Short View
Of
’99 Renegade Enduro
by
Vernon Markworth

Wow! Is it time for the first race already? The San Antonio contingent decided to "motel it" this weekend as the SMC motorhome is parked at String Prairie while we get the Sidewinder enduro set up so we headed up I-10 in the van. We meet Will Hendrix in Brady and I ride with him to Post in his "freeway flyer" (Buick station wagon). The weather is great and warmer than other times we have been at Renegade. Remember a few years back when there was snow on the ground and it was 12 degrees at the starting line?

Eric has made the route really simple – 42.9 miles at 18 mph and then 24 to the finish. Simplest program I’ve seen in a long time. We left the starting line on an early number and headed out on the north pasture of the Macy ranch. Early on it looked like a war zone as the land owner had root plowed all the cedars and had cleared much of the land. This was an easy trail pace and we crossed the river the first time just before 6 miles. The first check was at 6.3 and I kicked it up a bit on the easy sweeping trail. Oops! Check 2 was at 10.2 and I really had to do a balancing act to keep from burning it. Was able to get a zero with 11 seconds but I know that won’t be good. Off again and the trails stays open and easy to keep the speed average. Gas 1 is at 20.3 with plenty of time here and everyone has a zero unless they had some problems. After the gas we headed to the south side of the lease and I know this will be tighter and tougher. There is a sneaky check at 25.2 miles that probably caught some people riding too hot but we zeroed it and blasted on down the trail. Again the trail pace was fast but not too difficult and I still had a zero up to the free time at 41.7 miles. We knew the last 8 miles would be tough at 24 miles an hour so we rode right at the top of our minute. Tricky, tricky!! Again Eric had hidden a check below a bluff at the river and right at the speed change at 42.9. There were a lot of surprised riders up on the bluff and some came really close to blowing that check. We checked in to this one right at zero seconds and then you could throw your timekeeping gear away and just ride as fast as possible. These were fun trails, mostly open, but lots of washouts and places you needed to be careful. I kept falling a little further behind until a tiebreaker check at about 47.7 miles. Then it was back on the gas until the short finish at 51.3. The long course went on for another 25 or so miles and Michael Wilson won Overall A by 8 seconds over Haydn Franklin. Overall the course was well marked, the weather cooperated, the rest stops were well placed, and the Renegade club did a great job.