Comfort, Tx. Race #2- 03/13/10-03/14/10: Collecting the hardware

OMW loves the Omnium and the Omnium loves OMW !!

Ahh, who doesnt like the awesome lung burning and thigh crushing trails of  Flat Rock Ranch in Comfort, Texas? They call this weekend of racing the “Omnium”. The overall prizes go to the racers with the most points after all the stages. Pro/cat 1 do a short time trial and a dirt crit on Saturday and finish it up with the XC on Sunday. The cat2/cat 3 racers just get the time trial and the XC to gather points. (Only the XC counts in the TMBRA series standings).

So we’re running late.  Early morning start from Eddies place. 6 of us in 2 vehicles.  Its a beautiful drive thru the Texas hill country Saturday morning in the Green Manalishi, tall dogs are falling, but we’re late. Get to the ranch, literally run to registration just in time to hear Cap Carter make  the 2 minute call to close.  We made the Omnium!!

Now while Channo and I are getting our race plates ,turns out that crafty crusher Bam Bam has done pulled his Green monster with the pop up on the back right up to the front row and grabbed the best spot in the Team camp area.  WYB! Is that any good? “Did Mr Johnson direct you boys down here to camp? This is the reserved Team area.” To which we say “yes”.  Something directed us there but it wasnt Mr Johnson.

Its Sat. and the time trial starts at 2:30pm. So Ive been joking with the guys about how many tall dogs can we  drink between 10:30 and the 2:30. We figure quite a few. we were right.  See they decided to time trial racers by their number. Long story short, I dont race til 4:15pm!! Bud light should sponsor us.

Everything is going great with the weather, the people, the time trials, then comes the “OOOOHHH” heard all over the ranch.  As Bam Bam is flying down the last technical section to cross the creek and finish, he washes out the front tire and slams the ground chest 1st and the crowd goes “OOOOHHH!!”.  Being the crusher, he hops back on and sprints it up to the line. Get on that Line!! Thats gonna hurt AND leave a mark.  Good results all around including Eduardo 2nd, Tom 2nd, Dan 3rd, and Channo 3rd.

Celebratory beers for all and lets get that jammin cooler that goes to 11 pumping, which we did. I brought some dinner fixins for the night and whipped up a batch of spaghetti so together with the beers we can get good and carbo loaded for the XC in the morning.  Noones going to bed yet, Lance and I have to go reload the coolers before we run out of tall dogs, well actually Channo had to drive us because we needed  a little assistance at this point. Thanks Channo!! Get a little bonfire time at the ranch before calling it a night to dream of rock ledges and switchbacks yelling “on your left!” Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Good thing we get a 10am start on Sunday and thank god for Tom and Eddie and theyre coffee. I needed that! We all get ready to go, port o can trips, water packs, zip fizz, you name it, gotta get our heads together, its race day people!! Toms off with the SS’ers, Eduardo next, Lance, Eddie and Shannon- shannon? not again with the tardiness to the start- here he is and not a minute too soon. Being the elder I bring up the back. I get a great start. 1st at the turn and lead my group all the way up the 1st climb, noones coming around . Into the single track and im a little surprised im still out in front when all it takes is a bad line thru some rocks and bam, Im down. Zoom, zoom, zoom, there they go. All of them, almost my whole group files by me, no room to jump in, just jump on the back and start reeling them in if I can. Things can go bad quick out there. But everyone knows I can smell blood,  just ask Eddie. One by one they fall down (most of them at least ).

It was a great day of racing, always is in Comfort, the lower loop then the upper loop, great trails, great views.  Eduardo rules the day and his category with a 1st place in the XC. Tom gets 5th, Lance 6th, Dan 8th, Shannon 9th, Eddie 30th.  OMW loves the Omnium and the Omnium loves OMW! The overall results are late coming out but we came to get some hardware and now we’ve done so well we have to wait!!  There posted!!!!

Eduardo wins the Omnium, 1st overall!! Well done loco!! Tom takes the podium with a 2nd, and Dan and Shannon  both podium as well in 3rd.  Is that any good? Lance pulls in a 5th place while Eddie gets 18th. What a weekend of racing but still no Big Joe Love sightings yet, wonder where he’s been???? We’re off to celebrate the great results and get ready for our next adventure of the Spring, the lakeside trails of Pace Bend Park just outside of Austin. Thats close for us so we will have some family coming out and plan to continue the great results.

The deposits have been made and now we’re making withdrawals!

OMW bitches and see you all in Pace Bend!!