Mammoth MX Race Report

[Fog 25]

Mammoth MX report.


Sign up for the inaugural 60 class at AMA Mammoth Motocross Championship. Haven’t race in two years but decided to try the Alta MXR in a race anyway. Mammoth Mx is a four Moto two day event at 7000ft altitude and the air is real thin and I figured the Alta would run good there against the gas power bikes.
Road the four laps of practice the bike run well and after practice went back to the truck to charge the bike. The generator started and then shut down after the charger put a load on it. Note to self next time re-jet the generator. Found a Honda 6500 to use for charging. Thanks Mammoth mt staff.
Saturday
First Moto pick gate 30. Pull a massive holeshot came around with the lead and red flag so we line up again. People were saying we see if it was a fluke? Second start even a bigger start led for 3 1/2 laps the bike was working great end up third.
Second Moto start was second and the leader push me into the bank (that’s one way to slow down a Alta) was eight coming down the downhill past four guys on the first lap and than was able to get in third by the end of the race.
Scores going into Sunday
Bob Casper 1 - 1 = 2
Michael Harper 4 -2 = 4
Steve Rawson 3 - 3 = 4
Chuck Sun 2 - 4 = 4


Sunday
Moto one second place start behind Chuck battle with Bob for 4 laps and ended up third.
Second moto started fourth had a nice battle with Chuck for third and was able to clear him on lap four ended up third.
Scores for Sunday
Bob. 2 - 1 = 3
Chuck. 1 - 4 = 5
Steve 3 - 3 = 6
Michael 6 - 2 = 8
Overall
1st Bob Casper. Honda
2th Chuck Sun. Husky
3th Steve Rawson Alta


The bike performs better than I expected and it was the talk of the races. Heard it changed a lot of minds about the bike. Had three people wanting to know my Dealers name and number. Some people there were calling it a cheater bike I almost agree with them. With a little more fine tuning on the suspension and a lot more tuning on my body I might have been a little more competitive in the latter part of the Moto’s.
Not a bad showing.
First, holeshot and Podium in a AMA amateur championship for a Alta.

 

[Fod]

Must be the bike!!! No seriously! Nice Job you Freaking Old Guy!!!!!

 

[Philip]

Awesome!!! Thank you for the race report, Fog!

If it continues to go like this, I will need to make a forum category for race reports, along with holeshot photo galleries!

 

[snydes]

I think @Honcho and @Judaslefourbe will enjoy reading this one.

 

[Judaslefourbe]

We always do.

 

[Mark911]

This is awesome! Hopefully, Alta's marketing department will take note and use it. IMO, it's much more influential than seeing videos of professional freeriders and ramp jumpers doing their thing.

 

[Fog 25]

It’s been a week

This is awesome! Hopefully, Alta's marketing department will take note and use it. IMO, it's much more influential than seeing videos of professional freeriders and ramp jumpers doing their thing.

If the marking department is not interested in promoting the bike I guess I’ve been wasting my time also. There was a lot of buzz over the MXR over Mammoth Vet weekend that went to waste it was the talk of the weekend. They missed out on a great opportunity to promote their product to veteran riders. I had three people message me on Thursday Mammoth mountain practice day to see if I was up there so they can spin some laps on the bike, not counting all the people that talk to me about the MXR over the Vet weekend.

 

[Silent But Dirty]

Vet riders do flock around the Alta! At this event last year it got a LOT of attention. I even made it on the poster for this year!

 

[Mark911]

At this time the Vet class IS the only legitimate demographic for most competitions. Let's face it, most "up and coming" kids (anyone under 25 in my book) are going to race ICE bikes that are AMA class legal and give them the best chance for sponsorship. The AMA is really wary about this new technology, not wanting to make the same mistakes they made with 4 strokes. Plus, the big 6 are going to push back pretty hard until some time when they'll be forced to release E-tech of their own. I doubt it'll be any kind of inherent advantage that an E-bike may have which forces their hand, but legislation regarding emissions or other laws.

Yes, I know there are and will be exceptions made to allow the Alta to compete in certain local series and special events like the Straight Rhythm, Slam Fest, etc, But these are typically once a year one-off races.

With this in mind, you'd think Alta would take more interest in the local, regional and state vet scene.

 

[WoodsWeapon]

I keep thinking about Hondas 150R, thats been out for 11 years now, when the topic of the big 6s influence comes up. That bike was intended for the 85 class, and still isnt AMA legal there, only in Supermini its eligible, and a few local exceptions.
Based on that, the Alta may never become eligible for anything but vet classes.

 

[snydes]

The AMA sat on their hands and watched the 4 strokes snuff the 2 strokes out of racing and they will sit on their hands again. The theme here is lack of action.

 

[Seatbounce]

Fog 25 - what map setting are you using while racing?
Just rode an mxr at our local track (Mt. view). Alta had several demo bikes there but I somehow got on one with an extremely chewed up rear tire. The side wall knobbies were only attached on the very outside and felt like I had a rear flat especially in corners. They only allowed one lap so I didn't get a very good feel for the bike.

 

[Philip]

The side wall knobbies were only attached on the very outside and felt like I had a rear flat especially in corners. They only allowed one lap so I didn't get a very good feel for the bike.

This is a typical first impression on these bikes. The rear wheel sounds like you have a flat. This does not correspond to the rear end wiggling side-to-side though, what you felt in the corners must have been the dangling outside knobbies.

 

[Philip]

I keep thinking about Hondas 150R, thats been out for 11 years now, when the topic of the big 6s influence comes up. That bike was intended for the 85 class, and still isnt AMA legal there, only in Supermini its eligible, and a few local exceptions.
Based on that, the Alta may never become eligible for anything but vet classes.

Nah. Unlike the case with odd displacement gas bikes, with electric MX bikes the question is not IF but WHEN.

When a quarter of the field becomes electric, then the AMA will start to worry about their outdated rules. Until then I am okay with racing vet and open classes. I haven't raced two classes on the same day in a long time anyway.

 

[WoodsWeapon]

I disagree. Since the AMA board of directors is partially made up of the big oems, they only stand to lose by allowing it into the pro ranks.
Look at the MXSports situation where they removed Altas eligibility for the LL qualifying process, after the racing began. That to me smells of somebodies sponsorship $$$ having an influence.

 

[snydes]

Look at the MXSports situation where they removed Altas eligibility for the LL qualifying process, after the racing began. That to me smells of somebodies sponsorship $$$ having an influence.

That situation was so obviously biased it wasn’t even funny, and no amount of excuses will convince me otherwise.

 

[Fog 25]

Fog 25 - what map setting are you using while racing?
Just rode an mxr at our local track (Mt. view). Alta had several demo bikes there but I somehow got on one with an extremely chewed up rear tire. The side wall knobbies were only attached on the very outside and felt like I had a rear flat especially in corners. They only allowed one lap so I didn't get a very good feel for the bike.

I used map 4 for the first three motors and in Moto four I switch on the third lap to map 3 in the back section and back to 4 on the hill and lap three was my fastest for the Moto.

 

[Philip]

@Fog 25 -- You are famous once again today. MXA just sent their Mammoth race report:

https://motocrossactionmag.com/mammoth-mountain-motocross-vet-weekend-photo-gallery

You are there about half-way down:


Steve Rawson raced an Alta electric bike to third in the Over-60 Experts by being a consistent 3-3-3-3.

Too bad they forgot to mention your dominating holeshot performance.

 

[snydes]

Congratulations @Fog 25!

 

[Fog 25]

@Fog 25 -- You are famous once again today. MXA just sent their Mammoth race report:

https://motocrossactionmag.com/mammoth-mountain-motocross-vet-weekend-photo-gallery

You are there about half-way down:
View attachment 540
Steve Rawson raced an Alta electric bike to third in the Over-60 Experts by being a consistent 3-3-3-3.

Too bad they forgot to mention your dominating holeshot performance.

Thanks.
The next two pictures show the First Holeshot ⚡️ That was red flag due to Mike Marion going down we’re all concerned about his well-being and prayers being sent . Us old guys just don’t bounce good as we used to.