Kickin' 2011 with a Bounce!

My first race for the 2011 season was the Jackrabbits Hare & Hound in Red Mountain, California on January 9th. You know how sometimes when you are driving in the car and a song pops up on the radio that brings back a bad memory or a feeling you once had? Well, that is how I feel when I hear, "hey are you racing Jackrabbits?" my joints begin to burn and my left eye begins to sting. Granted I have only raced the national caliber race two times prior to last week's race, so I don't have much experience with  this race, but I swear it is out to get ME!

2007 Jackrabbits Hare & Hound

In 2007 this race was my first race as an Amateur and my first time doing two loops, can I just say BRUTAL! I was on my 2004 KX250f and it took me 7 hours and a contusion on my elbow to finish, talk about a real eye opener! I thought I was doomed, were all two loop races going to be like this? Thankfully everything happens for a reason and that was the turning point for me, that race was the race that got the ball rolling in finding the right ride and set up for ME. Who knew by 2008 I would be happy as a clam with my 2008 KTM XC.

With that said, I didn't race Jackrabbits again until last year 2010. I'm not going to lie, even though I knew I had improved in the past couple of years, I was still a little bit nervous from my last attempt of racing it in 2007. I say attempt, because I technically did finish, but I felt like I crawled across the finish line in pure agony, rather than holding it wide open to the end.

After the banner dropped and I was on my way I could tell my my riding had definitely improved, I was feeling fast and confident, maybe a little too overly confident. With a Hare & Hound you usually do the easy loop first, and then the hard loop second. What makes the Jackrabbits race so special is you race the hard loop first, and the easy one second. I felt so good at the beginning of the first loop, that I began to think that once this loop is under my belt, the rest is all downhill....

Downhill it was, within 6 or 7 miles into the first loop I crashed on a downhill section and gave myself a black eye! Lesson learned, careful what you wish for, you might just get it in a very unexpected way. The remainder of the race I kept a good pace with only one eye and I finished, winning my first race for the 2010 season!

My trophy for 2010 Jackrabbits H&H, a shiner of my very own.

So with all that history behind me, it was time to add to that list and race it again in 2011 as an Expert in the Women's class. We got there Sunday morning just in time to sign up, practice the bomb run (also know as the start), pass sound testing, and say hello to some familiar faces. My bike was running awesome with a new clutch from Barnett and a fresh set of Kenda Parker DTs, both put on the day before by Cameron. I couldn't have asked for a crisper bike!

Saying hello to the folks at sound testing

This year's race was a blast! I got to do a little bit of battling with D37's W1 plate holder, Sarah Kritsch. Kritsch is a good friend of mine and someone who I really look up to, I hope to someday have the same skill she has on a dirt bike, well at least close. What makes this upcoming year so cool and different, is that both Kritsch and I are receiving rider support from Moose Racing, making it feel like we are on the same team! Moose Racing has once again done it right with their 2011 Racewear lineup, so far my favorite has been their XCR line, the feel and wear is superb! Not to mention that they also came out with an M1 Roost Shield that is so light and form fitting, you forget it's there! 

2011 Jackrabbits H&H

I ended up coming in second to Kritsch and 97th O/A at Jackrabbits, and hey better yet, no crashes this time! After racing this race, I think I am ready for this weekend's first round of the AMA/National Hare & Hound Series, my bike setup is right on and I'm feeling good. The competition is going to be fierce this time around, but I am ready for the challenge.

See ya at the races!

Joanna