First Race this weekend-HELP!

The start really depends on the number of riders in your class. If their is alot of riders 15-20 I would recommend to take the first start easy, let everyone go. Let the pack get a couple of bike lengths so you dont get run over in turn one, then start makin your way to the front. You will probally never win like this but untill you get use to riding around a bunch of riders I think its the safest aproach to your first race holeshots will come with lots of practice. If your class is real small 5-10 riders dump the clutch, pin the throttle, and hang on

starts are very important but keep in mind you do not want to throw yourself in front of the faster riders if they are going to be behind you doing the doubles.

I have seen good riders that are not that hot on jumps do very good by taking the in or outside lines. Just do not put yourself in the middle where you can get landed on if you are not going to make these big jumps.

as far as not doing the jumps ....good advise is to roll on the first one and then use your wood skills to keep the bike low so that you do not waste good acceleration time in the air.


To get a good start look at the whole Picture and square it off if you can, in other words get to the corner in a postition that will allow you to take the first turn the fastest. I have seen guys get the hole shot but lose all they gained because they were not set up in a good posistion to take the first turn.

All tracks differ so this is where riding skills can make the diffrence

Good advise Yamamoto. one other tid bit of advise to remember when I started racing I didnt have any problems with jumps and pretty much cleared them all but I would then lose everything I gained in the turn. Concentrait on making good fast turns and you'll do fine, jumping like holeshots will come with time

All you should worry about is having your bike running right. My bike was running really funny the 1st moto and it kept stalling. I was lapped on the first lap, it was not fun at all.:( The 2nd moto i got it fixed, i took it easy and i beat 1 runner and 3 DNF'ed. Now im ready to get out there again and go nuts. The start... get an outside gate and go slow at the drop of the gate so you have 5-6 bike lengths on the guy in front of you by the end of the straight. That way you can size up the field going into the first turn and pass all those guys who stalled,fell or turned the wrong way!(True story) The wierdest thing i noticed is that i couldnt hear my bike on the line. Everyone elses bikes drown out yours and the only way you know its running is the vibration through the pegs. Which gets annoying by the time the race actually starts.

not to bag on yamaha 4-strokes (cuz im getting one in a couple months!) but those things are loud! try not to line up next to one of them on the gate because i guarantee you wont be able to hear your bike, at one of my last races i was sandwiched between 2 of them and i almost stalled off the line because my revs where too low. if youre worried about not being able to do the jumps, get behind a faster rider and match his speed over them, that way you will know how fast to hit them.

Truespode is right.

Start the race and depending on pack size either let the faster riders go or be prepared to let them pass you easily. You don't have to win or even place in your first race. Your goal should be to finish the race with all your pieces still intact.

Have Fun! Your not getting paid and you have many years of competitive racing ahead of you so no need to waste everything on your first race and only discourage yourself & freak your parents out.

Good luck.............:D

KTM rider how many guys were in the race? If you placed 4th place at the track near me, Englishtown your first race, you are a future ricky carmicheal.
Not to take anything away from your accomplishment, but i wish i could say i got 4th place in my first race. Well... Micheal Jordan didnt make the HS basketball team the first time around.