Updates from Tammy Flemming

2009 Triplecross Vet B Champion!
Woo Hoo!

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:35:04 GMT

2009 Triplecross Vet B Champion!
Woo Hoo!

Spring is finally here!

Sun, 05 Apr 2009 18:24:58 GMT

And my motor is fresh and amazing. Many, many, MANY thanks to my husband, My friend Dave VanBrocklin and of course Mike Duclos at Rock River Powersports. Without all three of them, my bike would still be blown up.

Today was my first race of the season! I succefssully completed both of my classes and was on the podium for both!
It was a great day. The snow stayed away even though the temperatures stayed close to 35 degrees and the winds were blowing pretty good. I am pretty happy to have my first race over with, especially after looking at my results.

Many thanks to all my sponsors, I couldn't do it without you. Keep yours eyes on my blog! I am running triplecross this year so there will be many more results!

Good luck to all out there!

Ice season starts with a bang!

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 18:37:44 GMT

The pun isn't even a funny one. Blew up my motor....The only part of it that is ok is the head. The positive side is that I will have a fresh motor when the season hits.

Senior Nationals, 2008

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 09:51:04 GMT

Well I argued with the doctor and defied his advice in order to race in this year's Racer X Senior National Series at Aztalan. To reward my stubborness, Mother Nature decided to rain on my parade. Once again I woke to the sound of rain. A glance at the rain gauge told me we had recieved 2 1/4 inches of rain over night. BUMMER!!!!

Went to the track and decided I was not going to ride. Then my jerk husband unloaded my bike. (Just kidding, he's not at all a jerk ) But I said that since the bike was unloaded I had to ride. Nausea the whole morning. Good thing we were the 5th class. We all agreed to ride one lap. I know we leaked out big time, but to me making that one lap would be success. So we got out there and did it. I felt pretty good. Made a dumb move and followed a slower guy over the log jump and got hung up in a rut behind him....dont know why I followed him in, but I did. Passed him going up to the peristyle. Felt great all the way to the dang barn turn. And that is where I messed up. Goosed the throttle just a touch to much and the rear scooted out on me. I stalled the bike, but got her started right away and finished. When we finished I was kind of bummed we leaked out and took only 1 lap. But then again I was happy because it was the most successful lap in the mud for me, to date.
2nd out of 2. hahaha...I don't care. I made it successfully through and the hands held up just fine.

Be sure to check out the new pictures I added. Two of which are from the mud lap.

I am hoping with all that is in me that we have a nice day for our final race in October. It's sad to think I am already thinking about prepping for the ice.

Ready for the next round of Triplecross!

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:01:57 GMT

Ready for the next round of Triplecross!

Back in The Saddle!

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:01:14 GMT

My cast is finally off and I was able to ride my bike this weekend. My right hand is extremely stiff and weak. It is certainly coming along. I am able to clear all of my jumps with a reasonable amount of speed. It looks like I am on track to get back in the racing groove by September. I am planning to run the Racer X Senior Nationals September 13th and the Aztalan Pro-Am September 14th.
For right now I am only planning to run the women's class. I am only "clinically" healed and need another month or two for my metacarple to be solid. It will all depend on how I feel when the race weekend gets here.

For now I am just happy to be back on the bike!

I hope everyone has a great Labor Day Weekend!!!!

Season on hold

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 18:14:34 GMT

Raced Azzie today. Ran womens and felt on top of the world. I messed up on the start and almoost stalled. But once I got out there I rode the best I have ridden all year. The bike felt fantastic...Great moto 1. Went right back to the gate fo my first race in Vet B. I was pretty stoked. I also decided I was going to start...no letting the gate drop and wait. Gate dropped and off I went. There was a pile up on the outside, the inside was clear. So I took it. Traffic was in front of me so I arched the turn. I wonder if that is part of why what happened did. I was in the air and someone tried to pass me on my left. They hit my bars. "are you kidding me?? I just did this at MC!" Down I went. Hard. From what I hear, when I hit the ground someone landed on me. They landed on my head. I am ok, but my helmet broke. So I went to the er. The metacarple of my ring finger on my right hand is broken "in serveral pieces". See the orthopedic next week. CT scan came back ok. I am very lucky. I hope to be healed for the SR Nationals in Sept.

GOOD NEWS is Sierra ran 85 jr. and did agreat job. 9th overall! Congrats to her on her first race with the boys!!!

Sorry for the choppy words. One hand typing is no fun! :(

An unpredictable season!

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 08:31:56 GMT

Who would have thought that July would get here and 1/2 of my races were cancelled due to rain. More like extreme flooding. My blogging has suffered due to my lack of racing. Hopefully the mx gods will smile on us so we can get back into the swing of things July 13th.

This season, I have only raced 3 times. 2 of which were on unfamiliar tracks and on my 'new to me' bike. But I have expanded my horizons and look to be better, stronger and faster next season. More experience combined with an extremely capable machine will help me run a little harder in 2009.

I ran the the LLQ at Mt. Carroll IL in June. Was knocked right out of the sky, but now I know what it feels like. I am not scared. A little sore, but far from afraid! :) I have a lot of work in front of me for next year.

I am looking to complete in the Wisconsin Women's MX Series the last half of the season. We need to get women's MX off the ground! If you are dist. 16, be sure to come out and join us!!!

Finally! MX Season is Here!!!

Sat, 17 May 2008 19:33:13 GMT

With that, our first race of the seaon was on Mother's Day. For anyone living in the WI/IL/MI area, you know what kind of weather we had....it stunk, to say the least. I was very upset. I have been so excited for this race I have not been able to sleep for a week! I went to bed last night to the sound of rain and woke up to the sound of drenching rain. Heavy and consistant. The kind that really soaks the ground.....

So we get to the track. My daughter, Sierra, and I decided to forgo practice and just go for it at race time. We had 12 riders on the gate. With the sloppy conditions, it wasn't the fastest start in history. I think I was about 3rd/4th through the turn. I was actually pretty happy with my start.

The track was crap. Slippery, creamy, sloppy mud. I not only stayed up on two wheels, I managed to secure 4th position. I rode a "comfortable" pace and really didn't feel pressure from behind. There is a sweeping sand turn that goes into a step down. Well on, I think, my second lap I got all messed up. I cased it pretty hard (not sure how, I wasn't going that fast) and almost bounced into the trees. I never thought I could bounce a bike sideways and come out of it on two facing the right direction. I did.

On the other side of the track there is another sweeping turn that goes into a double. I turned to the left, towards the double. My rear swung out hard to the right. I don't know what I did...I started a mantra of "don't go down don't go down, oh god don't go down". Somehow I managed to fishtail completely to the left and slide up the face of the jump SIDEWAYS. Fortunately I stopped at the peak of the jump. Dead center of the track, facing the outside of the track. Thrilled to still be on two, how the heck was I going to get the bike turned the right way and moving forward again? Somehow I managed to stay on track, on two and jumped over the next jump. It's amazing how you can go from control to "oh dear" to control in a matter of seconds. Good times. I quickly realized my problem was me going too slow. My tires were packing up with mud. As soon as I figured out my issue, I tried to go faster in straights just to clear out my tires. It worked!

Last lap. I am still working my behind off. Get to the barn hill. It's nasty snotty gross. I messed up my line going up the hill and was a complete mess. I got around the left turn and hit the sand. I lost the front bad and dove into the snow fence. Crap. Again. I am 4 turns away from the finish and I crash. The bike is PACKED with mud. I try to lift it. I can't budge it. I am tired from fighting the mud for almost four laps and the throttle grip is stuck in the snowfence. I shook my head. All of a sudden, Kirsten comes up. She stops. "Pick UP YOUR bike." I tried. "Take your time.....PICK UP YOUR BIKE!!!!" Yes, she was yelling at me. I had to go into "weight lifter" mode. I squated, grabbed hold "AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!" The bike came back up on two. "Now start your bike." I kicked. No go. "START YOUR BIKE!" Kicked twice and she fired over. With a nod she took off. I finished my first mud race today. Even more astonishing, I finished 5th. I would have finished 4th had I not crashed. My objective was to finish. I left the track hooting like a cheerleader on crack. As I got to the van I saw Sierra.

She was parking her bike. She finished her race and came off under her own power!!!! YAY SIERRA!!!!!! She did three horrific laps in that horrid mud on the 85 she has issues with!!! I'd say they bonded today!!!! I am so proud of her. She made it through the whole race and finished 10th!!!!!!

The rain stopped around 10:00. The track workers tilled the track and found some dry soil. With a pretty stout wind, conditions immediately improved.

Second moto. At the gate. Just like all of my visualization all week. Card turns. Motors rev. Gate drops. I am about 5th off the gate again. Clicked into third before I got to the first turn. Tapped the rear brake. Took the inner most line and doubled into second position. I passed three riders on the inside and it was freaking cool!!! Even cooler yet was that I doubled the triple after a turn!!! One of the more experienced girls did get by me and ended up checking out. Which was fine. I carried ok speed and finished third. I got my first Azzie podium today. The trophy is huge!!!! Third overall...first race of the season. I am so freaking geeked!!! Of course Kirsten didn't race the second moto....I don't care. I earned that trophy today.

And here is the best of all. Sierra won her first trophy today!!! She finished 8th overall!!!!! She and the 85 have bonded. I did not see her until the last lap. She was rocking the entire track. No crashes in the second moto and earned her very first trophy.

It started out crappy but ended up being an awesome day. Sierra and I both finished our first mud race ever and she got her first, for real, trophy!!!

Wrapping Up February On Ice!

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 14:26:49 GMT

Saturday, February 23rd, we headed out to Lake Koshkonong for some riding. We ended up riding a pretty icky track. Icky is the only word I can think of. In some places the ice was pristine. Traction was amazing and you could really pitch the bike in. And then all of a sudden it was really crappy. Clear, glare ice went into 3-4" of crusty snow. It was wild the way the track conditions varied. Of course I faltered on being mentally strong. I let the crusty snow freak me out and I rode like a total girl. The only saving grace was that I did keep my feet on the pegs. :D

So first I went out on the 250F. After the last few weeks, I figured I could get out there and just rock the track. On my third or fourth lap, I hit the crusties, chopped the throttle and went down pretty hard. I received my first bar bruises of the year. Meaning there is a nifty line of bruises across my thigh. So I went in, collected myself and decided to ride my daughter's 85.

The hubby and I were mixing it up pretty good-I had that 85 tapped in fifth, there was no more it could do for me. He finally took me on the outside of a hairpin (on the 250F). I was like "it is on!" Well he started to check out. I can't even begin to express how angry that made me.....long story short I messed up the transition into the crap and had a nasty smack down. What is a smack down you ask? Well, there are low sides and you slide. There are high sides and you fly. Well a smack down is going from a low side into a high side only to get slammed onto the ground on the low side side of the bike. I bent the bars ( Sierra was very gracious, seeing as I broke her bike) and saw some birdies for a couple of minutes since I was slammed on the back of my head. It's seriously time for a new helmet. On that note I decided to call it quits for the day.

Sunday, February 24th, the hubby and I teamed up and headed to Fox Lake to run in the 2 hour endurance race/Steel Shoe Benefit. The track was crusty. It was slick and the only way to get around was to make your own traction. In practice I made 2 laps. I had a heart to heart with myself while I was out there. All the things that scare me were there and the track conditions were only going to get worse as the race went on. I decided on my second lap that I was going to ride that freaking bike. There is NO excuse for me to screw this up. I chose my mental status. :D

The hubby started the race. He put us in a really nice position, mid pack. He came in. Told me I COULD do this. I got on and went out. My first lap I came up on a rider that was holding me up. I had to be patient because they would slide everywhere through the turns. I followed him for 1/2 lap. We both shot out into the straight. I was on his rear wheel. He was on the outside. I got up on the gas tank. My head was OVER the bars (first time ever). I waited, hit the rear brake, slid into the turn, rolled on the throttle and took him on the inside-I was a whole bike length in front of him when I got out of the turn. I could not believe it!!!!!! The rest of the race rocked from there. I set the tone of my ride in the first lap and it was amazing.

As the day went on, it was like riding 2.5 miles of acceleration/braking bumps mixed in with ruts getting to 10"....which is tough for me. I found myself riding the edge of the ruts. My front wheel would stay on top an the rear just powered through. It was freaking amazing!!!!! I put that bike on the 2" of clear ice available at the apex and the edge of ruts. I only got passed by the super fast guys. The best part was when some of the guys would pass me knowing I was a girl and then screw up because they were riding above their head.....and I would pass them right back and walk away. Later a few people came up to tell me their feeling of "I was just passed by a girl!!!!" It was awesome to actually be able to hold my own out there.

In the end, my hubby crashed and broke the handlebars. They snapped in two right at the triple clamp. There was 30 minutes left in the race. We still finished 28th out of 34 teams after missing 1/4 of the race. We did darn good. The scorers had us marked as being in 10th place on our last lap.....who knows. All I know is today was a great day. Practice paid off and being over the front of the bike made all the difference in the world.

I am SO looking forward to dirt!!!!!

Perfect Start to a New Year!

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 13:50:20 GMT

I am charging into 2008 in full force! The motorcycle gods have smiled on me and blessed my area with cold temperatures and beautiful ice to ride on. I rode on New Years Eve as well as New Years Day! A fantastic way to bring in the new year! On January 13th I rode a 450F for the first time in an endurance race , compliments of Mr. Jeff Fredette. Boy was that fun! I was amazed at how well I managed that big bike. Jeff Fedette is just the coolest guy ever.

Two weeks ago Speed TV was in Fort Atkinson, WI for our local stunt group, VMC. Superbikes came to do a piece on them. They stud up their sportbikes and stunt on the ice. It was pretty cool. I was invited to join some of the other ice riders in an exhibition race for the show. I took the holeshot on a friend's mighty WR450 but was soon left in ice dust, lol. Once again I learned I was capable of tipping a big heavy bike over.

January 27th was the first time I have been on my 250F in dirt. I attended a school at Waterman, an indoor facility, that was put on by Club 57. It felt so good to get on my little 250F without the weight of ice tires and all the other gear that goes along with ice riding. I can tell I haven't stood up in awhile though! I forgot how for a couple of laps! I will say that riding the indoor really got me stoked for race season. As much as I love riding ice, I am looking forward to it all melting away.

Tomorrow is Groundhog Day! Here is hoping Phil predicts an early spring!

2007~What a Year!

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 06:30:46 GMT

2007 was truly an interesting year for me, not only as an athlete but personally as well. I believe that I have made more improvements this past year than in my whole riding time combined. I bit the bullet, faced a lot of fears and just went for it! For the most part, my results were positive. I finished in one piece! :)

I did reach, what seemed like, a plateau in my riding. THANKFULLY I found some great sources of information and instruction. I have decided to stay off the 80, except for ice. This includes Supermoto. For the time being I am going to focus on motocross. There is a place for women in motocross and I am acceling there. Maybe I'll go back to supermoto when I am a more competant rider. Motocross is showing me success. I am having fun and really starting to figure it all out.

That being said, with my focus on motocross in 2008, I plan to spend a lot more time with Club 57 and Brad Jerominski. I know he will be able to keep me focused and pointed in the right direction. Check out www.club57mx.com and see what Brad can do for you. I am confident with his continued direction I will be making the podium in 2008.

I thank all of my sponsors for supporting me this year. Without them standing behind me, my race season would have been much less successful. Thank you to all my friends for their support and most of all my wonderful hubby. My husband started this sickness and without his continued support and assistance I would not be able to ride as well as I do.

To everyone else, I wish the very happiest of holidays. May Santa stack the tree with tires, sprockets and chains . Maybe an exhaust if you have been REALLY good! :D And of course the best of luck in 2008. I hope you all reach the goals you have set for yourselves. I know I am busting my behind to make mine!

The season ends...

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 10:32:22 GMT

Well, unfortunately we had another muddy race for the season finale at Azzie on Oct. 14th.

I figured it wasn't going to be too bad. I made it through practice without any issues. In fact I was rather looking forward to it. My daughter was going to race the YZ80 for the first time, so I was pretty nervous about her getting through it all alive. But she managed practice ok, so all was well....until it continued to rain all day.

It was freezing on the gate. When it finally dropped I think I started out pretty good. The first turn was like ice but I somehow managed to keep the bike on the track. Someone in front of me goosed their throttle and managed to nail me with a big old plug of mud that covered all but one little corner of my goggles. I had tear-offs on but there was no way I was going to take either hand off my bars! So by some miracle of the motocross gods, I got all the way through to the tunnel jump. Apparently I was doing well, not that I could see, because the group where I pit was just going nuts! I laughed and focused through the penny size area of my goggles that I could see through. I know I finally pulled off a tear-off, I just don't know when. I can only remember finally being able to see and it was amazing. I can't remember how many riders were down in front of me. But I just kept tooling along on my big fat pig of a 250F. Working the clutch and staying on the pegs kept her in line pretty well.

I made it through the ledge jump, around the hairpin and over the peristyle. I was GEEKED!!! The area that used to be whoops was easy and all the way to the plateau. I just went slow and tried to be one with the bike. I really felt my chi going on. The only thing that kind of wigged me out a bit was the sound of the mud as I went through it. I could not believe it. Of course, I never thought mud would sound like really wet dough on a beater...but that's what it sounded like. Kinda gross, but not to bad. There was another girl that crashed on the double just before the plateau and trying to avoid her kind of messed with me going up to the plateau.....so we (me and my bike) kinda did it side ways, but not. Managed to get up and over, through the scary (for me) turns into the gator pit. In reality I was elated!!!! I made it through the worst part of the track and still on two!!! WOO HOO!!!! The sand by the barn and freeway section were all seeming to be so easy. I just stayed on the pegs and on the gas. I dare to imagine that I was close to, if not actually, first as I came over the last tunnel jump and down the hill. I knew I needed to be careful going down. I was just unsure of how to get through it. I went for it and then my survival reactions got the best of me. I hesitated. I let off the gas ever so slightly. The mud reached up and kicked my arse right over.

I tried to get the bike up. The mud was like quick sand and seemed to have "suction" on the bar end. There was no way I was going to be able to pull it out. I actually found myself saying profound things to the guys who finally felt bad for me and helped pull the bike up. Things like "it got stuck in the mud". The guy said "yup, that's what will happen". Then I saw the bikini babe go past hooting and hollering. Finally got my bike started. And as I went over the first jump I though "no! I didn't mean that, I meant the bar got stuck in the mud and I couldn't get it out!!!" I am sure that guy thought I was a real idiot. :lol: In reality though, that crash pretty much ended my race. Getting the bike out of the mud and started again took all my energy. Again, if I had just stayed up on two I would have done very well and finished....which was my goal. I just wanted to finish a mud race for the first time.

Alas, that was not to happen. On my second lap, I crashed a bunch of times. At one point another guy was helping me and said "I assume you want out." I replied with a "HELL NO!!!! I am gonna finish this race!" He didn't seem all that impressed. Finally, I crashed out in the sand by the barn and could not get the darn bike to start. In fact, my husband finally found me and we were still trying to kick it over while the 65's were burning through and finishing up. So sadly I have to accept my DNF....again. There's always next year.

My daughter made it to the Plateau on the 80. She said she did not have any fun at all. I told her she should be proud of herself for making it that far. My husband now officially hates motocross. I am not sure if I will ever get him out again. He is ready to head back to supermoto and never return.......

In the end, I had fun and am a better rider than I was in the morning. To get as far as I did was a HUGE accomplishment. It's all about the little personal victories. Of course, having the bikini babe come by me a second time and cheering me on to finish this thing was just an added bonus! (Thanks Kirsten!) I still say had I stayed on two, I'd have had so much fun....darn survival reactions! I'll get it next time!

August 12th Mudfest!

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 09:40:57 GMT

Mother nature must be mad at me. She opened the skies Saturday night. We had extreme storms including hail and 70 MPH winds. But we are riding MX so it shouldn't be too big of a deal. My daughter and I headed out to Azzie. We were excited. My goal for this race was to get to 5th place overall. I wasn't sure if it was realistic or not, but I was going to go for it....until I saw the condition of the track. Oh MY goodness. There were lakes everywhere.

The lakes didn't bother me as much as the rutted corners. The soil here is clay, but they have added so many woodchips over the years that it gets thick and clumpy. It likes to collect to itself when it is moist. I mean you could make a HUGE snowman out of mud, that is how this stuff packs together. We watched some of the practice sessions....it was ugly. I mean, the A riders looked like new women riders out there. (I don't mean that in a bad way, it's just the only way I can describe it) I told my daughter that I didn't think she should try it. On her small wheel TTR125, she just didn't have much of a chance. Well, I gotta love that kid because she wanted to try. She was excited to get muddy and dirty. It was awesome.

So we lined up for practice. I figured one lap. We were were the third race so we were going to have to run the track as it was. At least I wanted an idea of what it was going to be like. The ONLY line off the gate was to the right, and you only had 10 feet. Go another foot and you would fall into a hole that the tractor left when it turned around. We got to see first hand a couple of guys going over their bars. So we were given the go ahead and off we went.

I made it through the first turn....barely. The bike was working so hard just to get through the thick clumping ooze that was mud. I rolled the first jump. On the pegs I headed for the first lake. Gave her throttle, felt the rear scoot, but stayed over the rear wheel and made it through. Rolled the second jump and into what looked like a puddle of cow manure. If any of you are farmers or know any...you know the consistancy I am talking....soupy clumpy, thick liquid. Still, up on the pegs I gave her throttle. The motor was working so hard and just not hooking up. I could not feel the bike grab anything. I ended going sideways. But I was still going forward so I kept on her.

We finally got through and climbed the tunnel jump. Again, there was no way I could jump so I rolled over it. I actually yelled 'holy shit!' (apparantly the crowd laughed at me) as I saw what was on the backside. It was unreal. Slick mud all the way down into huge ruts of the thick clumpy stuff. Staying on the pegs and trying to stabilize the bike, I slid down sideways. I figured as long as I will still moving forward, it was a good thing. Got into the first left turn. I took it on the outside, per advice I had overheard. Well my front found some hard clay that was super slippery. Like a cartoon character stepping on a banana peel, my front washed and zoup! down I went! I have never fell over so fast before! It was rather funny. I got the bike picked up but just could NOT get her to kick over.

One guy came and tried to help. She wouldn't go. Another guy came up. I said "I am so sorry. Thank you for helping. I swore at her and everything, she still won't start!" He laughed and said that's wat usually worked for him too. But he got her going and to the top of the jump. I decided I had enough. Found a way off the track and returned to the pits. It was unreal.

I got back to the pits and saw my daughter was there with a buddy of ours. Apparantly she made it to the second lake. She went through the middle, I think, and the mud just grabbed her. I guess she and her bike were stuck in the mud. In fact, she pulled one of her buckles off of her boot just trying to get it out of the 'quick sand'. She was laughing. Apparantly our friend had to go rescue her. I am proud as heck that she got that far!!!! It wasn't easy on the 250F much less say the little TTR!

She was sad when I tod her to take her gear off. There was no way she was going to be able to race today. She just was not going to be able to do it. I think the TTR had a bit of an advantage with the little tires, but my daughter doesn't go fast enough to clean the wheels. So for safety's sake I pulled her. I told her she should be proud for getting as far as she did. I was proud of her for trying!

For the first time ever, the race came too soon. We didn't draw numbers this time seeing as there were only 10 of us or so at the gate. I chose a gate towards the middle of 'Lake Aztalan'. The rest crowded around the 10 foot area to the left. I figured I would take my chances with the puddle than having someone crash in front of me. Gate dropped, I clicked into third as soon as I could, on the pegs, over the rear and I made it through the puddle without any problems. I cut to the inside race line and the bike came to stop. I quickly pulled in the clutch, dropped her back to first and went on. I made it though the next to lakes with minimal issues. At the tunnel jump, my bike again decided to go sideways....but towards the edge of the hill. I figure my rear wheel was inches from the edge. It took all I could do to not look!:applause: I focused on the other side of the jump, stayed on the throttle, balanced and pushed bars until I got to the top. Talk about an achievement! But then I still had to deal with the slick backside.....with a rider down on the right. So I found the rut, throttled through and made it.

I finally reached where I crashed in practice, did the same thing. Lost the front and went down. This time I found the clutch in time and kept her running. Climbed back on and made it up the hill.

I ended up sliding down the hill into the hard right hander. I managed to stay on the gas and got through it ok. In fact it was the best place for me on the whole track!! I entered the sweeper to the left and saw girls and bikes everywhere. I wasn't going to risk running anyone over so I slowed down....big mistake. The mud came up, grabbed the bike and we just stopped. I pulled the clutch in, down shifted and turned the throttle. I eased out the clutch and waited to feel the rear bite. All I heard was the engine going. 'What the heck?' I verified I had her down into first. Revved again...nothing. I thought my wheel was spinning. So I thought I'd try second. Again the motor just screamed. I looked back, expecting to see my wheel stuck in a slick rut, and saw it covered in mud. So I released the clutch again, to see what it was doing. Well, it didn't move. I could not get the transmission to engage. I was so mad. I looked down and saw her bleeding....radiator fluid was gushing out the tube. Then I smelled burning. I turned her off. I waved to the flag guy and tried to sign language to him that the bike was disabled.

Long story short, it took a quad, myself and two men to get my bike out. She had at least 50# of mud on her. The guy on the quad unhooked her and I couldn't get her to move. I pulled in the clutch to push her, she was locked up. I began to panic. I thought for sure I blew up my bike and my riding season was over. I almost started to cry. Of course I was dehydrated and exhausted. I had 5# of mud on each foot and was pushing my mud encased bike around. So my emotions were less than on a 'sane' level. The guys were so awesome. "It's ok hun, she's caked in mud. You need to get the mud off the wheel and chain, it's locking her up."

Let me just say, it was one long walk back to my pit spot. Thank goodness for Matt~The green Kawi girl's boyfriend! He not only shared gatorade with me, but he got my bike back to the pit....He was so awesome!!!! Of course Haley helped us at the end too, she actually got enough mud off for the wheel to quit binding up. Needless to say, I love the dit crowd. Yeah we compete, but we all take care of each other too!!!

Now I am waiting to find out the damage I did to the 250F. I am pretty sure I'll just need to refill the radiator. But I think my clutch burned out. I won't know until tonight though. The hubby was racing supermoto yesterday and will not get to look at her until tonight...I am keeping my fingers crossed. All I know is that it was one hard race!!!!! I was so disappointed because I wanted to get one lap in. But the bike said no. It's probably a good thing. I am hoping to never see azzie that filled with mud again.....at least I can say I tried. At least now I know I couldn't get through it. It's better than sitting here wondering.....Yes it was a DNF, but it was a hard earned DNF!!

HOT day in Wisconsin

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 07:39:42 GMT

Well, at least it didn't rain! lol

Wisconsin's weather gave us high 90's on Sunday July 8th. Not to mention the humidity....yuck! But off to Azzie we went. The track was tough-the corners were overwatered and VERY muddy. In the end there were some nasty deep ruts to work through. A few riders were helped off the track due to those ruts. I believe that there were a couple of racers that left via ambulance. My thoughts are with them and wishes for quick recovery.

So that being said, the track was very difficult to ride. Practice left me with a total of 5 crashes...the start to a very long day. I was not riding smart, plain and simple. Instead of getting up onto my pegs, I sat like a lump on my seat. I am not sure what was wrong, I jus wouldn't move. So because of my being dumb, I was covered in mud by the time I came off the track.

Moto 1-My bike rolled forward and hung up the gate again....so my start was far less than stellar. I pulled her back and the gate finally came down. I wasn't quite the last bike off the gate! Off we went. On the pegs and clicked into third just before the first turn. I managed to reach the turn at the same time as everyone else. Of course I was on the outside and was pushed. Fortunately I kept my head. Still on my pegs I bounced off the edge, very close to the snow fence barrier, and managed to get by. I came up to a girl on a Honda....she is in all bright pink. I challenged and she answered. It was so cool! We went over the second jump side by side. She looked over at me and we both went for the tunnel jump together. It was so exciting! She was a little braver than I over the tunnel jump so she pulled ahead on the backside, but I believe I got her in the next turn. Headed to the first rutted section and there were two girls piled up. As I passed I could hear the one screaming-from what I hear she was hurt pretty bad. The rut got her and then the rider behind her had no where to go. So onto the whoops. I did great until the 'gator pit'. I got hung up on some ruts and went down...4 riders passed me. I got the bike up and got going. I managed to pass two right back. At the finish line, there was a red flag......restart.

Urgh! This time I had the bike all the way back and had an awesome launch! The 250F dug and snarled into that first turn. I managed to get 6th position! I was running at a comfortable pace only to get eaten by the gator pit again! I was passed by some riders...by this time I was so tired. So I passed one rider back, enough to gain me 10th place. Not as nice as last month..but hey! I crashed twice and still managed a top 10 finish! I was pretty happy about that!

Moto 2 - It was the first time I had help at the gate...and it was awesome! My husband dug out the back and I was able to get my bike all the way back and she did not roll forward. My foot was flat on the ground, gate dropped. I was 6th coming through the turn! Oh it was a fun race! I was comfortable. I wasn't riding too hard. The heat was just too much and my goal was just to get through the race. I had a comfortable space between me and the next rider. On the second lap I dropped the bike in a really stupid place....darn it! Oh well, I lost 4 places again....I didn't even fight to gain my position back. So I just worked on landing my jumps and being smooth.

To my surpise, I ended up finishing 9th overall! So I was pretty happy with that. Take the tough conditions and mix in my mistakes, I did really well! My little girl ran her second race as well. On her TTR125 she finished 14th out of 20!!! YAY Sierra!!!! So in the end, even though it was a tough day we had a blast! Thanks to everyone who cheered me on. It really helps you dig a little deeper when you are already REALLY tired!

Getting there on the 250F!

Sun, 10 Jun 2007 20:13:20 GMT

Well, due to the 80 blowing up, my focus has been on the 250F. And that means motocross. Today was the greatest I have ever run. Not only did I get two amazing starts, but I held strong and maintained solid standings. In both motos I finished 8th which resulted in my best ever finish of 8th overall. In a field of 18 riders, I am very pleased with how we did today. The bike handled great and felt strong. I have figured out how to get into the air...landing is a whole different issue!!! hahahah! All in all, today was fantastic. I am proud of myself, my bike and my team. Thanks to everyone who lended a hand today! Especially Dave for helping my daughter onto the starting gate for her very first race ever!!!

And there she blows!!

Tue, 08 May 2007 07:33:48 GMT

We had a very disappointing race on Sunday. The little 80, my old faithful, decided she was not going to run on Sunday. At first it seemed like I was fouling a plug or having a fuel issue. First practice she just died but kicked right back over. Second practice we made 3 laps and she just died. Would not kick over. After we pulled the plug, we found the gap completely gone and a little ball of metal inside. So with baited breath I wait to pull the cylinder off to see what kind of damage we have.

The top end was fresh. In fact, we only heat cycled it. So I am very nervous to see what is in there. Here's hoping it's just a ring!!!!

I really think it's a jealousy thing. I've been riding the 250F so much my little 80 is jealous!!! :)

First Harescramble!

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 07:42:24 GMT

I know I should stick to one thing and get it down before I move on to the next. But that just is not my style! Saturday, April 28th I will be attending my first harescrammble at Aztalan Cycle Club. My goal is to finish. I will be riding my YZ250F. Wish me luck, I'll be needing it!!!!

SWEET!!!!

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 11:37:11 GMT

Well, we went to our first MX race and I survived!!! YAY!

I had so much fun and cannot wait for the next one. My results were less than spectacular, but for my first time out I am darn proud of myself. I made it through my second moto without crashing, so that was awesome. It was a very cold day at Aztalan Cycle Club. A high of 40 which gave us frozen mud rocks to negotiate. I struggled a bit, but eventually felt ok. Now I have to figure out how to clear a double.......: )

Happy Easter!

Sat, 07 Apr 2007 07:35:37 GMT

As most are enjoying an Easter brunch or other family gathering, I will be at my first MX Race! The season opener for Aztalan Cycle Club (Wisconsin) is Easter. We are still working out some suspension bugs in the 250F so I am not expecting greatness. My only hope is to finish the race in one piece! lol

One more exciting note is the fact that on Easter Sunday (April 8) my awesome guy and I will be getting married in between races. We are both very excited. Not only for the races but for the 'totally us' wedding. Looking to be a bit cold out. But the fun factor is going to be very high!!!

Time to take off the studs!

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 08:30:09 GMT

That reads awfully funny! But it's true. It is now time to remove the ice tires and slap on the knobbies until the asphalt warms up!

This next year is going to be very exciting. I am moving up from my YZ80 into the lights class on my YZ250F. I am nervous but also very excited. I cannot wait for this season to start.

We are also going to try a little Motocross on the side. My main focus is Supermoto, however I need the dirt experience to help me in the SM dirt. So with fingers crossed and a huge smile we a prepping the bikes for a whole new experience!

Now all we can do is tinker with the machines and chomp on the bit waiting for summer to get here!

Decisions....

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 21:46:35 GMT

Thinking about adding to my racing program this season. We are near enough to Aztalan that it is silly to not try it. So as of today I am seriously considering running some MX this season. I'm kind of excited about the idea. For now I am waiting for ice so I can run that. My favorite place to ride....ice!

I'm Back!!!

Thu, 28 Dec 2006 21:39:25 GMT

Well after what seems like an eternity, my collarbone has healed and I am back on the bike. 8 weeks is a long time to be idle! I am very much out of shape and have a lot of work in front of me. A couple of laps in the sand kicks my butt!!! That's ok, the rewards are always sweeter when you have to work harder for them. I am fortunate enough to have family around me to help me out. In fact my little brother kicked my butt for me today!! He tromped around on my little YZ80 while I went on the 250F. Talk about the longest 13/4 laps ever! lol

Here is a link to a clip of my beating!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xwxg7jFbDTM

All in due time. For now I am thrilled to be back on the bike. I feel great other than being completely out of shape. But hey, a clavical injury will do that to you!!!

Dun Dun Dun!!!!!

Sun, 22 Oct 2006 13:14:54 GMT

Yes folks, it has finally happened. I broke my left Clavical and am officially finished with my season.
That's the breaks! HAHAHA! I broke it on Sunday, Oct 15th while chasing my 10 year old daughter around my Dad's field on TTR-125's. She lost the rear. I did everything wrong. I target fixated on her rear wheel. I grabbed WAY too much front brake. I flew over the bars and did a real nice job of breaking it. THANKFULLY I didn't run her over.
Unfortunately I am out for fall riding and I miss the season finale endurance race. FORTUNATELY I'll be healed in time for ICE!!!!!!! :-) I guess I was due for a 'break' in the action. I know, bad puns. But in the end we were having SUCH a great time. And fun is the name of this game.
My most fond memory of this entire incident is in the triage room at the ER....My daughter proudly displays her scar from her broken elbow last year. The triage nurse suggests we should find a different hobby. My daughter sits up straight, sparkles in her eyes and a HUGE smile replies with "No Way! It's too much fun! It's worth the risk!" The nurse smiled and shook her head....yes, my daughter is addicted. It's such a beautiful thing to see!
Keep riding folks! AND HAVE FUN!!!! :-)
-Tammy

Down Time

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Our racing program has experienced a bit of downtime. Our next race is scheduled for October 22, 2006 at USA International Raceway in Shawano,WI. We will be racing a 100 lap endurance race. I am looking forward to this race as our season has been plagued with petty issues. We will be racing my YZ80 in the mini-open class as well as the debut of my new YZ250F in the lites class! My first race to include a dirt section! I cannot wait!

Updates from Tammy Flemming

2009 Triplecross Vet B Champion! Woo Hoo!

Spring is finally here!

Ice season starts with a bang!

Senior Nationals, 2008

Ready for the next round of Triplecross!

Back in The Saddle!

Season on hold

An unpredictable season!

Finally! MX Season is Here!!!

Wrapping Up February On Ice!

Perfect Start to a New Year!

2007~What a Year!

The season ends...

August 12th Mudfest!

HOT day in Wisconsin

Getting there on the 250F!

And there she blows!!

First Harescramble!

SWEET!!!!

Happy Easter!

Time to take off the studs!

Decisions....

I'm Back!!!

Dun Dun Dun!!!!!

Down Time

2009 Triplecross Vet B Champion!
Woo Hoo!