OMR - Old Man Racing

Midlife Crisis or Adventure?

UAE Desert Challenge 2000

Abu Dhabi, 25.02.2000, 40° in shadow and anywhere you look ... sand. My home since 3 years, after my escape from german serious life, the organized chaos and rain, whenever you wanted to go for a ride! Cleaning and riding bikes took about the same time on a yearly average. NOW, ... 360 days of sun, no mud and riding, wherever you want to go to ... what a paradise!

BUT, ... to change all of this beauty, there was my close friend Bernd, who found me too exhausted after a local MX race in ABu Dhabi and advised of the following:

You are getting too old for this kind of race, ... buy yourself a real man-bike! He had no idea on the damage he did to my honor ... that really heart! A real bike is 4-stroke with at least 600 ccm, like a KTM Adventure, he added from some distance. With such a kind of bike, you could even compete in the UAE Desert Challenge (a race for the Rallye Worldcup). You must be mad, was my reply, .... 2 times 15minutes of a MX race are the hell for me & you suggest going for 5 days continues racing of daily distances of 450Km and more?! .... still, I will have to think about!

Many years I've been an active football player, played handball in a top team, did stock car races, BAJA races and 3 years of Sidecar Moto Cross, .... not known of being weak, just the opposite! Should this be the end now? With 49 years of age ... could I really be too old for this kind of motorsport? What else should I do? .. Going for a walk with my wife? Breading rabbits and on my climax being elected the president of the 'Dogs Breading Assosiation'? Club? Should I stop looking after young girls, start hunting them and try to find my luck there? A kind of sport, which in fact , some of my friends consider the 'Kick of the Age'? 'Goodness Me', ... is this the so called 'Midlife Crises'?

No, no, no, ... this is nothing to hit me!

After talking to my wife and her response ... ' You are absolute crazy' , the decision was made! .. I will go for it and will proof to everyone in doubt, that I can do this! Even, if it is the 'most stupid thing in the world', .. as my wife added from the kitchen!

It just took me 3 weeks to find a KTM Adventure 640 Mod.1998, inclusive Roadbook, GPS and some more rallye equipment, which I didn't even know, what to do with all of that. I started wondering, if all of that had to be used during active riding. No way, .. all just for pretending .... I tried to cool down and concentrated first on my main goal , .. the riding! Immediate after my first ride in the dunes of Abu Dhabi, also this became a problem for me. The depressions returned and I was wondering, if I ever would be able, to finish even first day of such an endurance race. The bike just didn't do , what I wanted it to do. It always took me into a direction, which I didn't select as the track location ..... similar to my first experience riding a Sidecar Moto Cross bike!

Speed is ALL in deep sand Early morning ... sun just rising

Don't give up, .. was the first I heard me saying, when I woke up in the morning & was the last I thought about, before falling asleep in the evening. At least once a week, I did training sessions of 300Km and more. All kind of directions through the deserts of the UAE and after 3 month, I had climbed dunes, which I wouldn't have even thought about before. The excitement changed between the improved bike riding and the beautiful landscape of the country. I realized, what Bernd was trying to tell me a few month ago! You get more from riding , you see something, you enjoy it longer and you are not even close as tired, as you are after a 20 minute MX heat. It is all about endurance and this improved my confidence. This was very important, as there were still lot's of skeptics and open questions, like ... how should I operate the following instruments, during the race and on the speedy bike?

* The ROADBOOK .... a paper roll with marked track information, used to guide the rider through the race. Also used to warn of dangerous obstacles! There is a remote switch on the left side of the handlebar, to operate the same .. forward & backward!

* The ICO..... as Mini Computer, displaying the distance from start, the time, current speed, etc... and to be recalibrated by use of another switch, every single Km in average. There is a second ICO for backup.

* The GPS..... Global Positioning System (similar to the known Navigation System in some high tech cars in Europe & US. BUT, .. it only shows direction to next waypoint in form of an arrow.

Adventure640 Rallye Cockpit

All these instruments will have to be calibrated one to the other, during the race. This is a must to find the right track, not getting lost and will have to be managed even during high speed driving and over the big dunes. Realizing this, I became more and more disappointed, but my good friend Bernd immediate had the solution: ' Once it is your turn for the start ( .. high bib number & late starting ) , there are so many tracks, that you will only have to follow, without navigation!'

»Greenhorns ... newcomers« do usually start from position 50 onwards, he added. This was good news and helped, .. still, just to be on the safe side, I changed my targeted final race position from place 40 to place 50! ... I really needed a vision, which I could fight for!

The race came closer and I started to think about the financing & the logistics ...... You are right, a little bit late, but the excitement on the whole project must have blocked some of my brain windings so far! The next thing, .. I do need a mechanic for the race. As my son Nico knows the desert like a fox, but still didn't own a driving license, I had to look for one or even better two gents, willed to hang around in boiling heat all day long and late in the evening starting to work on my bike .. continues for 4 Days.All my friends eligible for that, already had dates or no pending vacation left. Being lost with this problem, I called my previous sidecar co driver and brother in law, Roland and tried to attrackt him with the 'International Abu Dhabi Triatlon' , which was set up the week after the race ( ... he loves Triatlon races and competes himself, whenever he can ).

Team OMR - Frank, Rainer,Roland & Klaus

... BINGO!! He agreed and also confirmed to bring a friend of ours, »KID« (known as Rainer Dierolf), along for this adventure! Both of them very good MX Side Car riders and excellent mechanics!

Long time no hear from my friend Bernd? ... it changed, when he started to expose the upcoming race costs to me. First you pay 2.300US$ as a starting fee! ........ Uuups, he apologized and added following: You are treated as a 'Local' in UAE and therefore will only have to pay 300,-US$. On top you will pay 400,-US$ for every single person in the team ( for dinner, breakfast, etc...) ... I started calculating --> 1,2,3,4,5 .. 5x400,- = 2000,-US$ ... another Uuuups, but now from my side, but I tried to stay cool and even didn't have a choice! Then he interrupted my fears, ... you add another 500,-US$ and 1000,-US$ deposit for the ' Belize' ( an emergency system working with satellites ), where the deposit will be returned, if nothing happens and you don't make use of it, ... my good friend Bernd added!

Slowly I worried, if my lovely wife would be fine with these 'investments' and approve this budget. Due to this new situation, I changed the plan and decided protecting my wife, by hiding the these information's from her! ... I did this, to save our marriage, I think! Ohhh yes, ( it was Bernd again ), there will also be another 50,-US$ per person for the Gala Dinner and the 'Price giving Ceremony' in Dubai at the end of the rallye .......... now I stopped listening to him, turned away and asked myself: ' Who in the hell, would sponsor a 49 year old 'Junior Talent' to finance such a project??

My parents don't live any longer and my parents in law were already 'used up' during the financing of my house in Germany! Short explanation: Good friends jumped in and financed the race under coverage of my main sponsor 'MECAS International'. Team MECAS was born and at this point another ' SHUGRAN' ( .. arabic 'Thank You' ) for their support!

Mohamed S. Cassim (MECAS International).

Otto Weller (Apparate und Behälterbau aus Bühlertann)

Asia Brown Boveri (ABB) in Abu Dhabi

Three nightshifts and endless stress were the first experience of my mechanics Roland and Kid, after their arrival in Abu Dhabi. No sign of vacation and we managed to pass the 'scrutinizing' of the motorbike ( a technical check by the FIM marshals). Besides, due to the excitement, my friend Frank forgot his helmet at home in Abu Dhabi and I had to by my survival kit in the supermarket in Dubai, all was fine and the FIM people were easy and just asked us to show the missing items before the start of the prolog ( a sprint race on first day of the rallye, where the starting order for the official start in Abu Dhabi would be selected.

First day (Prolog 3 km):

Heart beating, being nervous and cool discussions with other competitors before the start and then I was sent off, by Mohammed Ben Sulayman, the organizer of the Dubai Rallye. ... first corner left, then right, flat out and then .... Uuups, I missed that damned right turn, ...... shi....NM#@T!!

Back to the track, .. what a shame, the time spoiled, the Team, my grandma, ... all my relatives came to my mind! AND, ... nobody said a single word, the Team was still happy and also the professionals came off the track. At the end not a bad result, ... position 20 out of 104 starters!

I felt like being 'Kinigadner' (.. one of the top factory riders).

Second day (380 km):

Due to whatever reason, the time clocked during the prolog, didn't count for the start ranking and I had to start from position 46 instead, with 1 minute delay to the previous starter ( 46 minutes after the first ). Very fast tracks, right at the beginning caused a lot of dust and driving was like in folk. Two choices .. a) slow down and cruise OR just take the risk! AND , I took the risk, .. shortly after, I could pass the first rider, then another and so on........ At the beginning I started counting them, later concentrated only on my speed, which should pay back at the end. It real was fun and all I remember was a small black point in the distance, growing and growing, till it looked like a rider and I could overtake the same! When I passed bib numbers like 32, 28, 22, etc.. I sudden realized, that so far nobody had overtake me! Could it be, having driven up to the top 20 riders? ... Did I do anything wrong and missed some waypoints? ..... These thoughts sudden were interrupted, when I found myself in the air, feeling, that I probably would never touch ground again !x!x! What had happened? ... I, a safety promoter and the biggest 'Anti Jumper' had missed a sand-bump and at a speed of 120Km produced my first real big jump with a 220Kg motorbike! 1000 angels had a lot to do, but managed to get me save landing! Finally the first checkpoint after 170Km, slowing down, breaking, getting fuel and having a banana. A few words with Roland and Kid and the excitement ... super, you came here in position 12!!??

I couldn't believe that, but when the BMW factory people confirmed that and asked my the whereabouts of Andrea Mayer, I had to believe and immediate started counting ..... if there were another 20 riders, which have started behind me, faster then I was, I still would be in the top 35 so far!! This gave my wings and immediate lead to first big mistake! .... due to all of that excitement I forgot to change my GPS routs for the next section and the arrow just kept pointing back to the checkpoint, I had just left! The following change of the GPS on the 100Km fast bike, would have stopped 'Evel Knevels' breath and heart . Lucky I was, that the 1000 angels, from a few minutes back, were still around and again saved me from a major accident... I had missed to see a stone on the track!

What the hack, carry on I thought and the rest of the track was not as fast. Nice Bedouin tracks and smaller dunes, which I love to ride. Besides having missed the right track one more time, I reached the Bivouac at around 13:00 P.M. Good start, a nice ride ( ???) no accident and the bike still fin, besides a broken clutch! After arrival of my service team, we fixed the bike and the new waypoints for day entered into the GPS. Nobody had time nor the interest, to check the times of the day. One of the local riders passed by and asked me, where I had found the shortcuts on the track ... what the hell, he was talking about? ..... you came in 10th position today, he carried on. Best private rider on a standard bike! ....... the tools fell down, we looked each other and straight walked off to the timing board. There it was, BMW, BMW, KTM, BMW,....and then me.

Thank you Bernd, for doing this to me...a fairy-tale came true.

Third day (385 km):

After the regrouping ( change of start position on the previous days result ), I had to start in position 10. This means, getting up at 4:00 A.M. having breakfast at 5:00 A.M. and being on the start at 7:00 A.M. When I then shared the grid line with riders like Nani Roma, Jimmy Lewis and Alfi Cox, my pants became heavier and heavier. I could have gone for a piss ever 2 minutes. I was the hell and in parallel, my very old problem returned: .... I probably would have to start navigating myself , as I couldn't expect lots of tracks from 9 other riders ahead. And surely, I wouldn't catch those!! What had happened to Bernds promises ... Highway, etc...?! I took the following 'stupid' decision: I wanted to take some controlled risk again and hoped to catch the rider ahead of me ... Matheo Graziani, and then just ( ..without navigation ) sticking to him! It all started well and after 30minutes I saw Matheo ahead of me and as he seemed to be a little slow, I even passed him and pulled away. ... not for long! I missed next turn and once back to the right track, Matheo was back in front. Along with him, we could even catch Frenchman Christoph Kneur and at the 1st checkpoint, I came in in position 7! Another day in heaven?! Too early it seemed, as my service crew hasn't jet arrived there. Once they arrived, I had already left the checkpoint again .. no service there, but I had big support from my competitors teams!

Then the disaster started! .. Close to the 2nd checkpoint my clutch broke down, as a result of my excitement and not checking the clearance at the checkpoint. Middle in the dunes of Liwa, where the high dunes grow up to 200mtr and host the rallye crews for day 2 & 3. I had to stop the bike there, called my team and waited for the sweep team, to pick me up. At the end of the stage my team picked me up and we returned to the bivouac, where my broken bike was delivered at midnight. Due to the delivery of the bike, I was excluded from the start on next day. .. it's just a rule! That day we installed a new clutch, checked with the KTM Team and with Mr.ZUPIN, who was very helpful advising on the right Oil, for these conditions! Not good enough, that I missed a day, I also received a penalty of 46 hours from the race officials ..... good buy top 50!!!

Start in Abu Dhabi - Frank(46) & Klaus (45)

Last day (410Km):

The only thing left, was to proof, that day one result was not a single issue. Starting way back in the fiekd, I quickly passed lots of riders and my mission was clear ..... till I heard this nasty noise from the engine! After a 50Km ride, the engine blew up and the damage was final. This led an other Austrian rider to the following statement: 'He is very fast, .... but not long enough! He was absolutely right, there was still a lot to learn and fast riding is not enough. You have to know yourself, the bike and the environment you are riding in. AND, ... you will have to merge all that, to achieve a good overall result!

The problem also had a good side. My resignation gave me the unique opportunity, to ride in a Truck of the 'Sweep Team', driven by a multi - Dakar competitor in the Truck Class. My bike was loaded an then we went off ..... this was real hell! We 'sailed' , .. we didn't drive. With 120Km speed, it was like riding a wave, .. unbelievable! What made me wonder? ... knowing, that the real competition truck do 170Km on fast tracks, when going flat out!!!!!

Midlife Crisis?

.... or Adventure?

Resume:

It was fantastic! ... and I will do it again! A question raised: Why didn't I do this earlier and why Bernd didn't tell me before? Now I have to save money, buy a better rallye bike ( ... maybe even faster? ) and plan the next rallye more professional!

Besides that: My mechanic Roland did the Abu Dhabi Triatlon one week later and achieved an exceptional 2nd place!!! What an adventure for him, ... mabruk!!

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