FTR Hare Scramble - Bartow II - 10/26/2025 - Master B (15th place)

15th place this time for my second race in B class, I felt much better although I’m still on the back of the pack, it fells like a podium to me. 3 laps, and I managed to lower my time at each lap with the 3rd one at 36min30sec, I was so happy when I saw this. Physically I felt I could have gone for a 4th lap, I felt good and it’s been a long time I haven’t felt that way. I prepared myself much better this time, had a good night of sleep in a hotel with a couple of friends the night before as I was able to take a day off from work, it makes a world of a difference when you’re not racing on 2 or 3 hours of sleep. I took a very conservative start as I knew it was going to be chaos down the hill, and I was right, about 4 guys went down within the first 200 yards, It was very slick and dusty, a good recipe to hit the deck right off the start. So I let the top dogs go and waited until the dust settled to bring up the pace. The first lap I just went with the flow and didn’t really push it as I knew I was on for the long stretch. I started to feel good by the second lap and caught up with my friend Chris Wallen, only to crash right behind him. Off to go again, and I crash a second time in a very similar way. Third lap is when I really started to have fun and brought up the pace a notch, caught up with with Georges Wolf and passed him (I thought it was André, sorry George!), but crashed again right after, so he passes again making fun of me:) I eventually caught up with him again but I couldn’t pass this time so I finished like that. I am overall very happy with the progression since last race, although I crashed 3 times I was able to keep going and keep good time, in one piece at the finish line. See you guys at the next one, F.