Home Sweet Home

Yes we are home!

It has been a great experience and Josiah has worked hard and knows what needs to be done going forward.

We would like to thank all who have helped us on this trip. Our friends in the States, eg. the Hempens, who without them the trip would never have happened. They cooked us great meals, let us use their beds when we first arrived and the shower throughout our many visits. They put our bikes together, changed engines over, lent us their trailer, ran us in and out of town, took us to Millville and went out of their way to help me do what I needed to get done. Also, the Tews who had us visit. Plus the Fullwoods for helping us out and letting Josiah go horse riding. The Yoests for having us camp on their front lawn for a week and the boys for coming and sharing Loretta Lynn's with us. Steve and Beth for catching up and picking up Sarah for us. Mike and Pam for letting us camp, teaching Chris how to fix bikes, letting Josiah train on their track and teaching him super important life skills (driving bulldozers and bobcats and shooting rifles). Max and Cason for helping us sort Josiah's mod bike at the track. Tat from Pirelli who gave me a great deal on tyre and changed them at the tracks. Also the new friends we made on the way who let us borrow their power washers (water blasters). The memories will stay with us.

To the Ayres, thanks for travelling over to share the experience, being a mechanic for Josiah and getting the bikes sorted for the big races and to cheer him along from the side of the track.

Thanks to our sponsers in NZ, CNC Profile Cutting Services, Pirelli, Pro Shield, Pro Moto, Storm Master Socks & Scott.

Thanks to our friends and family who kept in touch through the blog and for those who tried to keep in touch through the blog who had trouble getting on to comment.

On a trip like this, the highs are high and the lows are low but most importantly I want to thank the Lord. It is in Him I find strength. For safety on the track and as we travelled and answering my prayers. The Lord works all things (the good and the bad) together for those who love him. If everything in life went the way we planned with no ups and down's we wouldn't know how to appreciate the ups and wouldn't grow through the downs.

We look forward to seeing you at the track or where ever.

Signing off
Janine (and Josiah)

Loretta Lynn's 2010 finished

You got the results from Chris so you will all know Josiah finished 5th in the modified class and 6th in the stock class. Josiah is mostly happy with his results. He was disappointed with the modified class as he had to beat #40 to get 4th. He had been leading him until lap 5 when Josiah made a mistake and #40 got past. Josiah tried to pass back but didn't manage too, only being a bike length behind him at the finish line. But 5th is not bad when you consider how many he had to beat to get there.

The schedule was running about 4 hours behind so that pushed the Friday night moto to Saturday and the morning moto to the afternoon. Because of that, Andy decided it was better for them to get to Nashville (for their flight back to NZ) on Friday night as things would have been pushed to make it on Saturday. It was a plan as Lee had met a kiwi guy called Steve from Christchurch who works for Moose Racing and he had a car and was leaving Friday night so he could take them to Nashville and saved me the trip.

Before leaving, Andy (as he had done all week), made sure the bikes were both ready for their last motos. Thanks heaps for doing that as Josiah was confident everything was running smoothly. Thanks heaps also too Lee, Olly and Laura for supporting Josiah.

At the start of his first race, Josiah took the holeshot in the 3rd mod race and rode hard to get 5th. Then it was the last moto for the stock class. Josiah didn't get the holeshot but rode a consistent race. Friends we meet at Ponca City (Jody, Misty and Tye) came for the day to support us. Jodi also took photos for me as being in the pits I couldn't do both. They also ran me back and forth from the track which was great as my legs are still sore from when I got hit by the four wheeler.

Josiah and I went to prize giving Saturday evening as did the Hempens. It was long but we got the hardware. We left the Ranch at about 10pm. It was sad to leave and can't believe it's all over. Josiah said to me that although he wants to get back home to NZ he wishes he could stay longer and race the boys in the U.S. The more Josiah races the top guys the more he improves.

But we are looking forward to coming home. We drove a few hours and stopped to sleep for the night. Then we set off early this morning to get back to Iowa.

We had almost made it back to Iowa when we blow another tire. I had not been able to get another one from the one that blow on the way to Loretta Lynn's travelling the week before from Ponca City so we had no spare. A man stopped and said there was a Walmart 3 miles back that had a tire service centre. So I got on the phone and they had the one I needed. I dropped the trailer off and took the tire to get fixed. The Hempens weren't far behind me so they were waiting to change the tire for me and get me hooked up again. So thanks for being there to rescue us again. So on the road again and we arrived at the Hempens house at about 3pm.

There are now things to tidy up before we leave next week for NZ. I have the motorhome on ebay and flights to book and bikes to sort out and sell. So it is all go.

Look forward to coming home.
See you soon

Janine

Loretta Lynn Nationals final day racing

Have just checked the results.

Josiah got 7th in his final moto in the stock class. That gave him 6th overall for this class.

Josiah got 5th in his final moto in the modified class. That gave him 5th overall for this class.

It's over.

Loretta Lynn Nationals day four racing

Josiah raced Friday morning (early hours of Saturday morning NZT) and got seventh in the stock class. From the brief text I received today there was a big storm and it was very muddy.

Because the race organisers are behind schedule Josiah has no further races today. Tomorrow Josiah will race the third and final moto for both classes.

Chris (Dad)

Loretta Lynn Nationals close of play on Thursday

Chris has updated Josiah's results so far.

Josiah was real happy with getting the holeshot as with it he gets $100 to spend at an online motorcycle store. Yes he is sitting 4th equal in points in the mod class. And 5th is only one point behind so he knows what he has to do. He is riding really well and improving everytime he gets on the track. He is also getting better with handling the heat. They say it was 114F yesterday. It is hotter than hot!! Today is was hot too. When Josiah was staging for his moto, the thunder and lightening started then the rain came. So after standing there for about an hour they called it for the day. So Josiah is up 2nd moto in the morning. He is supposed to get the 3rd moto in for the mod class at 5.30pm tomorrow but it will only be if they catch up on what wasn't run today.

Kenny had a good first moto in his 1st class finishing 8th. Then in class 2 he got tangled and stuck with another bike so that wasn't a good finish. Then in his 2nd moto of his first class, he got a good start but got taken out in the first lap. He was run over and has nice tyre marks to prove it. So he sadly had another bad finish.

Luke finished 21st in his first moto and about 25th in today's moto. He is enjoying the racing though.

Yesterday was interesting for me. I was biking back to camper and a woman hit me with her mule (4 wheeler) she knocked me off my bike and I crashed on the ground. I hurt my ankle on one leg and my knee on the other leg. I'm ok but was rather shocked when it happened.

Well it is 10pm and I still have washing and shopping to do.
See ya Janine

Loretta Lynn Nationals day three racing

Wednesday was day two of racing. Josiah had his first moto for the stock class and finished 10th.

Early this morning (Thursday in the US) Josiah raced his second moto for the modified class. He got the holeshot and finished sixth. Josiah was to race his second moto for the stock class late afternoon but a thunderstorm at the line halted the day's racing until first thing tomorrow morning.

Chris

Loretta Lynn Nationals day one racing

Josiah had 2 practices on Monday, one for each of the classes he is competing in. They went well . Josiah worked on getting to know the track.
Today racing started at 7.30am. Josiah's moto ( 85cc 9-11yrs modified) wasn't until this afternoon at 4pm. At 2pm he started getting geared up. Then at 2.30, he went with Andy to the jetting area to warm up (not had there was much need for that in the 100F + heat.) Then down to the start line. It is a spoon draw for the first gate pick. Josiah got the 17th gate pick. That was cool as his riding number for Loretta's is 17. So don't be looking for 413. Numbers are allocated between 10 and 99. So Josiah opted to have 17 in support of Olly who is here to support him.
The gate dropped and Josiah shot out. I thought he had the holeshot but just missed out turning the corner in second. He raced well, in the heat and finished 6th. We are very pleased with the result as the 42 riders are all fast.
Tomorrow is the 1st race for the stock class. Josiah's race is at 10am.
At rider's briefing it was very cool as there was a guest appearence by Loretta Lynn. The crowd went wild.
Not sure when I will get back to McDonalds to update the blog but will when I can borrow another car.
Bye for now
Janine