Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1522963
July 2024 31 The canopy overhead mu ng the sunlight just enough to give depth to the pale e of the forest and the streak of dark organic soil before you while everything shimmers with a coa ng of moisture. The ambiance is striking and feels like you are peacefully exploring a lush prehistoric forest…on a dirt bike, of course. Of which you are abruptly reminded as you failed to see that wet root while ogling the pre y colors and now, you're on the ground in the mud. Remember, it rained. Actually, the first few laps of the vintage race were not too slippery as a good por on of the trails were fresh cut and thick layers of leaves, pine needles, and loam gave a good deal of trac on. Once the laps progressed and the vin- tage racing moved on to post-vintage, the course began to lose that loamy top surface as res cut through and roosted it away leaving a solid clay base beneath. Wet clay is slick. Very. Roots are also slick in these condi ons, and more and more roots were exposed with each passing lap. May- be it is the whole prehistoric vibe, but some of the roots uncovered were unfathomable tangles of massive roots ("biggest roots", another record). Trac on was at a premium for everyone and watch- ing some of the performances from riders in this series in these condi ons was rather impressive! Despite the weather, we had fun! And that isn't a small victory, that is a huge victory and what we all seek in our fascina on with racing vintage dirt bikes. So, thank you to the Reitz family, their con- ngent of fast-ac ng help, Dale and Lori, and the great group of volunteers that run the MA region events for crea ng a forum to feed our desire for fun. Special thanks to Walker & Walker Equipment, the tracked skid steer saved many folks stuck in the mud on Sunday a ernoon! Also, please show your apprecia on by suppor ng the sponsors of the 2024 season: Potomac Vintage Riders, Preston Pe y Products, Stainless Cycle, Grove Prin ng, KMI Prin ng, Horizon Homes, and M3One. Please visit h ps://www.ahrma.org/ahrma-mid-at- lan c-region to see the results for the en re week- end and the exci ng rain-free upcoming schedule. Eric Weiland Eric Weiland