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Written by Administrator
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Sunday, 23 March 2008 21:34 |
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By Tom Threadgill - MotoPlex 2
- By basic definition, Motocross is racing a specially designed motorcycle
on a closed course, consisting of a variety of terains; uphill, downhill,
corners, jumps, etc. All done in a specific amount of time with everyone
trying for that elusive first place trophy.
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- ...Racing... is for anyone from four to well over fifty years old.
...Tracks are either privately owned or belong to a club. These tracks are run
in accordinance to the guidlines set by the AMA or their local racing
organization or club... Each track has a different layout with its own
uniqueness and special challenges.
- Motocross is thrilling and exciting. It's about personal achievements,
accepting defeat, and bouncing back to try again. It's a sport that truly
involves the whole family, from grandparents to little brothers and sisters.
It's about watching 'little Runny-nose Rugrats' grow into mature young adults
that any parent would be proud of. In fact, if you remove the racing part from
motocross it could be mistaken as a giant family reunion or a picnic with two
to three hundred of your best friends. Believe me, if you are lucky enough to
be involved in this sport as long as I have you will have easily made this
many friends and your family will definately become extended!
- So whether you choose to jump in with both feet and become a racer, or a
racer's parent, or a professional spectator as myself, remember to make new
friends, have fun and enjoy racing and please pass the potato salad!
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- The World of Motocross
- Motocross racing is one of the few spectator sports that really gives fans
the unbeatable combination of sure-fire appeal. Thrills, excitement, color,
speed, strategy and endurance are all presented in a natural panorama of
nature.
- While it may look simple to the onlooker, motocross competitors are
athletes in the strictest sense of the word. A recent study conducted by the
National Athletic Health Institute in California, in cooperation with Cycle
Magazine, proved the amazing fitness and endurance that each of these young
racers possess. Results of a series of fitness tests to 9 top motocrossers
showed conclusively that these riders were the most physically fit athletes
ever tested by the Institute.
- In motocross, endurance is the key factor. Sheer strength alone is not
enough to sustain a motocrosser for the many laps of relentless, random
pounding that each track dishes out.
- The study conducted by the NAHI included routine tests such as EKGs, blood
samples, blood pressure checks, etc. Once these were completed, it was on to
the more serious stuff. Heading the list was the treadmill test. By far and
away the most strenuous on the list, this test provided the most data about
each rider's general physical condition. Upper body strength was determined by
a series of shoulder presses, bench presses and curling exercises. Leg
strength was also measured in a number of ways. In addition, body flexibility,
hand strength and situps were included. Finally, underwater weighing
ascertained the amount of weight that was body fat and a skin-fold caliper
test revealed the distribution of fat on the body.
- The normal time on the treadmill for someone 21 or 22 years old is about
10 to 12 minutes. Tested motocross racers achieved times such as 17 minutes,
24 seconds.
- However, while motocross truly tests athletes, it also serves to satisfy
man's fascination with motors and wheels to which the traditional 'stick and
ball' sports cannot respond. Thus, motocross offers the best of two worlds.
- Motocross racing actually originated in Europe after World War II. Moto is
both French and Spanish for motorcycle and the cross came from Cross Country.
Off-road races begain gaining popularity as the continent rebuilt after the
ravages of the war. Today, motocross is one of Europe's major sporting
attractions.
- For us the sport is comparatively new, migrating to the United States in
the late 1960's.
- Motocross courses are normally laid out over natural terrain. Rocks, ruts,
bumps and seemingly impossible inclines supplied by Mother Nature are
obstacles on which the sport thrives.
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What Do The Sayings Mean?
- MOTO - The determined amount of time of each race.
BERM - The dirt
that is pushed up on the outside of a corner, and used to accellerate through
the corner.
DOUBLE JUMP - Two separate jumps made in one jump.
TRIPLE
JUMP - Three consecutive jumps made in one jump.
TABLE TOP - Jump on one
side, flat on top, and land on downside.
HOLESHOT - Term used at the
beginning of race to determine who gets to the first turn first.
STEP-UP -
Two jumps going up hill that one makes in one jump.
WHOOP-DE-DO'S -
Consecutive small jumps or bumps on a straightaway.
OFF CAMBER - A corner
or straight that is made on a hill.
BRAKING BUMPS - Bumps created by the
motorcycle from braking coming into a corner.
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Last Updated on Sunday, 23 March 2008 23:03 |
