SORCS Winter Nationals Wrap-Up

Rogers #448 Finishes out the SORCS Winter Nationals strong with 2nd in Quad "A" points!

Going into round 1 of the SORCS Winter Nationals, I really didn't know what to expect out of myself. It had been 5 years since I had competed regularly in any series at all. But I was confident in my bike set up thanks to all of my awesome new sponsors that are standing behind me for the 2014 season. The only thing I had doubts about was how my body would hold up. Of course racing is like riding a bike, after you get the hang of it everything just comes natural, however endurance is key in cross country racing.

So round one went pretty well for me. I was lined up with 17 riders on the start and half of the racers were GNCC regulars, 3 of which had national championships behind their belts. I was surprised that I wasn't nervous at all, but my plan was to stay calm, run a consistent speed, and be present at the finish! I was able to execute my plan, although I didn't get a top 5 finish I did come in a solid 8th place finish. Racing against some of the competition I was up against, I think that I held my own out there.

After Round one I knew where I stood. I knew what I needed to work on, I made a few changes to the quad and my body wasn't as out of shape as I thought. So going into round two I felt more comfortable overall. I knew what I had to do, and had all my ducks in a row as far as bike prep and making sure everything was ready for race day. After five years off, everything was slowly coming back to me.

Round 2 went a little better for me. We lined up on the starting line in 30 degree weather at 11 pm in Sparta, Ga! Talk about cold weather for a Georgia boy. Even though I am not too crazy about the cold weather, I was still excited to be at the track doing what I love. So we took off the line after the green flag dropped and of course, like the first race I started in dead last again! At this point I couldn't figure the kicker out. Anyways, we took off and the first couple of miles I gained about four positions. Soon after that I got into a fight with a vine hanging from a tree and of course I lost. Don't you just hate those things? I had to get off of the quad and get all untangled and I was off again. Not but a few miles after getting hung up with the vine, I got off course and got up close and personal to a wonderful oak tree. Yet again I had to get off of the quad, get back on track, and play catch up. At this point in the race I was a little bit discouraged, however pouting about a situation never solves anything, so I put my head down and didn't stop until the checkered flag dropped! Thankfully the rest of the race went fairly smooth after the first lap and I was able to work my way to a 6th place finish and I was very content with my finish, especially after the problems I encountered on the first lap .

Round 3 was also 30 degree as we arrived at the track early Saturday morning (Brrrr). But we all crowded up around the propane heater, had a good time and shared stories from previous rounds and of course told each other how bad we were going to beat each other that day on the track. Well once again Round 3 went pretty bad for me on the starting line. I got a last place start, but I soon got into a real good rhythm that would carry me to an eighth place finish. Although my finish wasn't that great I felt I put in a good solid race and gained a few points for the series, which of course is very important to me. In cross country racing it is very important to try and keep your quad together and more important keep your body healthy for good season ending results.

At this point I was back into the full swing of the racing scene. I had a routine maintenance plan for my quad, my body was beat back into shape, and it didn't take me long to have the trailer loaded up with everything I needed on race day. Going into round 4 I definitely had confidence on my side. When we arrived at the track the weather was fair, temperature was in the 50's with an overcast sky above us. Now the track at Whiteway Plantation is awesome but it's tight and I knew it would be hard to pass on.  So I knew I needed to get a good start, with my dad figuring out a solution to my starting problems and after practicing it the previous weeks I knew I could get out front early for the tight track we were about to encounter. The green flag dropped and what do you know, I went into the first turn in 2nd place! Talked about pumped, this guy was grinning from ear to ear, of course while keeping the throttle pinned to maintain the position that I started in. As the first lap went on we had a tight group of 5-6 riders. The whole first lap I tried my hardest to get around the first place rider by taking alternate lines but it just wasn't happening with how tight the track was! Anyways at the end of the first lap I went sideways and got tangled up with a tree, which resulted with five guys getting around me and me getting off of the quad to get back on the track. Fortunately I didn't lose too much time and was able to keep the other racers in my sight. After this happened I was determined more than ever to catch up and make some passes. So I laid the hammer down for the remainder of the two hour race and picked off racers one by one until I settled for a 3rd place finish by the time the checkered flag dropped. I was extremely happy with my finish and was glad to finally see all of the hard work starting to pay off.

Going into Round 5, I was sitting  2nd in points for the winter nationals series, just one point ahead of my buddy Blake Chirdon 3rd in points and just a few points ahead of John Glauda Sr. who was sitting 4th in points. Since first place was out of the questions due to Jordan Phillips wrapping up the championship at the previous round, I knew I had to put on a solid run to secure 2nd. The last round of the SORCS Winter Nationals was hosted at none other than my home track at Highpoint Farms located in Perry, Ga. I had plenty of family and friends in attendance, so not only did I want to secure my place in points I also wanted do put on a good performance for those that took time out of their day to come support me. When we arrived at the track it was already a given that it would be a muddy race after all the rain we had received the week prior to the race. Muddy races can go goo or bad for a racer, you just never know until it is all said and done. Once again my quad fired up instantly on the dead engine start and I entered the first turn in  the 3rd place position. I was able to edge out the 2nd place racer before entering the woods and a few miles into the woods I gained the 1st place postion. Being in 1st place on the 1st lap sometimes isn't the best place to be, however I stayed calm, kept my composure, and just tried to make no mistakes if possible. At the end of the first lap I came around the pit area and all I could see was every family member and friend jumping up and down, waving their hands, cheering me on, and I just felt the energy as I raced on to the second lap. I was riding very good, however I was passed by two racers on the second lap, but with a grueling race ahead of us I knew that it wasn't over. As the race went on I maintained my 3rd place position with little to no mistakes throughout the race. Coming through the scoring tent, I noticed on the read out screen that I was a minute and thirty seconds behind second place. Coming out of the scoring tent out of the corner of my eye I saw my brother (Scott) waving me on and telling me to get with it, and get with it I did! Entering the woods for the last lap I put the pedal to the metal and turned it up a notch. What do you know, that extra momentum on the final lap put me into the second place position less than a mile from the finish. I ended out the Winter Nationals with my highest finish of the year in a very solid 2nd place and 2nd in points. That just goes to show you, no matter how far behind you are never give up! Its never to late to turn things around.

With all of that being said, obviously I didn't make all of this happen on my own. So I would like to close out thanking my awesome family, friends, and sponsors. Without my mom and dad none of this would have been possible, with their guidance I have been able to do more on my own as far as this racing gig goes. Its not that I don't need their help anymore, but I have learned from their examples and were able to put what I have learned from them to use. My brother Scott has also been a huge help! Even though we are two completely different people, when we are out in the shop we know how to get work done no matter what our differences are. (He's super anal about his shop though, come on bro lighten up. There is nothing wrong with a spec of dirt on the floor every once in a while.lol). B.J. and Taylor aka the pit crew. What can I say about those guys? Well B.J. is addicted to red bull and Taylor likes to sleep on the way to the track. Need I say more about how exciting our trips are? There is never a dull moment with me and my boys and I enjoy hanging out and being a team with them. Thanks for being at the races with me boys! I would also like to send a huge thanks to all of my sponsors. I am a hundred percent confident in all of my sponsors products and services that they offer. Fly Racing, GT Thunder, Fasst co., Spider Graphix, EKS Brand goggles, Mud Motorsports, DC Cycle, Rath Racing, Tireblocks, and Gaerne boots have been a huge help. Thanks guys, I will continue to represent you in a professional manor and give you the results that you, your products, and your services deserve for the remainder of the year!

....until next time keep the throttle pinned and the rubber side down
-#448 signing off...

 

CSR Racing "Racing again"

After a five year break, CSR Racing is back at it again. In 2013, Cameron decided he wanted to do a little racing. He was finished with school and had the career thing going so it seemed like as good a time as any. Let's face it, he ain't gettin' any younger!

So, he sold all of his mud bogging toys and purchased a TRX450R, and starting building it up. His first return race was in July 2013 at "The Swimmin' Hole" in Northwest Georgia. It was a SORCS event. After leading the race for several laps, he finished 2nd after an encounter with a tree.

After this race, he started the training process, sending out resumes for sponsorships, getting the trailer rebuilt, brushing up on his wrenching skills (this was the tough part) and getting ready for the SORCS Winter Series. He was a busy guy.

He has completed the SORCS Winter Series (details later) and is preparing for The GNCC opener. This is something he has wanted to do for a long time! He was too young to race GNCC back in the early days. Hopefully we will see all of our racing friends in Florida in March.

Yes, Scott has built a Quad as well, and obtained sponsorship. It is a Honda TRX450.  He will probably be racing selected events.

We will be updating the CSRRacing web site, and posting all of Brenda's photos. In the mean time, we still have a ton of photos from years ago, so go check those out.

Stay tuned and take care!