Heart

(Continued…)

Tanner turned into the dirt with 285x 90 seconds behind him.  I jumped in Chase truck 2 and headed for the finish line.  Tanner was scheduled to stop at a pit for fuel two miles in.  A pit service called “Baja Pits” sets up along the course to fuel vehicles every 50 miles or so.  Our bike can only go about 75 miles on a tank of gas.  They put a sign out along the course for you to see, but sometimes these trophy truck pits set up all over the place can camouflage the Baja pits.  I missed a pit once and we had to fuel at the truck instead.  

I sat in Chase 2 wondering if Tanner would make his pit.  If he didn’t, we were done.  And would 285x pass him when he stopped at it?

Tanner did make his pit quickly, and he held the lead.  Then, another crisis.  The front headlight assembly, two 8″ round lights in a metal cage, started bouncing up and down, coming loose.  It got worse.  Tanner tried to take smooth lines, but it bounced more wildly as he progressed. Thoughts went through his mind – what to do?  He thought of stopping and ripping it off – the sky was beginning to get lighter now, but it was still dark and he needed light. He also knew that the race bike had a big stator to generate more power for the lights.  If you ran the bike without lights it would burn up the stator and the bike could stop.  

Metal parts broke off the frame and went flying.  285x was back there close.  The 17″ wide light assembly finally detached from the bike and dangled by the wire.  Tanner stopped, took his helmet, neck brace, pack and jacket off.  He had a “Tough Mudder” pullover on under his jacket. He took it off and used it to tie the lights back on the front of the bike.  285x went by.  Then a new bike, 318x (not in our class) went by. Tanner put his gear back on as fast as he could, and raced forward. 

It is often said in the sport that a rider who rides at 101% of his ability will crash a lot and his career will be short.  Tanner and I ride at 97%, and we survived to this point.  But this was the last leg of the Baja 1000.  It was time to go beyond 97%.  Tanner tapped all his skills, and power slid around dusty gravel turns in forth gear trying to catch up.  The problem now?  Dust.  318x was creating so much dust it was hard to see.  He’d mount a charge, only to have to let off and sometimes come to a near stop to be able to see.  

He mounted another charge, same result.  Another, and he was blinded by dust and the first rays of sun coming through it.  All of a sudden, bang, he was in a giant rut up a steep hill that he could not see.  He was stopped.  The rut was 18″ deep, filled with boulders.  He struggled to get out.  It took a full minute.  He remounted and continued his pursuit.

The next time 318x appeared ahead, he charged the dust again.  He broke through to get close enough where the dust coming off the wheels of the bike ahead was below his line of sight.  He stayed close, picked a moment, and flew by.  Now he could pursue 285x with a clear track until he got into his dust.  The sweatshirt holding the lights on was coming loose and the light was bouncing again.  Could he catch him?

Our plan was that Javier in Chase Truck 1 would meet Tanner at the last checkpoint at mile 782 just to check on Tanner.  We expected no problems and that Tanner would give Javier a thumbs up and keep going.  Javier waited.  

There are 95 virtual checkpoints “VCP’s” on the course.  A VCP is a 100 foot circle on a GPS map that you have to go through. You don’t see anything in the field, it’s just an electronic waypoint.  You have a transponder on the bike and they track your every move within two feet to assess penalties later. If you miss a VCP it means you went off course – most often to take a shortcut, and you’ll be assessed a 10 minute penalty.

There are seven physical checkpoints.  They are rows of orange cones that lead you into a place where you have to come to a full stop, they take your number and time, and you go.  The speed limit is 15 mph for the 200 feet before a physical checkpoint.  If you violate the speed limit, you are assessed a 30 minute penalty! If you miss a checkpoint, you are out of the race.

People around the checkpoint got excited.  They heard a bike coming.  Javier could not believe what he saw.  285x rolling into the checkpoint at 15 mph, with our 214x directly alongside him! Tanner had caught up!  After the checkpoint, Tanner rolled up to Javier with his sweatshirt around the dangling, broken, over-sized Baja light assembly. They had to change it – fast!  285x sped away on course.  90 seconds later, Tanner chased after him yet again.

Would he catch him with just 40 miles to go?

Continued tomorrow….