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 Posted
to MidSouthMX.com:
Sun Dec 05, 2004 10:28 pm
Post subject: Josh's Last Hoorah!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Josh and
I are back in Memphis from our Arizona trip. The race was the
Amateur Open Of Motocross promoted by Supercross announcer Erv
Braun. They are attempting to make it the last national event of
the year.
We had planned for the Mini O's in Florida to be Josh's last big
race on a 50, but we were unable to attend due to a death in our
family. We really wanted Josh to have one more shot at a top
finish at a national event, so late Friday night before the
event started, I decided to go. I called the Cobra dealer in
Arizona, who led me to the promoter Erv Braun, who gave me 5
names in Florida who would soon be leaving the Mini O's headed
to the Arizona race. One of those names led me to Frank
Politelli, who I'd never met. Franks's son Austin is a top
national 65cc rider and he agreed to meet me and haul the bikes
to Arizona for me. So on Saturday I drove to Hammond, La and met
Frank where I55 meets I12. We loaded the bikes and gear and he
headed west. The down side to this part is that Frank lives in
California and wouldn't be returning to this part of the
country. So I had no clue how I would get the bikes back to
Memphis. I'd worry about that later. Meanwhile, Lizabeth booked
airline, car, and hotel reservations for Josh and me. We'd both
been off work a lot recently due to the recent events in our
family, so Lizabeth couldn't make the trip.
Josh and I arrived in Phoenix, Arizona on Monday afternoon. The
bikes arrived on Tuesday. Wednesday was a practice day, and the
races started on Thursday. I think there were about 1500
entries, not too bad for a first time national race. Josh had a
tough first day of racing. He crashed in a very deep rut just as
he had made a pass for 3rd place in the 50cc stock class. He
finally got up and going but could only make it back to 11th
place. This depressed us both because we knew the stock class
was Josh's best chance at a good finish since we didn't have a
mod bike. By the way, west coast riders believe in mod bikes,
even 50cc bikes. It seems to be their passion. One of the 50's
in Josh's class cost $12,000. I knew we were up against faster
bikes. In the 50cc mod class he got a horrible start but managed
to finish 8th. In the stock and mod 65 classes we were humbled
even more. I think he finished 16th and 19th, or somewhere
around there. I think his best moto finish on the 65 was a 13th.
Obviously, we have some work to do there.
Friday, we had a better day. In the 50cc Auto Open Class (other
races refer to this class as Super PeeWee, same riders of
course) he got a great start and came out of the first corner in
3rd. He quickly made the pass to 2nd and stayed there the rest
of the race behind multi-national champion Ty Siminoe. Ty
Siminoe, by the way is an incredible rider. He's been in the top
10 all year at national races and has several national titles.
He was clearly the fastest 50cc and 65cc rider in our classes.
This was a huge confidence booster. We were both worried about
the mod bikes but a great start helps, even against better
bikes.
Josh had an 11th going into the 2nd moto of the stock class. We
knew he needed to have a great finish to get a decent overall
score. Fortunately for us, Siminoe fell in the first corner
which left the door open for Josh who'd gotten another great
start. Josh led the entire race, which seemed to last a
lifetime. But Siminoe caught him on the last lap for the win.
Although I really wanted a win, 2nd wasn't bad. With an 11th and
a 2nd, he got a 5th overall in the stock class. In the
"should've" category, I thought he should've finshed
2nd or 3rd in that class, but that's racing. Siminoe wins the
overall.
He had an 8th going into the mod class. He got a pretty good
start, but one or two of the faster kids got a better one. He
made a few passes and finshed in 3rd. With an 8th and a 3rd, he
got a 5th overall (again) in the mod class. Siminoe wins the
overall.
He had a 2nd going into the open class. This was our best chance
at a better finish. And then it happened. Something to equalize
things. Rain. It doesn't rain much in Arizona, or California
either. It had just started drizzling and they started talking
about calling the races for the day. I couldn't believe it. Then
it rained a lot. They took about a 2 hour break. The track
looked like our local tracks at the beginning of a typical
practice, wet, but rideable. They almost called the races, but
they wanted to finish on Saturday, so they kept racing. The rain
continued and the track got pretty ugly. There were several
uphills that were tough on the 50's. I thought this might slow
Siminoe down, but I was wrong. He was incredible. He got the
holeshot and never looked back. He even started doing jumps in
the rain and mud. I then remembered he finished 2nd at Ponca in
mud. Josh stayed steady the entire race. He was cautious, but
kept a good pace. He and another rider traded 2nd and 3rd place
a few times but the other rider eventually fell on a steep
downhill. On the last lap Siminoe took a chance and came up
short on a double and crashed. Josh finished 1st. With a 2nd and
a 1st, he got 1st overall. In the "should've"
category, Siminoe should've finished 1st, but that's racing.
Josh wins the overall.
In his last race on a 50, Josh wins a national title. It's just
about too good to be true. It's not Loretta's, nor Ponca, nor
the Mini O's, but we'll take it anyway. 2004 has been a very
special year for us. For the record, in 2004 Josh won the Clear
Channel Arenacross Series in the Mid-South Region, won his first
Loretta Lynn Area Qualifier and then qualified for Loretta's,
won the KTM Challenge in Dallas stadium, and had 7 top 10
finishes at national events, including 4 top 5's and one first
place national title.
I'd like to thank Jim Serrat at Cobra Unlimited for keeping the
Cobra's running throughout Josh's 50cc career. I couldn't have
survived without him. I'd also like to thank Chris Grissom at
Suzuki of Paris for his support over the past two years. We've
had so much help over the past 5 years from so many people. I'd
like to thank all the families that have helped us in this
sport, and that is a long list. I'd specifically like to thank
Gale at Hidden Valley and Ronnie at the Powerline for letting
Josh ride at their tracks all alone in his very early years. I'd
also like to thank the Miller family for being a great example
of a motocross family.
Here are a few pics from Arizona:
http://joshcartwright.com/photos/20041205-phoenixaz.htm
Both Cobra's and the Suzuki 65 are still in Arizona. I guess I
should start worrying about that now.
Joey
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