SHIMANO WINTER SERIES ROUND 4

This last weekend was my first race back after my crash and rib injury at the 2nd round of the series
this year. I was off the bike for a total of three weeks and was pushing it as we always do. I felt really good when
I got back on the bike. Didn't feel like I could win but felt like I could compete. The conditions this weekend were really nice.
65-70 degrees and just enough moisture in the dirt to get the right amount of traction. Southridge taped
off a whole new section off hill that made for some good highspeed sections. It was a fairly simple course but
challenging with the off camber. I felt good after five practice runs on saturday and figured I would do good on sunday.
I did my normal one practice run on sunday morning before the race just to check the course and make sure everything
was still the same. My race run felt good. I railed most of the turns up top and pushed myself on the wall which is the last
200 yards or so before the finish.

I ended up midpack with a little bit of disapointment but at the same time I was extreamley
stoked that I put together a solid run with no bobbles or crashes! I was 13 seconds off the leader and 10 seconds off the
podium so I have a little work to do but I felt it was a successfull weekend and really happy that I’m back on the clean run
program :) I plan on getting back on the bike everyday so I look forward to seeing a improvement and a better finish next round .

Shimano Winter Series Round 2

Round 2 of the Southridge Shimano Winter Series brought some nice weather and great conditions. It rained a little on Saturday but not enough to stop anyone from practicing. The little rain we had was enough to keep the course dust free and somewhat tacky. Once again Donny Jackson taped off a great course with good flow to it! I was feeling pretty good come raceday and even did a few extra practice runs before I was scheduled to leave the start box. I felt like I put together a really good run until the last 10 yards of my run. I was coming off this right hand turn to drop off and my bike just slid right out from under me. Before I could even comprehend what was going on I hit the ground. I think I would of knocked the wind out of myself but I was so gassed from pinning it I didn't have any air in my lungs! lol

I slowly got up and rolled across the finish line in disappointment. My friend Carlos Gonzalez was standing right there when I crashed and said it was the most violent crash he had seen in person. So strike two for me at the winter series. I got chest xrays on wed and have a hairline fracture in my L5 rib and bruising on a few others so I will be taking a couple weeks off. Doc says 3-4 weeks since it's just a hairline but I'm already starting to feel better wearing this rib belt they gave me to wear so hopefully I'll only miss round 3 and the bootleg race on valentines day? I plan on getting back on the bike next week so I dont lose to much of my cardio.

Thanks for the support even though my performance has been horrible at the start of this 09 season.

15th Annual Southridge Winter Series Round 1 January 11th 2009

This last wknd was the official start to the winter series in southern California. The weather was great
except for the santa ana winds that can make or break your race run. We had 30-50 mph gusts of
wind to deal with all wknd. Saturday Morning the winds didn’t seem that bad but as the day passed
by the winds got worse. The course was actually really fun. Donny from Southridge did a great job of
taping off the course. Lots of turns and the whole course was flowy. Saturday’s practice runs were fun
and my last run of the day felt really good. The turn out for the 1st race was exceptional. I could tell that
all the classes were going to be deep, and with no more Semi Pro class the Pro class was going to be big.

Sunday Morning came quick as always and was off to a windy start. More windy than Saturday Morning.
I did a few Practice runs as usual to see what condition the course was in and to make sure all my lines
were still there. I felt pretty confident on the course but was praying that the wind wouldn't get me on the
wall? I was the second Pro out of the start house so I relaxed a little bit before the race started and left
for the top of the hill early so I wouldn't miss my start time.

I felt really good on the top section of the course and hammered the middle fire road section to the last
rock garden. I came into the last rock section a little to zesty and got off line. I had to monster truck over a
few rocks and that took all my momentum away. After you exit that last rock section you have the wall which
is 100 yards of flat pedaling. I got the worst head wind there and was pretty much gassed at that point.
I stood up and gave it my all but I had already lost time with my little bobble and new I wasn’t going to
make the top ten.

I ended up placing 24th out of 39 Pros this wknd. If I didn’t have my bobble and a little head wind I would’ve
cracked the top ten and been up there with the rest of the fast guys. I’m looking forward to round two and
putting together a solid run with no mistakes. I’m glad the first race is over and excited for the 2009 season
with a much more competitive Pro class.

17th Annual Southridge Challenge

It had been two months since the race season had come to an end for me and in november it’s always nice to have a race to break up the off season! The Annual Southridge Challenges are always held at Fontana! The weather was beautiful this time around and the course had great flow to it with some really cool turns. On Saturday I put in six practice runs and felt pretty good! Half of the course I had already ran earlier in the year at another race so I new it and didn’t need to put in to much time since the conditions were the same! Sunday morning came around and I put in a few practice runs in to make sure everything was the same and my lines were still available! I was seeded pretty early so I was out of the start box before 11am! Besides feeling good about the course I ended up getting a little to zesty up on top and after the s-turns I got off line and went into this left hand g-out too inside! I washed out the front wheel and had an off the bike crash! The bars had bent so I had to straighten them out before I continued my race run. I lost anywhere from 10 to 15 seconds on my total race run with that mishap! I had It pinned and in control the rest of my run though! I pushed myself to the limit and was impressed with my endurance! I ended up placing 10th and actually beating a few people! I was nine seconds off the leader! So I know I would of had it if I had put together a solid race run! That’s part of racing and that’s what keeps me coming back for more!
THAT PERFECT RUN!
Before this race I was in the lead for the overall title by 140 points! I had the overall in the bag and didnt need to race this event to take the title but I love to race so I wouldn’t miss it for the world! The points I recieved for 10th place kept me well ahead of the second place overall racer so I’m stoked that I ended the year with the Overall Title. Thanks for all the support this year! It’s been a Great year for me and my sponsors with two titles and awesome race experiences! I couldn’t of done it without your help!

2008 Cal State Champion Poster

2008 California Golden State Champion

Winning three out of four races in the Golden State Series locked up the championship for me. I couldn't be more happier! Thank you everyone that helped me reach my goals this season. Greatly appreciated.

2008 California Golden State Championship Finals

After been off the bike for over three weeks and dealing with one of the worst injuries I’ve had, I accomplished
something I didn’t think was possible. This weekend was the final round of the California State Championship
Series held at Woodward West in Tehachapi, California. I was leading the series by only 15 points and with only
one more race left I knew I would have to race to have any chance of locking up the overall State Championship.
Saturday practice was fun. The course was short but longer than the previous race held there. Thirty seconds longer
to be exact. It ended up being a fun course for what it was, not my style but I was able to figure out some decent
lines and manage to carry my speed through all the obstacles.

I only did one practice run on race day morning due to the shuttle lines being full. I just wanted to make sure the
lines I was using on the course were still good and wouldn’t have to change anything before my race runs. This race
was two run format combined times. My first run was smooth but felt I could push it a little harder in some
sections. I ended up having the fastest time after everyone was done with there first run. Going into the second
run in 1st always puts a little pressure on me especially when I want to charge it a bit harder! Three quarters of the
way down on my second run I slipped a pedal and lost momentum in a critical section. I managed to get my feet
on the pedals before the next turn and finish out the rest of my run clean and fast but the damage was done. I lost
about 3-5 seconds on that mistake and I lost 1st place by less than a second.
Since I won the 1st run by a signifigant margian my combined time was the fastest of the day and I ended up winning
the final round of the California state series. With that been my third 1st place finish of the series I was able to secure the
overall win for series and become the California State Champion for 2008.