Before I get to what happen at Moto Park on the weekend, let me touch on the biggest race going on in the motocross world, the Salt Lake City Supercross. First off, thank God it was live on Speed Channel Saturday night. These past few Saturday nights without live Supercross have been a little boring. So, how can anyone not be happy for Ryan Villopoto? Even if you’re not a big fan of his riding, you have to respect what he has been through with injuries and his family. He just keeps on winning. Saturday night was no different as he fought through the pressure and held Davi Millsaps and Ryan Dungey off for the win and the 2013 Monster Energy Supercross Championship, his third in a row.
height=350In the 250SX class I am not even sure what to say about it. With such a plethora of mistakes made by both Championship contenders, it almost feels like we were watching WWE Wrestling and it was all prearranged. I hope Ken Roczen can hold on and win the Championship this weekend in Las Vegas because he really has been the best guy all year. I guess, all eyes will be on both the East and West 250SX classes this weekend as both their Championships are up for grabs. You will either be cheering for Honda or KTM Saturday night.
Okay, now to what happen at Moto Park on the weekend. On Saturday, CMX had just over 300 entries. On Sunday, it was the CMRC’s turn to run things with their third Ontario ANQ in a row, with just over 600 entries (the largest so far this year in Ontario). Moto Park owner Iain Hayden was extremely pleased.
The only disturbing aspect of either day was the number of crashes that took place yesterday. I know every race has its share of crashes and injuries, and while one is too many, the number seemed high on Sunday and it has left more than one person trying to figured out why.
I spoke to Iain Hayden this morning and he actually lost sleep last night trying to think of some reasons why so many riders crashed. Was it the track? Was it rider error? Or simply was it a combination of a few things? After speaking with Iain about it I decided that I would weigh in on what I think. As a former racer and as a father who has a son racing, I now, more than ever, hate to see riders crash. Unfortunately, I know it is part of riding a dirt bike on a dirt track, complete with jumps, corners and deep ruts. All the things that help make a track fun to ride can also cause us to crash and sometimes get hurt.
Yesterday at Moto Park the track was tough. With the wet spring and the rain on Friday night, the moisture was really deep in the soil and ruts just kept getting deeper and deeper, both in corners and on the jump faces. As everyone who was there saw, it wasn’t just less experienced riders who crashed, but some of the established pro riders also found themselves on the ground. As I said, it was a tough track and some riders paid the price.
So what is the solution to keep this from happening again? Or, is there a solution? Where the track is concerned, Iain spoke about making some track adjustments, and maybe slowing it down a little, making some of the obstacles a little more forgiving (although the jumps there are incredibly safe). If there is stuff to be done, you know Iain will do it as he is a former pro rider himself and one of the best promoters we have.
As riders, we have to take responsibility for our own riding and do everything we can to be ready to race, whether it’s in April, May or later on in the summer. A tough track should be something we look forward to because we are properly prepared to ride it.
The bikes of today are so good and so fast, riders of all ages and abilities are riding fastest than ever before. But, as the old saying goes, the faster you go the harder you crash! While my advice isn’t a cure-all for crashing, it may help save you from one or two. First off, whatever riding ability you are, 20 or 30 minutes before your race, go and sit somewhere, quietly and think about your upcoming race. This is otherwise known as focusing and it’s a proven fact that it works. If you’re mentally prepared for what’s to come, you have a better chance of doing it once the gate drops. You know the track from practice, so just sit there and do a few mental laps in your head.
My other piece of advice is to try and practice once in a while on a really rough, rutted track, or go riding when it’s raining more often. So many of our practice tracks are groomed perfectly (because that is what we want) that we rarely get to ride a rough track until the race on Sunday. As riders, let’s try and do everything we can to be prepared for a tough but excellent race track like we had this weekend at Moto Park. For the riders that did get hurt yesterday, we hope you have a speedy recovery and can get back riding soon. Everyone, have a good week and a safe week riding.