April 16 Southwick, Easter Sunday
“My First Race Day” excuses, excuses......
My morning(and first moto) was a preview of the day to come.....
After lots of research and emails to the NESC (thanks Ruth) and mailing in my pre-entry form & check to MOTO-X 338, I figured arriving at the track by 8:am would be fine but, trying to explain to Rob my 16 year old, very experienced MX racer/mechanic, that I was incapable of waking up before 7:am and be coherent and strong through the day. He and his dad Bob insisted (because of sign-up, a possible riders meeting, walking the track getting me geared-up and prepping the bike all by 9:30 practice) We got on the road by........6:30! So, I took my place as the “rider” and I decided to just listen and do exactly what they told me.
As cooking has taught me, “it's all in the prep”. So, Saturday night the bike and gear were loaded up and all I had to do was eat a big breakfast and shower. Of course I set my clock to wake me at 6:am. I knew it would take me a little more then thirty minutes to get ready without stressing out, but I'd rather use that time to sleep and I would just call Rob, while I was leaving to pick him up.
Well, I slept OK getting up to pee twice. Then I don't remember getting back to a deep sleep until my alarm rang and vibrated.
I was all ready by 6:40. Then, I called Rob. His phone rang and rang for quite a bit until his sleepy & croaky voice answered. I just told him I was on my way. Rob lives practically next door to my parent's house in Enfield CT. When I got to Rob's house he was just getting dressed and look hurried and like he had just rolled out of bed. All right......he slept up to the last minute too.
The next stop was to pick up the team sponsor Shannon Mayotte. I called her so she'd know we were 20 minutes behind schedule. With a sleepy voice she told me she needed to take a shower. Not to be a Chauvinist Pig but, is that typical or what? OK, OK wait! I was wrong. Shannon informed me that it was 5:50 not 6:50! Son of a bitch, was I fucking pissed! I need 8 hours of sleep to be in top form!
As Rob and I waited in her kitchen for Shannon to get ready, I read through my check list. I realized my video camera was not in the truck. When Shannon was ready she said she needed a Starbuck's. I didn't let this bother me because we were so early and I needed to go back to my parents place to get the video camera, which by the way I didn't find. Great, another disappointment......no video of the race to analyze.
We got to Starbuck's and it was closed. Fine, we'll go to D&D in Agawam. Now my alarm sounded to remind me to take some stuff (jug of fuel, grip tape and a little hand broom to sweep the gate) from the garage where I store the bike. It's a good thing we were 45 minutes ahead of schedule!
We finally made it to the track. As I was miserably pouting we unloaded the bike, set up the pit and Rob signed in as my mechanic. Walking the track was cool. I was shocked and really amazed at how smooth it was. All the tracks I've practiced on were almost supercross tracks, meaning lower speeds and a lot and I mean a lot more obstacles like long, deep and hard packed whoops. One advantage I thought I had was that the track had been reversed and changed since it was built 30 years ago. This was the only thing that leveled the playing field for me.
Two practice laps, we were allowed 3 but I wanted to conserve energy since I hadn't ridden in 4 months, gave me some confidence. The deep sand needs a different riding technique then what I'm used to. But I did a lot of research and Rob kept reminding me how to attack it too. I didn't get fired up for the first moto until I was in the staging area. Thank God Rob was there to keep me on time for stuff. I watched the starts of a few classed ahead of me very closely because I never started on cement before. The gate had a telephone pole behind the rear wheel on cement, the gate was on a metal plate then more cement in front a little more then a bike length. I didn't practice cement starts at all because I didn't have anywhere to practice it.
We listened to the announcer, for the start of the two motos before mine, which would give us about a half an hour to get to the staging area, next to the starting gate. At the staging area I was relaxed. I studied the riders starts and how the 30 second guy acted.
They started calling numbers to pick our gates. I think it’s computer generated, Rob said, so luck has to be on one’s side to get a good gate pick for the first moto. My bad “luck” continued because I had the 33rd gate pick! On the line Rob swept my spot and kept giving me advice on how to attack this thing.
The 30 second guy walked onto the track, pointed the sign at us for the 5 second signal. I sat in position, pulled in the front break, ½ opened the throttle and let the clutch out to “hook-up” the rear tier and stared at the gate pin. I don’t remember gunning it and smoothly letting out the clutch, when the gate started to move or when the guys next to me moved. But, as I let out the clutch and opened up the throttle...........“BLAH” the motor stalled!
Yep, there I was all alone on the starting gate. Immediately tried to start the bike. That took at least one minute of fierce kicking. I almost gave up because I knew how hard and how long it takes to start the bike. I finally get it fired up and tore out up to the first corner.
When I got around the first corner I was “EXHAUSTED”! I mean I didn’t think I could finish the race. At the end of my first lap I started to pass downed riders. What luck! I won't come it last after all. I end up in 37th place, after giving everyone a 2 minute head-start!
Moto #2 wasn't any better. The gate pick is selected by your place in the first moto. So if you sucked in the first moto your chances of doing better in the second has diminished. I got the worst gate, because it's the first one and it's behind the first turn. That means I have to aim towards the other riders aiming towards me. I got a good start this time but had to ride on the side of the track through a hay bail. Then there was a pile up in the first corner that I didn't want to slow down for and just plowed into every one. So here we go again....after trying to untangle my bike from some guys footpeg stuck in my spokes, lifting the 200 pound bike out of a sand hole then barely getting my leg over because was on a hill, I kicked like crazy trying to start it. I finally got going, one guy was still getting up, and rode as hard as I could but.....I was totally exhausted! I was doing fine, finding smoother and faster lines, until in one of the last corners
I didn't have the strength to keep the front end up, I fell. Surprisingly I didn't lose a position and because I didn't let go of the clutch keeping the bike running. I placed 36th in that race.
The sand at Southwick makes this race unique to any other MX track in America. Rolling sand whoops form in every nook and cranny of the race surface, sometimes large enough to swallow a full sized machine. The sand also wreaks havoc on the race bikes, increasing engine temperatures and demanding every ounce of power from the machine. Endurance is the key to a strong showing at Southwick, as the long motos, extreme track conditions, high temperatures and humidity demand every ounce of a riders energy. The start is long up hill, with a 180 degree left hand hairpin first corner. Elevation changes are steep but gradual with a few long drop-offs, but the track winds through the trees and runs across the sides of a few hills. Survival is the name of the game.
BTW, I love my new race colors and ID printing form DeCal Works. I looked fast thanks to my sponsor DJM Racing.
Click HERE for the official NESC race results.
At the checkered flag.
Robert says "dude, ya sure ya wana take this gate"?!?!?
