And just like that, it’s a wrap on the 2018 USXC cross-country season! It’s crazy to think how fast this season went. You spend all summer preparing and getting ready and it always seems like it flies right by.
This weekend we were in Naytahwaush, Minnesota, for the final round and the track was all on the lake. Temperatures were mid 30’s to 40 degrees all weekend, making the track conditions very challenging. Every lap the track was changing and you always had to be searching for new lines. Soft ice and thick, wet, heavy snow made finding a good setup a nightmare.
Normally in past years they have plowed the track, which I was really looking forward to because I’m confident in our ice setup. Last year I got my best career finish at this track. But with too much snow on the lake, unfortunately they weren’t able to plow this year.
Everybody was scrambling to find a good setup and it was gonna come down to who could adapt the quickest. Unfortunately, Saturday morning we were off to a rough start. We could have been put in the category of people who completely missed the setup. The thick heavy snow really dragged down the motor and made it tough to pull any RPM, thus we were lacking some speed. Plus, we had some work to do to improve the handling. But no excuses!
First up was Semi Pro Stock and we could only pull off a 19th out of 26 riders. As soon as I got off the track I was talking with my dad and we kept working on the sled.
In Semi Pro Improved class we were able to earn a 4th place finish.
All day we kept having overheating issues with the sled. It was running so hot, to the point it was melting the side panel and lower plastics on the right side. That night we had a late night in the trailer getting ready for Sunday, trying to get more speed out of the sled.
Sunday morning came and there was actually a chance of rain all day. Semi Pro Stock race was first up and I was still only able to get up to 17th, giving me 18th overall for the weekend.
But in the Semi Pro Improved class we actually got the sled working pretty good and I was able to finish with a 2nd for the day but 3rd overall for the weekend. A bit of a tough weekend but every time we were on the track we improved on the sled and made it better.
Even though that’s it for the USXC series this year I’m not ready to be done yet! Still would like to do some traveling and hit some more races if I can. There’s still a little winter left somewhere, so now’s my time to get out and ride!