Heartland Challenge 10 Hour

[preddy08]

This was my FIRST race I ever entered and to say the least I am HOOKED!

We arrived in Charlisle Iowa early Friday and it was starting to snow, was really windy and about 30 degrees. The track was muddy before the snow so it only got worse. It snowed ALL day Friday and finally ended around midnight. Just walking the track was hard. Some of the hills you could'nt even get up on foot. They had to shorten the track some due to the muddy hills. It went from 8 miles to about 6.5 miles. On a clean run lap times were about 20-25 minutes. I started the race and after the first lap the ruts were 6" deeper than the tires were! I decided to ditch my half wore out XCR tires and picked up some GBC X Rex tires before the race. THANK GERD!!!! My old tires would not have cut it.......PERIOD!

We had three guys and three bikes. Me on my rappy, buddy on his predator and another on his KFX450. The predator would not start durring the race and had to be towed back to the pits. We worked on it for about half an hour and said SCREW it! He had to use my bike. I was really scared about running my bike that hard for than long, but we had no other choice. Needless to say the rappy came out strong! No failures AT ALL! The motor REALLY shined in the stright aways. I would pass 3-4 guys at a time in the strights......even the pros....lol.

The track was slimy/muddy and tacky....if that makes since...lol. 90% of the turns were nasty off camber turns, making turning really hard! By the end of my three lap turn I could bairly even turn the bars. Three laps is all any sane person could do at a time! Keep in mind its 30 degrees, muddy, and about 30MPH winds and snowing. I had on two under armor shirts, two jerseys, and for the last stint I tossed on another long sleeve shirt. When my turn was up ALL FIVE shirts were SOAKED with sweat!

As far as placing I can't complain. It was our FIRST XC race. With the hour we waisted trying to get the predator up and running we were 16 minutes down in last place. By the end of the race we were in 5th place. If we did'nt have mechanical problems we would have be in second or third place no problem.

The way we ran it was I would do three laps ( about an hour and a half or so) and then get the next riders bike in the impound and bring it to him in the pits and have him do another three laps.














Heres the rappy all said and done. No beaks, mechanical problems at all. Pretty satisfied with how it preformed.

[preddy08]

Heres a video of the start. I really wish it was a stright line start that way I would have taken the holeshot NO PROBLEM!

Chitty video from a chitty camera....sorry, but you get the idea

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCbZl0YdfOQ

[preddy08]

The track was NASTY I cant stress that enough! There was 3-4 section where my quad would rub on both sides getting through the trees.  The ruts were 6" deeper than the tires were. You would drag the skid plate all the way up the hills. I hope to get some pics of what the track looked like back in the woods. It was a hole nother story back there.

[Troy]

You're right Shawn, that camera sucks,LOL.  I'm glad you guys had a good time and had a decent finish.  It's time that Predator finds a new home and maybe you guys can hook up with a cheap bike that runs good.  The way things are getting people are dumping them cheap around here anyways.  Looks like a killer time out there for sure, there's no way I'd make it an hour and a half at a time, nicely done

[Bert]

Nice Job Preddy 

This pic makes me want to cut my fenders, not that muddy really 

[Krandall]

Nice work Preddy! 

bummer about the cold.

With mine in July, It was dry and rutted up BAAAD. Can't imagine what it'd have been like if it was wet.


Great work!

[Peelz]

Way to go pred. My quad wouldn't make it 1 hre, let alone 10

How many hits did you take prior to the race?

[Flynbyu]

Damn!!!!!!!!

I bet you were wishin' you wouldn't have cut the fenders!

Sounds like an awesome race. Too bad it was so freaking cold!!!

~Brian

[socalrappy700]

Congrats.   

[preddy08]

Way to go pred. My quad wouldn't make it 1 hre, let alone 10

How many hits did you take prior to the race?

You really maybe on to something here. I may have to have you make me up a special batch before the race

Bryan, cut fenders really dont make it worse. You'd be suprised at how little protection the fronts really give.

[Krandall]

You'd be suprised at how little protection the fronts really give.

+1 one on that...

The raptors front plastics are looks only.. I can remember the first ride I took it out on.. I was covered head to to in mud.

[preddy08]

2008 GBC Motorsports Heartland Challenge Presented by PIAA ATV / UTV Endurance Racing

Heres a link to full photos and helmet cam footage.





Buddy on my bike.

[preddy08]

UTV having fun

2008 GBC Heartland Challenge 3 Hour SxS / UTV Race Video