Patience Prudence !!!

A word for all of those tempted to start riding the track portions that are built ... DON'T. It's not that you can't ... because you probably could get around ... but, my hope that your God takes mercy on you if you fall ... because there a fair amount of rocks that need to be picked out of the surface.

Steve has worked in all the corners (and told me how to rake ... remember, top down after you pick the big stuff out ... after an hour or two out there lifting out rocks I'm sure I'm going to be real glad that I asked), roughed in and rolled in the second straight, and is working about as fast as the equipment, which, let's just say, has a few quirks, has allowed. We can always remind Steve that he told us the loader "looked fine" in a digital photo we sent along.

Allright, Just Show us the Track Already !!!


Getting this shot was kind of crazy ... I hiked straight up the ski hill in chest deep mustard plants. I kept thinking that I really should be trying to keep an eye on the ground through the weeds, as one mis-step could likely have sent me tumbling down that crazy hill ... which would have been the $10,000 video moment for sure. On the right is the start hill .. it's a little hard to tell, but the third turn is "inside" the first turn in the U in a U configuration that Steve is utilizing. Second straight is in, and Steve is in his favorite all time tractor, working the 3rd straight rhythm.

The shot below is the same "uncropped" photo of the rectangular job above. I want really badly to be boastful here and brag about the couple hundred foot ascent I made to get to the point this picture was taken. But, Crystal Ridge just isn't anywhere near that big. I'm probably on the equivolent of a four or five story building where I'm standing.



The next shot shows the second straight from the riders perspective as you exit the first turn. I joked with Steve that where I took this photo from is about as high as anybody is ever likely to see me in a berm. Nice.


What you are looking at is a mach 5 turn that flows into a smallish step-up, a huck double, and a double that looks like it's going to have just perfect flow into the second corner.

The BMX-Hex
No, this doesn't have a thing to do with the NW-BMX team, or Janesville cruiser guy Jerry Hexom (hey Jerry, how's it goin'?) ... what it means (in evidentally, a fairly cryptic way) is that this track is stirring some weird feelings in people. Track Operator Mittlestadt reported witnessing Fred Jahnke staring at the second straight for the better part of an hour, before shouting "This is going to be (Hey Fred ... you reeealllyyy need your very own "Wheel of Adjectives" ... remember, kids may be reading this column !!!) Fred's cuss word adjactive that my innocent fingers won't permit me to type here (sure ... right) AWESOME !!!".

Another weird thing ... like two weeks after he sells what's left of his BMX stuff ... Jason Leikam climbs the start hill and after looking down the first straight for about a milisecond ... decides it's time for another shot. He evidentally has some unfinished business left for BMX ... and after reading this column, it's a safe bet part of that will involve kicking my sorry butt all over the new track.

The ROCK !!!
The Midwest Nationals are going off at Rockford are this weekend ... and I want to wish the best of luck to all of the guys who are helping out on the new track (those that know they are) Bryan Dickerson, Mike Froh, Tim Eiring, Todd Zimmerman, Dana Mittlestadt (as well as those that don't know they are helping yet ... but, belive me, they are !!!) Randy Behnke, Curt Zizzo, Cory Frick.

Rumor Mill
It makes me really happy to report that I got word that Amedio Gilmore is thinking about taking some laps at our new place with an eye toward a possible comeback. Rad-Man (Gilmore) was a hela fast A pro who got bumped up to AA in the late 80's. We wonder who else will MilwaukeeBMX will manage to coax out of retirement?

I'm off to the track ... picking rocks and raking tonight ... if you happen to stop by, be sure and say hello. I'll be the guy dressed in dust.

Kevin O'