Patetonga is the best track for pushing your boundaries. It’s hard and fast when it’s dry. It’s slippery and unpredictable when it’s wet. And this weekend it was all these things. We arrived early so mum could help with sign on and I went and walked the track and it was looking really good. It always looks like it’s too soaked but once the wet has been pushed out of the way in practice the ruts form up and the fun really starts. When I first started riding I hated ruts… probably not the bet things to not want to do with this place as your home track. Practice was sloppy as expected but I still managed third fastest qualifying time. We cleaned all the clay off my bike and got ready for race 1 where I took the inside line in the supercross section and got caught up and finished 4th. Race 2 I told mum at the gates that I was going to holeshot and I did. My start felt so good and I was battling with the top 2 riders for most of the race when I didn’t change down into a corner and lost my speed. I still finished 3rd and knew where I had to sort myself out. Race 3 I had epic battles with my mates. Gonk, Patetonga MX celebrity, was having a great time commentating and although I couldn’t hear him in my helmet there was a lot of cheering for all of us out there. The track was dry and dusty and so different to how the day started and I finished 4th. Today was so much fun. I got to see heaps of people we haven’t seen in ages, I got the holeshot money for Race 2 and I got 4th overall for the day. So excited to be almost back on the podium after some inconsistency while we got me and the bike settled in. I know I ride better when I am having fun and I know I have set myself some huge goals to meet so after this weekend I am going to make sure I have the most fun I can ticking them off my list.
Soren Staudinger 