2004 Maxxis 12 Hours of Pont de Vaux, France

This is more like "How I spent my summer vacation" more than it is a Race Report, but here it goes! While taking care of Englishman Paul Rowlands' GNCC quad this season, we had the chance to ride, race and hang out together quite a bit. So it wasn't a big surprise when he offered to help me race in Europe, but I had no idea how awesome of an experience it would be. As the 18th annual French event came closer, I went through the necessary paperwork to get my passport, FIM racing license, insurance, and clear the anti-doping regulations. I flew over along with my girlfriend Melanie and we landed in historic Paris to start our trip.

Knowing that the 6 hour time difference between Maryland and Paris would take a little getting used to, I chose to arrive a few days early to get properly acclimated to the time change. During the 3 days prior to the event, I relaxed and checked out the cool stuff around Paris. This is the entrance to The Louvre, the renowned art museum which contains great sculptures and paintings including the Mona Lisa.

Once inside The Louvre, I couldn't resist the temptation to take exriders.com to the international level. How's that, Harlen!

Venus de Milo; goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. Too bad about her arms.

This was the entrance to the track. Just kidding! This is the Arch de Triomphe or "Victory Arch". I walked back and forth through it about twenty times hoping it would bring me good luck. After hanging out for a few days in Paris, we drove down to Pont de Vaux, which was about 5 hours south.

The language barrier was tough when we were away from the big cities, and sometimes it was hard to communicate even the simplest thought or request. Getting into the track was easy, and everyone there welcomed the foreign "pilots". This is the entrance to the track. The Racers entered in the event didn't have to pay to get into the track, nor did their families and pit crews.

There were some really nice "transporters", and they had a very euro styling to them. This is the KTM display rig, which was only used for showing new models. They had other trucks just for race programs.

The Suzuki Transporter.

The Kawasaki "Big Rig".

The KIK Honda Racing UK 450R was looking nice; and with 3-time PDV winner Paul Winrow on their 3-rider team they were definitely a threat.