Posted on Tuesday, August 17, 2010 - 09:36 am:

---

quote:

Well... since Kurt and Paul were gracious enough (and until I get the time to put up my monthly thoughts on crashing again) - I thought I'd open up with something that was started on the WSMC race discussion board: Things I have learned from racing.

(Danny refers to Danny Farnsworth - chief instructor at New Racer School and has been racing about 2 days longer than dirt's been around)

Some of the things I've learned are that:
Almost everything Danny told me in New Racer's School came to pass by my third race INCLUDING him telling me that I'd probably forget EVERYTHING he had told me on more than one occasion - and usually at a bad time!
Think twice before passing on the outside in 8/9 in Novice
Sliding the front could be fun - but isn't... bringing me to the next point:
Stand it up, Ride it off, come to a stop under control
Racing could be cheap... but isn't
There's always a better bike out there so you may as well start out by buying one beneath your expectations
There is a good reason there are so many cliche's in racing: "It's better to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow" rings true
Handling the bike with precision is more important than dialling up the Horsepower
Choosing an SV to start racing isn't a bad thing but its stock suspension IS (a bad thing)
Choosing a Buell to race will get you more noticed than an SV - and more pity
Even if you can't race, you can have fun volunteering to help
If you volunteer to help in scoring, your eyes and brain will be hurt BADLY
There's tons of advice from your fellow racers - half of it usable.
It's not always the fastest racers who have the best advice to offer
Tire warmers work
Give your cold tires more time than your adrenaline is telling you that you need
Doesn't matter how good they seem to feel after one lap, cold tires are just not ready to stick!!
Acknowledge a risk, don't dwell on it
Have a friend in your pit who will FORCE you to listen when your adrenaline level is high - and who you WILL LISTEN TO - he/she probably knows more than you do right then and there (regardless of what you think)
If you find yourself trying to explain your racing to a non-racer or trying to explain Hailwood's "For the love of the sport" he had lettered on the side of his unsponsored bike - Just stop - they're not going to get it
In racing, you will find more friends with totally different backgrounds, politics, choices in life-partners, or lifestyles than you would EVER find on your own outside of the racetrack
It's never too late in life to start (anything)

---