In the northeast corner of Missouri, Kahoka is the most Illinois-like race in the Missouri Hare Scrambles Championship (MHSC) series. On this day the race shared co-sanctioning with the AMA National Hare Scrambles series, which attracted riders from all over the country. The usual Missouri riders were on hand to compete for MHSC series points, including fellow Open B rider Kurt "PizzaMan" Mirtsching. I had finally cracked the PizzaMan riddle when another rider mentioned he is an owner of the renowned Shakespeare’s Pizza in Columbia, Missouri. Mystery solved, pizza samples wanted.
Differences between the MHSC and AMA National series format mostly centered around racing classes and race length. The AMA tends to have a few more classes in which to compete, and National evens are three hours instead of two. Differences aside, all riders would be challenged by extreme heat. With the brutally hot weather, the promoter made a rare decision to shorten the race to 2.5 hours. "That's a real shame," nobody ever said.
Another divergence between National and local races are entry fees. This being my first national race, I wasn't prepared for the cost. Normally $30 would have covered everything, but the gate fee was $10 and registration was $40. I wasn't expecting this and didn't have enough money in my wallet, so I began cleaning out the change cup in my truck for every spare coin, searching under the seats, hoping to find a forgotten stash of cash. No luck. I was two dollars short. I loaded up my pockets with the coins and jingled to the signup area, hoping the registration crew would have mercy and let me race. As I dumped my assortment of coins and currency onto the signup table, the nice lady collecting money stared in disbelief and replied "We do take checks."
The race course was staged around a motocross track in the backyard of a farmstead. Trucks and motorcycles were parked in every possible space around the house, sheds and barns. The family dog was available for petting, the sheds were open for shade, and the promoter could have been one of my neighbors from back home. The property was surrounded by woods and small hills, over which a 10-mile course had been marked.
On the starting line, the Pro class was a row of umbrellas supported by the entourages which come with professional racers, shading them while we waited for the green flag to drop. I had no such umbrella assistance and baked in the sun. At one point I thought my boots were quite possibly on fire. When my row finally departed, I was already tired from the heat.
Working in my favor was the soft, loamy terrain surrounding the farmstead and motocross track. The Kakoka landscape very much resembles my home state, given its 16-mile proximity to the Mississippi River. Trees were spaced tightly and, unlike most Missouri races, the dirt was just dirt. Rocks were sparse and the course was dry and dusty. A couple times each lap, the trail was routed towards the loamy motocross track, where spectators could view our generally poor track skills. The moto section had been designed to be ridable in wet conditions, with truckloads of municipal mulch mixed in with black dirt. Horsepower was key here. The mulch created a super-soft texture which pulled in the rear tire and slowed the bike.
After the second loop I was dead tired. By lap four, I was in a zone of torture. The heat took its toll on all of the riders. I came across a man passed out on the trail, being helped by EMT's. One of the few things keeping me going was a sporty young girl hanging out at one of the checkpoints. As the race went on and the temperature increased, she wore less and less each time I passed by.
When the race mercifully ended, I felt horrible and laid on the ground for about an hour. If I attempted to walk to the signup area and see how I finished, I would feel nauseous about 20 yards into the 200-yard trip, I felt nauseous. I retreated to my truck and cranked up the air conditioning. After another hour of sleep in the cool confines of the truck, I was able to try again. I stumbled to the signup area, where the trophy presentation had already begun. The overall winner was national rider Doug Blackwell, followed by Missouri hare scrambles point leader Steve Leivan.
Then there was me and my 4th place finish in the Open B class, my best result in the Missouri series and one of the better finishes for the year. I accepted my trophy in a daze and proudly displayed it on my dining room table.
