Round #2 Info

What: Round #1 Dutchmen MX Park - Pine Grove, PA

When: This Sunday April 1st / Race starts 11:45

Where: Directions - TAKE 309 NORTH to I-78 WEST. CONTINUE ON I-78 WEST TO EXIT 19 (STRAUSSTOWN). MAKE RIGHT OFF THE EXIT RAMP ONTO RT 183 NORTH. CONTINUE ON RT 183 NORTH FOR APPROX. 6 MILES TO BLINKING YELLOW LIGHT. MAKE A LEFT ONTO RT 895 WEST. CONTINUE ON 895 WEST FOR APPROX. 6 MILES TO DUTCHMEN MX TRACK ON THE LEFT.

Pit Fee: $10

Round #1 Race Recap

The 2007 Harescramble racing season is finally underway. Rounds 1 and 2 of the PA State Harescramble Series were held at Dutchmen MX Park in Pine Grove, PA. Round two was relocated to DMX due to snowy conditions at Hurricane Hills in Clifford, PA.
Dutchmen MX Park is currently under new ownership and when we arrived for Round 1 there were obvious changes made to the complex. With unfavorable weather conditions during the week, Round 1 was, to put simply, a sloppy mud fest. The parking lot was appalling, minimal parking and maximum vans with trailers getting stuck. These conditions also applied to the track. In some spots there was easily about 3 feet of mud, which made this relatively flat track a bit more challenging. Dutchmen MX Park is really a flat field with 2 motocross tracks, nothing like the mountains, boulders, hill climbs, and tight trees you would find at a real harescramble track. But rounds 1 and 2 were held here and that meant they counted for points so it really didn’t matter what the conditions.
Round 1 was merely a survival of the fittest rather than a race. The muddy conditions cause multiple crashed, overheated machines, a showing of out of shape riders, and mental fatigue. I have no problem mentioning that I felt every one of these at some point of the 2 hour race. In the end it came down to who could really bear down and race the track. You couldn’t really worry about everyone else out there because with the conditions how they were; a lack of focus could have taken you right out of the race.
I got a good start and held a consistent pace for the first few laps. Somewhere between the 3 and 6th laps I found a really good rhythm and picked up a couple positions in my class. Towards the end of the race I was feeling tired and I still managed to push a little too hard. Pit man Jimmy B was there to make sure that I calmed down and finished the race at a calm pace. 2 hours ten minutes and 12 laps later I came across the finish line in 2nd place. Not bad for the first race of the season. It felt really good to be racing again and seeing my friends and family at track side. DHaggs Sr. had an awesome start, only to find himself seconds later in a drainage ravine just a few hundred yards into the course. He managed to wrestle his machine out of the ditch and back onto the track only to learn a few laps later that he injured his stomach and could no longer push himself to the limits needed for such atrocious conditions.
Now that the first race of the season is out of the way we highly anticipate round two which will be held at the same facilities. It felt awesome to be out on the track again and it felt really good to have some first-class companies backing me, I know that their support complements my success. I would like to thank my sponsers: DHaggs Harescramble Racing, MSR, Scott USA, TAG Metals, Scott Powersports, Kenda Tires and Pivot Works! See you back at Dutchmen MX Park next Sunday!

Round #1 Pics

#099 and #925 "Race Ready"

Race Fans

New Van, same "Factory Look"

Round #1 Info

What: Round #1 Dutchmen MX Park - Pine Grove, PA

When: This Sunday March 25th / Race starts 11:45

Where: Directions - TAKE 309 NORTH to I-78 WEST. CONTINUE ON I-78 WEST TO EXIT 19 (STRAUSSTOWN). MAKE RIGHT OFF THE EXIT RAMP ONTO RT 183 NORTH. CONTINUE ON RT 183 NORTH FOR APPROX. 6 MILES TO BLINKING YELLOW LIGHT. MAKE A LEFT ONTO RT 895 WEST. CONTINUE ON 895 WEST FOR APPROX. 6 MILES TO DUTCHMEN MX TRACK ON THE LEFT.

Pit Fee: $10

2007 Schedule

National Races - *PA State Races - Results

March 25 Dutchmen *PA Series Round 1 ( 2nd Place)
April 1 BP @ Dutchmen *PA Series Round 2 (7th Place)
Aprill 22 BP @ Foot Of the Mountain *PA Series Round 3 (3rd Place)
May 6 Foot of the Mountain *PA Series Round 4 (7th Place)
May 20 Evansville *PA Series Round 5 (9th Place)
June 24 Back Mountain *PA Series Round 6 (5th Place)
July 1 SPER *D6/ECEA/PA Series Round 7 (9th Place)
July 29 AMA National HS @ Tower City *PA Series Round 9 (12th Place)
August 11 Skippack Harescramble District 6 (7th Place)
September 9 Back Mountain *PA Series Round 12 (14th Place)
September 16 GNCC Unadilla, New York (20th Place)
September 23 Rausch Creek *PA Series Round 13 (7th Place)
September 30 Road Winders @ Hurricane Hills *PA Series Round 14 (7th Place)
October 7 Little Egg Harbor *Atlantic Grand Prix Round 8 (2nd Place) October 14 ECEA *Round #9 (8th Place)
October 21 Sahara Sands *Atlantic Grand Prix Round 9 (3rd Place)
November 4th Little Egg Harbor *Atlantic Grand Prix Round 10 (5th Place)
November 18th Deleware *ECEA (12th Place) - 250A

New Sponsorship!!!

Pivot Works has selected me to represent their company for the 2007 race season. Since I have been riding and racing dirtbikes I have always counted on Pivot Works kits. Like in the past, I know Pivot Works will contribute to my future success in the upcoming season! I am grateful for the opportunity to help promote their product and in exchange Pivot Works kits will help me become a more successful racer and produce the best results possible. Pivot Works offers bearing and seal replacement kits for ATV's and dirt bikes. Their bearings and seal kits come pre-packed for your convenience. Visit their website at www.pivotworks.com

New Sponsorship!!!

TAG METALS has informed me that I have been selected to represent their company for the 2007 racing season. I am very excited to be able to continue using their products because once I tried them I never considered using anything else. Some big names that also use their products are: Ricky Carmichael, Travis Pastrana, Nathan Kanney, Factory Suzuki, as well as team KTM. I feel honored to be a part of their program and I look forward to building a successful relationship in the upcoming year. For the best triple clamps, handlebars, sprockets, and grips visit www.tagmetals.com

New Sponsorship!!!

Kenda Tires has chosen me to represent their company for the upcoming 2007 racing season. Kenda tires are very dependable, durable and with the different models available, there is a tire for every riding condition. I know that I’ve had success with their products in the past and I look forward to maintaining that same productivity this upcoming season. In 2007 Kenda will be introducing several new sizes along with newer models that will be available at many locations. For more information on these great tires please visit www.kendausa.com.

New Sponsorship!!!

Scott Powersports accepted me onto their Cross Country racing team for the upcoming 2007 season. I am very excited about joining forces with Scott Powersports because I feel they have the resources I need to be competitive at the highest level of off-road racing. They have an outstanding dealership, great customer service, exceptional parts department and even better service department. Having a dealership that understands your needs and wants to help you meet and exceed your goals is always a winning combination. I look forward to dealing exclusively with Scott Powersports and helping them enhance their off-road sponsorship program.
For great deals check out www.scottpowersorts.com

New Sponsorship!!!

I am excited to report that MSR has selected me to represent their company for the 2007 race season with a racer supported sponsorship. Since I have been racing dirtbikes I have always relied on the top notch quality of MSR gear and products. I anxiously await next season so that I can proudly represent a company that has been contributing towards my racing goals the past two years. I am grateful for the opportunity to help promote their product and in exchange MSR’s decision to support me builds a great deal of confidence for the upcoming season. For high quality gear, tools, and casual wear visit http://www.msrmx.com/

New Sponsorship!!!

SCOTT USA has selected me to represent their company for the 2007 race season with a racer supported sponsorship. Since I have been riding and racing dirtbikes I have never worn any other goggles so I am extremely excited about SCOTT USA contributing to my future success in the upcoming season! I am grateful for the opportunity to help promote their product and in exchange SCOTT's quality products will help me become a more successful racer and produce the best results possible. For high quality goggles for motor, bike, or ski visit www.scottusa.com

2006 Post - Season Recap

As I sit here and brainstorm for the season ending recap, I find myself thinking about how I am going to incorporate all of the great things that happen this year. What was it that made this year so absolutely exceptional? Was it being able to overcome the greedy oil companies and still make it to every race on my schedule, despite their demands for over three dollars a gallon for gasoline? How about being able to say that my bike was always prepared and I had enough heart to finish every single race I was in this year. Or the blessed feeling of crossing the finish line without getting seriously injured. Maybe it was learning what it’s like to race for three hours and having my Dad and Jimmy-B join the team with their pitting efforts? Or being able to say that my Dad still races dirt bikes and I get to see him out on the track, even if he sees me for a couple seconds!? Knowing the pride in being able to say that I raced for 8 weeks straight and the final four races were in four completely different states? For my first year in 250 B finishing Second Overall in the Pennsylvania State Harescramble Series and also Second Overall in AMA District 6 Harescramble Series? Competing in 4 National Events – 2 AMA National Harescrambles and 2 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) races? Along with racing select National rounds, being able to say that I raced with the best riders in the country, and at the Ohio GNCC – the world?
Or how about all of the nights on race weeks that I had to sacrifice hanging out with my friends because they just don’t know the disciple it takes to be competitive in this grueling endurance sport. How about the countless hours I spent in the gym working out, on the bike practicing, helping my Dad work on the bikes, packing for race weekend, the hours of travel time we spent on the road, unpacking and cleaning everything up and even maintaining this website as well as sponsor relationships.
I guess it could be one or maybe a compilation of all the achievements above? But understand that it’s not something above, a trophy or plaque that I received this year, or even my new bike that can show what exactly made this year so absolutely exceptional.
Being blessed with opportunities to be able to do what you love is something that often came to mind this year. I am so thankful for having the opportunity to do what I love and it’s all of the above day to day activities and achievements that I’ll look back on and be able to say that I truly loved what I was doing. I consider myself the richest man alive because although this isn’t my fulltime job, what I get out of this sport and everything that comes with it means so much more than money. Fear, adrenaline, discipline, self-respect, personal achievement, admiration, gratification and love are all things that money can’t buy. Sure it would be great to be a professional someday, sitting on the front line with red number plates, but it’s more than about being a business – it’s fun, and it’s all the things mentioned above that I will use to someday try to be at the top of this sport. Call me a dreamer, or you can call me whatever you want, even if I fall short I’ll still be thankful for the opportunities that I was given to be able to ride that bike, hang out with my Dad, or achieve my personal goals. It’s all the meaningful stuff that matters, the money is something that just makes you work harder to be able to continue doing something that you love…and if it was easy, well then – I wouldn’t do it. Or like a line out of my favorite quote from Jeremy McGrath, “you just can’t make the sacrifices without the love.”
I deeply appreciate all of your support and help throughout the year, everyone from my loving Mother, my radical Dad, my family, and everyone else (you know who you are)!
I can hardly wait for next season and if I write about it now then I wouldn’t have anything to write about over the winter. Sponsorship deadlines will be up soon so cross your fingers for some more support for the 2007 season. The PA State as well as District 6 banquets are coming up so I will be attending those. There are a lot of things up in the air for next year but as far as moving to the ECEA (East Coast Series) it is almost certain.
Thanks again for all of your comments on and about the site. I will post random but informative news and information throughout the winter and begin the new year with a 2007 Pre-Season Preview. Thanks again for everything that you’ve done to help me partake in something that makes me extremely honored to be a part of.

AMA National Harescramble Pics!

Above: DHaggs Sr. #099
Above: DHaggs Jr. #925
Above: DHaggs Sr. #099
Above: DHaggs Jr. #925

Photos By: EventPhotoNow

AMA National Harescramble Race Recap

The AMA National Harescramble Series made its last stop on the tour in Eagleswood, New Jersey this past Sunday. The event was sponsored by Meteor MC and hosted by the Atlantic Grand Prix Series. With weather conditions nearly perfect and the sense of fierce national competition around the pits would lead you to believe that we were in for an amazing day of racing. Well, the reality of it all hit when it was 4:15 and I still haven’t raced yet and we were scheduled to start at 1:30. I was supposed to race a three hour race which would be a little difficult since sunset in the mornings paper said 6:19. Let me explain.
My Dads race was supposed to start at 11:30, but the organizers put every C class on one gi-normous line. So we sat there for about 2 hours until they could figure out who was in what class and what line they were supposed to be on. Finally they said start’em up so it wasn’t long and they were off. Now this is when I got really fired up, someone got hurt on the track and the ambulance had to take them off to the hospital and in the NJ off-road rule book you can’t run an event without medics on the scene. So they did one lap and the race was black flagged and they all had to get on the start and line up again until another ambulance showed up – they sat for another 40 minutes. At this point I didn’t even want to ride and I was seriously looking into getting my money back. I ended up going back to the trailer to eat something and then walking back up to see the second start. By the way, D Haggs Sr. holeshoted the start not only the first time but also the second time. The second time was a lot better because the first time he was going so fast that he overshot the first turn and lost his lead. The second time was a mirror image but he managed to tone it down and make the hairpin turn and keep his position at the front of the class heading into the woods. He ran a really good race, fast in the woods and strong in the fields. He thinks, nah he pretty much knows, he ended up in the top ten but due to all the previous catastrophe his scanner was unreliable. What’s important is how good of a ride he put in for the day.
I on the other hand had to get ready because I had no idea what was going on or when we would start or how long we were going to race for. I lined up and was able to see D Haggs Sr. finish his last lap up strong. There was some shuffling of lines prior to my race to but nothing like the supposed “morning race.” There were some big time pros on the front line and like always they were freak’n fast. It’s awesome being able to be out there and see them ride right by you while you try to follow their line but then in 5 seconds you can’t even see them anymore. After the dust cleared I was off and I got a great start, everyone pushed wide and I snuck right inside and came out of the first corner in third. Myself and the second place guy went at it right away. It wasn’t brought to my attention till the ride home but I was so fired up with how the day went I was pushing hard right off the start. Normally it takes me a little bit to get going but on Sunday I was on it! I made a good pass on the second place guy once we got into the woods and then it was me and first place, he was on a Honda. He was fast, I doubt that he was even a B rider but I was up for the challenge. He crashed hard and I raced by looking at him keeping my quick pace. It wasn’t long before he caught up to me passing me and out of my site. They again on the following lap there he was track side from crashing again. I passed him and pushed a bit harder this time and it was a while but he caught me again and made the pass. From then on out I found a pack of fast riders and hung with them for a while until I passed them. I felt so good and the track was AWESOME. I’m pretty sure that I love riding in the sand because it suits my riding style so well, and the way the track flowed it was if they built the track for me. I’m pretty sure that as the race went on my lap times dropped. There was some tight woods, some wide open sections where I was topped out on the bike, some cool elevation changes, and even some jumps. The woods were my favorite because they had great loamy dirt and a good portion of them had multiple lines where you could get creative; picking good lines is what I feel I’m best at. Due to the time the hardest part of the track was trying to see because the sun was so low it was right in your eyes the whole time. And when you were in the woods roots and trees were all over the place and the whole time I was trying to shade my eyes with my visor because I just couldn’t see anything. My last lap was probably my best; I was alone for about 90 percent of it. It wasn’t until there was about one mile to the finish line when the pro guys passed me again. I was still running strong and was able to do a few more laps but because of daylight the shortened to race to a normal two hours. When I came across the finish line the scanner board said 2nd and I was more than happy with that because I had an awesome ride, a great end to the day and an even better end to the season.
Thanks again to everyone who supported me throughout the year. Look for a year end recap coming soon!

AMA National Harescramble Info

What: Atlantic Grand Prix/ Meteor National Hare Scrambles

When: Sunday October 15th
Novice Race 11:30 (#099)
Pro Race 2:00 (#925)

Where: Sahara Sand of Eagleswood 942 Main Street (Route 9)Eagleswood, New Jersey 08092

Directions: Location of the event is at Sahara Sand and Gravel in Eagleswood NJ which is just south of Rt. 72 on Rt. 9 We’re right between Tuckerton NJ and Manahawkin NJ if you are looking for it on the map

Pit Fee: $10

OHIO Power Line PICS!!!

Above: David Knight approaching some very deep ruts
Above: That's me on the left, getting passed by the best rider in the world - Juha Salminen
Above: I let Juha go to see if he would get stuck, he didn't, so I took the same line
Above: And this was the shallow section of "Gus's Mudhole"
Above: If he would have went a little more to the right and you wouldn't be able to see the seat
Above: First time through your boots were soaked, everything was for that matter

Photos By: David Scearce

Power Line GNCC Race Recap

This weekend my Dad and I ventured to St. Clairsville, Ohio to compete in Round #12 of the Grand National Cross Country Series at Power Line Park. Although this race was not schedule into my 2006 racing calendar the decision was quickly made after securing a second place overall in the 250 B class for the PA State Harescramble Series the previous weekend. Race the last round of the State Series at a track that I don’t really like for the 3rd time this year for no reason or go race with the best in the country again? - It was an easy choice.
This time there would be no excuses, at Unadilla two weeks ago the conditions were terrible and the 3 hour race became a matter of survival. This time around would be quite different, a true showing of the potential of how good the 250 B riders are throughout the country. Not only was the weather absolutely perfect, the track - with some exceptions, was as good as any track that you could ask for. When you approached the facilities at Power Line Park you couldn’t help but to notice the beautiful rolling hills filled with bright green grass and colorful tree lines that were backed with a brilliant blue backdrop. It was something that you would see on a post card, only instead of dreaming how fun it would be to ride your bike up that gorgeous hill, you actually could for three hours.
We made the long 6 hour drive on Saturday morning and arrived at the park just in time to see our local quad boy Chris Borich win the pro quad race. Since we have never been to this track before my Dad and I took a look around at some of the terrain and how the track was laid out. For miles and miles all you could see where green rolling hills with light brown dirt paths connecting the woods between them, and right down the middle of the land were 4 massive power lines – hence the name Power Line Park.
In the woods you had your typical tight trails with your crazy GNCC technical hill climbs and down hills, a sweet creek section where they ran you right into a creek at the bottom of a valley, and let’s not forget Gus’s mud hole (I’ll come back to that). It was all of the open area that was the most extreme because it was so wide open and flat there were times that I was topped out in 5th gear. You would think it looks easy and that it was a good spot to relax before you went back into the black woods but it wasn’t. You could go so fast you really didn’t want to relax because you could make up some time. So what at first looked like a fun rideable track became a full out sprint for three hours, well that’s what I tried at least. Anyone in their right mind knows that you cannot go as fast as you can for three hours but in my case I pushed hard the whole time when in other occasions I would pace myself.
The start was an awesome set up. You went right up one of those beautiful hills that I was speaking of, made a left back down the hill, then a right back up the hill around a tree, then down again around a hay bail and then back up the hill into the woods. I got an alright start, probably mid pack in a full field of 30 + riders. The first lap was amazing, it was such a fast pace I never rode at that pace on such a long track. One lap turned out to be about 12 miles with the first lap losing one mile before the scanner. About 20 percent of the track was long rolling open trail, 60 percent was tight trails through the trees, 10 percent was hill climbs and down hills, 9 percent was mud holes with creek crossings, and then there was 1 percent –Gus’s Mud Hole. They claimed that it had a solid rock bottom but some would argue that it even had a bottom. I don’t even think it was mud; the “pond” has a dark grey color to it. You knew when you were arriving at this section of the track because there were hundreds of people there. With the help of the spectators, who eventually had to submerse themselves in the mud pit to show riders the best line, I made it through each time around – one time I almost drown my bike I barely made it across. That was the worst section on the track by far but there were still some other hill climbs where you had no running start, you went down a hill and then had to go straight back up it, and after 300 some riders trying this the hills became super slippery. By the last lap I got stuck on just about everyone and the spectators had to make a pull chain to get me over the top. I really couldn’t find a good flow all day but I made sure to keep pushing. The technical sections really took a lot out of me and by trying to make up time on the wide open hills I didn’t try to conserve much energy. I had a good pit halfway through the three hours; my Dad was head pitman for the weekend. He dumped the gas, I hydrated and grabbed some new goggles and gloves from him, it wasn’t more then a minute and I was back on it attacking the trail. After the first lap I came around and went through the scanner, I was in 23rd place. Never riding at this facility before certainly hurt me on the first lap, not to mention the tree I slammed which threw me across the trail with my bike still hugging the tree. When all was said and done and I couldn’t hold onto the bike anymore, three hours later I crossed the finish and picked up some spots coming in 19th in 250 B. This moved me up to 61st in the country, not bad for only racing in 2 out of 13 GNCC Rounds.
I would like to have done better and I could throw the some excuses out there but bottom line is this is the best competition in the country and when the conditions were ideal I got a real good idea of where I stand. I only raced 2 GNCC in the past three weeks and these guys follow the circuit all over the country. If I rolled in there and placed highly after only racing fulltime for 2 years it wouldn’t be saying much for the series. I did my best and I look forward to working hard at getting faster and smarter by riding with the best competition I can.
Thanks again to Pit Man D.Haggs Sr. who missed out on riding at Dutchmen just to come and pit for me in Ohio. You can catch him at the last race of the season in NJ for the last round of the AMA National Harescramble Series. He’ll be racing the amateur race in the morning and I will yet again be putting my body on the line for the three hour pro race in the afternoon. One more week!
(Server is down for pitures, I'll get them up as soon as possible)

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!!!

(Click on article to read)

Thank You Bill Keen!

OHIO POWER LINE GNCC!!!!!!!!

The two best off-road riders in the world will go head to head this weekend at the Power Line GNCC in Ohio. KTM rider David Knight, who resides in Europe, will replace the 2005 and 2006 series champion Juha Salmenin for the 2007 season. Throw both KTM riders in the mix with America’s very best off-road racers and you have an epic battle – me, I have an easy decision. After Sundays race at Hurricane Hills (Race Recap posted below) I have successfully clinched the 2nd Place spot in the PA State Series for the 250 B class. This means that next weekend Round #12 at Hurricane Hills would be meaningless, so it’s off to Ohio this weekend to race beside the best riders in the world! Let’s hope that the conditions are a little more adequate then two weeks ago in New York at the Unadilla GNCC. Thanks again for all of your support, look for the race recap when I get back next week! If you can’t wait until then you can get the results on Monday at http://www.gnccracing.com/ under Results - PM Bike race - (250 B)

Round #11 Race Recap

Round #11 of the PA State Harescramble Series was held this past Sunday at a muddy Hurricane Hills in Clifford, PA. Rain all day Saturday and Sunday morning left conditions looking very familiar to the previous weekend at GNCC’s Unadilla Valley.
The good news was that there were not 1000 bikes racing on the track leaving monstrous ruts. It was your typical PA State round, and since there were only two races left the points leaders in each class made up most of the racing field. Never the less there was 2 hours of racing to get done.
I was in good spirits prior to the race even though the youth classes that raced before us were head to toe in mud. I knew that it was going to be a muddy race while I was heading up to the track but I also knew that it would in no way be as horrific as last Sunday. (Thanks a lot to Biggs for letting me sleep at his house the night before) Since I rolled by myself in my “privateer” setup, my pickup, I got changed in the rain. I sure do love that “factory” ride with the Eco-line and KTM trailer. The rain seemed to stop when I was getting ready to head to the line so I grabbed my roll-offs and I was gone. I got a pretty good start and it didn’t take me as long as usual to find a good push of rhythm on the first lap. Broc, who has secured 1st place overall in the series for the year, got a horrible start and I didn’t see him until the end of the first lap. He made his way by me but he wasn’t getting away like he usually does. I kept him in site and didn’t let him get to far out in front. I ran really hard for almost all of the race, not until after half way did I realize that I was running a really fast pace. I didn’t feel too tired and I wasn’t cramping up so I slowed the pace down a bit but still tried to stay with Broc. With two laps left and Broc still in site I decided to give a hard push again to try and close the gap between us. He made a couple of bobbles on a really rocky, rooty, rutted, and whooped out up hill which let me move in on his back tire. He made a pass on a lapped rider right before a tight technical section so it left the rider stuck between us. I revved my bike and gave him a holler for the courtesy move aside but he didn’t move. I tried again to pass him but it wasn’t a good spot on the track so I was waiting to make a move after the uphill. The lapped rider fell right in front of me on the uphill and was practically lying on my front wheel. I kindly let him know that if he would have moved over when he was supposed to I would still be with the leader - in choice words. This happened on the last lap with about 2 miles to go. I did my best to try and catch back up with the leader and I did, just he got the checkered flag and I was about 15 seconds behind him. After a good battle for 2 hours I ended up taking home 2nd Place for the day, I was pretty happy with that! I really felt that if I had another lap I would have gotten him but that wasn’t the case on Sunday.
I had a really good ride overall, very little mistakes and considering the conditions, you’ll have that. Only one more round left at Flying Dutchmen which takes place this Sunday.
#099 wasn’t feeling so well so he didn’t race or make the trip and Jimmy B, well, he just can’t make’em all, but they were both sorely missed.

Round #11 Info

What: Round #11 Hurrican Hills - Clifford, PA

When: This Sunday October 1st / Race Starts 11:30am

Where: Directions - Take PA Turnpike - NE Extension to Route 81 to Exit 206 (Old Exit 63), Lenoxville. Take route 374 East to Route 106 East, go 3 miles to the track.

Pit Fee: $10

Special Unadilla Race Recap

There will be a very special race recap from this past weekends GNCC race at historic UNADILLA. Members of the DHaggs Harescramble Racing e-mail list will receive an e-mail regarding when the website will be updated! Keep checking back for more information...

Unadilla Tid-Bits

*Here are some tid-bits about this past weekend race at Unadilla from Jason Weigandts Quick-Fill #37 which can be found on GNCC Homepage (www.gnccracing.com)

Once again the conditions were not that bad for the ATV races, but man were they bad for the bikes on Sunday. It rained really, really hard Saturday night and then unleashed again during the morning race. I experienced this first hand since I decided to race this one myself. I’ve been coming to Unadilla since I was really young but I’ve never ridden the track, and I was determined to do it this time. And it was muddy, but I did my one torturous lap. I was relieved only when two-time GNCC Champion Scott Plessinger won the morning race and told me it was one of the toughest GNCCs he’s done. Scott is one of the best mud riders of all time. So it must have been hard!
The invasion of the motocrossers at Unadilla was dampened a bit by the rain. Broc Hepler, John Dowd and Bobby Kiniry are all great mud riders for motocrossers, but it’s a different story when it’s three hours over a long track with several hundred other riders out there with you, and not all of them are pros. At a motocross national, they can work on the track after 30 minutes. Here, the ruts that started at 8 a.m. in our Youth bike race were there all day. So all three learned quite a bit. Kiniry was all smiles with his ride and told me he had a lot of fun.
Hepler said it was tough, but he’s a tough kid and he wasn’t scared off. He wouldn’t rule out racing one again in the future. From what I saw of the track on Friday before it was muddy, Broc could have been right in the hunt for the win had it not rained. You know he can just fly in the rough open sections, and there were plenty of those.
Dowd didn’t have as much fun. He says the Wisp, believe it or not, was much more fun that this. Still, we’ve been hearing lately that Dowd has some offers to race the GNCCs next year. After this one, he still has to think about if he really wants to do it or not. I tried to make John feel better and tell him most of the races aren’t muddy or rutted, but who are we kidding?

UNADILLA PICS!!!

KTM Pits
Gravity Cavity
Even the MX track had deep NY mud!
How do you put your boots on the foot pegs?
There was a lot more where that came from...
The first 3 out of 11 miles of the track looked like this!
Getting stuck means get off and push.
#925 on the historic Unadilla MX track.
We talked it out, my bike forgives me...
13th out of 51 in 250B

Pictures By: D. Haggs Sr and Jr., Jimmy B, David Scearce

Star-studded UNADILLA!

Hepler, Dowd, Kiniry Challenge GNCC Elite this Weekend at Unadilla
By Jason Weigandt

New Berlin, NY – Last year the world famous Unadilla Valley Sports Center hosted the biggest Suzuki Grand National Cross Country event ever, as over 1800 individual racers lined up to challenge the woods, hills and motocross track in New York. But this year’s race will make more history, as some of the nation’s top motocross talent will challenge the field, creating a start-studded motocross verses off-road test.
Broc Hepler a three-time winner in this year’s AMA/Toyota Motocross Championship, and AMA Supercross Champion John Dowd will race the event with help from the factory FMF/Suzuki off-road team. Hepler’s appearance marks the first time a rider has ever won an AMA Motocross National and raced a GNCC in the same season.
Make no mistake, GNCC regulars like 2006 Champion Juha Salminen, Barry Hawk, Rodney Smith and Charlie Mullins will be ready for the challenge. The entire pack has elevated their game this year in pursuit of Salminen, the Finnish World Champion that just clinched his second-straight GNCC title.
But reports say that Hepler is no slouch in the woods. “I know what it’s about,” says Hepler. “I ride in the woods at home, I grew up in it. I watch it on TV every week and I like it. It looks fun.”
Dowd raced the Parts Unlimited Wisp GNCC in June and finished an impressive fourth in his first GNCC ever. “That had to be the hardest race I’ve ever done in my life!” said Dowd, who also finished second at the Maxxis EnduroCross in Las Vegas. “It was good. I put in a couple of good laps and a couple of bad ones. I had fun though. I’d really like to try a dry one!”
In addition, word is out that top New York pro motocrosser Bobby Kiniry will race the event after finishing an impressive 17th there last year.
Unadilla is the perfect place for such a race, as it’s arguably the most historic motocross track in the country. The track has hosted races for almost 40 years, and every top racer in the sport from around the world has raced there. Both the original Unadilla track and the U2 amateur track will be integrated into the rugged off-road course, which will also feature mud, hills, rocks and trails.
Last year’s race was a classic, with Salminen falling early and mounting a comeback. Mullins, Hawk and New York’s own Nathan Kanney battled up front, but Juha’s tremendous charge eventually got him the win in an exciting race.
The race also features a full schedule of ATV racing on Saturday. Yamaha’s Bill Ballance wants to collect his record-tying seventh GNCC ATV title, but the Kentucky rider is locked in a battle with Sunbury, PA’s Chris Borich. It’s still anyone’s championship in the battle between the Killer B’s. Veteran favorite William Yokley is a threat every weekend on his Yoshimura/Monster Suzuki, plus, a host of young riders are staking their claim to victory lane, including Chris Jenks, Chris Bithell, Adam McGill and last year’s Unadilla winner, Bryan Cook.
The Unadilla GNCC begins Saturday, September 23, with four-wheeled ATV racing. Pro racing begins at 1 p.m. Bikes race on Sunday, with the pro race beginning at 1 p.m. Weekend passes run $12 and children six and under are free. All passes include pro pit admission and autographs.

Round #10 Race Recap

Round #10 of the PA Harescramble Series was held at Rausch Creek MX and ATV Park in Tremont, PA. The crew at Rausch thought that they would mix the racing schedule up a bit and run the quads at our normal time and put the bikes in their spot – after this experience I hope that they keep things the way they are for next year. We were suppose to start the race at 2:45 but some new trail and 4 creek crossings made for a long day for some of the guys in the quad race. We sat on the starting line for about an hour while the crew at the park attempted to pull some of the damaged ATV’s off of the rocky course. Sitting in the shade with most of my fellow bikers you couldn’t help but to make small talk about how rough it was out there considering machines with four wheels were having trouble. It wasn’t long before Mr. Starter came running up telling everyone it was go time and to get back on their bikes. The first three lines took off and wouldn’t you believe that on the 2nd turn someone in the third line got really hurt so we were delayed again while and ambulance attended to the fallen rider. The track officials rerouted the course so that the rest of the pack could take off.
I got a good start, third into the first turn. There were only about 5 or 6 turns and then it was up a 4 story hill climb that separated most of the pack. Just before we headed into the woods I got passed and then the trail went up into a single trail in-between these huge bolder rocks, probably as big as a four-wheeler. The guy who passed me fell and there was no way around as I watched the leaders take off. By the time I made it around the fallen rider after that section the front of the pack was no where in site. The first two miles I was able to push really hard that was until I hit mile 3. Miles 3 till about 5 were nothing but straight boulders mixed in with some of the steepest down hills and up hills that I have ever encountered. In the mix of all that was a creek that they crossed you over 4 times, and need I say that the banks we had to go up were about 4 feet tall with boulders and slick tree roots on them. Some of the sections I thought were borderline dangerous, I feel sorry for anyone who would label themselves as a beginner because if they were on that track they know what an expert course is like. After repeatedly asking myself if the Rausch Creek crew was a little whacko, the first lap was finally over. First lap I was on the board as 6th, and the following lap I would catch one guy and slide into the fifth position. As the race went on the track got a little better with some more lines opening up, but at the same time it got worse because all of the good lines were hammered from everyone taking them. I felt really good on the bike, my suspension was perfect yet again and the wide ration gearing was working to my advantage. I was able to charge throughout the whole race again - thanks to not crapping up. Cramping up at this track would have been so easy because there were a lot of leg dangle’n sections.
And while I’m on the topic of the track let me say again how steep some of these down hills were. They were so straight down that the front suspension would completely bottom out; mine did so much the one time I almost snapped my wrists because all of my body weight was pushing down on the handlebars. Right after a couple of these hills was a 4 or 5 foot drop off right into the creek below, and when I say right after I’m talking like you had 3 feet to turn after flying down these hills or it was bike bath time. For most of the race I was by my lonesome, I saw DHaggs Sr. out on the trail – said Hi, then continued to push forward. Second to last lap my arms and upper body were getting a little tired from the continuous miles of boulder and tree bashing. I got the white flag on the last lap and I fought my way up to third place by then. On the last lap I made sure not to do anything stupid so I set a steady pace and gave it all I got. I wasn’t at all sad to see those boulders, down hills and up hills for the last time. The last section of the track was really fun because there were a couple doubles that were used from the motocross tracks. It’s been a while since I aired it out a little bit. I came through to the checkered flag and took home 3rd place for the day. I went back to the trailer and saw that my Dad wasn’t there and I was a little worried because from lap one I was thinking that he was going to have some trouble. I went back to the finish line and wouldn’t you know they sent him out for another lap and he came in about 10 minutes later. He’s the man for finishing that race let alone making it outta there alive. He did mention some sick superman bike throw that he performed while standing the bike up at the top of one of the up hills back on the mountain. But that was one of the last miles on the last lap so that’s still pretty good considering what we just raced through. He took home 4th on the day and full cooler of beer which was not at all needed after a race like that. When all was said and done we got our plaques and pulled out of the parking lot at 7:00. The different schedule made for a long day but never the less it was a lot of fun!
We leave Fri morning for the UNADILLA GNCC in upper state New York – the most prestigious off-road race in the country. I look forward to racing with the best riders in the country for three long hours. Watch out JUHA!!!

Round #9 Information

What: Round #9 Rausch Creek Motorsports Park - Tremont, PA

When: This Sunday the 117th of September/ Race starts approx. at 2:45 (Note Later Start Time)

Where: Directions: 309 North to I-78 West to Rt61 North to 183 South to 901 West to 209 South (Take 209 S through the town of Tremont and when you see I-81 about 200 yards in front of you the park is on your Right)

Pit Fee: ($10)

Round #8 Race Recap

Round #8 of the PA State Harescramble Series was hosted by Foot of the Mountain in Neelyton, PA. With a tropical storm moving through the state during the holiday weekend thoughts of having a harescramble race were null. I checked one last time on-line for any signs of a cancellation but there were none, so it was time to hit the open road.
As my Dad and I traveled further away from Horsham we could see that other areas of the state where hit hard by the storm. In some parts it looked as if the rain had just stopped 20 minutes ago. Other towns showed signs of heavy rain with flooded yards, overflowing creeks and tree limbs scattered across the land. The skies grew darker as we got closer to the track, which is not a good indication on race day. The more mile markers we passed the more it looked like we were in for one lengthy slop race. Then we hit the Blue Mountain Tunnels and it was as if we were in a whole new world. On the other side of the tunnels it looked as if it may have rained a day ago. There was a dash of sunlight through the clouds and if this were a movie there would be angles singing glorious songs of praise. We went over the mountain and at the foot we found hundreds of other races who decided to show up despite what Mr. Weatherman said. It was packed and with the track condition nearly perfect – racing was on!
At the racers meeting we found out that spots in the woods were slick and that we would be racing the track backwards from the previous round held there. No sweat, with ideal conditions I was eager to get a good jump off the starting line and hit the shortened 5 mile loop hard. And that’s just what I did, I got a good jump off the line probably third into the first turn and I held my ground through the first grass section of the track. There were a lot of off camber sections in the field as there were in the woods, so on the first lap I was riding a bit cautious so that I wouldn’t go down on the slick boulders and tree roots. A couple riders in my class passed me on the first lap but I maintained my composure until I finished the first lap and saw what kind of terrain I would be dealing with. After that first lap it was on and me and another rider (#253) we going at it all day. We must have switched leads 4 or 5 times throughout the two hour race. At points I was so close to him I couldn’t see where I was going because my front tire was right in back of his. I would wait for him to make a mistake and then I would make the pass. We were carrying an astonishing pace the whole time we were fighting. I thought to myself there is no way that we can hold this pace for the remainder of the race. To my surprise I didn’t get any cramps and I was able to go as fast as I could for the whole two hours. I felt so fresh on the bike and I don’t ever remember being able to push that hard that late in the race. Second to last lap the other rider made a little mistake giving me a chance to pass and I did, trying to put a little gap in-between us. It wasn’t until the last lap with about a half mile to the finish when #253 caught back up to me and made me work for that spot. We approached a long rocky up hill and there was a lapped rider in front of us. I started to make the turn and pass the rider on the outside while #253 squared off the turn and took the inside. Wouldn’t you believe that the lapped rider falls in front of me as I slam into him and then I watched the other rider make his way up the uphill. By the time I pulled my bike back I lost the spot and tried as hard as I could to catch back up to him on the little bit of track we had left - didn't happen. I settled for 3rd on the day and since it was probably the greatest race of my career I’ll take it. It was really awesome battling for the whole race and even more so I made one little mistake and didn’t stall of go down the whole time, and I can assure you there were some technical slick sections.
DHaggs Sr. put in another remarkable effort also bringing home a 3rd place on the day! With no riding time since the Skippack race he had some arm pump set in but once he worked through that he set a pace and charge for the remainder of the race.
For those of you who are interested and missed the race yesterday we had applications available for a new pit man. Jimmy B “our pit man” has a celebrity status now, showing up at the races when only other people are gonna be there. Please don’t apply if your afraid of a little mud, these are dirt bikes we’re racing here! When the weathers bad that’s when we need a pit man most so please keep that in mind. Don’t apply just so that you can get a pit man t-shirt either. Thanks for your support! One week down 6 more weeks of racing in a row to go! Three weeks till UNADILLA!!!!!!!!!

Blue Comet Pics!

099(Above: Second into the woods off the start - Below: Taking the lead down the trail)

(Above: 925 Gettin ready for the start)

925 (Above: Blitz'n the whoops - Below: Ride'n the edge of the Berm Pond)

099 (Above: Catch'n some air - Below: "What berm pond!?")
Pictures by: Kath Mercer & Eddie Lehr and Caitlin Haggerty

More Blue Comet Pics!

Above: DHaggs Sr. and DHaggs Jr. post bench racing
Above : After getting his camelback mouthpiece ripped off on the first lap 099 rehydrates
Above: The riders for the main start to line up at the start
Above: Camp KTM
Above: DHaggs Racing KTM's 099 - 925
Above: DHaggs Jr. getting mentally ready
Above: Bill and Mike laugh at Steve for asking why this bike doesn't have trainning wheels like his does?

Photos By: Caitlin Haggerty

Blue Comet Race Recap

( Pro GNCC racers Ryan Rogers and Wally Palmer head into the boulder whoop section on lap 2. Rogers would take the overall win.)

Photo: Jim Bull

On Saturday the 19th of August, Blue Comet M.C. hosted its first Harescramble race in decades. You couldn’t help but to feel some excitement when entering the club grounds which were flooded with trucks, trailers, bikes, racers, spectators, sponsors, vendors, club members and live music. I would have to admit that I myself was a little skeptic about how well this day was going to be put together, but I will say that Blue Comet returned to their roots and showed everyone how a harescramble race should be. There were vendors, food, a live band, a PA announcer, free dirt bike rides for little kids, grandstands, a pavilion for the award ceremonies and oh yeah….one crazy harescramble track!
The track it’s self was unique because it had some characteristics of its own but also incorporated some technical challenges that you would find at other tracks around the state. Although it was shorter than most harescramble tracks it seemed to suit the enthusiasm of the cheering fans with more racing action. Unlike the conditions of upstate Pennsylvania there were no continuous rocks or boulders that littered the track. Because of this the track promoters thought why not bring the rocks to us, so they put in a boulder rock whoop section. It was a challenging section on the coarse but not as bad as some of the natural terrain we face up north.
As if boulders weren’t enough there was another section on the track with the same set up but instead of rocks they used telephone poles. There was about seven or eight rows of them and after the first lap they came out of the ground and were scattered all over that section of the track. This made it very difficult approaching this section each lap because they were all in a different spots and the lines continuously changed.
In between the boulder whoops and the telephone poll whoops was the barn which was pretty cool. Cool because it was different and cool because there were three shower heads drenching the concrete floor with water making it extremely slick. I can assure you that it was probably only one of the few spots on the track that didn’t have a blanket of dust on it.
On the top section of the track where you could find all of the action there were a set of grandstands in front of a double, a hill climb, a berm pond, and some of the deepest whoops that I’ve ever been through. Here is where the spectator got their moneys worth watching spills, wrecks, race ending mistakes, pro GNCC racers abilities, and even collecting some mud and dust souvenirs. From here the track worked its way behind the grandstands through the rest of the field and headed back into the tight woods with some nice different variations of creek crosses. The scoring barrels were set up at the edge of the woods behind the starting line which was sweet getting to pin it back up the starting line hill.
After a delay in the starting time, which can be expected at a new venue, it was time to get the main even started. I started the race off with the worst start in my whole career. I’d like to fault it to the starter guy who preceded to send our line off when there was a racer in the class ahead of our who was still kicking his bike. Normally in this situation they would give him a few seconds to try and get his bike started and then they would tell him to move aside so the next line can take off – not in this case! The horn sounded and I was still waiting for the rider to get out of our way. Everyone hit the first turn and I was left in the dust, basically dead last. Dust was such an issue and it is crucial to get a good start so that you can be out front and see. Being in the back of the pack I had to wait for the field to get spread out a bit on the first lap before I could even hope to start making a charge. The track was very hard, dry, dusty, and the tight sections were tight. I gave a good push in the beginning and then tried to set a good pace for the remainder of the race. The set up on the bike was perfect and even though it was hot outside I was feeling good myself. As the laps clicked off I was continuing to push my way through the field and working on picking off riders one by one. As the race went on the track was carving up some good lines so I felt myself picking up the pace and flowing really well. Then it hit again just one lap after the half way mark, cramp! Dang, I was feeling great and then the inside of my thigh started to cramp up so I sucked down some Gatorade in my camelback. That worked for a lap or so and when I came out of the woods and saw the white flag my right hamstrings started to pull. I drank the rest of my camelback and pushed as hard as I could trying to pick off who ever I caught up to in front of me. On occasion on the last lap my leg would cramp up but it wasn’t enough for me to put in a good fight with someone through the last section of the track. I was wondering where #099 was because again I wasn’t able to catch up to him. He had himself a good day of racing despite the fact that his mouth piece to his camelback got ripped off on the first lap so he continued to race without any water at all. Maybe the way he was blitzing that berm pond or looking up at the shower heads in the barn he was trying to absorb some water.
Between the hype, the excitement, the track obstacles, racing in front of our family and friends, the weather cooperation, the live band, our bikes working great, nobody getting hurt, the post race party back at the house and my Dad getting his first 1st place ever…I would have to say that this was one of the greatest days in my life. Although I had a bad start and worked my way back up to finish 4th I was happy with that. I rode really well and tried to maintain a good consistent pace which picked up a little bit each lap. The best part about Saturday was seeing all of our family and friends there. It felt so good for you all to come out and share what we love to do every weekend and that means a lot to us. We rant and rave about the races all the time and before it was hard for you all to comprehend because you really had no idea what it was all about, well now you do. Thank you so much for coming out to support us.
Mom – Kel – Cait – Cort – Bub – Grandmom – Grandpop – Tom – Kath – Nora – Will – Jack – Dan – Dillion – Lamb – Lewis – Mark – Doc – Mike – Steve – Bill – Jimmy B – Alicia – Sara – Stout – Mohar – Erin – Mike – Kenny – Rick – Kevin – JimA – Ed – Dave – Dave Jr – Alice – Chris – and anyone else we forgot!

Thank you for all of your support and we are glad that you had a good time. So far it looks like a go for next year too so mark it on your calendars!