Whiplash 2008, Race #6 Snowflake 2008

I had a big race up in snowflake this past weekend. I had a good shot at breaking up the Tse Skizzie racing trifecta that had been dominating the expert class lately. 2 days before the race I noticed the engine was blowing oil out of the breathers again only when it got hot so that made me a little nervous and I decided to stop each lap to check the oil so I didn't blow up like I did at wickenburg. Turns out stopping each lap wasn't a big deal, lmao what a mess.

It was sprinkling when the race started then it poured for a solid hour during the race. Some parts were a serious mud bug but most of it was that super slick clay mud, it was like racing on ice.

I started towards the back of the expert class and I had a great first lap, I passed everyone who was ahead of me except for one person I think. I stopped for gas and oil check and the oil level hadn't moved so that was good. Beginning of the 2nd lap the transmission fell into a non existent 3rd gear. I thought I blew the whole thing up but I messed with the shifter and found out that 3rd gear was gone but the others were fine. This made it kinda hard because I had the taller high speed sprocket on and 4th gear was a long one. The track was a mess on lap 2 but I was still really moving fast, I passed quite a few pros. I was going back and forth with number 39. Sorry if I held you up at all. I was faster through most of the stuff but when I had problems shifting he was right on my butt.

I stopped after lap 2 and the engine had used a lot of oil and the radiator was covered in mud. I put the airbox lid on and went out again, I was in 2nd place I think. I was moving pretty good but the engine was having some troubles with the water then it would clear up. On this lap the track was really bad. The mud was so thick in spots I couldn't go faster than 2nd gear. At mile marker 23 or so I started hearing a weird whining sound in the rear and a clunk when the suspension flexed. At mile 26 I lost 4th and 5th gear so I was stuck in 2nd. I decided I was going to limp it to the finish and then quit. Unfortunately I didn't make it that far. Right before the aripine road the chain broke and the engine sorta locked up. I was sitting there for 5-10 minutes before anyone in my class came by.

Luckily for me the nicest racer in the world Marlin Kurtz came by and gave me a tow to the finish line. Of course getting towed really covered me in mud and when I got off the quad after the finish line everyone was snapping pics of me because I looked like a mud monster. It was pretty funny. Of course nobody in my camp had their cameras so all I got were these crappy cell pics.

Once I took a closer look I noticed my rear end housing is completely trashed the axle could move 3-4" in any direction. The engine is gone, the transmission is gone and I found a new crack in the frame, this time up on the top bar. I think the total bill is going to be close to the cost of a new stock quad so I am pretty bummed out.

Next time it gets this muddy I will have to sit it out it isn't worth the money to race in the mud. There is no way I can see to keep the radiator clear to prevent the engine from overheating. How do those GNCC guys do it?

here is a vid showing the damage to the rear:
http://godfatheracing.com/quad/PICS/snowflake08/broke08.wmv

Some more damage pics.
http://godfatheracing.com/quad/PICS/snowflake08/