ROWRACIN - Gunnner 310805

[oldboyonrgv]

After a Saturday morning spent in the holiday traffic to get to Grandma and Granddads hose (making a 2hr journey 3hrs) picking Row up then another 1hr 30min getting back to WInterborne Gunner we finally arrived at the track at 18:00.
Strangely Row slept through most of the journey to the track.

On arriving (and having travelled through monsoon conditions!) we were met by dark clouds overhead heralding the weather front we had just driven through. The awning was quickly erected so at least we had a dry base to work from, it continued to rain until 11pm and I was convinced that the meeting would be called off.

Sunday dawned rather cloudy, but with no further rain overnight the track was ridaeable, because of the standing water the club changed practice order to put the adults and seniors out first.

Row has only ridden the 65 on this track once when he was first learning the bike but having practiced here numerous times on the auto he pretty much knows how it goes, I was expecting reasonable results (say top 20), however the word in the paddock is that the top 10 65cc riders in the country are here so it may be a bit of a stretch.

Row did his normal 70-80% effort in practice and said that the track rode fine.

Race 1 40 ! riders line up with Row in position 29 - gate drops and Row gets a reasonable start (by his standards)then at the first bend there is a huge pile up and Row although not involved comes to a stand still as the tangle sorts itself out, he completes the first lap in about 34th place, he is gradually pulling positions back just latching onto the group he normally battles with, then coming along a series of whoops (whilst trying to overtake two riders) he gets caught out and goes down heavily on his left arm (classic face plant), a marshal runs over and helps him get the bike upright, Row climbs aboard and carries on but he’s shaking his arm and is now rolling the jumps. The race finishes and I meet Row as he comes off the track “got a dead arm Dad, I couldn’t do the jumps after the crash because my arm would have given way” says a very unhappy boy, he says its coming back to life and that he will be O.K for the next race though.

We get the bike back to the Van; forks have twisted in the yokes so it’s an hour’s work for me to get the bike straight.

Row goes and checks his result - 31st

Race 2
“You gonna be O.k. then Row” Row flexes his arm and says its fine; he also says that his back is aching a bit. So it’s a battered Row who lines up for the race.
GO – Row hits the throttle and collides with the rider on his right, its all arms and legs as they sort themselves out but Row doesn’t back off and manages to get through the first bend in an upper mid-field position, he pulls through to about 19th place and is looking good once again running with his normal group, then (yup here it comes!) he drops it in a sharp right hander, he picks it up and it seems to take and age for him to get it to re-start, he sets off again now sitting in a huge gap and whilst making time up on those in front he cannot get back on terms – 34th place.

Row and Dad are very unhappy – the handlebars are flopping around in their mounts! (Where they have had three big hits in the last two weeks) so it’s another session for me stripping, checking and remounting the handlebars. Row says that he is unhurt from the crash but he’s looking a bit pasty and mentions that he has a headache. I check and he assures me that he is O.K. I go through why I think he is losing the front and try to get him to stop trying to steer the bike when he is in a bend, I am frustrated because he’s not riding as well as I know he can.

Race 3
Row lines up in his 34th place and we go through the start procedure, he focuses and I retire to a safe distance.
GO- Row gets it spot on this time and is in the top 10 into and out of the first bend (that’s more like I know he can do !), after half a lap I can see that he is being passed by everyone including those he normally beats by some margin, Row continues on and finishes the race – 31st again. I meet him and he looks quite apologetic “I didn’t crash Dad” “yeah but you rode like a wuss, you dropped 20 places during the race” I can see that Row is upset and I probably haven’t helped matters but I know he can do so much better.

We get Row back to the van and get him showered off he’s pretty glum, then he is whisked off by Grandma and Granddad to continue his summer holiday with them.

Amanda and I get the van packed up and have a chat about the day, it transpires that Row has refused food all day and has only drank Coca Cola (and not much of that, I have been so busy getting the bike back in order I haven’t noticed) I mention the remark he made about a headache and then we remember that he slept all the way to the track (very unusual behaviour for him) when we add in his lack lustre performance we realise that he is either overtired or is sickening for something.
We trundle home (I am now having a guilt trip after giving him hard time during the day for not trying hard enough)
Once home I phone them to have a word with Row about the day and to say sorry about getting on his case, I find out that Row has been sick on the way to their house ! And is currently sitting in the bath, although feeling better.

So that’s it, not such a good days racing, and I feel awful after winding him up (apparently he said to Amanda he was doing his best) I will set things straight with him tonight.

[phlat65]

bummer.... hope it does not discourage him. sometimes it is hard to not push them, even though you swear you will never be that dad.
I still can't wait till it is my turn