Rowracin - 10th April

[oldboyonrgv]

Quite a lot to report from the last week !

We went over to Tonymoto on Wednesday to get a days practice in before Sundays race, the plan was to gradually build up speed during the day whilst working on some technique stuff with Row.
We got 3 good sessions in the morning with Row getting quicker and quicker then the heavens opened and the track became slick, although Row went out for a final sessions it was really a waste of time because he was just sliding all over the shop, he still had a tendancy to hang on to a gear far longer than he should causing my blood pressure to boil over and have a bit of a ‘go’ at him, I pulled him off the track half way through the session and told him to change up more then at the end of the session I moaned at him again !! the result was one not so happy boy or dad ! I had to sit him down once we got home to explain that I wasn’t trying to force him to go faster but to use the throttle more rather than just hitting it flat out and spinning the back up, on the plus side he is now sitting down more on corner exit putting his weight over the back and getting far more grip. Row reported that he had only ridden at about 80 % during the three sessions (we planned to really push it later on in the day. He still complained that the bike was popping at high revs (lean mixture) so part of the pre race prep was to put a larger main jet in and drop the needle by one notch (keep the midrange the same).

So a nice early start and sunny skies greeted us for Sundays PMXC race meet at Tonymoto

Row went off to walk the track and was a bit concerned that they had changed a portion of it after Wednesday’s practice session (adding a series of extra jumps and whoops) so we had a second walk over there to try to sort out what we were going to do. We also took a long look at where Row was losing time on a series of three jumps into a Hairpin corner, he was shutting down at the first jump instead of waiting for the third (all to do with confidence in getting it stopped for the corner) once he saw that he had a lot more room than he though he was a happier bunny, I also pointed out that if he couldn’t get it stopped there was a nice big berm he could ride around. We also went over the need to change gears more frequently !

Practice went fine and Row tried out all of the above during his two laps he said that he was quite comfortable with the track.

Race 1 Row got gate 27 so we lined up just on the outside of centre to give him a wide line into the first bend GO!! – Row gets a mediocre start and is 3rd (30th) to last out of the first bend, then he starts to pick up speed, I can see that he is gradually using more and more of the stuff we have been working on getting it out of the corners much faster than before and making yards on those in front of him, I am standin at the fastest part of the track and can see him changing up gears a lot more than before although its quite worrying seeing the speed he is getting ! by the third lap Row has pulled back 4 places and is still getting faster, the following lap he despatches another 3 and gains loads of ground on the next group, he’s got a quicker rider (who had fallen earlier) who gets past Row but in so doing Row latches on and they both go past another two riders, As they come around for the last lap the leader (about to lap them ) is just behind them and Row gets confused because the starter show’s them the checker flag, Row and the other rider sit up thinking that the race is over and its only when the pass the track exit and get waved on that they realise they have another lap, they both speed up again, the other rider getting the jump and Row is trying soo hard to get past, he just gets caught out on a slow corner and flops down, he picks it up and completes the lap and race … I run back to the van to meet a somewhat hot and sweaty young lad at the van. He’s well chuffed (apart from his little off) and really enjoyed the race, he reports that he has sussed out some bits that he can go faster on yet ! (will my heart take it)

We wander up to race control to find that Row finished 22nd a major step forward and Row is really keyed up.

Race 2 after the first race we are both expecting good things especially as Row has got over his apprehension on the triple and is getting a lot more gears, this time he gets a better start and is well in amongst (about 22nd place) it for a couple of laps when he comes out of a corner and almost stop’s allowing the following riders past, it takes him a little while to get sorted out and get going again but its too late in the race to make much up, he ends up 26th. Once again I meet him back at the van, he is NOT a happy bunny (face of thunder !) as he feels that he didn’t go as fast as he did in race 1 plus he changed up one too many gears and lost his drive, I have never seen him so angry after a race and don’t really know how to cope with it, so I tell him to sit down and I feed him a load of food (good stuff like banana’s and scotch pancakes finished off with some Maltesers !) he also drinks half a bottle of Coke. I also tell him that he is still further up the order than he ever has been and try to give him some positive encouragement.

Race 3 It’s a different Row on the start line, this time he is not all smiles and jokes he just wants to race I can see that his whole attitude has got more competitive – gulp !

Gate drops and Row shoots right up the inside and executes a block pass into the first bend ! I count him down the first straight in 15th place, he’s with a far faster group this time and gradually gets passed during the race but he is attempting to get them back, he is now clearing all of the major jumps and getting some serious airtime he is only losing time at the end of a really fast straight where he is breaking too early but he is getting down the straight so much faster than I have seen him go before ! He is using all of the stuff we have been working on and adding some of his own he’s carving some really nice tight lines out of the slower corners and backing it into some of the faster ones, I am with the dad’s on the start hill and am getting some comments like “your’e boys starting to get it sorted Gary” which is nice… Rcae finishes and once again I meet Row at the van, He can’t stop himself smiling as he knows he did well. He tells me that he has sussed out how to jump the bike and land it better than before and recons he can “really go for it” now he’s full of chat about sliding and cornering the bike as well ! whilst Row gets changed I go up to race control to find that he has finished in 20th place.

Back at the van the smiles continue, Row tells me he is knackered now though and just wants to chill out.

So all in all and excellent days racing for Row and another step forward, we can’t wait for the next one.

[phlat65]

good for him!!

it is a very mental sport, it's amazing how much faster you can go with the right attitude. keep up the good work