funeralcrasher | Pictures from Hillbilly Hills in Roberta, GA

This weekend I drove down to Roberta, GA (close to Macon) to enter a race at Hillbilly Hills MX Park. What made this special is the owners only open the track up twice a year so there is always a huge crowd. Sometimes a few well-known racers attend as there is an attractive purse in the pro classes.

Leah Cantrell (#322, pictured below) came to the races today, much to my delight. She's extremely fast on her Suzuki and ran near the front of the pack in the 250 and 125 pro class. She also lapped me twice during the afternoon. :o)

Leah again:

Cantrell competing in the 125 pro class. Leah is a tiny woman (Les she's about your size!), yet you'd never guess from watching how she handles her bikes. I gushed watching her ride so well with the guys in the pro class.

Leah on one of the step-ups:

Matt Walker (#122), former professional supercross rider, also came to the races today. He easily won both pro classes.

Here's the start of the second women's moto. Me on the left, Leah in the middle and I forget who on the right. Both of the other girls were completely out of my sight by the fourth corner. They didn't come for a casual Sunday afternoon ride...

Since I was one of the slowest riders on the track I focused on holding a straight line and staying out of the leaders' way when they lapped me.

Leah on the step-up:

Me, rolling the same step-up:

Here's Matt walker in the second 125 pro class...

This next guy was fun and exciting to watch ride. His name is Nico Izzy (#34) and could have mixed it up with Matt had he entered 125 Pro instead of 125 B. The Pro & B classes were on the same gate but the B riders started second - a few seconds after the pros left the gate. During the first moto Izzy worked his way though the entire Pro class and came within 5 bike lengths of Matt Walker who was leading. On the last lap Matt slowed down and let Nico pass by and take the win -- he deserved it for riding so well.

Nico threw the sickest whips I've ever seen in person yesterday. Once Izzy's rear wheel came so far around that it looked like the bike couldn't possibly recover (he landed perfectly).

During the second 125 Pro/B moto Nico again started working his way through the Pro class. On the third lap he passed a rider on a Kawasaki on a turn leading into a step-down. The other rider's rear wheel swung wide and clipped Nico's front wheel which caused his bike to make a 180 turn mid-air. Nico flew off the front of the bike and tumbled like a rag doll down the landing ramp of the step-down. It looked awful.. It was the kind of crash that leaves people in wheelchairs the rest of their lives. To everyone's amazement, Nico Izzy got up, brushed himself off, picked up his Suzuki and resumed riding as though nothing had happened. He finished 3rd overall.