Well, Cedar City race is in the books!
I have a full report and video on my FB page, Like it if you would like to stay updated.
https://www.facebook.com/warpoffroadI'll copy the content here too.
Race Report:
WORCS Rd 6, 700 Production SxS, Cedar City, Iron Mine Utah.
Great things are happening in our KYMCO UXV 700 race program!
First I want to start off by saying Southern Utah has some beautiful country. I imagine that’s why they have so many National Parks.
Forecasts were NOT encouraging. They changed from day to day, but always rain. Sure enough, on Friday for the full course unclassified race, it was drizzling. Not bad as it was pouring earlier, but the track was sloppy. A guy on a quad had just come off the course…covered in mud, and suggested I would be better off not going out. Well, I had just mounted fresh Stage 5 shocks from Elka on the 700 and was anxious to see what they were like… so out I went.
It was sloppy in many areas, but not too bad in others. I tried to avoid the deeper ponds. I went through all of my tear offs, but all in all, it was good to be out there pre riding the course. Not only did I get a feel for the new shocks, which performed great, but I could also get used to the KYMCO as well. Given that I am new to SxS racing I had some technique to learn and limits to find out, practice is good for that.
My plan was to come out with new a-arms with the new shocks which would give me 12†of travel up front and 13.5†of travel in the back…didn’t happen. Arms are still a work in progress, I ended up with 10†up front and 11-12†in the back. Still way better than stock and with shocks that were sprung correctly it handled the best it has ever been with nothing but improvements on the way! (Thanks Elka!)
As it seems to be the case, I was still working on the 700 fabbing a last minute solution for the suspension, got everything bolted together, threw it in the trailer and headed up to Utah from Arizona to finish putting it together there. Turns out I missed a piece which I would pay for later on.
While the rain was coming down, and the lightning flashed and the thunder rolled and hail pelted the trailer….and was that really deep pervasive rumble from the Nevada earthquake? While all that was happening, I jacked up the SxS, in the trailer, so I could bolt on the skid plate. Talk about tight quarters, but it was a mud wash outside so that was not an option. I then went to bolt up the snorkel for the CVT and realized a 90 degree elbow was missing. The air port for the CVT faced directly back right where all the mud from the tires will be kicked up to. So I ended up zip tying a rag over the port to keep the mud out, but still allow for “some†air movement. You can guess where this is leading.
The rain abated to a light drizzle just before my time to head out for the unclassified so I took off and had a good time getting used to the new suspension and the track. After my session I loaded the SxS and the 1000 pounds of mud back into the trailer and went on a search for a car wash. Mud was everywhere, but my rag still held over the CVT inlet and looked to be doing its job, so that was good…or so I thought. After the 700 was looking fresh as a daisy again, it was my turn. Apparently I need more than one driving suit, I found the laundry at the hotel and got the suit cleaned up and did the same for myself as power washers have a way of ejecting mud off of the vehicle and onto you. I am sure the lady behind the counter at the hotel had to wonder if they made the right decision letting me stay there when I went to check in after washing the SxS, reputable would not be a word I would use to describe my appearance.
My race wasn’t until the afternoon so I could sleep in which I really needed after the late nights prepping the 700 for this race. The forecast called for rain and thunderstorms all day, so I resigned myself to the fact it was going to be one of “those†races.
The next day, after a leisurely morning, I get out to the course and it looks relatively dry! The ground is still muddy, but no torrential downpours or constant soaking drizzle, it looks like it might be a fine day for racing! I quickly finish up getting the 700 ready which included installing the fire extinguisher, battening down some of the plastic pieces, installing my number plates and kicking the tires to make sure they have the proper air pressure. As race time approaches the weather is still holding out, though there are some dark air masses obscuring the hills not too far away.
Unlike the previous races, they line up the 700 class with the 600s so the starting line is full, the more the merrier I say. Despite the different displacement, it is all a good match as the smaller vehicles are also lighter weight, so power to weight is fairly even across the board except for my main competition, an Arctic Cat Wildcat sport. It is a 700cc twin with 15 more hp than I have, 12+ inches of travel all around on Elka Stage 5 shocks, 20mph more top speed and a lighter vehicle. Fine, I know when a race is rigged by a sport SxS versus a utility SxS. That’s ok, I’m down for the challenge.
The other lines take off, 38 SxSs total in this race. The flag drops for our line and we’re gone! I end up in 6th place around the first corner and the race is on! I have to say I had a lot of fun this race. The suspension is making all the difference in the world in what I can do, and we still have more to go in that department. As we all make it around the first few corners, I realize that I’m still in the mix, no one is just walking away from me and so the first lap is like that, very close racing, slicing and dicing with the others, this is what it’s all about! Well, the rain decides to start coming towards the end of lap one and I pull at a tear off only to take the whole stack! Gads! That’s ok, just a thing.
There are quite a few rolled over SxS’s on the course, so I’m playing it safe trying not to be a statistic, but with blurred vision from the rain, and a better feel for what I can do, I pick up the pace on lap #2 (blurred vision makes you go faster because you don’t see what you need to slow down for). By the end of lap two (it’s a four lap race, about 55 minutes) I think I have passed all of the 600’s and I have caught up to the Arctic Cat, that’s right, a KYMCO chasing down an Arctic Cat. Ironically, KYMCO builds the Wildcat Sport for Arctic Cat, they are a good builder. As we start lap #3, I am hanging off the bumper of the Arctic Cat and two wheeling it around corners, as we hit a whoop section, my oversight in packing catches up to me and my CVT belt disintegrates due to the rag slowing down airflow to keep it cool. I roll off the course with all kinds of smoke billowing around me and know my race is done.
The race didn’t end the way I wanted, but the racing exceeded my expectations, all in all, it was a good day. The KYMCO performed excellently against the other SxSs and I know I have more to go before I max out its performance capabilities. Based on my lap times, I would have finished mid pack against this entire race field of 38, 27 of which are 900cc or larger. We’re going in the right direction!
Thanks to my sponsors, all of whom play an important part in my success.
KYMCO – Building quality machines, and yes, they can race.
http://www.kymcousa.com/MSA- Motor Sport Alloys makes great and stylish wheels, making me look good and holding the tires to the SxS at the same time with their M21 Lok beadlock wheels.
http://cocomponents.com/dealer/atv-wheels/EFX Performance Tires – Those MotoHammers are tough tires with a great all terrain tread pattern, mud rocks, sand, it doesn’t matter.
http://cocomponents.com/dealer/atv-tires-golfcar-tires/Elka – Stage 5 shocks, connecting the SxS to the ground in comfort and style over jumps and through the whoops.
http://www.elkasuspension.com/Most important…my Wife. Understanding, patience, tolerance, support…even encouragement. Without her, I couldn’t do what I do.
Thanks!!
Alex Kollitz
WARP Offroad
www.warpoffroad.comPS. I now have the series points lead for the 700 class!
