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News.

Summer is the time when you
ride the most. Your suspension
is the key component between your bike and the ground. Make sure that your set-up is not robbing you of speed and
comfort.


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Link's

Lake Side Machine www.bennickgrading.com
Truett 's Mechanical Insulation
www.ncdirtrider.com
www.fullerscycles.com
www.gpracingsuspension.com
NCHSA - www.yourrace.com
www.racetech.com

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Contact Info.

Jeff Elkins
phone: 828.442.5872
e-mail: jeff@rideacs.com

PIT TALK

Pit Talk

One Week In August
August 1, 2006

Although it has been fourteen years since I rolled up to the starting gate at the Loretta Lynn Amateur Nationals. The events that transpired there are forever etched in my mind. So it seems only fitting that on the eve of the 25th the annual Loretta Lynn Amateur Nationals to be held this week in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. that I would try to put into prospective what these guys are experiencing for the next five days. This prestigious race first started in 1982 and has produced the sport of motocross most famous champions, such as, Bradshaw, McGrath, Carmichael, and Stewart just to name a few ,all of which have won multiple titles there. In my opinion this race is the Mecca of American Amateur Motocross and on August 1st the gate will drop and 1,386 riders, 33 classes, and 42 per class will battle tooth and nail in the most important armature event in the world. Just to qualify for the event it is probably the single most difficult thing they will ever do! Since early March all these guys have thought about is......I hope I qualify in my area and also in my regional. If that happens then maybe by some miracle a top ten at Loretta's. So, now it all comes down to this week to decide what position they will finish which will determine their ranking. This race is tough! The nerves alone are enough to make you want to puke on the starting line. The heat and humidity is unprecedented. The competition is fierce. The top 42 guys in the nation in your class are there( that includes Canada and Mexico). The track itself is hollowed ground with a whoop section called the ten commandments. It is easy to see why many people consider this place to be holy. Rougher then you could imagine it is still the most technical outdoor track I have ever ridden. Deep rutts, holes and there is always an afternoon thunderstorm to make the black soil rear its ugly head. As I steadily come to terms with being thirty something and that my Loretta Lynn experience is over now I can't help but feel a combination of envy and excitement for the guys who are about to undergo the best time of their motocross lives (I know it was mine). My only advice would be to savor every minute of your time there. Remember we sometimes don't recognize the most significant moments of our lives until they have long past. I would like to congratulate all of the riders for qualifying in 2006. You have earned the right to be there, you are the elite! So, ride hard with heart and never forget.

Jeff Elkins
7-31-06

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