Off the Couch and on to Odessa

2015 Desert 100 Race Report

A few weeks ahead of time the Desert 100 was on my mind like it is most years. I knew it was coming up and felt the draw of the desert and desire to throw my hat in the ring. Having retired from regular racing a few years ago to focus on work and life as well as a late career return to baseball, the thought the time and energy it takes to be prepared to be competitive seemed daunting.

Questions rattled around in my head like “Where is my Gear?” “What bike am I going to ride?” “Should I go buy something, maybe cheap used and prep it?” “Should I burrow a bike?” (We all know how well that went in 2011, right J.R.?) Ultimately I decided I would just ride my old Husky race bike, have fun not overthink the race and just ride for the day. So, like most Italian Husky owners with the red and white bikes, I went to work looking for parts. I still had a bunch of stuff from my racing days but the poor old girl needed some love. Thanks to Mike Koenig at Husqvarna Northwest, I got my hands on some critical parts.

Friday before the desert - in typical Beal Style - I still didn’t have the time to look at my bike. I hadn’t even decided if I was going. Everyone around town and on Facebook kept asking if I was going to race this year but I just didn’t have an answer. The last time I raced the Desert 100 was in 2012, where I finished 6th overall and won the 30+ class. In 2013, setting out on NOT doing it “Beal Style” – I got to Odessa on Friday so that I could practice and prepare, with my eyes set for the top spot. Unfortunately, the Universe had different plans for me and within an hour and half of arriving, I crashed my KTM 250SXF, dislocating my shoulder, breaking my scapula and knocking myself out stupid. I ended up spending the entire weekend as a spectator at the greatest race in the West – something I’m not used to doing. The crash pretty much retired me from racing. Therefore, I figured if I was going to do this race again, I would go in with a different mindset. And regardless of if I was going or not the first step was to get the bike ready, at least then I would have a running motorcycle.

Saturday morning I took the day off to work on the bike. I decided I would start at the back and work my way to the front taking my time to fix everything and then if I still had the energy to make the drive I would head over to the desert. To put things into perspective the bike we are talking about is my old Husky WR 300 from 2009 with, at the time of the 2015 Desert 100 start, had 414.9 hrs on it. A few weeks before the 100, I went for a weekday moto in Monroe and the old girl decided that a 1 piece clutch basket was just a poor design and that a 3 piece basket was better and remedied this flaw by grinding up most of the clutch basket into the transmission so I could empty it out with the oil. I love that this bike it is always thinking about ways for me to have another dark beer on the couch while eating Cheetos.

So, because my bike takes care of me so well, I paid it back with a back to front rebuild. Rear wheel bearings, new brakes, new chain and sprockets going to a 48 rear instead of 52 for more top speed for the Dez. New rear tire and bib mousse, linkage bearings, full flush of the transmission with diesel fuel to get the extra lubricating metallic oil out. Obviously a new clutch basket and clutch with a few tweaks to the old Z Start Pro Rekluse that kicks ass still after 400 hours by the way. Scotts Steering Damper got a service, new front tire and bib mousse and some fresh plastic and high powered Bell, FMF, and Rekluse stickers to round out the build. Oh, and a little rattle can paint job on the wheels and frame to make the old girl feel a little sexy.

I made a few calls throughout the day to people at the race site trying to get an update on the conditions, also keeping tabs on what was going on via Facebook. Thankfully, Phil Stevens gave me text rundown of the conditions. (John- Hey Phil how’s the dust? Sorta dust, kinda dust, pretty much dust, very dust or ultra dust. Phil-Pretty much ultra.) And with that answer an extra filter was prepped and ready in a zip lock and a super saucy filterskin was installed. Boom the old Husky was ready to rip!

Time for dinner, a glass of wine and a chill session on the couch. At least my bike was ready and if I felt motivated after dinner I could at least load up. If nothing else, if I didn’t go my bike was ready for the next time I felt like going to moto. After the appropriate amount of lazing around on the couch I figured I would load up and at least be ready to roll if I decided to bail on baseball practice in the morning and make the drive. If not then my bike would roll with me to practice. I decided that leaving at 9:30 pm and sleeping in the van was too much so I set the alarm for 3:45 and figured if I woke up and felt like it I would go and if not then Baseball practice it was.

At 3:30 I woke up, alarm never needed to go off and I was going to the DEZ! Pot of coffee, gallon of water, and on the road I went. A 6am call to J.R. Tonsgard asking if he could sign me up before it was super busy and before I knew it BOOM there I was unloading at 8 am. Everything was ready so I geared up and covered some last minute pit instructions with my crew and off to the riders meeting I went. I even got a little time for a pre-race convo with Jon Seehorn.

On the start I lined up about 30 bikes before Jon Seehorn and Corey Floyd not exactly in my usual spot but somewhat close. I was a little bummed looking down the line as I seemed to be stuck into a sea of large sage brush instead of in the open. Then my mind eased as I realized “Dude you’re about to throw down at the largest mass dirt bike start in the world. Go have fun.”

10 min of wait time goes by and it was go time! All eyes on a plateau in the distance with the cannon ready to fire. Stay loose –stay calm- white smoke- the run to my bike was good, I jumped on and kicked –no start. Second kick –no start. I say to myself “Tons of bikes are already moving you had better make this one count!” 3rd kick bike fires and I’m off. Picking my way through the large sage brush and dust from riders around me, I popped out in the open coming down the hill, most of the riders ahead of me where on the trails kicking up huge clouds of dust. I stayed in the green area and grabbed gears. I caught big air on a drop off and stormed my way down to the bottom of the gully where the infamous kicker is. I slowed down in the dust and checked up to wheelie the kicker and was back on the gas to the flags. I estimated I was about 20-30th through the flags and I put my head down and went to work. The first few miles are crucial in the dust to get by as many people as possible while everyone is grouped together especially since somewhere the leader is pulling away. By the road crossing I was inside the top 10 I felt pretty good. It’s a long race and a lot can happen. Making sure it doesn’t happen to you is a great way to finish well. After the first check and the second road crossing I came across a down rider bike upside down in the trail and rider face down in a pile of rock and sage brush. I stopped and jumped off my bike and asked the rider if they were ok. (The rider turned out to be Eric Giese) He appeared to be totally out and was moaning and breathing but very slow to respond to questions. I am pretty sure he was fully knocked out at some point but ultimately said he was ok and I told him I would go get help at the next check. So off I went. I let the course workers at the next road crossing know he was there and went back to racing.

I passed a few riders before the creek crossing and was told I was in 6th , I passed 2 more riders and was told I was in 4th. I was riding in dust hanging in the air from the 3rd place rider Matt Clarke and could see him in front of me on occasion. The next thing I knew there where bikes everywhere. Literally, to my left, right and front. Dusty sketchy crazy status! It was clear the demons of the desert had come out and there was a problem. I’ve experienced this before but not to this level. I knew the only thing to do was keep going and let it sort out. In the meantime just Pass, Pass, Pass. I started counting riders as I passed them. #70-something was a guy on an old red Honda XR 200 and the dude was getting after it! Manualing whoops, holding it wide. Whoever this guy was, he was having an epic day course cut or not. At about rider 120 that I passed people started getting faster, harder to pass and more prone to battle with you. This is when it got extra sketchy! Groups of riders in 5-7 way battles taking up all possible routes of the course throwing up crazy dust. At times the trail was completely blocked. In one of the gullies where the wind was still, the dust was so bad I came to a complete stop and sat still to get my bearings, while bikes around me piled up and threw up even more dust. Briefly the dust cleared and to my right and left where riders were looking at me. I could have reached out and touched them yet 20 seconds before I had no idea they were there. We all had a quick chuckle at the ridiculousness and took off.

Methodically, I progressed forward passing where I could staying calm and trying to pick good lines. I had to pull my filterskin about 15 miles from the pits the bike was running so poorly it became hard to pass. At that time I stopped counting riders but had made it to 150 that I had passed so far. When I came in to pit I took fuel and a quick drink was told I was in 70th overall and that they were working out the course problem. I knew at that point I should be in 3rd and that the other riders where in the same boat so I took off with the same mind set Pass, Pass, Pass!

This time counting backwards from 70, 69, 68, 67…

In the 50’s I gave up counting. The riders where getting harder and harder to pass and some really where hanging it out to keep in front. Some always took upwind lines to keep me in their dust making it really hard to pass. The rest of the day never gave me an open dust free section, between lappers and other racers who took the shortcut, dust was all I saw the majority of the race. I kept looking for the elusive 2nd place rider but never caught a glimpse of him. Now it was about moving forward keeping the rubber side down and taking home the last podium spot. I never let down the pass when you can approach and even down the last stretch of pit row I passed someone. In racing you never know so you just keep racing to the flag. All in all I finished someplace around 40th overall meaning I had passed 150 riders plus 30 plus the few I missed to get there. At the finish everyone was looking for the rare green mark on the fender and I had one. I was the 3rd rider in with the green mark so 3rd overall was mine for the day.

The bike ran great! Not a hiccup all day. At the end I felt good and was excited to see Jon Seehorn win. The only guy I know that has as many top 5 finishes as I do and never won it. He was on his A game and deserved the “W”. Matt Clarke threw down an impressive mature ride too. It takes a calm head to ride through the issues we all faced this year, and like a veteran he kept it all together. He will for sure be a contender for the overall in the coming years. As for me the old 300 and I are going back to the couch for a bit and just enjoy the afterglow of the experience that is the Desert 100.

Thanks again to J.R. Tonsgard for the last minute assistance as usual. Thanks to Todd Wolfe and the crew who jumped in to help pit. Also thanks to my girlfriend, Amee, for putting up with my crazy adventures. And to the Stumpjumpers and the Sponsors for the many dedicated hours and commitment it takes to put on the event. We all have our judgements on the course issues but you guys handled it with class and it was a great day of racing. In the end that is the point right?