BajaNomad
Not logged in [Login - Register]

Go To Bottom
Printable Version  
Author: Subject: Mike Childress Baja 500
TMW
Select Nomad
*******




Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 6-13-2009 at 09:41 AM
Mike Childress Baja 500


On race day many were wondering what happened to Childress. This is his report on RDC.

Mikey's Baja bike and truck race report!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well wow what a awesome 11 days I had in Baja wish I could have stayed for longer. I had a wonderful week of pre running no crashes no problems just rode and sleeped all week.

Race morning
Woke up around 4:45 to get prepared to ride the start to rm100 on the bike. Got to the start line around 5:35 or so and hung out with some of the fans that wake up early enough to see the bikes start. I was the first bike off the line huge advantage but that didn't last long as I blasted off the line I made it about 2 miles before loosing the front end on some slippery mud in a corner and going down. No big deal pick the bike up but the darn thing wouldn't start so Kendall Norman got around me just as I got it started. So now Im in the dust super peeed that I made such a dumb mistake. Around race mile 30 things took a turn for the worst when I came around a corner and to my surprise here is a car going backwards on the course he was on the outside of the corner so I had to try and tuck inside of him but he turned into me sending me over the bars and into the bushes.. I get up in full shock mode not realizing how bad I was hurt I was trying to get my bike started again and the driver of the car was mad at me because I broke the head light and grill and dented the hood..I just ignored him and continued to kick the bike trying to get it to start then he trys to grab me off the bike and was yelling at me in spanish couldnt understand anything but then he really started to tug on me so I gave a back spin punch to his mouth and that ended that and I was on my way. So I continue down the road when the pipe falls off due to the head on crash. So I get to rm 36 and hand the bike off to Steve Hengeveld..
I jump in the box van and head to the next pit where I was to get back on the bike but the pain was just to bad so I had to take some pain killers..Ryan Penhall brings the bike in and we do a tire and filter and im on my way again riding the whoops around race mile 210 I was able to make a pass on 3rd place and hand the bike back to Hengeveld in 3rd place. Steve rode a great race and made up a lot of time going to the finish but only more bad luck would strike us when the kill switch decided to take a crap and shut the bike down after a 15 minutes repairing that we dropped back to 4th place where we would finish the race.

So I head back to rm200 to jump in the RFS motorsports class 6 truck. Robert brought the truck to me about 3 mins behind the dirtsports driver of the year Heidi Steele. I was pumped to get in the truck I got the truck up to speed and the mighty 4.5 v6 hauled the mail and I was able to catch Heidi at rm 220 and gave her a little love tap to know that I was back there checking out here backside lol.. We head up mikes rd and the tranny temp is getting a little high for my nerves so I backed it down a notch and got the temps back down to around 240. We get to pit at race mile 300 and put fuel in and get a time split on Heidi that we had opened to 10 mins now so now I had a little breathing room..We roll into Santo tomas and get some more fuel and head into the mountains got another time split on Heidi and we had more breathing room so I backed it down even more and picked my way thru the rocks and silt. We get to ojos cross the pavement and bam we got a pile up on the silty hill.. I kicked my co dog out (Ramsey) to go check out what the hold up was. There was a 10 car stuck on the hill that caused the 700 truck to get stuck and a 1600 behind him Ramsey hooks a strap to the 700 truck and I give him a tug back down the hill and we get the pile up cleaned up and head on our way to the finish were we would finish around 10:20. The truck was awesome and I never had to get out of it just drove it along and stayed on the road. I would really like to thank the whole RFS motorsports team they all did such a amazing job. Got to thank Robert for asking me to drive with him and Ramsey for riding with me! Also gotta thank Travis,Dana and Tony from General tire the provide me with such a great tire no flats all day!
View user's profile

  Go To Top

 






All Content Copyright 1997- Q87 International; All Rights Reserved.
Powered by XMB; XMB Forum Software © 2001-2014 The XMB Group






"If it were lush and rich, one could understand the pull, but it is fierce and hostile and sullen. The stone mountains pile up to the sky and there is little fresh water. But we know we must go back if we live, and we don't know why." - Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez

 

"People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." - Theodore Roosevelt

 

"You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who they think can do nothing for them or to them." - Malcolm Forbes

 

"Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you." - Jim Rohn

 

"The best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer." - Cunningham's Law







Thank you to Baja Bound Mexico Insurance Services for your long-term support of the BajaNomad.com Forums site.







Emergency Baja Contacts Include:

Desert Hawks; El Rosario-based ambulance transport; Emergency #: (616) 103-0262