What is a place.
There is a place called a motocross
track. It can be any motocross track. It is a place where you can live out the
desires on your heart. This is a place I like to live my life. This is the untold
story of the passion that burns deep in my soul. There is a deep passion
that that yearns to be fed at this place. The motocross track is a holy place
to me. To ride my dirt bike on this holy ground called a motocross track is
what I long for. Peroration to ride out the passions of my heart start long
before any race. It starts before the sunrise of every morning. Working harder
then your competition in the gym to get that edge. Having a fined race bike can
only go as fast as the rider. Even then you can’t afford to have a weak spot in
your game. Having a good bike can make the difference of being able to clear
the big jump or crashing into defeat. What I race against is the track not as
much as the other riders. If I can manipulate the bike on the track the way I
want then I am winning in my mind. Yes claiming first place is a feeling of
much accomplishment but to be a master of the dirt is what makes you good.
Peroration, is the most important
part of riding one of these motocross tracks. Peroration starts long before any
race. The days leading up to a big race is everything. You must be one with
your bike. Making sure your equipment is in working order. Being in shape to
withstand the physical effort of riding fast. Yes preparation is my best friend.
The body has to be just as fine tuned as the race bike. Eating healthy, working
out, riding practice. Yes winning begins at the start of everyday. Many hours
of dedication go into a very short lived victory. Doing the things you don’t
want to do. Being willing and able to go the extra mile. The time spent lifting
weights. The sore days of recovery. Running mile after mile. Feeling exhausted.
Not willing to accept defeat. Working harder then your competition. Making the
sacrifices to get the parts needed for your bike. There is no replacement for
horse power. Getting the part that will add that ½ of horse power. Tuning your
suspension to have the feel you need to corner quickly. Having a bike that is
able to push the limits the way you want. Having a bike that is forgiving for
when you make a mistake you don’t end up on the ground. Being one with your
bike. Practice makes perfect. As much time as I spend in the gym and working on
my bike. I spend less then half on the track pounding out lap after lap. To me,
I love riding lap after lap, learning the dirt and the traction it has to give
me. Picking up on the smallest of things to improve on. Which line or rut to
take when the conditions change. The track is always changing. The dirt of the
motocross track is always giving you something new. You could hit a jump 100
times and it will throw you different everytime. Being prepared for every kick
bump or slide can make me ride tight if I’m not prepared in my training or
tuned my suspension properly. I ride loose to let the bike do its work
underneath me. When I’m riding tight I’m not able to react to what can arise in
a split second. While riding loose I’m using less energy and letting my bike
move around underneath me. Loose muscles react quicker then tense muscles.
It is the first race of the
year after a long winter. Race day is here. I wake up at 4:30. I feel prepared.
I have put the laps in. I’m feeling strong from the work in the gym. My bike is
tuned in the night before. I sit up in bed and put my feet to the cool floor.
My first thought is to thank God for giving the this passion that is placed
within me and bless me with a safe day. “Make me fast Lord.” I prayed. I walk
down the stairs sluggishly. My mind is ready for the day but my body isn’t just
yet. I hope in to the shower to make my body up. I get dressed and pick my
favorite moto shirt to wear. It is black with a big logo on the front, showing
off one of my sponsers. I go to the kiction to get some sandwiches ready for
lunch along with all the snacks and drinks my mom and I may want threw out the
day. I yell at mom from the kitction to her bedroom, “I’m almost ready. Are
you?” She normally runs late but today she isn’t going to make us late, I
thought. I hear here yell back, “Yeah. Are you making food for later?” I responded with a doutfull, “OK. I just made
some food for us. I’ll be waiting outside.” I walk out to the barn and wheel my
bike into the back of my truck and load the rest of the stuff up. The sun is
starting to rise as we pull out of the drive way. Mom makes a comment about the
sun rise but I don’t pay much attention. I was to busy thinking about the track
that I will be racing soon. The butterflies in my stomach are starting to set
in now and I haven’t even got there yet. We arrive after a 2 hour drive. As we
pull in I can see the track. The butterflies flying around in my stomach become
a bit stronger. I find a place to park by the track to set up for the day.
Seeing all the bikes and riders is making the butterflies almost overwhelming.
But moving around to set things up helps relieve the anxiety to ride. I get
singed in and check the practice order to see which one I’ll be in. I walk back
to put my gear on to get ready for the morning practice before the race. They decide
to group the bike brands together for practice. I have a Honda . They grouped
the Yamaha and Honda together so that will be my practice. I get to the
starting line and warm my bike up and strench a little while waiting for our
practice to begin. I can’t wait till it my turn to ride. Finally the Suzuki and
Kawisaki practice ends and let us go. I just tip toe around the for the first
lap to check out the lines. It is a bit sloppy from all the watering the track
workers have been doing this morning. I let her rip on the second lap getting
to know what the dirt and jumps have to give me. Jumping the first jump was a
pure shot of adrenalin that I have been longing for. I rail around a corner at
full throttle. I carved a new line that
no one else was taking. The track was going to be good today, I thought to
myself. I whip it off the finish line jump, giving my aprovel that this track
was ready for my heart to be lived out here today. Before I new it practice was over. After
practice I calmed down. Getting all the pinned up energy out has me refocused
in on the task at hand. I walk over to the post board to see the the moto order. On the way there is so much hussle and bussle. Bikes that are coming off the track weaving there way threw the pits. Looking around seeing all the faces that have the same bunring inside like me. After checking the moto order I'll be riding 3rd and 24nd of 26 moto's. I had singed up for two class to have more track time but they where going to be hours apart and that wasn't going to do me any good because the track will change so much between them. That thought quickly slips to the back of my head as I realize I will be riding in a few minutes. As I walk back threw the pits I start to tune into the task at hand. I didn't even notice the other people that and bikes anymore. Who was riding what new bike or rocking new gear. It was race time. I grab a quick snack before I head the starting line. My heart has been beating in the throat all morning and sitting here at the starting line is about to make my heart to pop out of my chest. There is a uneasy tension at the starting line. As I'm setting in staging, I glance at the rider next to me. He looks just as nervouse as me. I think to myself, am I faster then him? I look at a couple other riders and sizing up the compation. There are a lot of riders for my class today. It looks like a full gate and a full gate hold about 30. Making it even more important for a good start. The 2nd moto leaves the line in a roar right in front of me. I put my helmet and the world goes away. The warror with in comes to the surface. My whole focus is just me the bike and the track. My name is called and I pick my gate. I start to review the thoughts and feelings of the track, visulizing my way around the track. Thinking about the gate drops and how I was going to rocket to the holeshot. I don't even notice the riders on either side of me. I'm in the zone. The moto before me begins their last lap and we are singaled to start are bikes up. A cool machine is fast, so I wait another minute to start my bike. I see the 30 second board girl start to walk out and I start my bike. Everyone has been revving there bike for the past couple minutes. The gate worker starts to point us down to check each rider lined up. He points at me and I give him the nod that I'm ready. He countinues to check down the line. He stops pointing and the 10 sec board is raised. Nothing else exixes in this moment but the gate. The board is tunred sidesways. I stay the the gate. Nothing else exits. It feels like 30 seconds pass. I have the thottle at halfway and the clutch is bearly holding me back. The gate drops and I release the clutch while slamming the throttle wide open. I spin the rear tire off the line. In a instant I'm at the back of the pack. I just did the last thing I wanted to do. Going in to the first turn in the back of the pack. Its like a traffic jam. The first half of lap it was like this. Not being able to go all out was frustrating me. I told myself to remain calm and just breath because this race was going to be a long one trying to make passes. The pack starts to spread out a bit and I start making passes after the first lap. In the fourth turn into lap 2 I pass two riders that got caught up in the the deep ruts. I start to feel the flow of the track and bike underneath me. I enter a focus of another world. I pass riders inside, then outside, and splitting 2 more down the middle. Another lap passes and the riders are getting harder to catch. I think to myself what place I might be in but brush the thought away because there are still more riders ahead for me to pass. I notice the next rider for me to pass is a new friend. I was just riding out at his house the other day. Now I get to show off how much faster I am. He missed the big triple aftger the finish line. I switch my line up right as I hit the jump so I wouldnt land on him. I jumped right over him swouping to the inside for the next corner, setting meself up to pass the guy just in front of my friend, that almost caused us to crash. It is was potitry in montion weaving in and out. I come around for the last lap and I jump the finish line jump I look over and see my step dad flaying his arms. I thought to my self as I jump the next big triple jump, "is there something wrong with my bike, or is the pace I'm riding at got me into the top 10?" I put my head down and just focus on the next guy to pass till its over. I'm slowly catching the rider infront of me. I notice he is tiring. I'm feeling like it is still the first lap. The work I put in this winter in the gym is paying off. I'm almost close enough to make a pass in the 3rd turn. As we drag race up the hill towerd the 4th turn. I already new he wasn't going to risk the big ruts on the inside. I new something he didn't though. I had been forced to make passes everywhere on the track. So I darted to the inside to nail the one of the good ruts left there as he went around the slower inside. The rut I was in gave way and caused me to get side ways but I still held the thottle on steady. I tried to keep him behide me by cutting him off by darting infront of him before the next turn. Instead we hit. He went off the track and skipped the next turn, while I was just happy I'm still on two wheels. I was fired up now. He cut the track and I have to start all over trying to pass him again. Again I caught up in just 2 corners. I was surprized. This time I wasnt going to force the pass. This was the last pass I was able to make before the race ended. I deiced It was going to the the 2nd turn from the end. I kept the pursure on forcing him to think about me instead of taking the fastest lines. He was fast on the back half of the track but not as fast as me I thought. We whip are bikes sideways in mid air off the big double before the finish line. He decides to weather the ruts on the inside I was going to take to pass him. Dang! Ok, It was now or never. I rail around the outside only to notice he was cutting over right where I was going to jump threw the next section. Sneaky, he has played his cards well. I had no choice but to jump the same rythem as he was. I tried taking the outside for a last ditch effort on the last turn. He roled over the finish line, and looking over his shoulder gave a look of disrespect at me. I returned the glair with a rev of my motor. I lost this battle but the war was just begining.
This is the glory of moto.
The fire deep within me burns hot
for this need. I believe I hate losing more then I like winning. It is the
ultimate sport. Being metally strong to haddle the pressure.
There is no life outside of riding
moto. This is what it takes to be the best I have willing gave myself to the
life of moto
