Pleasant Valley Raceway 25 June, 2011

Saturday afternoon I loaded up the Iron Horse from the Boise Rec Fest and headed out to Pleasant Valley Raceway for the 3rd Round of the WIMS (Western Idaho Motocross Series). The weather was perfect and I was anxious to get out on the track. I like the Saturday Night Races, it’s a totally different feel and the Pleasant Valley track is fun to ride. This track definitely tests your technical abilities and throttle control skills.

It was an awesome night. I really feel comfortable on this track; I was riding well and my Project Filter backed KX450F was ready to roll. I busted out of the first moto gate and made it through the first turn in second place. I was having a pretty good battle with an unfamiliar rider. We went several laps with not more than a bike length between us when suddenly he lost it in a right hand sweeper, I ducked underneath him and I was gone, taking the moto win.

I knew he would be after me in the second moto because if you can come back from a second place in the first and take the second moto win, you’ll take the overall. I was able to get the holeshot in the second moto and the race was on. Again, we went several laps and he was pressuring me pretty hard. Sometimes it’s good to be in second because you can pressure the leader and wait for a mistake to be made. As we headed into the long doubles on the backside I couldn’t hear his bike anymore, I don’t like to look behind me but I did because I couldn’t figure out what happened, he just dropped right off the pace. I ended up taking the second moto win and the overall. I found out after the race that his bike stalled on him and by the time he got it going, I was gone. It was a good race; I enjoy the competition and a little bar to bar action.

What a great night, I got to talk with a couple of people that were at the Boise Rec Fest and that I had seen earlier I the day. Thank You Project Filter for my opportunity to represent! What an awesome organization doing it for an outstanding cause and through a wonderful sport!!

Were headed to Salmon for Round #4 of the Thunder Mountain Series, It’s sure to be a good one, “Go Big or Go Home Boise!” Stay Tuned……

Boise Rec Fest 2011

This Saturday I helped to man the Project Filter booth at the Boise Rec Fest. What a great event, the weather was amazing and there were a lot of people out and about enjoying the sun shine. I’ll have to say , I wondered how effective Project Filter would be at this event since we try to target events where people would most likely use tobacco products but as the morning went on it all began to make sense.
The Boise Rec fest tends to draw a more healthy conscious crowd but the cool thing that I experienced while manning the booth was chatting with the people who came up to talk about their experiences with quitting tobacco. Several people said that they had used the programs that Project Filter offer and that they were really glad to have had the free product support. Most everyone talks about how hard it is to quit but once they finally get through it, they say that they are so glad that they did.

I talked to one person that said he has always been an avid runner, even when he was a smoker. He said that he would go for a run and the first thing he would do when he was done, is smoke a cigarette. Oh, and cough so hard that he thought his lungs going to come right out of his throat. He said it wasn’t enjoyable at all and it made him want to quit running. Well fortunately instead of quitting running he quit smoking. He raved about how much better he feels and how much more he enjoys his runs. He said he can run farther and with much more ease than ever before. It’s a proven fact that kicking the habit will make you perform better, it has immediate health benefits, your circulation will improve and your lungs will start to repair the damage, positive effects for the body will start within the first twenty four hours.

I also talked to several people who didn’t use tobacco but knew someone who did and wanted them to quit. They took information about the program and wanted to use it to encourage the people that they care about in their lives, to quit. I thought that was really cool, to care enough about someone to want to help them quit and want to see them improve their quality of life. I had one young man tell me that smoking killed his grandma and he was glad that we were there because he didn’t want anyone else have to go through what he did. He said that he will never use tobacco and I told him that was a great decision.

It was a great day, I heard some really good genuine stories about how Project Filter has helped people quit and how much better people feel once they have. That’s the payoff, I have heard it many times and it makes me feel awesome to be a part of building a healthier community and such an outstanding program….. Thank You Project Filter!

Idaho State Thunder Mountain Series Round #3, Preston, Idaho 4-5 June 2011

Over five hundred riders from five states came together this weekend for Round #3 of the Thunder Mountain Series. The Project Filter Motocross Team was on scene for the action and I must say there was plenty to be had.

This was my first trip to Preston Idaho (Preston is the home town of the Napoleon Dynamite movie filming). What a cool little town nestled in a picturesque valley. The Cache Motocross Track was located out in the middle of the farming community and was carved out of probably the best riding dirt that I have ever seen. The dirt was tacky and loamy all weekend long, which makes for some ultimate traction action. Although, this track is very technical because that tacky, loamy dirt also makes for some of the knarliest (yes knarliest is a word in motocross) ruts I have ever experienced. The weather was perfect, it was a steady 70 degrees and sunny all weekend.

Ok, so the weather is awesome the track is good and after Fridays test and tune, I felt great. I woke up Saturday morning to a unbelievable stomach flu, I felt terrible and along with the stomach issue came some serious body aches. I didn’t know how I was going to ride. I made it through practice and actually through my first moto which to my surprise, I won. As the day went on I felt worse, I had about a four hour break between my first and second motos and I laid out on the floor of the trailer and slept for about two. I made it up to the start line and just before we were getting set to launch I felt it coming, I asked Nate to hold my bike and I walked behind the line up and hurled out of the bottom of my helmet, I know TMI right. I jumped back on the bike and the gate dropped.

Despite the way that I felt I was able to pull off a win for the day in my over forty class and held on for a mid pack finish in the over thirty. Sunday I felt a little better but I hadn’t been able to eat at all and my body was incredibly week. I actually thought about sitting the day out but that’s not my style. I dug deep and held on for a second place finish in the over forty and again mid pack in the over thirty.

The weekend really made me think about why we do things and what we are willing to do for something that is important to us, even though it might be very challenging and a little uncomfortable. Ive got to tell ya, I was pretty darn uncomfortable working my way through the eight motos that I rode but when it was all over, I knew I had done the right thing by sticking with it and I sure felt better knowing that I had. It’s just like kicking the tobacco habit, it’s not easy and is probably going to be a little uncomfortable to get through but you will be glad that you did and you’ll feel great knowing that you accomplished something that you set your mind to.

It’s always fun to travel to new places; people are always interested in Project Filter and asking what we are all about. I would like to thank the Thunder Mountain crew for taking care of us at the races, they always make sure the Project Filter Team has a good spot to set up and that we are visible. They do a great job of recognizing our presence and letting everyone know that we are on scene.

Overall it was a successful weekend, we got to throw some dirt, we all got through it unharmed and we made it home safe…. Thank You Project Filter!

Next Race, Salmon Idaho, last year was brutal; we’ll see what they have in store for us this year…

Project Filter All Star Challenge and Military Appreciation Night at Meridian Speedway, 21 May, 2011

It was an unbelievable night at Meridian Speedway this Saturday night! This night was the annual Project Filter All Star Challenge and Military Appreciation night. This is the night that we get the entire Motocross Team and the Car Racing Team together for one absolute night of fun and excitement. We also had a visit from AMA Arenacross/Supercross/Motocross Star Cole Siebler #171. Cole is a part of the Project Filter Team and wanted to show his appreciation to his fans and support for the cause.
This event is my favorite event of the year. The crew at Meridian Speedway is outstanding, they make the races fun and exciting for everyone and anytime we get a chance to team up with them it turns out to be a great experience for everyone involved. On top of everything it is also Military Appreciation night, which is near and dear to my heart and just another way to shout out a big, “Thank You” to all military members for doing what you do. With Project Filter its’ all about the people, the fans and the opportunity to help make Idaho a smoke free state. We had the Project Filter booth set up with Tyler’s car and the dirt bikes on display. We had some really cool beverage mugs, footballs, autograph cards and posters for the fans.
The excitement was in the air all evening. Not only did the car racing have the fans on edge but we got to go out and have a little fun on the dirt bikes as well. This is our night to unwind a little; we went out on the track for a couple hot laps, burn outs and a little turn around race just for fun. Matt and Cole wowed the crowd with some awesome wheelies and Matt threw in a one handed burnout as he waved to the crowd. It’s all in good fun and it’s a chance to repay our fans for being so supportive to us and Project Filter.
It’s really cool to see the support and the interest that we get at this type of event from fans, supporters and just a wide variety of people that are interested in Project Filter and the message that we bring to the table. I see it everywhere we go, “People want something better, they want to feel better and live a healthier lifestyle”. I have heard many reasons why people want to quit using tobacco and one thing is for sure, everyone who quits says the same thing, “I sure feel a lot better”.
Thank You Project Filter and Meridian Speedway for a night to remember!
Next race for the Motocross Team is in Preston Idaho, this is a big one for us, hope to see ya there………

Western Idaho Motocross Series Rnd #1, 7 May, 2011

I shot out to Pleasant Valley this Saturday night and rode the first round of their Western Idaho Motocross Series (WIMS). It was an awesome evening all the way around. I think everyone was a little worried about the rain that was in the forecast but Mother Nature treated us right with a good rain Friday night and nothing on Saturday. The track was in excellent condition! Everyone seemed to enjoy the recent changes to the track and it was prepped perfectly.

This was my first time on the new track and I’ll have to admit I was a little intimidated in practice. I knew had had to adapt quickly if I was going to be competitive for the evening motos. I felt good coming out of practice and thought if I could get some decent starts and find a good grove that I would be okay.
There were a lot of riders so they combined a couple of classes to make it all work and get us through the evening in a reasonable time. I personally like the combined classes because it makes it fun to get out there and mix it up with a lot of different riders and riders of different skill levels. We had over twenty riders on the gate for each of my four motos.

It was definitely an event filled night, I was involved in a couple good battles and I got caught in a first turn crash in my second Over 40 Moto. It probably sounds crazy but sometimes I think a good honest crash, as long as you don’t get hurt, causes you to refocus and I know for me it gets the adrenaline pumping. It makes you ride harder because you have to. I quickly picked up my bike, restarted, readjusted, took a quick look to see where my competition was and I was off and running. These are short five lap motos so I knew I had to work quickly if I was going to redeem myself. I caught up to the pack, worked my way through traffic and was able to take the moto win. I ended up winning both the Over 30 and the Over 40 Classes on this night.

It was a perfect night up until the last two motos of the evening. As the second to the last moto took off the lightning struck, the clouds opened up and we were pounded with rain. Only the last two motos had to be cut short.

All in all it was a success. Thank You to the Pleasant Valley crew for putting on a great race and also for recognizing the presence of Project Filter at the event. I’ll see ya at the next round…