As everyone knows the start of any race is the most important thing, most of the time it can be the difference on whether you’re successful or unsuccessful. This past weekend at Gopher Dunes I decided to pay very close attention to Brett Metcalfe and how he prepares for the start of a MX1 moto. This sequence of photos (with the exception of the first two,those are from moto one) are from the second MX1 moto, unfortunately Brett did not get a good start in this moto, although he did go on to win. So far this season Metcalfe has been a very good starter, let’s take a look at how the MX1 points prepares for the start of a moto.
This photo was taken moments before the riders set out on their hot lap, as you can see Metcalfe is in complete focus mode and certainly has his race face on. For riders of all levels, being focused at this point is a must. With the start just a few minutes away you’re about to ask your brain to do something pretty extraordinary, so it must be ready. While his mechanic packs the gate, no doubt Metcalfe and all the riders are visualizing the moto ahead.
The photo below shows what Metcalfe’s gate looked like as he was out on his hot lap. Since he didn’t get a good jump or start in this moto I think we have to blame something. Although the gate is packed down very well, I think it might have been built up a little better so it was more level with the gate. If it’s possible, you should always try and get your gate level, especially in sandy conditions when you know you’re going to get plenty of wheel spin.
Being down so close to the start before a race you really get to see what habits different riders have. Since it’s a very stressful time of the day, a riders true personality usually comes out. If you’re a relaxed person than you become even more relaxed, if you’re high strung than you will more than likely be even more high strung down on the starting line. One of the cool things about being down on the line before a moto is how quiet it is, there are of course small conversations going on between riders and mechanics or officials, but overall it’s a very quiet place.
So as you can see below the hot lap is done and it’s go time. The mechanics are reving the bikes and listening carefully to see if the motor sounds right, hopefully it does because it’s too late anyway to change something. In front of the riders the Monster Girls are holding 30 second board up so the countdown is on. I can only speak for myself, but as nervous as I used to get before the start, once the 30 second board went up a strange calm came over me and I wasn’t at all nervous anymore. My thinking was that once the 30 second board goes up, it’s too late to turn back.
This photo was taken moments after the 30 second went sideways and the start of the moto is imminent, as you can see Metcalfe, Teddy Maier and Dusty Klatt are all waiting for the gate to twitch. You notice the differences in where each rider has their head positioned. Metcalfe obviously feels as though he is going to get alot of traction when the gate drops because he head is very far forward, whereas Klatt an especially Maier are a little more upright. Lets see which rider got the best jump?
It’s still to hard to call right now as all three are off the gate pretty good……
As you can see below Klatt and Maier got the better of the points leader Metcalfe on this start. As they came over the gate, Metcalfe just got too much wheel spin and his fate was sealed. Ironically, these three all ended up on the ground in turn one as there was a massive pile up. For the second moto in a row, Tyler Medaglia beat everyone to the first turn and grabbed the holeshot.
Just moments after this photo was taken Metcalfe was on the ground, and for the third week in a row he would have to play catch up in moto two. As exciting as it was for the fans to see him charge back for the win, with the tough conditions it was the last thing he wanted. For his teammate Maier, his moto was done as his bike suffered so much damaged in the pile up that he couldn’t continue. Also, look how far back Kyle Keast was going into the first turn, Keast didn’t crash but he had to pass alot of riders on the way to his second place finish. So much drama in the span of two minutes.
So there you have it, the second moto MX1 start from Gopher Dunes and just what the points leader Brett Metcalfe went through. After watching Metcalfe for five rounds now I would conclude that he is a very focused starter. While he hasn’t had many holeshots this year, he does get the job done and other than this moto, he usually puts himself in a good position on the first lap. The key for every rider out there is to find a routine that works for you and stick with it, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t but you have to become a creature of habit. If you have a chance at a National, head down and get as close as you can to the start and watch what unfolds, you will not be disappointed. Thank you to Randy Wiebe for all of these photos.