Author: #608

We stopped in at South Waikato MCC on the way to Taupo for a bit of track time and there were quite a few people who had the same idea, it was good to have some bigger bikes to battle with today. After a good nights sleep we got to the track and set up and it started to drizzle but not long after riders brief the skies cleared and racing started. I qualified 3rd in practice and finished race 1 in 5th, we rode a different track than what we have done previously here and it went around the outside of the MX park, up the big step up and cut out the rollers and sawdust section. I wasn’t very comfortable on the step up today and lost a bit of time there. I got caught up with another rider on the start straight of race 2 and finished 5th again. We had so much rain come down just before race 3. No one turned out for the senior open class and the vets weren’t keen on going out and getting muddy. The track was super wet when we lined up but stopped just as the gate dropped. I had a terrible start, I dropped the clutch, launched into another rider and ended up face down in the mud. I got back on and fought back to 10th for 7th overall. It’s been a while since I have finished out of the top 5 on a race day and today was just one of those days. No damage to myself or my bike but I have been a bit lazy with doing my foundation training drills properly and it showed today when I should have been much more in control. Now to focus and work a bit harder to reach my goals.

This weekend I finally got to ride at Flipps. I have been wanting to ride here since we first arrived as I was told it was a great place to go if we were down that way. Flipps hosted MOMCCs Mini & Junior Champs and it was the first time since riding in Aussie that double classing was encouraged. I rode in the Under 9 65cc and the Under 11 65-85cc classes and it was a huge day. The U9s rode part of the big track and part of the mini track, the U11s rode the full big track. The dirt in Manawatu is so different to anywhere else… it’s black and sandy and sticky and slippery when it’s wet. I rode well in U9s going 2-2-2 but was a bit untidy in the U11s coming off a few times, and losing my focus (and my goggles). I learned a lot about riding in these conditions, and that keeping yourself in the right head space is just as important as your riding skills. Once I stopped and thought about why I was here and what I wanted to do I felt better and rode better. Sometimes things feel really hard and I get angry and upset and myself because I want good results but weekends like this will help me later. This weekend was to ride Flipps, venue of the 2019 Junior Nationals, where I want to come and have a go at riding with top junior riders. It was almost a 6 hour drive to get here so I won’t be getting much practice here so made the most of it. I came away with a 2nd trophy for U9s and finished somewhere down by 16th overall in the U11 up to 85cc class but 4th overall out of the 65s. I have come away with so much stuff to work on but can’t wait to be back in this mud again.

After over 12 months of racing nearly every weekend I decided this winter to slow down and only ride Tokoroa and Taupo. It’s been nice to have chill out weekends especially when it has been cold and foggy. It’s also made me not mind the wet race days because I’m not always sick and snotty. There wasn’t a huge turnout at Toke this morning, probably because of the massive storms that were slowly creeping in on the weather radar but since it’s not too far from home to ride here it was worth the drive for some track time. The track was really well groomed and the rain overnight was just enough. I got to ride with some new people and had fun trying to beat my own times from last club day. I went 1-1-1 and took a solid 10 seconds off my personal best lap times here. The rain started during race 3 but since Pro65 were the last ones in the race order we had packed everything up before it got wet and then I just had to ride my bike straight into the trailer. Thanks to these rainy days I am getting much more comfortable with sliding in and out of the corners and staying on top of my bike.

There was a great turnout for Round 3 at Taupo after Battle of the Clubs with a lot of people sticking around for another day of riding. The Pro65 class was heaps bigger than usual with new riders to compete against. I ate sand in races 1 and 2 from pushing myself to try new lines and fought back to top 5 finishes and clocked the fastest lap time in each race. I had a great start out of the gates in Race 3, took the holeshot and kept on the gas until the flag. I feel like I am making some really good line choices when I ride, I am trusting myself and my bike more and I’m learning how to communicate with dad about the track conditions and how my bike is running. I finished 3 overall today with 5-4-1 which has put me back in the running for a podium finish at the end of the season which is awesome after a terrible Round 1.

This weekend was a busy one in Taupo for their annual Battle of the Clubs fundraiser to send the NZ team to MXON. I was asked to ride the 65cc class by four clubs and decided to represent my local Patetonga MX Club. We got shirts made up and I was so excited to finally have my name on a jersey. It felt really weird riding mini track again, it’s been almost a year since I last rode the mini track at Digger McEwen Park and it was a lot narrower than I remembered but it was fun and that was what the point of today was. I finished 9th, 6th and 20th for 13th overall out of 25 riders. My bike stopped as the gates dropped in Race 3 and once we finally got it started I was already 2 laps down. I rode aggressively to catch up and make up some places and while it could have gone better it was still a really good practice day for tomorrow when I’m back on the big track for Round 3.

Today was awesome. Today was probably better than awesome. It was foggy and cold and a little drizzly at the track early this morning but after practice the clouds lifted and we had a nice sunny day.  As Cambridge’s club day had been cancelled due to weather there was a huge turn out of 85s so there were about 60 of us on the track for combined Pro65/85 practice and qualifying.  It was so cool being on such a busy track, I had to really think about what lines to take and had to commit to them so I wasn’t pushed around. I had three great starts out of the metal gates for two holeshots and a win.  After a couple of laps I had figured out what needed to be done to make it through the sawdust section upright and without giving away positions and being quite a close field we had some really good battles going on. Second overall today with 3-1-2 and making up some ground in the points after Round 1. It feels so good to be out of my funk and riding hard again.

 

The last round of Pukekohe MXs summer series was held at Mercer and it was good to finally have a crack at the big sand track. As this was a late decision due to Harrisville being too wet to ride no-one had been able to have a go here before practice started.  This track is so different to the smooth, dry clay track we have been riding for the rest of the series… grass start gates, deep sandy straights and gritty ruts, wet corners that blow out through the day and some unexpected bit pot holes by the time we headed out for race 3. It was a challenging day of riding and the skills I have been working on at training definitely helped my position. I had a couple of offs, a tangle at the start of race 1 and stalled in the deep sand on the last lap of race 3 but held it together for 3rd overall for the day. Prize giving followed racing and after a very inconsistent first Pro65 season of learning, top speeds, new tricks, crashes and a loss of focus I finished 4th overall. It’s a good result considering I did one series of 7-8 year old 65cc at TECT and one at Mercer before jumping into 8 – 11 year old Pro65 and bypassing 9 – 11 year old 65cc on the mini track. While it has been hard work I have really enjoyed the challenges.

We drove into the rain at Tirau this morning and it felt like it was going to be a repeat of the Taupo mudwash last weekend. Luckily it wasn’t very heavy and the track looked like it was holding up really well once we had set up and done a look lap. It was still drizzly through practice but the sun and blue sky came out of nowhere for race 1 and it felt so good to be out in it. I rode technically well through the deep sand patches and the big sweeping corners but wasn’t holding enough speed to make the most of Toke’s big jumps. Holeshot in race one and 3 seconds today which is okay because I know I have more in me. Because of the water pooling through the rollers out the back of the track the 65s were riding a cut off which crossed a deep rutted area to get to our detour, I took my eyes of where I wanted to go and ended up on my  butt in the rut which lost me my lead in race 2. It was the first round of the South Waikato season so I am off to a good start. I know that once I have my technique on point the speed will come back. Slowing down and working on my smooth throttle control, strong breaking and body position are going to make me a stronger, safer, faster rider in the long run and it doesn’t matter what size bike I will get on I know the foundations I am working on today will benefit me tomorrow.

We arrived in Taupo on Saturday afternoon and it was wet and grey. It got wetter and wetter through the evening and in the middle of the night Dad remembered our trailer has a leak and went and rescued my gear bag before all my stuff got soggy. When we got to the track on Sunday the wind had started to pick up and the rain was coming in sideways. Practice was hairy, there were some deep puddles and even the 450s were swimming in some areas. I stayed upright from start to finish and was glad we brought every set of gear I own because I was muddy! Race 1 was a disaster. The track was terrible to ride after a hundred or so riders had smashed over it. I slid off my seat going up a jump, the the bike slid backwards down the jump and then I was stuck underneath it at the base of the jump in porridge like mud. It was slippery and sticky. Mum and another lady helped me out of it but mum couldn’t get my bike started again in time for me to finish the race so I DNF-ed. The day was cancelled at race 2 as the conditions weren’t going to get any better. I was really disappointed to not finish and not get any points for today but I probably would have ended up with a blown up bike if I had kept going. Not the best way to start a series but at least I got out there and gave it a go.

 

With not much on lately because of the storms we went to Cambridge for Round 1 of their winter series. The club made some changes to the layout and it rides well. There was a good turn out for Pro65 with some of the Taranaki kids up this way for the school holidays and it was good to ride against some different people. During race 2 I came over a jump and ended up off the track in the bushes. It happened really fast and whatever I did broke my helmet visor and smashed my left hand. The medic checked my arms and collarbone to be sure I hadn’t done anything serious but it was just my squashed thumb causing the pain. I rode a bit more cautiously in race 3 because my thumb throbbed the whole time, it is really hard to ride with sore hands and I was happy to finish the day and go home for an afternoon of supercross.