Preparing for V2R

[dezert_nerd]

I'm planning on racing Vegas to Reno solo this year. It will be my first year actually racing Vegas to Reno as well as doing it behind bars. I've chased for this race back in 2012 so I'm a little familiar with how all the pits are setup, I'm just worried about forgetting to pack something that may be necessary for my chase crew or when we make it to Tonopah on Day 1. I've been taking basic metric hand tools, basic tire changing tools, a dry beak can, and a couple spare parts and fluids just in case for the first 2 races this year (Parker250/UTVWC). My question is what else should I be taking or preparing for? The plan we've come up with so far is to just do fuel all the way to Tonopah on day 1, go through and service the bike (fluids, tires, brake pads, etc.) then repeat day 1 for day 2. I should have 2 extra sets of wheels, 2 dry break cans, as well as 2 sets of basic tools for each chase truck. What else would you bring? Or what else do you think is essential for a race this long that I haven't mentioned or am not thinking of? Any help is much appreciated, I'm trying to do as much as I can to make sure I don't DNF this race physically, mentally, or logistically. I just want to make it to Reno!

 

[Romero]

Fresh gloves and goggles go a long way. Plan your nutrition very carefully & thoroughly and stick to it. I recommend on your training rides eating the same food or whatever you plan to when you race. That way on race day, no surprises.

 

[El Mamito USMC]

try www.pnpsupplements.com I use them and they work great..

also water... a lot of water...

communications. if you can get a spot tracker or Welcome to Baja Tracking! comms is very important..

 

[Ol' Curmudgeon]

Start hydrating the week before the race. Pedialyte worked for me.

 

[TecateRay]

Don't depend on a single chase truck making every pit to gas your bike. Traffic jams, highway patrol and other unknowns make it chancy to "haul ass" from pit to pit.

 

[frozenh2o]

Give some thought to Tonopah. Might be hot and windy, the restaurants and gas stations might be overwhelmed.

 

[BajaboundMoto]

I'm reading into this differently...
You're going solo, why 2 chase trucks? Not dissing your post @TecateRay , you're absolutely correct IF he has to do his own pits, but WHY do your own pits and have to think about it? IMO you're better off with 1 chase truck and signing up for rental pits. Don't think about the fuel and supplies your truck(s) would need, let Baja Pits handle it. It will also free up your logistics planning, you won't HAVE to have your truck meet you at every pit, it will be less to think about and easier on you.
You've got drybrake cans, you're solo, are you planning to win the ironman class?
Why carry tire repair tools? Go with Bibs and forget about it. You'll carry less weight. A rear bib will easily go 1 day, the front Bib will easily go 2 days.
I carry very little on my body when racing, sometimes nothing but a drinker system, dykes, zip ties, channel locks, and a space blanket (to make shade for you or another person). IMExperience you typically don't need much of anything on the trail, meaning you can get to the next pit if you need to make a repair. Why weigh yourself down?
You should be ready with 2 prepped drinker systems to swap out during the day. Mixing water with Coke is proven.
I'm also not into the blingy supplement$. Keep it simple with PB & honey, bananas, and chocolate milk or Ensure drinks.
I do dig the Pedialite things (in Baja it's called Electrolit drink and they're easy to put down).
Of course hydrate, that's a given, but not just with water (and I do not mean booze).
For certain Tonopah might be overwhelmed. Plus you don't want to be messing around looking for food or whatever when you should be relaxing in the shade. We got one of these little butane gas stoves from Big5, $25, super simple, GasOne Portable Butane Stove Just have your pasta dinner pre-made and heat'er up. Simple and taking less of a chance of ordering something bad in a restaurant. You don't want a "surprise" like @Romero said.
If you rent pits then your truck can have 1 full gas can ready before they leave Vegas so all your truck should have to do when they arrive to Tonopah is buy ice and be ready for your arrival.
And, earplugs, both for racing and for in case you end up next to someone in the tent city who runs their generator all night.
And a big hat to keep the sun off.
And sunscreen.
And TP.
;-)
Keep it easy.

 

[trentk]

I agree with Tim, unless you have two sets of eager volunteers to man 2 chase trucks it is not worth it for this race because even with 2 chase trucks you can't cover all the pits on day 2 after pit 10. It is like this every year for V2R and its annoying. Even with 2 trucks you will need to pay for fuel/pit at 13 or 14 unless your bike has awesome range.

Not sure about bikes but V2R is brutal on quad tires, I go through a lot every time and I run flat prevention systems. You might want another spare or 2.

Spare radiator would be nice, I have seen competitors swapping radiators here. Making passes can cause damage.

Whatever supplements you might try for this race make sure you test them out simulating the time you will be on the bike for the race. Last year I used the same supplements I had been using and loving for 2-3 hour races and they started messing with my head at the 7 hour mark. Also remember the last 1-2 sections are the hardest (lots of rocks) for V2R especially since you might be getting caught by TT's here. So leave something in the tank for these sections.

Make sure the trucks are topped of with fuel before the race and if they have time and they see a pump open grab fuel even if they don't need it yet. Then you can avoid the lines that will form at the popular refuel towns.

Lastly don't be intimidated; finishing, chasing and planning for V2R is a cakewalk compared to Baja.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[dezert_nerd]

Tim, at the moment I'm signed up for Ironman amatuer (093) and even though it is an amatuer class with not a whole lot of competition (I'm not great at riding to begin with), I still want to finish somewhere on the podium. I'll be doing Baja pits the last day for sure as pits 11-14 are so convoluted with each other, but I'd rather just have 2 chase trucks knowing that they're at the pits for ME (plus we do have the people and trucks to do it so why not.) Then I don't have to fight with how ever many racers sign up for Baja pits and plan on utilizing them all the way to Reno. And by the time I reach Pit 11 on day 2 chances are the bikes will be spread apart that I won't have to worry about it. We'll have a motorhome in Tonopah that we'll be dropping off Thursday before the race so we don't have to worry about rooms. I'll also be prepping meals for myself (chicken, pasta, etc) so I'm not eating junk. I figure if we're gonna spend money to do this race, why not do it the right way and possibly get a podium finish out of it?

With that being said thank you to everyone that's chimed in so far! If you have more comments, thoughts, or criticism keep them coming, all it is doing is helping me (and hopefully others planning on racing V2R this year!)

EDIT: Trentk we'll have a spare front and rear, fluids, and brake pads in the truck. That's what I have listed so far at least, still trying to create the Pit Equipment list.

Sent from the RDC Mobile App. Get it for y

 

[twosixtwo industries]

.

Whatever supplements you might try for this race make sure you test them out simulating the time you will be on the bike for the race. Last year I used the same supplements I had been using and loving for 2-3 hour races and they started messing with my head at the 7 hour mark. Also remember the last 1-2 sections are the hardest (lots of rocks) for V2R especially since you might be getting caught by TT's here. So leave something in the tank for these sections.

Make sure the trucks are topped of with fuel before the race and if they have time and they see a pump open grab fuel even if they don't need it yet. Then you can avoid the lines that will form at the popular refuel towns.

Lastly don't be intimidated; finishing, chasing and planning for V2R is a cakewalk compared to Baja.

Good luck and have fun!

What happened with the supplements, how did they mess with your head?

 

[Romero]

... Also remember the last 1-2 sections are the hardest (lots of rocks) for V2R especially since you might be getting caught by TT's here. So leave something in the tank for these sections...

this

 

[AngryShawn]

We all *want* to finish on the podium, however I would strongly advise you set your first goal as finishing.
I don't know your riding ability, but if you see the AM class as having 'not a lot of competition', you may be setting yourself up for a very rude awakening when the green flag drops OR just enter IM Expert...

 

[TIMP42]

We all *want* to finish on the podium, however I would strongly advise you set your first goal as finishing.
I don't know your riding ability, but if you see the AM class as having 'not a lot of competition', you may be setting yourself up for a very rude awakening when the green flag drops OR just enter IM Expert...

Hey, there is enough competition in IM Expert already!!

 

[trentk]

What happened with the supplements, how did they mess with your head?

At the 7 or 8 hour mark they made it hard to focus and I was getting tunnel vision that I have never gotten. everyone is different, I recommend testing whatever you plan to take for the duration you expect to be racing, thats all.

 

[nickybobby333]

Does anybody know if there are camp grounds with a shower somewhere in or close to Tonopah for Friday night? Never been there and having trouble finding good information online.

 

[AZ7000']

I would expect the town, campgrounds, and restaurants to be overwhelmed. I would only count on having what you bring. Others may know more.

 

[Dlock5]

Does anybody know if there are camp grounds with a shower somewhere in or close to Tonopah for Friday night? Never been there and having trouble finding good information online.

Very small town, it might already be to late to get a room. I would look at renting a rv, stage it in Tonopah, and fill the tank up before you leave wherever you are coming from.

Sent from my C6725 using Tapatalk

 

[nickybobby333]

Very small town, it might already be to late to get a room. I would look at renting a rv, stage it in Tonopah, and fill the tank up before you leave wherever you are coming from.

Sent from my C6725 using Tapatalk

Yeah the rooms are already gone in Tonopah. My plan was to just take a tent, bbq, and everything needed to camp overnight. I was just hoping to find a decent campground or somewhere local so that I am not pulled up on the side of the road somewhere. I already played that game in San Felipe a couple weekends ago! lol

 

[frozenh2o]

BITD is setting up a huge camping area in Tonopah, but I wouldn't expect anything more than a dirt parking lot and some porta-potties.

 

[DirtDgr]

For me the toughest part was all mental. I've done V2R solo. Did Nevada 2000(won! IM ex), 1000 too solo.

Staying focused all day long is tough but absolutely the most important thing in soloing a race this long imo. Talk to yourself out loud as much as you can to keep focused. Especially later in the day! I literally pretend I am a motocross announcer and call out my every move out loud as much as I can.

Don't waste energy! Make your turns smooth. Look waaay ahead and don't start over shooting corners and stuff. Don't slam the berms moto style. Do not crash. Do not stall. Concentrate on not making mistakes. I put these letters on my crossbar pad with a sharpy as big as I can...SMOOTH! and BREATHE! Ride your own race.

Take it a little easy in the really really rough stuff, but not too easy. Then put the hammer down on the roads. Look waaay ahead! Throttle to the stop to make up for it. Don't get caught up in a certain pace. It's a race and your trying to podium right? Rather than pace myself, this is how I like to do it.

Food for me was PB and honey. My crew would make a half one. I would hang it out of my mouth and eat it as I could. Sometimes I could only do a bite or would really have to force feed myself. I did an occasional Powergel as well. Worked for me. Plain water works best for me on raceday.

One of the best and most refreshing things coming into the pits is always a wet rag to wipe my mouth and face off really quickly. Its amazing how it can refresh you! Spare fresh goggles with NEW lenses every pit. Make sure you treat the foam for dust! Very important. Seeing well is very important at high speeds.

Have fun!