Hey Corey," Senior Editor Karel Kramer asked, "would you like to race the WORCS at Washougal on Ty Davis' YZ250?" There wasn't a split second of indecision: "Hell yeah!"
Everyone has their favorite tracks, and Washougal Motocross Park has always been one of mine. The Washougal complex is nestled deep in the Washington forest, just miles from the Oregon border. The track features huge elevation changes and a combination of tight, technical sections separated with high-speed climbs and heart-racing descents. The dirt is loamy in the morning and hardpacked in the afternoon, but it offers great traction-as long as it's not raining. And it never rains in Washington, right?
If going to one of my favorite tracks wasn't enough, I would be be racing one of Ty Davis's full-blown race bikes. Not a copy-I was actually putting the initial ride on Davis's new race weapon while he'd be completing the final run on his old one! Having raced one of his bikes three years ago at the Glen Helen 24 Hour, I was pretty confident the YZ would be more than ready for the weekend of abuse.
Let the Fun BeginAs Kramer and I arrived at the track for Friday's practice, I could see the new Zip-Ty Racing big rig at the entrance of the pits with a huge awning shading a slew of team bikes perfectly lined up. There were two number 2 bikes sitting next to each other, and I would be racing one of them.
I was then greeted by former pro motocrosser Andy Jefferson, who rides for the team in the Over 40 division. Jefferson introduced me to everyone and showed me my bike for the weekend. It was sitting next to the bike Davis was racing, and next to it was Nathan Woods' series championship bike sporting a big "1" on the number plates. I was then welcomed by Ty and team manager Kenny Parry. We talked for a bit, and they reminded me my bike was brand-spanking-new and this would be its first outing. With that, Jefferson took the bike out for a few laps to run in the brakes and work out any bugs.
In addition to Davis, Woods and Jefferson, the team hosts riders Jamie Lanza and Cooper Hall. Lanza and Hall are the youngsters on the team, and they created a friendly environment under the tent. Everyone had smiles on their faces while still being very serious about the weekend's racing.
As I began gearing up for practice, the clouds opened up and it started raining. I knew this course could be a complete disaster if it rained too much. Fortunately, by the time I got on the track it had stopped. I rode about three laps and pulled in to make a few adjustments to the handlebar and the controls. Because I was riding Davis's race bike with his big yellow and blue number 2 I could ride the pro practice. To my surprise, I was able to run with a few of the WORCS regulars, which gave me a good boost in confidence for Saturday's race. The motocross track was rutted and rough; combined with the rain it grew super slippery in some spots. In practice we were limited to the motocross track only, so I was both nervous and excited as I noticed the trail portion of the course disappearing into the thick green forest.