mx775

Because most of the racing was a little dull this year (thanks a lot, Villopoto and Stewart,) my focal point at this year's Hangtown was how local riders Nate Tiearney (173) and Ryan Ferris were doing. Both did very well in qualifying, as Nate earned the 13th fastest time in Saturday's session and Ryan took an impressive win in Sunday's consolation race, which was packed with 40 riders. So I was eager to see how well they would do against the world's best in the motos.

The first moto went badly right out of the gate for both Nate and Ryan. Nate got ran over on the first lap and Ryan's 450 lost a hose and shot hot coolant all over Ryan's leg (which, on the bright side, at least alerted him that all his coolant was gone so he could stop.) Nate returned to salvage 31st  place in the moto while Ryan returned to the pits with a 40th. 

The second moto went slightly better, as both Ryan and Nate managed to stay in the race and even battle together a little bit after a mishap cost Nate a few places in the middle of the moto. In the end, Nate earned 30th place with Ryan just behind in 31st.

But while their results show them mired in the pack, we should not forget just what kind of pack it was. For those who've never seen a national or raced at a high level themselves, it is hard to explain just how tough it is to even qualify for the main events. Even riders who dominate on the local Pro level face a serious challenge in making that 40-man field, as nearly everyone on the gate--even in the qualifiers--is a local dominator. And that is to say nothing of the upper-tier racers like Stewart and Villopoto, whose speed is so out-of-this world that even the best local riders cannot fathom it.  

But Nate and Ryan (382, shown here passing for the lead in the consolation race) made it with room to spare, and rode very respectably against the fastest guys in the world. It was no small deal.

I've never raced a national myself, but I have raced against a lot of guys who have. And trust me when I say that the pace these guys run is amazing. Being able to run that pace requires mountains of experience, strength and dedication, and Nate and Ryan made the grade this day. Nice work, guys.