Makes Relay Team Challenge • EACH RIDER of the WINNING TEAM RECEIVED a brand new tire for his race machine. This Relay Team Challenge was sponsored by University Honda, Seattle

( note Brad Stagg on the BSA in the background)

Operation "Relay" Brief

Objective: Determing the most suitable weapon of fast destruction inre:VMX
Operatives: Team O.G.R.E. (Old Guys Racing Evolution) Len Lowery Scott Topping Dan Cragle Dirk Murphy
Weaponry: '80 YZ250; '78 YZ400; '80YZ465

During our pre-raid strategy meeting, the order was decided as; Len, Dan, Scott and, with the lighning strike capabilities, Dirk to close the last lap. The initial assault began as planned, with only a few other participants escaping the first turn ahead of me (running heel to toe with Siege, like most of my weekend). This was normal operations until the hairpin turn at the bottom of "Double Down Hill", when a counterspy from a Honda team temporarily lost control of his assault vehicle, thereby undermining both of our efforts, as we were forced to make CLOSE observations of local soil condition.

During our observations, yet another combatant (BSA) was forced to make a sudden retreat INTO the side of the hill, and joined us in up close terrain inspections. After determining the dirt suitable to proceed,. I completed my lap and turned control of the operation to the next member of the team. The next three members performed their jobs without flaw, and the team was actually able to regain a position. While not entirely triumphant, the mission was not a failure. Much intel was gained from observing other teams on the fine intricacies teamwork and teamdontwork. Advanced training is underway for next years attack.

The Makes Challenge was a hoot, and it was nice to mix it up with all the different riders and classes. We ran a Honda team with Cole Cabler, Paul Richard, Matt Carr, and myself. Sean Smith opted to let Matt ride in his place at the last minute.

We used my '79 CR250 #315 and Cole's '80 CR250 #515.

Our relay order was me, Paul, Matt, and then Cole as the anchor. It was tough straight out the gate. It seemed like everyone had a good strong start. I got roosted pretty much for the last half of the 1st straight into turn one. I was thinking that it was just fine, getting pelted in the face with a torrent of dirt clods, but then remembered that even though it was 90 degrees out there, water + dirt = mud, and my tear aways were 100 miles away. (that stuff dries very quickly out there) After the watering down of the first stretch, I was damn near blind by turn one. Fortunately I got a decent enough back handed smear to see through for the rest of my lap. We¹d worked out our hand-off plan and that all seemed to work out.

The individual team placards were great for easy pit/handoff I.D., as were the hair scrunchies around the wrist as relay batons. Every one did their bit and we all rotated through, each moving into the next logical position of the relay. The anticipation/anxiety of the next teammate coming back around (or not) was neat. The handoff area was a beautiful controlled chaos; a constantly rotating buzz of bikes coming in, people frantically waving and running, pushing bikes, yelling and grinning, bikes taking off again...

It was great to watch all the teams do their thing. There was some pretty stiff competition our there, and all friendly. My hat¹s off to everyone who participated in the Makes Relay Challenge. Definitely fun. Definitely memorable. I hope that we can find some time next year to do it once or twice during the regular VDR winter season.

The Relay, as I remember,  The team started out with Larry, Brad, Thal, MD Mike and I.

At the end of the first lap, in Portland with my broke down Dakota, I handed off to Mike, Who at 7:00 pm Saturday evening took the first load to Goldendale. Now Mike proceeds to to finish his lap by racing back to Portland to hand off to me. At around 11:00 the hand off is complete and I have BSA and all loaded and am careening up the gorge back to Goldendale. At 2:30am we take a break.

Now this is when everything gets cloudy because we realize that we have one too many people on our relay team. so Mike backs out and Larry takes the next lap at Goldendale, which everybody else is considering the first lap. Out on the course Larry is running at a rapid pace when from what I could see he stopped to help another rider or something. Things were still cloudy but clearing up. As Larry came into the pit area. Brad grabbed the arm band and ran it over to my waiting arm. I proceeded to tearing the uphill portion of the course to ribbons. After reaching the top of the course I let my BSA's mass take over and in no time is was back at the pit area.

Now Thal got to ride Larry's BSA and after finishing his lap sounded like he totally enjoyed his BSA experience. Knowing that this was a "relay race" I was amazed at what I saw next,some teams will do anything to get extra points. I saw a European Bike  try some sort of "360 backflip" off of the berm right next to our pit.

After this X-games type of  shenanigans, Brad ran the "Roaddog Race Bike" to it's limits on our final lap. None of that 'knack-knack or can-can stuff, just pure berm busting tire shredding racing. Whew, what a weekend. At least we placed in the top 20. 

SUNDAY MAKES CHALLENGE RELAY RULES
1) 4 riders to a teams
2) all 4 bikes must be the same brand
3) (not model) ie Honda or CZ or Yamaha, etc.
4) at least two amateurs in each team
5) this Relay for Vintage & Evolution Bikes (no Unlimited Bikes)

= 1 lap per rider, handoff facilitated by other 2 riders