New racer advice? (AWRCS)

[HondaRacing83]

I'm running my first Awrcs race June 30(Boyers PA). Any advice you can give me? Also is there an age limit for Quad sport class? I'm 14. My buddy is saying if I can't run that then the only other class I can run on my 400ex is 91cc+ 13-15?

[TheLane]

We have people out here all classes as long as they are on the proper machine.

IE: only a 450 can run 450 production.
Open is open to ALL quads.
Mini open is open to all 250CC's and under.
And then there are the age classes. IE schoolboy class is 13-18.


So i dont know what they call "sport Quads" to me it sounds like 400s 250 2t's and 450's and that group usually does not have an age limit as long as you on the proper machine.

Tips?!- YES!, practice your holeshot
2nd gear on pavement
1st gear on dirt.

(hit the rev limiter and drop the clutch, do not let off of the throttle, compensate for more or less grip with your seat position.)


Whatever you do, hold your line. dont try to move out of the way for the faster rider. There might be an even faster rider behind him that is not expecting you to change lines, the faster rider will go around you.

Also, remember to LEAN, dont just shift on your seat, get your butt down on that nerf bar.

Anticipate your corners, dont be subtle around your movements, control your bike dont let it control you. In tight corners make your movements snappy and with purpose, dont ease into it, the point is to break your rear end free so you can drift the corner.

Relax your hands in the air, its scary at first but it reduces arm pump.

Also remember to shift, dont be a 1 gear warrior, the right gear at the right time works miracles.

Hope that helps!

[ben300]

i believe with AWRCS being sanctioned and all, and being AMA compliant, your not gonna be able to run the 400 in any of the 15 and under classes (i know it sucks)....AWRCS is a very competitive series and is fairly comparable to GNCC, only with less riders..

however....you could run some CRA's...there's several of them coming up and they are remotely close to where you live....there's a couple coming up at Big Game raceway in hubard, OH....which is 30 mins from, so it would be about an hour from you..

CRA also has some hare scrambles in ashtabula, OH...which is a little over an hour from you...

you could also run the second half of the new PAXC series that starts back up September...im running the last five races of that....its not to competitive of a series, and i believe you could run the C class with your 400..

http://www.racecra.org/
http://www.gopaxc.com/

[ben300]

also, i highly doubt that im allowed to do this, but go to www.********.com and sign up for a membership if your interested in running XC races.....thats pretty much a forum that was started by and is dedicated to pretty much everything XC racing...

a ton of guys on that site run the AWRCS series and would be able to give you a ton of advice

[HondaRacing83]

well i know i can run 91cc+ 13-15 on my 400ex. i just dont know if i can run quad sport. i was gonna run the cra harescramble at holeshot but my dad ditched me on the day of the race. i might run some paxc in the fall. alot of the cra races are mx. the closest harescramble in june for cra is next weekend. ill talk to my dad about that. ben is there any poker runs around anymore?

[HondaRacing83]

Originally posted by ben300
also, i highly doubt that im allowed to do this, but go to www.********.com and sign up for a membership if your interested in running XC races.....thats pretty much a forum that was started by and is dedicated to pretty much everything XC racing...

a ton of guys on that site run the AWRCS series and would be able to give you a ton of advice it wont let me open it pm me the link

[ben300]

Originally posted by HondaRacing83
well i know i can run 91cc+ 13-15 on my 400ex. i just dont know if i can run quad sport. i was gonna run the cra harescramble at holeshot but my dad ditched me on the day of the race. i might run some paxc in the fall. alot of the cra races are mx. the closest harescramble in june for cra is next weekend. ill talk to my dad about that. ben is there any poker runs around anymore?

there are poker runs in templeton, pa from time to time and the redbank valley fireman's department has a few from time to time...and you could always go up to marienville (spl?) and ride the bike trail instead of the quad trail...its a little more technically challenging imo than the quad trail and has less roads...

ive just been riding a ton on my practice track that i ride at and at my parents farm. im expanding my practice track because im getting to the point were im just screaming through it, so its time to change it up a bit..


if i know of any poker runs or anything coming up...ill be sure to PM you and let you know

[ben300]

http://www.********forums.com/forums/


if it wont let you open that up, then the mods have the forum set to block it or something

[ben300]

just google ********......

stupid that the forum wont let you put that link:rolleyes:

EDIT: google Q U A D Z O N E

[HondaRacing83]

alright thanks ben. theres a dice run next weekend in clintonville. and yeah the link wont work

[TheLane]

Hah, i had no idea this was for GNCC style racing, all my tips are MX tips :P

[ben300]

Originally posted by TheLane
Hah, i had no idea this was for GNCC style racing, all my tips are MX tips :P

its still good advice. a lot of the same principles for mx style riding, still hold true for XC racing as well....


most, if not all of the PAXC races, at leasts, have some form of motocross track as part of the course layout...

my advice for ya honda, if you havent started already....is if your gonna race XC, get some form of fitness program started, and take it seriously. I mean its a given that to get better, you gotta ride, ride, and ride some more...eat, sleep, and breath riding.....but i cant tell you how many times i see these guys that go out with fully built bikes, and htey start off good, but they are way out of shape, adn they hit that hour mark, and they just start to fade cause they dont have the overall fitness to keep a steady race pace for 1.5+ hours...

my buddy is prime example...he's got the bike....and he's gotta the ridding skills down, and he's been doing pretty well in his races this season, but he's out of shape, and refuses to put the effort in to get more fit, even though he wasnts to finish better

you, being 14, are at the age, were if you put the time and effort in, and do it right, you could be a promising racer when you hit your early 20's (if you have the ability).....im 25, and wish i could go back and do it again....take head my advice yo

[HondaRacing83]

thanks ben, i rode for about 3.5 hours damn near straight at the beginning of march on one of those freakishly nice days. i wasnt riding balls to the wall all of the time but i was still going at a steady pace. i noticed once i hit around the 2.5 hour mark my hand started to hurt from clutching so much. im sure i couldve performed better but it was a day before my new fox comp 5 offroad boots arrived so i was riding in old ****ty work boots, and jeans which i did not like. anytime i go riding ive atleast got riding pants and riding boots(along with the obvious helmet/glove/goggle) because i cant stand any other way. ive got a buddy that i think is coming over riding today, ill try and get a few vids of me riding to show you guys and you can let me know what i should improve on. yeah im a member on Q U A D Z O N E already but the freaking admin still hasnt approved my acount so i cant post or see pictures and its been like a month. im paying for all the racing. my dad doesnt really support me racing, but im paying for all the fees and everything and gas. well i pay for my gas anyways anytime lol. but i dont really have a problem paying for all that because my dads actually gonna go, and be there with me and my mom might even go. my mom and dad and uncle ad aunt are going to a riding camp this weekend and my dad asked to borrow my quad and im like yeah sure. because hes only got his grizzly and moms gonna ride that. but i need to go out and adjust the clutch now and get riding and when they get back im adjusting the valves. im sure my dad would be in a totally different boat about racing if i did better in school this year. as hard as i tried and studied all year i had a steady high D in math and couldnt get it up for the life of me. i might pull off a low C this quarter but all my other grades were good. hes mad because grades always come first and i have to repeat algebra 1 next year. hopefully ill get it then. lately when ive been riding i really miss my peps and am starting to think they served way more of a purpose than that bowtech lol..

[HondaRacing83]

rode for a good hour today. didnt wear me out a bit so i think id be good on endurance. wanted to get a good 2 hours in but had to come home for dinner and then it got dark. was ridin alone so didnt get any vids but i should have some sunday

[TheLane]

If you werent tired after an hour of riding you werent riding hard enough.

Most of us MX dudes are tired after a 15 minute moto at race speeds. ( and trust me, its not for lack of being in shape, i work out 5 days a week, most of which is cardio )

If you wanna prep for a race you need to ride like your racing. Go as fast as you can (safely) and ride until you cant stand or pull your clutch anymore.

[Zakradu398]

boyers will be my first harescramble of the year (and on a quad) but I hope to see you there. Be there on a yellow 400!

[HondaRacing83]

lane- i was. ive been riding since i was 3. i have a practice xc track in the woods i made and i was runnin that for an hour. i rode for 3hours today with my buddy who also has a 400ex, he just cant keep up with me so only about half the time i was riding like i race. i hope to see you there zakradu! ill be on the red 05 400ex! what class are you runnin?

[TheLane]

Originally posted by HondaRacing83
lane- i was. ive been riding since i was 3. i have a practice xc track in the woods i made and i was runnin that for an hour. i rode for 3hours today with my buddy who also has a 400ex, he just cant keep up with me so only about half the time i was riding like i race. i hope to see you there zakradu! ill be on the red 05 400ex! what class are you runnin?

Im sure you have been riding since you were 3, but riding and racing are two different things. I could ride for 3 hours straight myself no problem, but racing full speed for 15 minutes is even exausting. Im sure any other long time racer here will back me up.

Youll see what i mean :)

[HondaRacing83]

i was riding like i was racing! mx and xc are two totally different monsters i guess, i just dont get wore out. im a little sore now but its all good im gonna go put some carrie underwood on and go do maintnance on the quad ;)

[ben300]

Originally posted by TheLane
Im sure you have been riding since you were 3, but riding and racing are two different things. I could ride for 3 hours straight myself no problem, but racing full speed for 15 minutes is even exausting. Im sure any other long time racer here will back me up.

Youll see what i mean :)


i dont disagree with ya, but i dont agree with ya at the same time either...

i can run balls out for well over an hour when riding in the woods or XC.....but when i get on an mx track...15 minutes, im done! now i rarely ever ride a real mx track, but i feel when xc riding, you get points where it allows your body a moment of "less than all out riding"...

i will 100% agree with you though that the kid could probably ride a lot harder than what he is or thinks he is, but at the same time you have to ride at your skill level, otherwise you'll be over your head and risk injury

[Zakradu398]

I'm not sure what i'd be in, I've only done harescrambles on bikes before.

[HondaRacing83]

boyers isnt a harescramble lol. its an actual awrcs race

[Zakradu398]

I call anything through the woods harescamble around here lol

[HondaRacing83]

ok lol. see you there!!

[ben300]

Originally posted by HondaRacing83
boyers isnt a harescramble lol. its an actual awrcs race

AWRCS is pretty much a harescramble.....its way more tighter than a GNCC...

zakradu is pretty much right though...an XC racing in this area is basically a harescramble

[HondaRacing83]

ben did you do the harescramble at holeshot in april?