Friday Night Races

The BMX races are Friday nights and Sunday mornings. We've found that at this time of year, Friday nights are a bit more comfortable. We had some strong winds into the evening, but they made the track very fast on the north bound straightaways. It also helped cool us down in our long pants and long sleeved jerseys.

Charlie had a very small class to race with. It was just him and a 6 year old girl. This girl has been his main competition since he's started racing. They're almost even on the first straightaway, but she pulls away in the corners and the table top section. The good thing is that she's close enough to keep him motivated. She's a good rabbit to chase. They did two heat races and a main together, and Charlie was stoked about taking home a 2nd place medal. He tried hard, he got a medal. He likes the reward at the end, and I like to see him try hard. It works out for both of us!

I raced three other guys that I don't think I've raced yet. They all had nice bikes, and looked pretty sharp. I didn't know what to expect. I ended up taking 2nd in the first heat, and 1st in the second heat. In the interest of daylight, only 2 heat races are run on Friday nights. It was a good thing too! It was almost dark when we got to the main. I switched to my yellow lenses and they helped light up the track.

I got the hole shot on the main event! For a very brief moment I thought to myself, "I'm winning!" Then the guy who won the first heat passed me going into the first turn, and I ended up chasing his rear wheel all the way to the end for a 2nd place. It was a great bunch of guys to race with. We all shook hands at the end of each race and had a good laugh. There were no egos!

I used the stock platform pedals for my last race, and found that my feet were bouncing all around. I put on some Shimano SPD clipless pedals for this race, and it made a big difference. My feet were always where I wanted them, and I could just concentrate on pedaling. It took a bit more concentrating at the gate though, making sure I could stay clipped in and balanced.

Next week I'm going to work on finding a line that will allow me more speed through the first berm. The track is the hardest packed dirt you'll ever ride. Taking the first turn too tight makes it hard to keep pedaling for fear of sliding out. This is a big contrast to the rest off the week when I'm riding my mountain bike through loose sandy single track!

To sum it up, it was a fun night! Charlie and I took home a couple 2nd place medals to put on the trophy shelf. Kristy was a big help too. I was moto 4 and Charlie was moto 6. I had just enough time to catch my breath and put my bike down when Charlie would hit the track. It takes a whole team!