When I found out I was going to be able to go to GNCC Loretta Lynn I felt amazing. The week before I drank a lot of water and worked out really hard in the gym because I knew it was going to be a 1.5 hour race. My dad and I changed the front tire, did a brake repair and oil change. We went to Cabot to pick up Christian Godfrey and his parents and then began the 6 hour drive to Hurricane Mills, TN to the Loretta Lynn Ranch. We registered and then watched the 50cc kids course. We then walked the 5 mile short course. I was glad we walked the track because I found safer and faster lines down some steep hills.
On race day my dad taught me how to change a spark plug because the track was so long I didn’t want to get stuck if I fouled a plug. I had to zip tie my transponder to my chest protector and then I woke everyone up as I was the first bike to fire up in the campground. I was beginning to get butterflies in my stomach. I had to take my bike to the inspection tent to test the transponder. I met some cool racers while waiting in line. At 8:00 am I was 3 rows from the front. There were only 3 girls in my class. I was hoping for more competition but I realized not a lot of girls do this sport. Christian Godfrey was in the row in front of me racing the 85cc 12-13 year old. Altogether there were 111 racers in the youth race. At the start my bike fired on the 2nd kick, both girls were ahead of me in the first turn. I passed the girls from Texas and Ohio while climbing the first gnarly hill in 3rd gear. That hill was at least a quarter mile long with sharp flint rocks, boulders, and roots. I was motoring along and about a mile later my bike stalled on a hill climb. The girl from Ohio took first place. Several kicks later I was back on the track in 2nd place. At about mile 4 I was trying to pass a rider and hit something with my front tire. I flew off the bike and the handle bar jammed into my stomach and I rolled down the ravine while the bike got stuck in the brush. I felt like giving up but instead I turned my gas off to keep the fuel from draining out. I waited about 13 minutes before the sweep came by and he helped me get the bike up the hill and I was off again. The track was pretty fast with mostly rutted out 4 wheeler trails. I finally made it through the timing gate and I was in 3rd. I caught back up to the girl from Texas on lap 3 and passed her as she had crashed in the creek. I never saw the girl from Ohio again and I couldn’t catch her. She is the GNCC points leader in the girls class.
I would like to return again next year and give her a challenge. I finished in 2nd place and got to take my bike up on the podium for my first podium interview. I had a good race, got an awesome GNCC plaque and was proud to represent Arkansas and AHSCS.