Sometimes racing is the last thing on everyone's brain

Glacial Hills in Belleaire Michigan was hella cool.  Jammed packed with climbs, flowing descents and overflowing hairpin turns that forced you to pay attention to just more than the incredible scenery.  Was well worth the 3-4 hour drive for the guys to get there.

But this weekend has much more to it than the race.  

First, pre ride was killer fun.  Block go there early and had a 10 min lead on the Expert crew.  Jon, Mitch, Aryn and Brian were all in chase mode but Ken managed to finish one lap of the course before being caught by the pack.  The team wanted to go out for another lap but it was decided best to save the legs and head to the hotel for check in and then find some dinner.

Shanty Creek Resort was a nice place.  Rooms were very large.  Large as in both rooms had a conference table in them with 8 chairs, two doorwalls a piece that lead to a balcony that spread the length of the room and what seemed like an endless supply of the thickest pillows they guys had ever seen.

Dinner was at some local Bistro in downtown Belleaire.  Jon ordered the gut buster to make sure he'd have an excuse to pull out of the race Sunday.  What's not pictured is the 10 pound breakfast burrito he at the morning of the race.....

After getting some racing tips from the wait staff at the Bistro the gang made it's way down the street to stop at Short's to talk the talk and walk the walk with some of the other racers in town.

The gang sat down with some serious legs and lungs at this big kid table.  This wasn't your kid's table in the basement at Thanksgiving dinner though.  Local downstate super heroes from KLM and Sandbag were there checking out the scene and testing the brew prepping for Sunday's race.

After trading smacks and jabs the fellas wandered back to the resort to digest and get digital for a few minutes.

Some together time with Diesel

Block making himself at home

Some 'real' together time with Diesel

And of course as you know this group can't sit still in one place for more than 5 minutes.  So it was off to find ice cream.  While in search for the cold stuff the team came across a ping pong table and Peg Bundy's stunt double.  Unfortunately we only have photos of the ping pong doubles tournament that sprung up and of course was taken very seriously.

So serious in fact that the table was unofficially relocated to an area with better lighting so the tournament could continue....

Eventually the gang made it back to the room and watched Under Siege to get them all excited for race day.

Sunday morning came and the team decided to eat breakfast inhouse to avoid not being lazy.  It costs more to be lazy of course but the view and $8 oatmeal was worth it to some.

It tool some convincing but yes, they ended up racing.  Jon 4th, Aryn 5th, Brian 7th, Mitch 10th and Ken.....I don't remember.  And of course some race photos to prove we actually kitted up for the event.  Without our normal photographer and historian, Mrs Dub9, we were forced to take photos of each other on race day.