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Edited Date/Time
1/27/2014 8:13pm
Do you think more track time, especially free practice, would encourage the track builders to build tougher tracks, knowing the riders will have more time to dial it in both in a riding sense and bike setup? Do you think the riders would be in favor of more practice and more technical/tougher tracks?
I'm not pondering this out of no where, the thought came to me when I considered most of the top guy's private tracks. They're all pretty gnarly and technical, a lot more so than the stuff they race on Saturday. Is the difference solely the fact that they're practicing at home during the week and racing on Saturday, or is it because they have unlimited time to piece together the track and perfect each section?
I'm not pondering this out of no where, the thought came to me when I considered most of the top guy's private tracks. They're all pretty gnarly and technical, a lot more so than the stuff they race on Saturday. Is the difference solely the fact that they're practicing at home during the week and racing on Saturday, or is it because they have unlimited time to piece together the track and perfect each section?
The Shop
And yes, not size but technicality/difficulty.
On a serious note, remember we use to have Friday practices and the injury rates where the same or higher. There is not one thing that can be changed that will have a big impact on injury rate. It is a multifactorial problem.
1. Privateer vs. Factory equipment
2. How a rider approaches practice on the track - Majority only practice doing laps and a lot of laps at that. Factor in exposure time and fatigue and the is a recipe for disaster. Very few work on the technical aspects of racing, I can say based on experience 99.9999999% privateers and 90% of factory riders are guilty of this. They might practice some corners and whoops but there is no filming to review later to check form or critique. Riders wear HR monitors but its mostly for show as I have asked many riders if they collect the data for review later and the response is always NO. They only look to see what HR is at the end of the Moto. They don't even check how much HR drops after 1 min of rest.
3. Training - very little STRENGTH TRAINING I ask riders all the time what they are doing for strength training most respond with some variation of my trainer has me ride a road bike in the big gear or I am doing dumbbell squats on a vibrating machine or standing on a ball.
Riders will also perform similar HR intensities in the gym or on a road/mountain bike that they experience at the track as if they are not already doing enough cardio.
4. RECOVERY - Refer above.
Privateer who has to ride two three day in a row plus hit the gym then hop in a truck and drive X hours to next race.
Factory rider who rides every day plus testing, gym and cycling.
5. Injuries - CUTTING corners in the management of injuries. Riding with significant injuries because of contractual obligations or having to put food on the table.
I can go on but I think you get the picture.
It is not a bad idea but here, due to the relatively fast deterioration of the tracks, the organizers would need to make it more hard pack, so a harder soil in case of crashes.
It deteriorated so quickly that the l track required a change after qualifying but this was explained to the riders before the heat races on the line.
I don't think the dirt conditions had anything to do with the track design. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.
Dirt Wurx and Feld should do us all a favour and invest in new dirt for a lot of the tracks and about 50% more than what they currently have. Realise it's expensive but watching the bottom two races you can see the difference in the size and steepness of the obstacles.
2001
2014
EDIT New dirt be a beautiful thing for sure.
That 2001 was WAAAY more peaky and short sharp poppy lips. The hip jump and rhythm where Chad passed James was basically a freeway compared to 2001.
Same with the table to table section and 3-3. Not the same.
JT and Matthes were discussing on pulp how much blue metal, pea-gravel and lime is in that current anaheim dirt from all the mudders they've had at Supercross and Monster trucks.
No, I am not suggesting that they actually do it. But I do think it might allow for some different track features.
Thoughts?
Pit Row
Draw spoons for what practice you get. A, B or C.
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