STEVE LEIVAN
2009 RACE REPORT
THE BATTLEGROUNDS: Round 6 Missouri Hare Scrambles; Sedalia, MO; June 28
WHICH YAMAHA I CHOSE: WR450
WHERE I FINISHED: 2nd Overall
GETTING READY: It’s been super hot here for the last several days but the forecast called for a cold front to roll in on Saturday night. Having spent time in the heat preparing, I was kind of hoping for it to stay hot, but I’d say that would put me in the minority. Another concern going into the race was the fact that a Forward Motion race was going to be held on Saturday and many of us decided that if the conditions were anything other than perfect, that the MHSC crowd would basically be getting “left-overs”.
We rolled in just before 5:00 on Saturday and it was still 95’ish. By the time we got the camper and van jockeyed around and settled in, I was drenched in sweat. I got my mountain bike out and took off on the course and found an almost entirely new trail from past years. The conditions were unbelievable and I could only imagine how bitchin’ the race was going to be. The best part on the mountain bike ride was getting to the creek section and cooling off.
So after my ride we sat down for supper and Dad informs me that he thinks it needs to rain a little bit. I responded with “are you high?” and a quick “it does NOT need to rain”. So I ribbed him a bit and said, “if we get your rain, you’re gonna be a one lap wonder – you ain’t gonna like it”. There were probably as many log crossings as I’ve seen in a trail, at all different angles and of all different sizes. A bit of moisture on them would make them truly haggard.
So of course, it rained. I sat my mashed potato pot from supper outside so I could see how much and by morning we had ¾”. Oh, thanks so much Frank! I put my MX31 Dunlop’s on and headed out for practice. I hated the conditions. It was really slippery and the roots and logs were no fun. I came back and tried a trick that Peter from Yamaha NZ emailed me about this week to help find traction and then I tried to find some way to convince myself this would be “enjoyable”.
“GO TIME”: There were 13 guys on the front row and I entered the trail in about seventh position. I was nowhere near comfortable and was just kind of riding along and trying to not crash. Pretty early on I got by Mark Gay and then I came up on “Little Mickie” Kirkness who had wadded up over a big log. He got going just in front of me and then I got to watch him do a big triple dab washout over a slick root. In his defense, I don’t think he saw it on his “sight lap” and didn’t know it was there (I gotta be careful what I say since he may read this and will probably refuse to speak to me – or offer me pizza again).
So that put me in fifth and before the end of the lap I was in second with Caleb Wohletz leading the way. I actually thought I was further back than that so when I got the pit board I was a bit surprised. On lap two, some of the trail was better and some wasn’t so I was just trying to ride within my limits and not take any chances.
Aaron Shaw caught up to me on lap three and I figured he was going quicker so I gave him the preferred line and he went by. It turns out he was fighting clutch issues and our pace didn’t change much. Near the end of the lap he stalled and I passed him then he passed me when I stopped for clean goggles and a splash of fuel. By then, I was feeling a bit better and choosing good lines so I closed back up to him and went by and I tried to pick up the pace.
Then I lost the front end and went down giving him second position back. I reeled him back in and when we got to the corn field section I gave a glance back and saw that Ken Yount had caught up to us. Then I heard another bike back there and I saw Brandon Forrester. So it was pretty much like the last round now. There were four of us together all battling; the only difference was that Wohletz was out front, all alone.
When Shaw was trying to pass a lapped rider in a fast field I went to the other side of them and got them both to take over second. I had pressure the whole rest of the way. Sometimes it was Shaw, sometimes Yount, and sometimes Forrester, but there was always someone right there, providing the heat. For the last lap and a half I kept trying to hit my lines and get through traffic as quick as possible.
We got to the final creek crossing and I stuck with the safest line while I heard a four stroke pinned to the stop behind me. I came up the muddy bank on the other side and I could still hear it but I managed to get to the field blast first and ride error-free the last half-mile of trail to finish second. Forrester was three seconds behind me and Yount was one second behind him. It was pretty intense that last 40 minutes or so.
OTHER STUFF: It turned out to be a good day for me; especially considering how crappy practice went. It’s not that the course was that bad, it’s just that on Saturday I saw how good it could be, and then after the rain it wasn’t nearly as good. But it got better and I got to battle with some guys again, so it did turn out to be “enjoyable”.
Steve Akers and Chad Vaught went with me to the Michigan OMA last weekend and this week they battled it out to go 1-2 in the “A” Intermediate class (8th & 9th overall – best ever results for each of them, I think). Todd Corwin got third and after the race told me he got beat by my “little buddies”. I asked if he wanted to go to the next OMA in Wisconsin and he said “no” so I told him they would probably beat him at the next MHSC round, too. There, Todd – you have been called out!
Mickie raced the National Flat Track event in Lima, OH and then drove all night so he could come play in the trees with us on Sunday. A couple of weeks ago he rattled his cage at Peoria and this was the first time since then he had ridden in the woods. He said he couldn’t see very well and fell off about 15 times. I think by the end of the race he had retired (again) but I reckon he’ll be ready to ride again by Wednesday or so.
The guys at and have been posting my reports lately so a big thanks to them for getting the word out about my world.
TODAYS “5 FASTEST”: 1. Wohletz (Kaw); 2. LEIVAN (YAMAHA); 3. Forrester (Kaw); 4. Yount (KTM); 5. Henslee (KTM)
WHAT’S NEXT:July 12; Round 5 OMA Nationals; Hixton, WI
THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT!
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