Ok, thanks guys. The bike I raced on was a Gary Fisher Sugar 1. Would that be similar to an Epic or more like the Stumpjumper, as far as suspension and ride, not components? I fiddled around with the rear suspension adjustments and had the compression set up fairly firm and with fast rebound.
I test rode an Epic after the race and although I didn't really make use of the suspension, the bike sure felt and looked nice