SE Quad Southern Championship Series Round 12

[rablack21]

Prelude:
Ok, so I have been out of the game for a little while do to health and other obligations. But I was able to get back on track (pun intended) this weekend for Round 12 at Crossbones MX in Billingsley, AL. There weather was perfect; it was overcast with a temp of about 70-75°.

Track Conditions:
Amazing! The track was completely smooth and made up of a mixture of light brown dirt and sand. The track was very loose. You could dirt track around most of the turns, just the way I like it!

Competition:
There weren't very many people at this race due to the surrounding weather conditions being thunderstorms. There were only 2 others in C class with me. One guys was injured and only running to keep his points lead. The other guy had been to the last two races that I missed and I was unfamiliar with him.

Moto 1:

We're revved up to take the first gate. Gate Drops. I shoot out of the gate in a monster wheelie, wheels sky high. I had to clutch it to sit the front end back down and then take off again.  (I am starting to think that my technique is off for holeshots, you will see why in moto 2). He gets out in front of me, but I follow close behind, right on his tail. We take the first turn, a short straight away, and into the whoops. He takes the right side, I take the left side. He is still out front by a little bit. We get through the next turn and I'm still right behind him. I'm looking to pass, looking to pass. I start to pull up beside him but can't quite make it. We go into a triple set of doubles. I'm still  right behind him. We go into a big sandy burm turn and shoot out into a straight away. I spin out a little bit coming up due to sand buildup coming out of the turn. I rail the next to right turns in 4th gear. This goes on for about 2 laps. He is still ahead by about 40 feet. The time being off the quad finally starts to catch up to me and I start wearing down. I never could catch him, but he never got further away either. Side note: the other guy that was racing that was injured just took the starting gate, then pulled over til the race was finished and took the checkered flag

Moto 2:

This time I figure, "Hey, I'll just get out front and make him pass me. That way maybe I can last long enough til the race is over." So this is my plan. I also decide that this time I will scoot up on the quad as far as I can. So I scoot up til the gas cap is basically in front of my crotch and my helmet is hanging over the handlebars. I am holding the throttle about about 3/4. 2nd gate drops, and I went to full throttle and dumped the clutch. Again I pulled a huge wheelie and had to clutch it to drop the front. I thought that with the loose sand, there would be a problem with traction. But I was getting all I needed and then some! The other racer again gets out in front but only by an hair. And we both go into the first time hot. He is on the outside; I take the inside, both of us dirt tracking it around the corner. Then suddenly, he starts to break tractions and cuts over right in front of me almost sideways in front of me. I was still accelerating so i thought that I was going to ram him. So I slam on the brakes and try to dart to the right (since I was on the inside left) to avoid hitting him all together. Well, my front left tire caught his rear right tire and kicked my quad up on it's side almost dumping me off. I'm hanging on for dear life over the right nerfbar wondering if I'm going to get bucked off. I managed to save it and pull all four wheels back on the ground, but it stalls the engine and my tether cord is wrapped around the handlebars. I get it unwrapped and fire the engine again, but by this time, he already has a 15 or so second lead. So I just ran my race the best I could til the end. I think I got back to being about 50 feet behind him, but was far too late.

Conclusion:
So I had some rough luck this weekend; and I'm a bit out of practice. But I had a blast doing it and the track was awesome! Sorry, I don't have a video this time. I will be uploaded a few pictures sometime later on today.

Next:
My series's season finale will be next month on Novemeber 1st at Monster Mountain MX. I'm hoping to borrow a buddy's go pro to film the race. Should be an a great race to watch!

[zcarlson12]

Sounds like you had fun. That's what it's all about. Monster Mountain is a sick track if you've never been there by the way.

[rablack21]

I went to Monster mountain for the first time last year. It was a blast, but I had some rough luck. Ended up crashing out of the first turn and braking my clutch perch. Couldn't find a new one and wasn't able to race the 2nd moto either. Hoping for a little payback this year. Zak, what is your method for gate drop? throttle position? clutch control method? etc.

[zcarlson12]

I use two different ones depending on the area behind the gate. If there's not a lot of room or a backstop I try to go right up and against it and use it to push off with full throttle and a lot of clutch work to keep the front end down. If there's a lot of room I'll start back a few feet and slowly creep forward and dump the clutch at full throttle. Both scenarios I'm usually slightly crouched over the gas tank, kind of standing, using the arch of my foot to transfer the weight to the pegs. After I clear the gate I sit down in the middle of the seat and use the clutch to control the front end. Once I click third gear I'm hanging off the back to get the rear tires really digging and click up to fourth if the straight is long enough. A good example of the creep scenario is from my last race and an example of the backstop scenario would be any race from Daniel Boone. The thing I've noticed the most in any type of turn, whether it be the holeshot or out on the rest of the track, is who can hold it pinned the longest and get on the brakes the latest. A good example would be my last two motos at Rock Camp. In the second moto we are pretty even until the last 15 feet where I hold it wide open all the way to the corner and lock up all of my brakes swinging the rear end around and using throttle control to exit the fastest. This has worked for me against other R's and decently modded 450s but the guys that have serious $ in their motors I usually have no chance. Such as against a friend of mine on Cody Gibson's Walsh hybrid. That thing is ridiculous. I plan to have LED port my 310 this winter hopefully to give myself a little bit more power but it runs pretty strong for an unported cylinder. I also want to play with some gearing.

[rablack21]

I went to Monster mountain for the first time last year. It was a blast, but I had some rough luck. Ended up crashing out of the first turn and braking my clutch perch. Couldn't find a new one and wasn't able to race the 2nd moto either. Hoping for a little payback this year. Zak, what is your method for gate drop? throttle position? clutch control method? etc.

[MENTION=201]Burns363R[/MENTION]. Kyle, I would be happy to have your opinion of take off method as well.

[Burns363R]

Im always WOT, and slip the clutch to keep the front wheels just off the ground.  I sit foward on the bike, as it tends to like to wheelie. Im not really sure why, but its just in its nature i guess.  haha.

[rablack21]

Im always WOT, and slip the clutch to keep the front wheels just off the ground.  I sit foward on the bike, as it tends to like to wheelie. Im not really sure why, but its just in its nature i guess.  haha.

So do you feather the clutch on and off, on and off, when you are coming out of the gate until the front tires settle?

[Burns363R]

I feather the clutch. Just that.  Feathering the clutch is not on or off. Its in the middle to apply as much power as possible and carry the tires without coming over the back.