Going to race my first hare scramble, or first moto race for that matter, on Sunday. What kind of words of wisdom exist out there for a young (old) grasshopper such as myself? Any "if only I knew then what I know now's" out there? Any "I can't believe I used to show up to a race without _____!"? I'm just looking for a good time but figure there's probably some golden wisdom floating around out there. Let's hear it!
Go out and have a good time. You will make a ton of mistakes, both on and off the track. So what! just savor the expierence and learn for the next time. One very important thing to know. This racing stuff is very addicting!
For your 1st race, IMO try to ride to finish, get a feel for the pace your class is riding, & make sure you keep those round rubber thingies on the dirt & not pointing to the sky. Nothing loses time & sucks the energy out of you like trying to pick up the bike & getting back on the trail like a crash. But just have fun, no matter how fast you go, you will usually end up racing with the same group of guys.
I teach alot of kids and always tell them to just stay on the bike the first lap and you will be fine. Very easy to burn yourself out in 20 minutes after the start if you fall and get frustrated. Like stated above just finish the race, have a beer, and be ready for a life time of addiction. I'm 60 and still follow the same principal and just and pick off a few guys on the last lap. Works every time.
Believe it or not... breathing is very important, so relax and breathe. Look ahead as you race and if riders fall or get stuck, look beyond and around them for an alternate line. If you look at them, you'll end up right with them... stuck or on the ground. Don't let riders who want to pass, intimidate you too much.... Move over if you can safely, don't try to speed up, if they are faster and more experienced, they should be able to find a line past. You can treat it like a trail ride, but it's race, so be prepared for some serious riding. Have fun and be safe.
Just go out and have a good time. Ride at the pace your experience level will allow for. In other words, don't ride at a level that is above what you can handle. Once you get off the line at the start of the race the jitters will go away and the fun begins. I know that I'm out there to race, but I also know that I'm not out there for points. So my attitude is a lot different then a guy like my brother who is in it for the points. Either way I hope you enjoy it and hope you post your race story after the race.
Just have fun and try to start in your class. My first Hare scramble I had no idea what was going on and started with the club class 2 min. behind my class. I never got passed all day and managed a 4th place finish even after spraining my ankle so bad on the 4th lap I couldn't stand up on the pegs anymore. Good luck and just have fun.
Well, that was awesome! Showed up with a couple of guys from the local shop in Lexington, Ky (Central Kentucky Motorsports) and they kind of gave me the rundown on what was going on. Made it to the start on time, made 4 laps (Pro's made 6) and wound up finishing first in the beginner class, much to my surprise. One thing is certain, I gave 'er hell and continue to be impressed with my little 125. What really blew my mind was how fast the fast guys were when they would lap me. I would try and keep up for all of 100yards before they were out of my sight. The course was a 6.8 mile loop or something, all super tight, twisty singletrack often between trees that were maybe a couple inches wider than my bars. I love that style of riding, and this was a super awesome way to spend a day riding great singletrack for about as long as I could handle. After 2 hours, I was having a hard time imagining what it would be like to do another lap. It was amazing when I would get all bungled up in something (usually one good one per lap) and have to pick your bike up and move it around, how long that effected me afterwards. It'd be about 10 minutes before I could get back in the groove. Definitely one of the most fun days of riding I've had, and if anyone happens to read this that is even barely thinking of doing a race, I 100% recommend it. Y'all were right, the best advice in this thread was probably "get ready for a new addiction." Now, anyone have any plastics they want to offload? On my final lap, I passed the only guy in my class who was in front of me, then he passed me, and I figured with only maybe 2 miles left, I might as well go WFO and try and catch him. Hit a hill in 3rd, should have been in second, downshifted, and lifted the front wheel to high and got off balance, veer'd sideways and a nice little tree went between my front wheel and fender. Bye, bye, fender. The rear fender broke when someone (cheater) dropped into the trail in front of me from off trail and I had to slow way down, downshifted to 1st at the bottom of a hill with a big root, and never hit second, hit the root, bike wheelied and walked away from me (I let it go). Maybe I just need to learn how to control out of control wheelies mid hillclimb?
See, we told ya. Now you've gone and done it, you're hooked. There is no known cure for this. When you're not racing you will be thinking about racing. Next thing ya know, you'll be running & riding bicycle & lifting weights so you can get faster. It's never ending, so get used to it. Bwahahahahahahaha......... Sounds like ya had a good day, welcome to the racing world.
