My First MX Race

My First Race. MX

By: Joshua Schucker

Photo by: Kate Jorgenson

It all started at Ashcraft Run in 2019. My family and I pulled into the pits late Saturday afternoon in preparation for the next day’s cross-country race. Of course, I had known that there was a motocross race earlier that day, but for some long-forgotten reason, we were only able to make it later that day. I wasn’t terribly concerned with missing it either, I was a woods racer anyway. Out of curiosity, we took a walk up to the grass track that evening just to see what it looked like, and it certainly looked like a good time. It didn’t take long to begin hearing the hype surrounding the awesome time everyone had as we met up with folks in the pits Saturday and Sunday. Seeing the pictures on social media afterwards was enough to convince me that we should make it a priority to give it a try in 2020.

Going back to my early days on dirt bikes, and carrying on until now, I’ve never ridden an actual motocross race. I’ve always considered myself a decent trail rider first, and when I do race competitively it’s as a mid-pack hare scramble type guy. The closest I’ve come to motocross is backyard tracks and the times a cross country heads onto the MX sections at certain venues. And, speaking of my early days… what a better way to try motocross than to dust off my trusty 1989 KX250 and let it rip! I’ve owned this bike for nearly thirty years, and it hasn’t gotten much use lately, so this is perfect! I might as well go over it during the whole COVID lockdown to make sure it’s ready, right? Well a quick once over turned into a tear down, some new plastics, tires, suspension rebuild, and top-end with cylinder re-plating, which incidentally, everyone else must have thought lockdown was a good time to tinker as well. A backlog in plating due to high volume forced a scramble the week before Ashcraft Run. Thankfully, I managed to assemble the engine and get a bit of break-in completed before the event.

So, the bike is ready, I’m signed up for Next Gen 250 B, race four on today’s docket. As race three roars into the first turn, we line up at the rubber band start, I’m feeling excited and a bit nervous. I pick a decent inside line right next to fellow cross-country rider, Brian Schwien, on his equally cool 1990 YZ250. In no time at all we are staring at the board turning sideways and it’s time to go! The rubber band flies and I pin the throttle trying my best to emulate my childhood hero Jeff Ward. At least the ‘80s Kawi looks the part. But, wow, these guys are flying! It’s been years since the KX was my everyday ride, I’m just a tad tentative, and the previous night’s rain had the track a bit slippery. I settle into a comfortable back of the pack position and try to get some confidence built up. Schwien is right there with me which gets the competitive juices flowing. Cranking through the turns and getting a chance to really open the throttle on the straights, we are running head-to-tail. I am typically a reluctant jumper on bikes these days, but the main jump on this grass-track was so smooth I found myself letting off the throttle less and less each lap. Letting off is not an option anyway. Schwien is still on my tail playing the part of Bradshaw in my 20th century fantasy, there’s no room for error, this is awesome. Five laps of intense battling, I cross the line ahead of Brian and far behind the rest of the pack, but no matter. He and I are pumped at the intensity of the cat and mouse action throughout the moto. I shouldn’t be surprised, but am, at the amount of energy spent in the short duration of the moto. Exhilarating for sure, and anxious for the second moto to begin.

Conditions improved dramatically throughout the day and the traction in moto two was far superior to moto one. Improved confidence, traction, and familiarity with the track were sure to help his time. Brian and I settled into the rear of the field, but our speed was synced yet again. This time, Schwien got in front of me early on and I got to spend the entire moto pushing, looking for lines, trying to out-brake in the corners. A remarkably different perspective than being chased, but the intensity, adrenalin, and excitement are right on par. There are plenty of opportunities to push a competitor and attempt passes in the woods. The concepts are obviously the same: out-brake, pick a better line, get power to the wheel quicker, patience versus aggression, but the feeling on the MX track is different. It’s accelerated and constant, shorter laps give you a chance to study lines repetitively and decide where and when to pounce, but there is overall less time to act. I chased that Yamaha the whole moto and when the white flag flew, I knew I had to make a move. Putting the pressure on Schwien as best I could, we made our way halfway through the last lap. I pushed too hard into a 180-degree left hand turn and washed the front tire, nearly going down. Bradshaw, er, Brian is getting away, putting several bike-lengths on my green machine. I regain composure and try my best to close the gap. I don’t have any idea what actual position we were in, but I had already decided that to me this was for the overall. One last ditch effort in the final turn was not successful and Brian had taken moto two. Exhausted and thrilled with the experience, we congratulated each other on an amazing experience.

Will I be back on an MX track? For sure! I may not be a regular, but the entire experience was wonderful and satisfying. God-willing, you’ll see me on the grass track at Ashcraft Run next year. Until then, I’ll see you in the woods!

A WEEKEND TO REMEMBER PHOTOS BY: SHARON BEAN AONIA PASS CC/MX

A personal recap BY: DAVE LIGHT

We left home in Pennsylvania to visit my dad, Charlie Light, in Edgefield, SC. Since all the COVID-19 stuff had several of our races postponed or canceled in the Mid-Atlantic Region Cross Country series, Craig Lowery and I decided to go try one with Dad at Aonia Pass in Washington GA. We loaded the motor home and headed over to the complex. As we set up off turn four of the flat track course that Friday night, it started to rain. It really wasn't a gully washer, but I knew the XC track was gonna be wet in spots.

After the clouds broke and the sun started to warm things up, it turned hot and humid. Craig and I were social butterflies and met and talked to lots of people who’d made the trip. All were nice; five different states represented. Most had come for the national grass track MX on Sunday, but many were doing the Cross Country as well on Saturday. Our cousins, Dave and Craig Light also made the trip from Tyrone, GA, and had a trailer full of Bultacos, including one ready to do battle on the flat track.

They parked next to us. We checked the race order Saturday, and the Next Gen class we were in was the fourth gate to drop. They didn't hold you long at the gate; the standard 30-second wait, the green flag flew and we took off on an approximately four-mile loop. The rain made

for some low spots that rendered in the Georgia clay slick. But with the combination of the grass track MX and sandy clay, the track conditions were particularly good with a nice flow. It was good combination of fields entering into shadowy woods with mostly smooth trails. After the Post Vintage race, the awards were COVID friendly, self-service at the building where the results were posted. Before the XC race, I had a chance to watch some trials riding. There was a good turnout, four courses set up and a variety of riders there with different ages and skill sets. Lots of natural, technical obstacles to

maneuver through.

Like father (above is 79E Richard Light), like son (below is #975 Dave Light)

Toward late afternoon, the dirt track racers showed up en masse. This was totally new to me. They started with TT racing, flat tracking with a twist, with a big jump between turns two and three. It made for some thrilling racing. As the sun set, the lights came on and things got serious. The stands filled, there were a lot of races to run, the program finishing after midnight. The Rookie 7 exhibition Bultaco group was there with their awesome looking checkered flag tanks. (Astros, I think.) Man could they race tight and slide ‘em in there. My cousin clued me in that David Aldana was racing. Believe I saw David Aldana do three classes in a row that night, along with a rider with one arm who was wicked fast. David had been in the movie ‘On Any Sunday.’ Probably one of the highlights of the night was watching David's rear rotor glowing red after the third straight race. When Sunday’s national grass track MX kicked off, I decided to race Dad’s ‘74 Yamaha 360. The day was super-hot, 90+, with bluebird skies. The course started David Aldana's rear brake aglow as with a left over a nice natural jump in he blasts around the dirt track Photo: Dave Light the field, and then you could open it up

before out-braking riders into a hard right onto a small MX course with a low tabletop. After that, you snake down a road for about 100 yards, hard right up over an embankment and pin that throttle for another 100-yard sweep left, right, left. There were wide sweeping turns in the grass fields and guys were trying all kinds of lines through them to get an advantage before connecting to a road and slaloming through a row of pine trees. This ended up being a popular place to stick in a wheel and out-brake other riders for some exciting passes. Out of the trees we went into two long sweeping flat track-style turns in high gear toward the finish line. I raced hard with a guy from Louisiana on a 1974 Yamaha MX 250. I won the first moto and he won the overall with a win in the second. My dad and cousins had full gates in their respective motos and made for great races for the fans to watch that day. It was just an overall great weekend of so many different types of racing and family that made it worth that 12-hour drive for sure.