Trail Rider Magazine

Flashback! July 2024 5 It's hard to imagine we're past the halfway point of the year 2024. We're fortu- nate to have enjoyed a wonderful spring with some excep onal riding weath- er, especially compared to the monsoons of '23. Looking back, one posi ve from last year's slop fest was it sharpened our mud riding skills. Truth be told, I wasn't aware this old dog could even learn any more tricks at this point in life. It was during the recent Unadilla MX Rewind that my eyes were opened. For those of you who might be unfamiliar, MX Rewind is a three-day vintage fes val held at the iconic Unadilla motocross track in picturesque New Berlin, New York. The loca on is dripping with history and the facility is graced with lush green fields and steep rolling hills and dirt like warm chocolate cake. Super Hunky would have called it "Moto Heaven". With an eye to the weather, I threw cau on to the wind and made a last-minute decision to toss a few vintage bikes into the Sprinter and hit the road for upstate New York. I was well aware that we might experi- ence some precipita on but just being at 'Dilla is a large part of the fun. The six-hour trek was painless with nothing but light drizzle over the course of 400 miles. I was excited to hang with my race family and despite the forecast, I knew we'd be in for a good me regardless. As luck would have it, literally seconds a er set- ng up my E-Z Up, the skies unleashed, dumping rains of biblical propor ons. Pouring buckets, along with ungodly winds, we early a endees did our best to take shelter. The storm lasted about an hour with tents and E-Z Ups destroyed in record numbers. It was then I knew our 7:45 am Cross Country race would be a quagmire. Fortunately, the storm passed just as quickly as it arrived and thanks to my buddy Tony Yannatel- li, we were treated to a huge campfire-cooked prime rib dinner, a couple of cold frosty's then off to bed early in an cipa on of the next morning's race. MX Rewind is held in conjunc on with AHRMA Northeast. The first order of business would be Cross Coun- try racing, Grass Track set up on the rolling hills, and moto on the famous Na onal track. XC is my game and I'd signed up for two classes, Vintage on my dear old friend Howie's '73 Husky 450 WR and his '82 430 WR for Post Vintage. Now both bikes have treated me well in the past and I was confident they'd carry me through without much drama. In total, there were probably 50 or so riders lined up at the gate of several different classes. As you'd imagine with the slop, gate drop was a mess with riders all over the track, ba ling for posi on before even ge ng into the woods. Being a cantankerous le -hand kick big-bore on a dead-en- gine start, my posi on out of the gate wasn't the greatest but being there for the fun, I was happy with my start. Once we entered the single track, you could clearly see who rode last year's mud and who didn't. With endless slippery roots, rocks, and steep climbs, that old 450 Husky ate up everything that 'Dilla threw at it. Like I was powered by an unseen force, I'd made my way through the pack, picking them off one by one. It was during the second 5.7 mile loop that I really felt the presence and belted out inside my helmet, "Thanks for the ride Howie"! Although my old friend has been gone over a dozen years now, I'm convinced he's been my guardian angel since his passing. Invigorated by the course and now familiar with the terrain, I leapt aboard the '82 430 for the Post Vintage race. Now I'll be honest, racing PV on that '82 430 seems like chea ng. The bike works oh so well, and now in tune with the en re course, I twisted it merrily with an ear-to-ear grin. With every lap, the course got be er and be er with the muddy soil tacking up nicely. In fact, the only disappointment of the weekend was seeing that checkered flag at the end! In closing, regardless of the crazy winds, rain and yes mud, this year's MX Rewind was off-the-hook fun. I'd like to thank my friends Joe Chodnicki, Merri Brown, and Rik Smits for laying out the best Cross Country course I've ridden to date at Unadilla. I'd also like to thank the Ashcra family for their hospitality and awe- some feast put forth during the weekend. If you've yet to a end this wild and crazy event, I highly recom- mend it. Rain or shine, you won't be disappointed!

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