ROWRACIN - Henstridge 29th May

[oldboyonrgv]

After an enforced two week layoff (One due to an abandoned meet and one due to other commitments) Row returned to the MX fray on Sunday for a meet with the Hants and Dorset club at Hentstridge near Sherborne Dorset.

We had never been to this place before and after asking around we were informed that it was as flat as a pancake !, however once we got there we could see that a lot of work had been done recently to produce various types of jumps, gradients and berms to keep things interesting. Row went for his morning walk around whilst the pit crew got camp set up.

PRACTICE went fine with Row claiming he was only running at about 80% and that the track was good, when he returned I noticed a slight oil weep from one of his forks legs which was a bit disconcerting but not bad enough to produce any panic.

RACE 1 Row gets No40 so we are last to the line and Row has to line up right on the inside as all of the other places are taken – not good because the pack will close him down if he doesn’t get a clean start and with some 36 on the line its gonna get busy !

GO Row seems to hesitate off the line and gets into the first bend in a mid field position then just behind Row there are bikes and riders flying all over the place as every one comes together – Row goes past in 16th place then the red flags come out as one rider from the previous melee has failed to get up and clearly needs some treatment. The riders are marshalled back to the start line and Row, being the cheeky monkey he is, forces himself into one of the best start gates ! the rider is stretchered off in neck brace etc a somewhat sobering sight for all the riders waiting and we are informed that it was a precautionary measure only and that they don’t think any major damage has been done but he is going to hospital for a check up .

GO2 Row clicks this time and flies into the first bend in 4th place !! I see some riders get past during the lap and he comes past me in 9th , during the race he drops another 3 places and despite having a group of three hounding him he fends them off and bring’s it home in 12th position –excellent ride although Row is pleased he says he can do better yet cause he is still learning the circuit.

RACE 2 Row gets No2 this time so we are able to pick our grid position and he choses the same one as race 1 GO Row misses the gate and gets a bad one, He’s right in the pack as they go into the first bend and I have to hold my breath as I see it get very tight, I count him through in 11th after the first lap so he had a storming lap to pull through that far but the gap to the next rider is quite large and he’s being caught by the three riders behind, It takes em the rest of the race but they each manage to pass him despite his best efforts to block them out. So a 13th place is confirmed.

Row arrives back at the van and admits to feeling “a bit tired” after that race, so I spray him down with cold water and give him a banana and a long cool drink, he sits in his chair looking like thunder as he’s none too chuffed at being passed !, we have a little chat about the lines he is taking around the corners and where he thinks he could go quicker we focus on these area’s whilst Row gets his strength back for the last race.

So with re-newed energy levels and another quick cold water spray Row lines up for his last race of the day. I am unsure how he is going to go because he tends to slow up quite a lot if he feels tired, we do some deep breathing on the line and I wind him up for the start then retire to a safe distance.
GO- Row gets a better start this time and comes past me in 9th place He’s being hounded by three riders and is manfully holding them off, the front group get a little gap on him but he is holding station, one of the riders makes a block pass on Row (I hold my breath as the rider nearly takes Rows front wheel away) the fourth in the group gradually drops back leaving Row being chased hard by one , Row goes into a fast left hander and catches the bumps wrong the bike bucks and weaves, Row lets it sort itself out and carries on as if nothing has happened (previously I have seen this type of thing throw Row off) he doesn’t even lose the place, he’s really caneing the bike and using all of the track along with the outside berms in an effort to keep the other rider behind, then they both pop over a jump and the other rider lands it off square and gets flipped off, I run to the side of the track and give Row the signal that he now has a gap (something we have been working on) Last lap and Row is making headway on the next rider up but the gap is just too large I stand by the finish line and clap him as he comes past to finish the race, he give’s me the thumbs up as he goes past slowing down – excellent ride !

10th place is confirmed for the last race and the best race finish in this class for Row – He’s well chuffed afterward and even admits to deliberately spinning the rear wheel up in the last lap in a effort to cover his auntie (who is marshalling) in flying mud !

I am pleasantly surprised at how well he has gone considering the three week layoff he has just had, it was like he hadn’t been off the bike at all.
Its off to the practice track this week so we can work on some technique and bike change stuff to see if we can get another coupe of percent to get him into the top 10 - I have calculated that we are easily in the top 15 in the championship standings for this club, not bad considering its his first year on a ‘proper’ motorbike.