DAVE WILSON • With great anticipation I traveled to Alderdale MX Park with # 81 Lyndell Raphael and his son Josh. The thought in my mind was "Man I hope I don't crash." and "I think I'm going to try to clear the big table this week. "Will I be able to pull off some sort of win or at least a trophy?" "Will I make a fool of myself?" HMMM.

There was something in the air when we arrived in the evening, excitement, anticipation, yes, but mostly it was dust. To be expected in the desert. We used the rest of the evening to set up the camp and get acquainted with the track manager Mark Bradley and his family. However being the moto-addict that I am , I settled for the gatorade and headed out for my first practice of the week. OK, so I've ridden this track before, but thats no consolation for the one armed man.

Can you say BIG? I knew you could. The first turn is a fairly wide/tall berm to the right, go about as fast as you want. Then down a small drop, turn left and approach "GULP", THE LARGE TABLE TOP. So I approach in third at about half throttle an easily roll off the gas at the top, land just past the middle and roll over the edge. Bomb down the hill and into 5th gear hit a small jump at the bottom which doesn't send you high, just far, a fun high speed jump.

Another right and into the "rhythm section" Folks, I have no rhythm. Then into a nice double berm to the left and immediately to the right. I see the face of what I know is a downhill double, I can't see the other side, I can't see where to land or how fast I should take it, yep you guessed it, roll that one too. Next is the other downhill double, the face of it isn't as steep and you know where your gonna land, a small blip on the gas and land nice and easy. Now I look up the hill and open it up as fast as I can get it going. Click into 4th gear on the pipe and hit the jump at the top.